I really enjoyed the lecture by C.L. Lindsay III. His visual props were hilarious and his manner of speaking was down to earth, though he did talk incredibly fast. I wouldn't mind reading his book.
I think the most important aspect of his message was that everything you do online has an offline, or real world, equivalent. Often people think of cyberspace as literally some far, far away galaxy. It's not, so whatever you write online has a real life consequence. That is quite apparent if you ever read the comments posted after stories on online newspapers. Posters are not required to use their real names and they can basically write their opinion on any and everything, regardless if what they write is fact. Posters can bash people and groups and there are no repercussions to posting false information. I don't believe that's what the First Amendment was intended for.
I was shocked by Lindsay's recounting of a recent poll that showed 70% of college students cheated. Perhaps because I'm an older college student, I believe that my eventual degree will be worth what I put into it, not just a ticket to a decent job. I also take plagiarism seriously. I'm currently a journalist and I take a lot of pride in my work. I would be quite peeved if someone stole my writings.
I already wasn't a fan of Facebook, and the creepy collection of online predators validated my distaste of the website. I believe if I have pictures to share with loved ones, I'll simply invite them to my home. I don't need the world to see them. Lindsay's advice to check your friends' Facebook pages also rang true for me. Last year, one of my "friends" posted pictures of my bachelorette party on her page. I found about it and asked her to take them all down (which she did). It just irks me that people think they can share not only their personal lives online, but their friends' personal lives as well.
The Internet is one of the most useful inventions of the 20th century; however, with this invention comes the need to learn how to use it responsibly. Like you, I thought the best words of advice that C.L. Lindsay offered during his presentation was "If it is illegal in the real world, then it is illegal on the Internet." His second most important piece of advice: Fair and legal are not the same thing. Words to live by each time we click on our computers.
ReplyDeleteI was glad he mentioned TurnItIn. There is definitely controversy about TurnItIn here at UIS. Many students feel that the company is making money off of work that they create. And that furthermore, a good professor should be able to tell when a student is cheating without resorting to third-party programs.
While much of what he said was common sense, one thing I learned was that you could be sued based on your IP address. That's scary.
I'm glad you enjoyed his speech and found it worth your time. I enjoy it every time I watch it!
P.S. I find myself shocked nearly every day on what I see on Facebook. I teach a workshop on being safe online and there is no shortage of bad examples to point out...