Reading Reaction 1 Wed. 9/3/08

Communication in our world today has made many incredible advances. From the days of messengers, to the telephone which now comes in a portable version that can be found on people as young as eight years old, today’s form of communication via email, and websites on the internet are far more incredible than ever imagined. In terms of communication as a medium, the internet can best be described as a macromedium, due mostly in part to its large scale. Reliability, speed and distribution are common problems associated with communicating between distances, but the internet is constantly evolving as rapidly becoming one of the most effective ways of communicating in our society today.
Some major concerns with the internet today and all that is available are issues of copyright material. Websites today use hypertext very often, allowing the user to bounce back and forth from page to page to further their experience. This issue is also a problem with the concern regarding MP3’s, which is a common way that people today are getting music. This issue has become such a problem because on the internet, these MP3’s are often available free of charge. Many are considering this to be stealing and to be hurting the music industry. From the standpoint of the music industry, I can see their fear and concerns. However, I can also see the point of view of the teenager who is downloading free music as simply using the technology that the internet provides. I think that the internet is a wonderful thing, yet can give a little too much power to some people and can be greatly taken advantage of. In a society where children of today do not know a world without the internet, how do we teach them that some of the internet is not appropriate? Stealing music from artists, posting fake edited pictures to embarrass people can all ruin lives. I recently heard a story of a girl who was bullied by others in a chat room and committed suicide. Although communication has reached great new accomplishments, these advances of the internet can at times, be dangerous, and precautions must be taken to ensure proper use.