Reading Quest 4 DIY

They Call Me Cyberboy- Douglas Rushkoff

       In this article Rushkoff discusses how the Internet has not only changed the way we gather information about the cyberworld, but how we gather information about the old world through the cyberworld. He says that people used to laugh at him when he told them that one day they would be e-mailing each other, and now the excitement of the Internet is gone; It has become a societal norm. Nowadays the Internet is used to conduct business and exchange money [as well as the obviously overrated social networking fad]. He used to be made of for thinking the Internet was such a wonderful advancement, but now everyone uses it. 

Love Online- Henry Jenkins 

       This article talks about virtual relationships. The author goes into detail about his son's long-distance virtual relationship with a girl he met on the Internet. I think it is interesting that people can meet and actually have feelings for each other without every meeting in person. Apparently, the author and his son made a trip to Nebraska from their home in Massachusetts to meet the girl he had been dating over the Internet. They shared a love for video games and professional wrestling, but the girl's dad wasn't very happy about their cyber-relationship. After awhile, the young couple broke up, and the author's son continued to have a few other relationships, some virtual and some face-to-face. The main idea of this article is that the world is changing, and it is possible for people to find love on the Internet. 

Social Currency- Douglas Rushkoff
     
       Rushkoff expresses that cell phone companies need to realize that no matter how cool their phones are, they still really aren't all that great. Sure, they look nice, but who is actually going to buy more things with their cell phone than they would with their regular ol' internet on their actual computer? The answer is no one! Their advertisements are made to impress, and make people want to get the new phone that can do almost anything-- but why!? The only thing people actually need their phones for is to make phone calls and (nowadays) to send text messages. 

We Can't Ignore the Influence of Digital Technologies- Cathy Davidson

       Davidson opens the article talking about Wikipedia. She had seen somewhere that a college had banned the use of Wikipedia and she couldn't believe that Wikipedia is really that bad. She says that some schools are actually giving students assignments to create their own Wikipedia entries, and that it is a good website. Just because anyone in the world has the ability to "correct" certain information found on webpages does not make it an irrefutable source. I agree with the author, I have been able to find some good information on Wikipedia despite the fact that people can change whatever they want. This does not mean that all of the information on this website is not to be trusted. I think that if a student were to ONLY use Wikipedia as a source for research, the results may not be 100% reliable, but as one of their sources, it may not be so bad.