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The digital koan, Koan 6: Nothing Goes Away, definitely fits in with the definition of koan. Koan 6, certainly is thought provoking; it raises the question of “What exactly happens to the information I put online?”, tells the story of how this information is used and abused, and also makes the statement that nothing we put on the internet, ever goes away. It also offers a dialogue on the ways that the internet users see information.
This section explains what happens to information when it is put online; information, according to the chapter, is duplicated and stored, over and over again. This is something most people don’t think about when they post a facebook or twitter status, and definitely not when they use their debit card. The majority of social media users seem to assume that once something is deleted, it is gone. I feel like this koan of “Nothing Goes Away” really cemented that this belief was false. By showing how companies store, use, and abuse information that the everyday person takes for granted, this koan proves that information we provide digitally, not just on facebook, doesn’t go away either. The information given about rewards cards, certainly made me question whether or not I should actually be using them.
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While the reading was not exactly what I had expected, I do feel it is something that will be particularly helpful in maintaining productivity online. Having taken psychology courses, the fact that multitasking isn’t as efficient as we perceive wasn’t a new one for me. Some of the statistics, however, were quite alarming. On page 37, in Net Smart, the author mentions that only “about 2.4 percent” of the college students used in the studies could drive and talk on the telephone without a loss of performance. I feel like this really brings the point home, that we are not as good at multitasking as we think.
The book also mentions mindfulness. I think this is a technique everyone should strive for, not just while online, but in everyday life. Being mindful of what we are saying and doing, not helps with time management, but also with conflict and anxiety. I found this part to be especially enlightening. We are all guilty of clicking links and getting lost in the sea that is the internet.
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Hello everyone! I’m Shay Bloxton and I am a MDS major with minors in History, Math, and possibly Professional Writing and Editing. I was previously a math major, but due to a cellular immune deficiency I have quite a few health problems and had to switch to online schooling. My goal is to overcome this and graduate in Spring 2016. I would love to go to graduate school to become a Librarian, however, I may end up finding a job working at home.
I am 20 years old, and I am from Summersville, WV. I have two cats, two dogs, one gecko, and a bunch of fish. I live at home with my mother, step-father, and little brother. I’m vegan and I love cooking vegan food, gardening, reading, watching netflix, and doing crafts.
Nice to meet you all and I wish you a great semester!
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First, you mention that you’re glad the information, such as keycard records, aren’t available to the general public. I agree, but in this day and age with technology, things aren’t as secure as they would like us to believe. People are becoming more adept at hacking, while security isn’t advancing fast enough. I think this comes down to the statement you later mention from the author about needing policies to delete data. I think that not only do we need to have policies on storage and deletion of information, but also policies on technological crimes. The law hasn’t quite caught up to the technological age, when it sorely needs to. For example, they mention earlier in the chapter, the Verizon and Naral case. I believe this kind of case is the least of our worries. In general, much more heinous crimes can be committed online, but the law has no policies to stop them.
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You guys both point out some important things. First, Jen, you mention that it’s frustrating to have to “pay” for privacy. I agree, however, we don’t just have to pay with money, but with convenience as well. As Ashley, mentions they definitely track by anything digital (debit cards, card cards, etc.). The only way to keep all privacy intact, is to go completely off the grid.
Ashley, you also mention that they track on Amazon. Recently, it’s been a big thing about how Facebook using things we search or look at on other websites to customize our advertisements or page suggestions. It’s incredibly hard to be completely anonymous on the internet or even offline with the technology now days.
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I think this is definitely something that we need to teach everyone about social media. When I was in high school they were trying to teach us this, but it isn’t quite as relevant until you get into the job force. I know people who are having trouble getting jobs because of what they’ve posted before they even went to college.
Another thing to mention, is that at WVU if you are caught on camera even near the burning couches (etc), you can get in serious trouble. I think in the University 101 class everyone has to take when they come to WVU, they should have a required using media wisely section. -
Jsears,
I found the ideas about filtering to be very interesting as well. I, however, have had to learn and am still learning to filter in crowds and with lots of stimuli. Due to anxiety and a multitude of other reasons, this is particularly hard for me. But the suggestion of meditation that is offered in the first chapter for mindful internet use, is something that I find helpful on an everyday basis. Thus, I believe those who practice mindfulness in everyday life, may find it easier to avoid distractions on the internet. Ironically, I feel more able to filter while on the internet, than while in a crowd.
