internet

The Offensive Internet: Speech, Privacy, and Reputation

beth — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Edited by Saul Levmore, Martha C. Nussbaum

The Offensive Internet is a collection of essays that focus on abuses made possible by the freedoms provided by the Internet. The essays deal with the issues of privacy, free speech, cyber-bullying, misogyny, and anonymity. Each essay focuses on one issue to discuss and concludes with what can and cannot be done legally at this time to solve a particular Internet issue.

The book is broken into four parts and each of these parts is comprised of multiple essays on a specific topic. The first is titled “The Internet and Its Problems” and features essays that explore how anonymity on the Internet has lead to widespread cyber-bullying and civil rights abuse. These essays focus on the objectification and abuse women suffer due to these issues (according to one study cited, between the years 2000 and 2007, 72.5% of cyber-harassment victims were women) and what effect this has not only on the victims of these abuses but on society as well. While the authors of these essays are mainly concerned with women's rights, they do also acknowledge that other minority groups (homosexuals, racial minorities, religious minorities) are often targeted by cyber-mobs, signaling a violation of civil rights all around. The real life examples of harassment and slander that these authors reference are disturbing and appalling, and as a reader, one begins to wonder why there are not more laws to regulate and punish cyber-harassment.

The second section of the book is “Reputation.” As the title suggests, these essays deal with how people's reputations can be damaged by the Internet through social networks, Googling, and rumor spreading. These essays address not only the issues we are having currently (for example, people getting fired for things they post on a Facebook page), but also how these issues will shape our society in the future.

The third section, “Speech,” is probably the one topic that is the most controversial. It deals with free speech, a topic that is as debated in the real world as it is in the cyber one. How much free speech should there be on the Internet? What constitutes as free speech and what is slander? Should people be allowed to use foul language or should some censoring be done? And if there is censoring done, who should be responsible for it? These questions and more are posed and discussed throughout the three well thought out essays on speech.

The last section, “Privacy,” concentrated on what information should be considered private, how that privacy should be protected, and what effect the Internet is having on our social norms in terms of privacy. I found the essay on social networks to be the most interesting. The fact that many people consider the information they post onto a social network page to be private, despite being displayed on the very public Internet, is an intriguing phenomenon in our society and this section explores the reasoning and consequences of this train of thought.

While I found many of the topics and issues discussed in this collection to be fascinating and intellectually stimulating, my favorite thing about it was that it didn't so much offer answers as questions that society needs to be asking. Whether you agree with the opinions expressed in it or not, this a book that makes you think, making it a worthwhile read for anyone.

Written by: Victoria Granado, March 28th 2011

Connected: The Suprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives — How Your Friends' Friends' Friends Affect Everything You Feel, Think, and Do

payal — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:00:00 +0000

By Nicholas A. Christakis, James H. Fowler

Little, Brown and Company

Connected is firstly an enjoyable read. There is something compelling about seeing the familiar, mundane details of our every day social life studied from a completely different perspective. Social networks are huge and for the most part we have no idea where we fit into them or just how far they reach. In a way this is Christakis and Fowler's point. What most of us think of as our social network are the people we know and see on a regular basis. In fact, the people who may have the most influence on us, the authors argue, are the people three degrees away in our network: friends of friends. And after three degrees the influence peters out. You are more likely to be happy if your friend's friends are happy than if you win the lottery!

Connected has been criticized for stating the obvious: we are more likely to be around people similar to us (“homophily” if you're a sociologist). But the argument the authors make is that we're not aware of the extent to which these relationships affect us, and most importantly how this impact could be used to better the world. If we are more likely to quit smoking because other people in our network have quit smoking than for any other reason, this is where anti-smoking resources should be directed. Similarly, politicians should focus on encouraging their supporters to recruit people in their networks to get involved rather than trying to reach out to individuals (and the authors argue Obama did this in the federal election).

The results of studies in this book are also sometimes unexpected, especially on the largely unstudied subject of social media. For example, a study was done on a small American town where sixty percent of the residents were given free wi-fi, and the other forty percent went internet free. After two years it was discovered that the households with internet developed deeper and broader connections to other residents, with more neighbourhood ties. Contrary to popular belief this suggests online communication might augment and improve real life relationships, not replace them.

The only issue I had with the social media chapter was that it already seemed a little dated, referring to sites like MySpace and iLike that have been mostly phased out. If anything this is a testament to how quickly changing our modern social networks are, as this book was only published in 2009. If you're ready to take a serious look at the influences that affect your life, most of which are probably beyond your control, read this book and prepare to have a whole new perspective.

Written by: Jennifer Burgess, February 2nd 2011

The Internet Escort's Handbook Book 1: The Foundation

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:05:00 +0000

By Amanda Brooks

Golden Girl Press

Admit it, you’ve thought about it. After a long day at a desk job, struggling under a mountain of student loans and credit card debt, becoming an escort doesn’t seem like a bad idea. It is actually far more appealing than being a stripper. You can use your excellent interpersonal skills and table manners. You can make delightful cocktail party conversation. You have what they call “personality.” More importantly, you can avoid the pasties and cheesy music of the strip club.

Then you remember that the modus operandi of being an escort is having sex with clients. Technically, this isn’t a requirement, but a “choice,” so escorts can avoid prostitution charges. However, an escort who never sleeps with the clientele is probably not a very popular escort. If there are gals (or guys) out there who won’t mind the whole sex-with-strangers part of escorting, you may want to pick up a copy of Amanda Brooks' The Internet Escort’s Handbook. This is Book 1 of the handbook and deals with the “foundation” of becoming a self-employed escort who advertises on the internet.

Brooks has a light, pithy voice and is very informative about subjects ranging from the pros and cons of client reviews on your website to safe oral sex. Along the way, she advocates some expert sexual practices like wrapping yourself in saran wrap to avoid stubble irritation “down there.” She also recommends that all escorts learn how to fake it. This book is published by Golden Girl Press, which was founded by Brooks. Maybe with self-publishing she is continuing to be self-managed: no big publishing house Madame for Brooks. The companion website, www.theinternetescortshandbook.com, has some interesting resources for the curious. Brooks attempts to be as comprehensive as she can in the references and resources offered, which is commendable.

One wonders, however, how long Brooks intends to make a living in the industry. After working as a cocktail waitress, then a stripper, then an internet escort, Brooks is officially retired. But she is still raking in the cash writing about and publishing her sexual escapades. What will she be doing in 10, 15 or 20 years? How many books will she include in The Internet Escort’s Handbook? As one escort asked another, “How hard can it be?”

Written by: Rachel McCrystal, April 18th 2007