My reflection on The Machine is (Us)ing Us

I thought that this was a very interesting video. It appears that website formation has come a long way over the past 20+ years. I can’t imagine having to type in <p> or <b> every time I wanted to start a new paragraph or bold my wording. The internet's capability has evolved so much that almost anyone can successfully operate a computer or build a website even. It is also neat to think about the fact that everything we ask a computer to do it remembers and grows from. "We are the web", as the video puts it. I never thought about why it is called the World Wide Web. Like a spider web that catches everything that tries to transport through it, the web absorbs all of the information from the people using it and expands into something even larger and more knowledgeable each time. It is kind of amazing to think about. So many people feel they are or actually are connected through the web. I love how the video ended listing things that we need to rethink; family, privacy and ourselves. The web has changed so many aspects of our lives and society. It is hard to imagine life without the web or without technology at all. I’ve heard a saying “love people, not things” and I think in today’s society people are much more connected to their devices than to one another. My hope for my family is that we remain connected to one another and others, despite all of the new technologies and gadgets being released each year.

What do I want out of this class?

Originally I signed up for this class because it fit in with my other summer classes and it was about technology, which I love. However, after reading the description of the course I realized that there is so much that I do not know about the technology that I claim to love. From as far back as I can remember I have had a computer with internet, so it is hard for me to imagine life without it. I believe that learning about the history of the internet and how far it has come, will give me a deeper appreciation for my smart phone or my laptop. I also feel like I am very careless on the internet with my private information. I hope that through this class I can gain a better understanding of how to keep my privacy protected and be more aware of what is being put out there for everyone to see. I have children, specifically a daughter that just turned 11 and loves her new smart phone. I also want to make sure that her privacy is protected, which is very difficult in today's technological world. I believe this is mostly due to us not fully understanding how public and accessible our information is and the type of people in the world ready to exploit it. My goal for this class is to absorb as much information as I can and to come out with a better understanding of technology and how to safely use it in our daily lives.