The harsh reality of online trolls!!

John Oliver on online harassment was quite entertaining.  Quite often people believe anything that they see on the internet, falling into misinformation and scams, some of us may even know this as click bait.  The AOL commercial is a hoot, just think of all the driving and running around we would have to do before the internet.  Now everything is a little too convenient.  I usually turn to my phone to look something up, and I am certainly not using Bing ahaha!!  I think it is a sad and scary world when people make online threats, as they are often blocked by an online identity.  It’s even scarier when the police are unable to understand that technology can be used as a weapon.  Technology and the internet are rapidly changing and evolving and unfortunately the laws are not keeping up.  Should you ever need to take something such as revenge porn to courts, make sure you have a big box of money for fees and lawyers. Victim blaming is something that happens quite often in modern society, it is ridiculous to continue to take jabs at a victim, we need to put the responsibility where it belongs..   

Wow, I think I enjoyed the video This is what happens when you reply to spam email a little too much.  I have the personality to play along and I would be the one to be email back and forth.  Who wouldn’t want to claim their rich prince uncle’s fortune.  In fact I make jokes with friends about sending money to get the process sped up.  I wonder who are the people who re actually buying into these scams??

I didn’t really realize that female gamers were taking such crap.  Only after reading the article With Gamergate, it’s not enough to ignore the trolls it made me think of a recent Law and Order SVU episode that I watched about a female gamer facing cyber attacks. Law and Order is always following headline news. Gendered harassment of women online is gaining popularity as the computer and internet become a tool for bullies to use to intimidate females. Criado-Perez points out “Threats of rape, death, and stalking can overpower our emotional bandwidth, take up our time, and cost us money through legal fees, online protection services, and missed wages.” I agree that society should boycott sites that shed light on these incidents of gendered harassment.  

Free Internet and the Digitally Divided

This week I enjoyed the article Backlash against Facebook’s free Internet service grows. I think offering a free app would be awesome, an if it only connected to certain internet services so be it.  I believe that some for free is better than none.  I look at it like the T.V., yes there are like 3 channels if you don’t have cable but society and the a group about T.V. neutrality isn’t petitioning for  60 free channels for all, as in lets not just limit to the local channels such as  CBC, Global and CKCK.  I believe if you want the full internet you should have to pay some sort of fee.

I do believe that people who are living in poverty have certain rights violated, and sometimes they just look past it, as they don’t want to cause added attention or are unaware.  I have occasionally judged people who are poor because they are looking for money or food and have the best of the best cell phones. Unfortunately there is The new digital divide as the internet does not level the playing field in terms of access as some can not afford it, but I know that there are many free WiFi options and libraries have computer and internet for the public.

I do see the point of Don’t post about me on social media, children say.   I am very selective about what I post about my step daughter online, sometimes I feel that she is old enough to decide what she should and shouldn’t post. My brother has a saying whenever pictures are take “Right to Facebook”.  I don’t think embarrassing a child or making it anyone business is appropriate, kids are just learning.  After our class on Tuesday I thought about the idea of child shaming. and I  wondering if shaming children online is the best idea as those pictures don’t go away. I even came across husband and pet shaming this week on Facebook, it did make me giggle thou. 

Connecting with my community

Over the past few weeks I have managed to find support for my health goals online.  I found the website Spark People awesome in terms of setting health goals.  There are also plenty of articles and support to guide you on your journey.  I also enjoyed participating in the online community, where you can post within different forums.  I defiantly suggest looking into his online tool for some education and support!!

I also focused on connecting with other healthy eating bloggers.  I explored 2 different website.  My first pick is called Thestonesoup.  I enjoyed that all of the author’s recipes were simple,  as she works hard to post delicious recipes that encourage us to become healthy home cooks. I also enjoyed the organized recipe index.

Screenshot from The Stone Soup

The other healthy recipe blog that I was able to check out was Hungry Healthy Happy.  The tag line is ” a blog that will motivate you to change your lifestyle”.  I like the blog as it is very supportive and motivating.

Screen shot from hungryhealthyhappy.com

I also follow a few different Facebook gals for motivation: curvy girl on the lose, Bree gets fit.  I enjoy when recipes or little victories come up on my news feed. I also want to mention that I attend a fitness center called Fearless Fitness.  If anyone is looking for a great workout, I suggest checking out one of there classes.  I attempted to attach the schedule, but it was a blur, just check out the link above or look at their Facebook . Comment on my blog if you are interested in attending, as it is invite only.  I tend to do Waist trimmer on Mondays, and Cardio-kickboxing on Thursday, come on and join me, you won’t regret it!

The good, the bad, the online identity!!

In the article Land your dream job using Google Adwords, I thought that Alec Brownstein had an amazing idea that creatively landed him a job.  Alec was able to think outside the box and purchase Google AdWords on his favorite creative directors  Google search results. His method produced the result he wanted, a job!!  My husband always say “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”, which would always lead me to follow up with an employer.  My calls and visits would hopefully remind them that I was a great choice for the job.  I think that the article

Forget the resume: Online profiles the tool of young job seekers goes hand in hand with Alec Brownstein’s method.  I think that job seekers should “brand” themselves with professional handles on social media.  I just had this conversation with my step daughter who is 17.  She is applying for nursing and I suggested that she choose a more profession email, as punkgirl_757 might not send the right signals to a future employer.  I explained that although Avril Lavine was your inspiration many years ago, the words punk may give off the wrong vibe.  I did give the example of my cousin who is 20 just getting around to changing his email from spongebobjtd, although his sister is just slightly more professional at kylaisasweetangle.  We laughed so hard because she was not alone is taking the leap from her first email to a more polished mature one.

I am sure that you too, have been told the horror stories about teachers loosing their jobs over Facebook posts, or that future employers “search you up” when they are potentially looking at employing you. Reputation management and social media  are very important in the modern world.  I will admit that I have googled myself in the past but nothing horrible came up, see the image below haha!!  But I will admit that I am not one to search for people from my past to reconnect, I wouldn’t even know who I would like to reconnect with? The unfriending doesn’t really attract me on Facebook but in the mind of a 17 year old, anyone who’s statuses piss her off, she drops, basically people she doesn’t want to associate with.  When I am on social media I try to stay pretty neutral, I don’t look to ruffle anyone feathers and I try to avoid people from my past.  I do find it funny when complete strangers will try add me on Facebook.  

 

Need something for supper , try Quick Turkey Chili

This week I decided that I would try a new recipe, again using my favorite lean meat, you guessed it turkey!  The price is just so much better compared to ground beef.  I also through this recipe would be great because I planned to double it, as I know chili freezes well.  This week I am Quick Turkey Chili.  I found the recipe on the real simple website. Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed and will defiantly appreciate something quick that produces leftovers!!  Check out my first YouTube video!

The recipe is very simple and basic.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. 1 small yellow onion, chopped
3. 1 pound ground turkey
4. 114.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
5. 115.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
6. 1 bell pepper, diced
7. 3 tablespoons tomato paste
8. 1 1/2teaspoons chili powder
9. kosher salt
10. 1/4 cup sour cream
11. 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar
12. 1/4 red onion, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the turkey and cook, crumbling with the back of a wooden spoon, until no trace of pink remains, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juices, beans, bell pepper, tomato paste, 1½ cups water, chili powder, and 1¼ teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. Divide among bowls and top with the sour cream, Cheddar, and onion, if using.

The sour cream adds such a nice touch, so don’t hold back.  I did skip the cheese to cut a few calories but it didn’t matter cause I ate two bowls.  The chili is delicious and I have lots to freeze.  Oh yeah and lets not forget what showed up as I was making supper.  I can wait to tell you all about the fun and features the Fitbit Alta has. 

 

 

World Wide Web and Open Education

Larry Lessig presented a wonderful Ted Talk “Laws that choke creativity”.  For me, I am able to experience the armature production.  My step daughter went through a phase of remixing songs using stop motion videos about 5 years ago.  I even have some on my laptop that I enjoying peeking at every so often.  I believe that Larry Lessig is correct when he point out that kids and youth are not creating for money, rather they are doing it become they have a love for the idea of remixing what they know and being able to show the world.  The songs in her video stay the same, she is just recreating to say it differently.  I think that it is amazing that kids are exploring what they can do, and how they can be the author content on the internet.  Unfortunately, the law can come into play when there is no permission given for someone other then the original creator to broadcast.  Kids are rebels and activists they will ignore copyright at every opportunity.  I do believe that the artist can make their content more freely available for remix purposes, the author will be able to continue on without any losses.  Lets kids be kids, the day of creating and putting on a performance or air bands  for parents has evolved to creating onscreen for a wider audience!  

I attempted to upload one of Jacia’s famous video’s but ran into trouble as the extension was .mp4, now after a short google search and an instructional You Tube I am still having to download conversion software.  Instead I just searched name on on You Tube.  I only found one video,  not her best work but you get the idea.  In a quick conversation, her biggest fear is that a “certain guy” will find see these videos, and they are soooo embarrassing to her.  They are just not as cool when you are 17!

Open education is something that is amazing and wonderful.  The video “Why Open
Education Matters”, allows the audience to understand that nothing is holding students back when it comes to learning.  I know as an educator, sometimes our material are out of date, as we have to track down many of our own resources to use in the classroom.  By making all the learning materials free it allows all students equity.  I truly believe that open education is changing lives, I look forward to tracking down an open education course to explore during the summer.

I believe the tag line “Keep the internet, free and open ” is such a marvelous idea. The article About the Creative Commons had many great points to ponder. The text box at the top of the screen ( I have included the points below)  popped right out to me

• Want to let people share and use your photographs, but not allow companies to sell them?
• Looking for access to course materials from the world’s top universities?
• Want to encourage readers to re-publish your blog posts, as long as they give you credit?
• Looking for songs that you can use and remix, royalty-free?

I think that Creative Commons licenses are a step in the right direction that allows the author an alternative to copyright.   Allowing the author some restriction allows for other to collaborate without taking away the  credit needed for the original work.

The documentary The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz is truly heart wrenching.  Aaron was sign a bright and promising boy from a young age. He made so many contributions in terms of adding to the technological world.  At 12 years old he setup a website theinfo.org, an early version of Wikipedia that allowed users to author content, even then critics had a problem with the sharing of information “you can just let anyone author the subjects”.  At age 13 he was working on a RSS project with adults that were unaware he was a kid, he was so connected and educated when it came to the internet and its capabilities!  Growing up it became evident that he was not a fan of school, he questioned the learning methods, and managed to use books to figure out the policies and procedures behind education.  Aaron was in the forefront of the battle for creative commons and sharing.  I don’t believe that he ever imagined how his life would take a turn.  I think that by accessing the JSTOR articles he was only proving a point that the info could be largely accessed.  Who is to say that he would have released the info as done previously with the 20 million pages of court documents through the PACER recycling.  I do believe that many humans are locked out of knowledge because they simply have no money or means to access it, somehow knowledge has come with a cost. I believe that there is a difference between stealing money and data, or music for that matter.  I don’t believe that Aaron should have been persecuted so heavily, it would drive anyone to death when facing many felonies and a chance at 35 years in jails.  Many people would see the only way out of that situation would be suicide.  I think that it is totally unfair that the old out dated laws were the ones that hurt him the most.  In modern society we have to evolve our laws as fast as we evolve out technology.  I believe that in society we should be free to access and share information and data, it is happening anyways, but not allowing it, it is just driven underground.