1. Based on this debate and previous readings, what definition of democracy do you feel is most fitting for us to use in-conjunction to our growing reliance and integration of digital networked technologies?
It is obvious that the current grounds of these debates we have ventured into relate in all aspects to the media, political organizations, citizens and voters alike. With that being said, it is safe to say that each of these debate topics have trickled down from some form of E-democracy; a term combining the words electronic and democracy. These debates have been about blogging and its political views on it. In other words this explains the use of information technologies and communication technologies in political and governance processes, also known as E-democracy (Wikipedia.com).
2. How does your answer to #1 fit into the unchecked nature of Web 2.0 technologies, and what are some tangible examples of this? Do you feel this is an important issue that needs to be addressed further?
Most of the technologies mentioned in Web 2.0 have software that is pretty simple to understand in order to take full advantage of what it has to offer, hence its availability to any and everyone. If it were a piece of technology that was not meant to be so easily accessible, it would be harder to use. These applications were designed for a reason. I'm sure everyone has enough common sense to decipher an applications reliability as it is basically presented through how secure of an app it is. We have the ability to use these apps or not and that is what's most important in this debate of "unchecked technologies". You wouldn't walk into a shady tarot reading shop with hopes of finding plausible answers to your life would you? These technologies are simply alternative means of communications that can be more widely broadcasted.
3. Define and describe the phenomenon of the Media echo-chamber as described in the Internet Debates. What are some examples of this silo effect, and do you believe it is an issue that needs to be addressed? Why or Why not?
Media echo-chambers in relation to these debates, implies that when ideas, beliefs, or general information is released into the media and is constantly mentioned and discussed it somehow becomes reliable or factual in a sense. It refers to the notion that people tend to believe certain things that repeated constantly, especially if it is coming from a familiar or popular source that coincides with your particular beliefs. For example there have been many cases where the news mentioned ending bullying. However, since the case of the woman who created a profile page to harass a young girl and the case of Tyler Clementi, sources have accredited the main cause of suicide to be associated with cyber-bullying and how this imminent epidemic needs to end.
4. What are some ways that expertise and authority could be (or is being) enforced on the internet? Who would be behind these forces? Why do you believe they are needed or not needed?
To my Knowledge the only expertise and authority being enforced on the internet is the fact that web pages are either .edu's, .com's, or .net's. These have a lot to do with a websites informative credibility. When researching a project in school teachers encourage students to utilize information from edu web pages. Educational websites tend to have the most accredited resources as all their information is drawn from scholarly sources oppose to .com's or networks which are usually bias or advertisement based information. Scholarly based sites gather information from professors and or grad. students.
5. Give an example of an adaptation or improvement made by a social, political, or cultural group, government, business or individual to keep up with changing nature of the internet.
Im sure that there are numerous examples of businesses adapting or improving to the internet's changing nature. One that comes to mind is itunes. After music was changed forever due to illegal digital music downloading i.e. (napster), companies desperately looked for other means of earning profit. Apple accommodated the internet's evolutionary change to digital music downloading by creating itunes. Itunes is an online store that allows customers to purchase anything from music to movies, shows and audiobooks.
6. Is democracy threatened by the unchecked nature of the internet?
As a principle democracy is the governing of the people for the people. The principles being reflected by democracy suggest that all just citizens are equally abiding by the law as well as rightfully utilizing the power they possess. With that being said all the internet and it's applications do for democracy, if anything, is liberate and diversify it.
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