Its time for Take two! Today we will get more in depth with the things that we have been learning. This weeks focus has been predominantly on our presence online and being aware of how much the information we put online can be used against us if someone truly had malicious intent. It really made me think about my life and how much technology really is both a blessing and a curse.
Technology has the power to save the world, as someone who works for the medical supply company industry, I have seen first hand just how much technology has the power to save people with information and procedures that once upon a time was completely unfathomable. However, on the other hand, for every good person in this world who would use the technology for good, you have another person who would use that same technology for malicious intent. To stalk, to trail, to steal, and even in some cases to murder.
It is our duty and right as citizens of the digital world to teach every person the right and just way to use the gift they have. To make sure that all people in the world have the same access and knowledge to use the technology that in this crazy hectic world isn't only useful it is completely common place. Businesses, schools, places of employment, and even in your own home. At some point or another every person will have to face a computer and more.
Looking through the Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship (located here: http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html ) I had to determine which elements where closest and dearest to my heart.
The first one that stuck out to me immediately is Digital Access. I know I've said this a few times now but I work in a company that builds medical devices, which is very important to this topic for me. Our pump is one of the very first smart pumps. Its designed in such a way to eliminate as the human factor in medical care. That brings me to how any of this actually relates to to Digital Access. We have an amazing product designed to save and sustain lives. All people should have access to this. All people should have the right to technology that can save lives. But even in the modern world, they simply don't. Technology is far too expensive for the third world countries of the world. Right now my work is trying to address that. We are attempting to create a simpler, as well as a less expensive pump with Latin America in mind. One company doing this cannot change the world, but one company is a start.
Digital Law is something that is very near and dear to my personal life. Its common knowledge that I am a student here at NCCC earning an associates in Computer Information Systems. Its also common knowledge that I am an engineering technician working on an IV pump. What isn't common knowledge is that I am also a staff member for an Anime forum site called Menewsha. I work as both a pixel artist and a moderator who makes sure our collection of roughly 400 users behaves. It is unfortunately here that I have first hand access with people who have less then honorable intentions. We have dealt with anything from people wanting to role play child rape (don't worry we have zero tolerance for this) to people who steal artwork of other people and try and pass it off as their own. The laws that govern society should govern the world of the Internet but unfortunately this isn't always the case. Chasing someone down who stole art from someone else, or who tried to con someone out of their items is hard work. Because that person is likely nothing but an enigma to begin with.
I'm going to go with something related to absolutely everyone for the third theme. Communication. In this day and age virtually everyone has communicated via an electronic device at least once. This is one of the areas that is both the biggest tool we have in our arsenal, with companies being able to span nearly the entire world. It is also where the biggest risks of the internet world are located. People prey on the trusting nature that is human. From personal experience, I work with people literally all over the world. We have branches in Medina. New York, Deerfield, Illinois, Miami, Florida, and also a branch in Chenai over in India. For us this would never be possible without having that capability to communicate digitally. (Here is an interesting article about the pros and cons of digital communication : http://www.geekadelphia.com/2015/10/14/the-pros-and-cons-of-online-communication-in-the-workplace/ )
The last thing I will address today is this article here : http://bluevaletgj2o.pbworks.com/f/Employers+and+Facebook.pdf
I think I can see the truth in both sides of this argument, you should go into anything you put online with the thought that it will forever be there for anyone to see. That being said I agree more with what Timothy had said more. Greg did make some very interesting points that I think need to be addressed. He made a point that people portray themselves online as they want people to see them. There is many reasons that people do this. They may want to seem cooler, sexier, and overall more appealing.
When put this way it would seem like nothing we put online can really be considered valid enough for an employer, however a recent study has shown that people are most honest on social networking sites. People are less honest on anonymous chat sites or sexual sites, but how likely is an employer to find you on one of these sites? In the end if they are checking for you on a social network site, chances are they have a better chance at seeing the real you.
(Information about the honesty of people online can be found here : https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/close-encounters/201609/is-everyone-really-lying-online )
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