I just read this article about the recent court decision in the states that struck down parts of the FCC’s rules on a more open internet.
I’m not all that familiar with the in’s and out’s of how this works. The internet is a total “black box” technology for me, I barely understand how to use the internet on a good day.
Anyone have any ideas of if this is going to seriously affect us up here in canada? Is this just going to be a problem for Americans?
Hello! My name is Sonya Hoonjan and I am currently a 4th year microbiology major. TS 400 is my first Technology and Society course. I am really looking forward to learning more about technology, the future, and its impact on society so far and beyond. I wouldn’t describe myself as being very tech savvy (I’m actually a bit of a luddite to be truthful), but I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge in the tech field.
I am pretty interested in exploring the connection between education and technology, as it is relevant and interesting.
I hope to get to know everyone in the class better!
Cheers 🙂
http://gizmodo.com/you-are-here-the-13-best-maps-of-2013-1490022952
The maps are mostly Amero-centric (but what isn’t these days). The few I thought were cool are the one compering historical and modern cities and the population demographic ones.
Also craft beer! (I’m going to be doing Cicirone this year which is the her equivalent of being a sommelier)
Take the test to find out where you stand!
Hi Everyone!
My name is Emma Watson. I am currently in my fifth and final year majoring in Health and Recreation and I have almost completed my Business Minor. I am very passionate about health promotion, sports marketing and special events. I heard this is a great course from a friend of mine and I’m looking forward to learning lots about technology in society!
I wouldn’t consider myself a technology nut but I think I kind of know what I’m doing! I’m excited to broaden my knowledge! I’m very interested in social media and the rise of photo sharing such as popular apps like Instagram and Snap chat and their extreme popularity.
Looking forward to the course!
Hi there, me name is Meesha and I’m a second year transfer student from Vancouver. I recently obtained an Associates Degree in General Arts, and I’m looking to expand my knowledge and experiences. As of now I’m in Computer Science but that may change in the near future to possibly Social Science. I have loved computers and the internet ever since I started playin’ around on my dad’s old windows 95 on dial up, which has transformed into me using social networking sites, art sharing sites, some light gaming, and also being glued to my smartphone. I’d like to think of myself as an average internet user; somewhere in between an avid blogger-hardcore-gamer-skilled-hacker-software-engineer-social-media-addict who can fix blue screens of death and record their own music to sell online; and someone who is computer illiterate… is that too broad a spectrum? (The possibilities are virtually endless) I am also an amateur photographer, love movies, am a vegetarian, and enjoys a good cup of coffee every morning.
The topics I would like to cover this term are how file sharing affects us in the way we communicate, how it affects copyrights, plagiarism/theft, and how we have come to expect the ways in which we obtain “things” and information online; as well as privacy issues, not only in Canada or the US, but globally, personally… How far do each of our digital footprints go? Can they ever be permanently removed? Or will they haunt us forever, allowing family/friends, strangers, or even governments to pre-judge and catalog us?
(Another topic I’m a little interested in discussing might be where TV shows and movies are going in our society’s online trend world? Will people still go out to theatres to watch movies and record shows on their pvr’s? Or will the way we are entertained in that sense also transform? How?)
Hello folks, Nick Wong here. I’m a Psychology major doing a fifth year victory lap to complete the TS minor. I guess that means I’m no luddite, despite the fact that the closest I’ve ever come to owning a cell phone is when my mom gave me her old iPod about a year ago, which I now periodically take out in public and pretend to text on whenever I want to blend in.
I suppose my initial interest in the intersections of technology and society stems from an early affinity to social media (I’ve always felt my most effective communication mediums were the 2am MSN (R.I.P.) convo and the long form Facebook message (semi-R.I.P.)). However, my fascination with the subject has broadened to the point where I almost can’t think of anything at all without also considering how it relates to humanity’s use of technology.
Something I’d be particularly interested in exploring is the idea of the “death of knowledge” and how it might force educators to reconsider their role as well as that of the entire educational system. If you take active externalism as your guiding philosophy, and combine it with the growing ubiquity of mobile technologies, traditional academic values are being rendered obsolete. Our mobile devices are now extensions of our minds, and anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection can access virtually every scrap of human knowledge produced to date. Where, then, should our educational priorities be, if not with rote learning and specialized knowledge? How should the curriculum be modified to reflect these changing priorities, and what technologies will emerge or be appropriated from other domains for use in the classroom? I would argue (or perhaps just hope) that the arts will take on increased significance, so I’d like to see us explore how technologies related to music, art, writing, and other creative disciplines might affect how and what we learn in the future.
Hey. My name is Shelby Abbott. I am a fourth year Sociology major and Technology and Society minor. Because I grew up on the internet I am very familiar with it. I have been using social media sites, whether it be Myspace or Nexopia since I began using the internet. So I am very curious to look at social media sites from a critical stance instead of just a avid user stance. For instance, the fades of the different sites, is there going to be something better than Facebook in the near future that everyone starts to use instead of Facebook, like it has been done with Myspace and Nexopia before? What are the major cons of social media? Do all the negatives have to do with the privacy issues we are beginning to hear about more often now? K cool can’t wait.
Hello my name is Jessica Watson, I am a forth year geography student.  I became interested in the courses that Technology and Society had to offer through TS200.  Being a human geography student I also  believe that technology fundamentally incorporates geography in all aspects.  Therefore I am strongly interested in technologies such as location based marketing through the use of the google glasses.  I am fascinated by technological advancements and am looking forward to expand my knowledge on the subject.
Hi, I’m Griffin! I’m a fourth/fifth year Computer Science major, finishing up my last term at UVic. I’ve been a tech-nut my entire life, so a course focused on applying this to society definitely sounds like something I’d enjoy!
One of the topics I’m most interested in regarding the digital world has always been video games, as well as how they affect society and culture. Working for a social video game startup here in Victoria, I’m very passionate about games, and think that it would be great to cover their relation to society in this course.
I plan to work on a video game centric augmented reality project, in whichever way I can have it fit the criteria. Further than that detail, I’m unsure where I will go specifically, however aiming towards a game provides me a good starting point as I’m highly experienced in all sorts of game development.