China and Yahoo

In class this Thursday, we discussed the role of the government and the Internet and if the two entities can coincide. On one hand, the Internet which does not have any boundaries is difficult to define by a country's law. Then, on the other hand, we have the example of Yahoo, which signed an agreement with China that named Yahoo as the sole Internet provider, but required them to censor some of the hits that would result from searches because they were not deemed acceptable by the Chinese government.

What particularly caught my eye was the piece at the end of the first chapter, that explained how, because of its obligation to China, Yahoo turned over the name of an user who sent an e-mail out criticizing the government. As the selection said, Shi Tao (the author of the the e-mail), "was thrown into prison for ten years" (10). In my quest for information about this particular case, I came across a website called Human Rights For China. It has a lot of information about his particular case, including what they have done specifically to help Tao as well as a link to the media coverage the case has been getting (Find the link to the website here: http://www.hrichina.org/public/highlight/).

This website is really interesting, because it explains the efforts of the organization and what they are doing to help appeal Tao's conviction in a attempt to get him out of jail. They also have press releases detailing all the legal steps they have taken and the dates which they have filed them as well as Yahoo's policies regarding everything in their company.

Sadly, this is only one example of what is happening when governments are allowed to censor the information that can either be attained or sent over the Internet. The simple freedoms and liberties we have in America should not be taken lightly because, as this case demonstrates, people have given up years of their life to get their voices heard. Although I agree that some regulations and governance needs to be enacted to see what is put online, what China is doing seems too dramatic. People should not be punished for expressing their views. These are basic human rights. No matter where you live, everyone should be entitled to it.

Betty White's Hosting Gig on SNL: Pure Fate or Facebook Guided?

We concentrated this week in class on forming action groups on the Internet. Some individuals when asked believe that it is a great development for society and Internet users. For example, citizens throughout the country would be able to connect to individuals that would never interact otherwise. On the other hand, there are skeptics who are afraid that these action groups would end up having too much power. Is it wrong for people to have a voice and be able to use it to their advantage?

After this discussion in class, I was reminded of the big hoopla surrounding Betty White. This was a big year for the star. Not only did she get praise for her role in "The Proposal," but also received lifetime achievement awards for all that she has contributed in the entertainment industry. With everything that she has been able to do, fans of the actress wondered why she has yet to host Saturday Night Live?

They talked and talked, but got nowhere. That's when they took their argument online and tried to gather as much support for her to host SNL that was possible. One way was to (surprise, surprise) create a group on Facebook entitled "Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!" Find the link here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Betty-White-to-Host-SNL-please/266442514828?v=info

With the help of online group members (503,806 to be precise), Ms. Betty White has finally accepted the hosting gig and will make her debut on May 8, 2010. Many people wonder why this time she said yes or why this was so important to her fans for her to host. Perhaps the reason for media coverage was not because she agreed, but rather the extent her supporters would go to get her on the show. To be quite honest, it is very impressive their dedication to White. Not only was it impressive, but it should what mass groups could do when they all have the same voice.

Dedication is key to any major action group that is founded on the Internet. In my personal opinion, I believe it is fascinating to see how much a group of individuals can impact or change a course of events. Not many people can say they have been able to do anything productive while in a group. The majority of the time, people fail to gain any attention or motivate individuals to assist in their cause. However, with the creation of social networking pages like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, spreading the news has become a lot easier. It is more convenient to find people with similar interests so that you have a comfort circle. This is the way the Internet is developing and at this point there is no turning back.