Internet and Communication

It seems that almost everyone agrees that the internet has had a huge effect on communication. There have been many good things and some bad things about this effect. I have summarized what many of us agreed upon.

Speed and ease-of-use is what most of us picked as the most important contribution of the internet to communication. We can now write and talk to each other instantaneously through chat, video conferencing, and in some cases, through email. The internet is also easy to use due to advanced computing technologies that allow us to point and click at highly intuitive graphics.

The internet has also brought down the cost of communication while increasing the scope and scale of content. Most services are available at no cost to the user. For example, Skype has a free service for video conferencing, and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are available at no cost for basic services. And most web email services like Gmail, Yahoo mail and Hotmail are also available at no cost for basic services.

Most of us seem to agree that the internet has also brought us closer together by bridging the geographical gap that existed before the highly interconnected world we live in today. We can now talk, video conference, or chat with friends, relatives and even strangers thousands of miles away.

As for the not-so-good stuff, most us complained that the internet has “cheapened” relationships by creating virtual realities. For instance, you can have a few thousand “friends” or “followers” on Facebook and Twitter. That actually creates many impersonal relationships and therefore, meaningless.

Privacy issues were also raised by some - where companies are actively mining personal data for marketing or electioneering purposes. We also tend to give up a lot of our private data rather willingly; sometimes we have no knowledge that a computer program, malware/virus or social engineers are stealing this information.

Can World War III be averted?

I am very optimistic that World War III can be averted even with the present anarchical system of international politics. A realist would most likely disagree as realism’s core principle is that humans are, by nature, selfish and competitive. And that the lack of an overarching authority that is supposed to ensure security and order, and conflicting national interests, creates an environment where world conflict is inevitable. Hence, realists are inherently pessimistic in their international political outlook.

But to a liberal (not to be confused with a “left-leaning” ideology in US politics), countries are not actively engaged in power struggle as realists contend. In fact, countries can interact through mutual cooperation, friendship and even altruism. Moreover, unlike realists, liberals believe that international politics need not be a “zero-sum” game where one must lose in order for another to win; rather, it can be a “win-win” situation where all actors gain. Such views saw the formation of the League of Nations by an American president and idealist, Woodrow Wilson. The main idea was to foster a partnership of democratic nations; an ideal that is still cultivated by the United Nations.

Constructivism puts forward an important theory that is very different from that of realism and liberalism; it is a different way of thinking in that we tend to label and define political structures that trap us within the borders of our imagined “stable” states. We then form mental pictures of who we are based on this presumed stability. A good example is the collapse of USSR where a political identity disappeared rather quickly. However, constructivists also believe in an interactive process that is open to ideas and keeps the lines of communication open among its agents. These agents can be individuals, groups or other political structures. And these processes lead to treaties, laws, and international organizations such as the UN, WTO, and IMF etc.

My view is more pragmatic. I find myself careening between liberalism as well as constructivism. As said in the text (below), democracies hardly go to war with each other. Therefore, as countries begin to shift to more democratic systems, then views about the real cost of war, for example, will take center stage in debates.

I also tend to think that as more countries become richer and more interconnected then the actors will all have a stake in international affairs. And the thought of wiping a civilization will be a tough sale.

Furthermore, technology and education will continue to have an effect on how people view each other, and how well nations can manage scarce resources. For instance, as solar technology advances, oil, coal and natural gas might just be a thing of the past. Many conflicts over such resources will cease as the sun is readily available to all.

NOTE:

Except where noted, the ideas in this article are adopted from a course text book (below) for general discussion purposes.

Rourke, T. John. 2008.  International Politics on the World Stage. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Internet's effect on News

I think that one of the most important things that the Internet brought to news is availing the written word on demand. I can remember the days when you bought a newspaper to catch up on yesterday’s news, stock quotes, futures, and so on. Although television was, and still is, able to broadcast news and other data instantaneously, it is very limited in terms of content, scope and depth. The Internet enabled news organizations, including individuals, to broadcast vast amounts of both static and dynamic data and video content without the severe limitation of television’s bandwidth or the print space of newsprints.

But even more revolutionary is the effect the Internet had in taking the “keys” away from the gatekeepers that are the big media organizations; it thus, lowered the barrier in the dissemination of news and opinions. For example, all one needs is access to a computer or some other device that is Internet capable to create news or share one’s views through blogs or commentaries. In fact, some news organizations like CNN have come to value such contributions to their news gathering with sessions such as iReporter.

Furthermore, the Internet provides many sophisticated search capabilities that allows users to pinpoint only the news/data that interests them. Thus, instead of perusing through a bunch of printed materials or microfiches, we can search through a mountain of data with lightening speeds. And even data that has been archived statically can now be scanned via OCR and made dynamically available via the Internet.

Introduction

My name is Moses Kibara. I am currently enrolled in Information Technology at Umass online. I just started my third year this semester. I work as a technology technician tasked with servicing production MFPs and networking/connectivity.

My expectation for this course (91.113 Exploring the Internet) is to open up my eyes about the internet. I hope to discover new tools about exploring the internet as well as enhance the skills that I currently employ in utilizing the web.

My hobbies are travel, reading, music and sports. I also love to eat different cuisines and sample beers on weekends. I try to drink a different beer every week. My favorite beers are from microbrewers.

I hope to get to know most of you.