Week 5: The Deep Net

            So, we talked about the dangers of the Internet in class today. There is something that exists called the Deep Net, which is pretty much anything and everything that is illegal or twisted on a secret side of the Internet. If you find it, you have access to things such as hackers, hit men, spies, black market goods, theft, and anything else that an undesirable would want to find. You would think that the world’s governments would have already been able to take apart the Deep Net, but it is too well organized to be taken down as easily as one would shut down a website. The biggest defense it has is that it runs through software such as TOR, which connects the Deep Net users through encrypted computer networks that make the encryption more and more complicated each time another computer is used to hide the original user’s identity. Essentially, there is no way to track the Deep Net and its users back to their original sources. Impressive but concerning. This is one of those things that have a huge potential to cause large amounts of harm to a wide variety of people. Now, don’t go looking around to find the Deep Net, because it is a really dark side of our reality. It’s straight up bad. However, the concept behind the Depp Net is fascinating and I respect the amount of effort that has been put in to create and sustain a network so large and mysterious.

Week 4: A Positive Aspect of Social Media

Sharing the Gospel is the responsibility and privilege of every member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love doing it because it creates such a fantastic sense of satisfaction and reminds me of how blessed I am for having the Gospel in my life. However, it is not the easiest thing for everyone to do. There are times when even I do not seize an opportunity to discus with someone the love that Heavenly Father has for them (or some other aspect of the doctrine of Christ). Luckily, the Lord wants to give all of us the blessings that come from being a member missionary. He has given us social media, such as Facebook or blogs (or a whole number of things, for that matter) to digitally share our testimonies and messages of the LDS faith. When I first heard of this, I was very skeptical because I believed that nothing could compare with the experience of a face-to-face conversation. Or, at least, nothing could have as big of an impact as a personal, physical discussion. But, from what I have observed and heard, social media is making leaps and bounds with sharing the gospel across the world. It is a great medium that offers so many tools and makes the conversation more convenient and multi-faceted. I have even heard stories of some people that received the missionary discussion through Skype, and then were converted to the Gospel. Needless to say, Heavenly Father’s timing of introducing the technology to do these sorts of things is impeccable. The world received these things at the perfect time. Well, I suppose that I should use this to my advantage and magnify my responsibility as a member missionary!

Week 3: Information Sharing

This week we touched a bit on the culture of repeated information and memes. It is quite impressive how fast information, such as images or videos, is able to travel. When things are shared to an extreme, it is deemed “viral.” For example, there was a 5^th grade teacher who got over 5 million hits on a photo she took and uploaded as a way to teach to her students how fast things can travel on the internet. Apparently, there are sets of unwritten rules that determine whether or not something becomes popular in the Internet environment. I really don’t know what these rues are, but that’s okay because I don’t concern myself particularly with gaining Internet fame in this lifetime. But, it is important to know and understand that information can travel quickly, even if it is unwanted. For all I know, there exists a photo of me that is floating around the World Wide Web that I wouldn’t want the public to see if I had my say. But, I’ll just keep hoping that is not the case. We must be aware that anything we do can be shared to the public at anytime with the Internet, so you might not want to put everything online. I personally like my privacy. It is also important to know how each of us fulfills our role in the sharing and promoting of information. This could help or harm any number of people, whether or not the information is true. There are countless amounts of false information that is shared on a daily basis. This is extremely negative, especially when it concerns a serious event, such as some sort of political movement or natural disaster. Just to be safe, don’t over share and keep a healthy amount of skepticism with you at all times. Examine the world, and make sure it stays relevant.

Week 2: Social Media In Moderation

This week we discussed the way the information age has begun to change the way society interacts within itself. There is a sort of adaptation in the way people communicate and share information. There are many opinions regarding this, whether it is progress or a destruction of basic communication habits. In my opinion, it is merely a shift, for the good and the bad. We are more connected with the world that is outside our physical reach, but there are many occasions when people isolate themselves from their immediate reality. That is easy to see wherever we go. In reference to the negative connotations of communication via social media, I personally believe that it is rapidly become too large of a part of many people’s lives. As a college student, the age group that I pertain to relies heavily on communication technology and social media to maintain contact with other people and retrieve information. In this generation, social rules are changing constantly. I feel that this new technology should be used to facilitate our lives, not become a focus in our lives. There is an entire world to experience, but multitudes are allowing themselves to experience it through a cell phone or computer. However, I do use devices such as these on a daily basis, but I fight to maintain control over my life and the information that I choose to share with the world. As the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has counseled, we must use all things in moderation, whether it be food or technology. All of us must ask ourselves whether or not we are able to properly function without the constant use of a computer or cellular device. If it would be a problem, something needs to change. By all means, use your social media and technology to make your lifestyle more comfortable and convenient, but don’t make these things a focal point in your life. To be independent means to be free from all types of things that potentially slow or halt one’s progress and life satisfaction.