It's crazy that you never think about where your information is. I am scared that if my computer or hard drive fails, i'll lose my music, photos, identity!!!
But then I think... my music is on my 8 tracks playlists, photos are all on Facebook so hello identity. I would like to know though, why is my information good enough to be stored and where is it all? How can there be something so huge that it can hold the entire contents of every single person's online presence? I'm sure there is a database that has everything about my life that's been posted somewhere on the internet. From the storage of information i've put into the internet people would know my passwords, credit card number, preferences and interests, friends, places i've been, photos of me, things i've bought, songs i've listened to. It's scary. I have shared more things about me with the internet then I have with any person. To me, this seems unhealthy. The things I have typed into the internet, a lot of it I wouldn't tell a person.
What if one day this mysterious secret place where all our information is stored explodes or is uncovered?! I would be exposed and there would not be one secret. People would see what i've chatted to my friends about or what i've googled out of interest (which I assure you is nothing out of the ordinary). But that is not the point.
We as online personalities slightly have a bit of control. We control what people know about us and what is stored in this gigantic database. We also have control of what we advertise. If I status about a great steak I had at Outback Steakhouse, then that is free advertising for them. SCORE!
Now onto the fun part. This weeks reading by Kelly was especially interesting as it discussed the issue of internet copy. It did make me aware that a lot of things i've written (like this blog) are more than easy to copy. But even onto bigger and better things than that, movies. Since i've discovered project free tv, my attendance to movie theatres has severely declined and this does mean bad things for the economy. 'We can start with a simple user question: why would we ever pay for anything that we could get for free? When anyone buys a version of something they could get for free, what are they purchasing?' (Kelly, 2008) This is such a good question. I would never buy something that I could get for free and to you that may seem immoral but I am a uni student who makes no great deal of money so yes, I can admit this and I guarantee I am not the only person.
The economy just wouldn't be getting the money it used to due to these free options. People pay for quality and authenticity but I feel purchased versions need to offer something more to us so there is more of an incentive to pay.
It is certainly interesting to see how much people are willing to share when they aren't looking another person in the eye. There are so many times when I read something and think to myself, "why would you want to the world to know that?".
ReplyDeleteNow there are apps that let you take peoples photos and it instantly searches for matches of them on social networking sites. You literally know everything about the person walking towards you on the street before they walk past you.
I blame you for the HOUR of my studying time consumed by playing around on 8 tracks! It's pretty cool, seeing all of my musak is on a fried computer!
ReplyDeleteWe've never had such open communication about a private lives. I think to some it's liberating? writing it down and sending into cyperspace is Easier than telling someone who can respond...like PostSecret!
It would be interesting to see how this new economy, almost entirely on the internet, will affect movie theatres? do you think they'll end up like vinyl?
Awesome engagemnt with content!