Whether you are a digital
native or immigrant, it is impossible to escape the clutches of the Internet. First,
I liked to applaud Facebook for becoming a nation. Now, the Facebook Nation is
a cool concept. Specifically because of how much power Facebook and similar sites
have in creating change, though it may not be a result from the best
circumstances. It’s hard to deny that the discussion on laws, bills, consumer
products, etc. have all been changed by the Internet. There is a more open debate between the general audience and those in power. In order to become part
of any nation everyone must agree to rules and regulations, but online no one
truly reads the user agreement, we all just click agree and move on. Since this
always happen, people fail to realize that by agreeing, you just gave your
privacy away. Also being part of this new nation comes with a new type of
justice. With the example of 4chan in the reading, any online community can
hack their way to provide the people with a sense of justice. No one is safe
from groups like 4chan or anonymous.
People may not be a user of
Facebook or similar social media, but they are shopping, goggling, and or
snooping online. All this online activity is being sold to advertisers to make
money off of us and to direct certain advertisement that may appeal to an
individual. How is this different from what television does? Personally I don’t
see a problem with this, I’m going to be provided links to things I might like
based on other things that interest me, that’s brilliant. However, I do
understand when it comes to monitoring emails, personal conversations on Skype,
social security number, etc. this type of information needs to be secured. This
has been a problem since early Internet, tips have been provided over the years
of how to better secure your online experience and information. Each company
has updated their protocol when it comes to sensitive information. With advancements
in technological hardware and software, everything becoming more stylish,
sleek, and elegant, it is difficult for there to be effective laws and regulations
to be implemented online. Whether we like it or not, all of this is creating a "digital doppelganger" that has more control in the real world then we may have. Jobs, friends, schools, etc. all look online now to base judgment on a person. Its up to the user to ensure that they are coming off as the person they want to be instead of just a compilation of random bits of data.
Alex, we can instructively put your post alongside Blake's to compare reactions to the idea of the Facebook Nation. Blake was dubious about it, while you appreciate what the analogy reveals about Facebook's clout in the world today. I particularly like that you mentioned the user agreement, something that experts here at Berkeley have written about (look up Bobby Glushko's writing on end user license agreements, or EULAs) and that most people, frankly, ignore. We sign so many of our rights away when we download and start using pieces of software, e.g. rights to arbitration, property, dissent, etc. It would be an interesting project to compare the terms of service for different social media sites (something Youmans and York mention in regard to Facebook vs. Twitter).
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