Week 13

As the internet keeps becoming more popular and continues to be present on devices we have never thought of before, the risk of viruses are also going to present on more and more devices. This idea was recently discussed in an article, where Eugene Kaspersky, a chief-executive in one of the largest anti-viruses companies in the world prophesized that viruses were going to spread to TVs and mobile devices. He discussed how even though computers have gotten better and smarter, viruses have also done the same. He was also worried that as of right now, there is not any anti-virus software out there to prevent the spread of viruses on TVs, and it is only a matter of time before a massive spread. But at the same time, he remains fairly optimistic that there will be an antivirus software developed soon, as his company is starting to develop a prototype to test out.

                The potential outbreak of a virus on TVs and other mobile devices such as cell phones is a very important thing to consider as internet connections in our house become more frequently used. With the added technology of having “smart” TVs, it brings the risk of a virus directly to our TV screens, something we have never had to deal with previously. The importance of understanding this risk is huge, as since the technology is still so new, there are no preventive measures yet to secure these new devices. It is also only going to become more important, as the technology starts to age and become a much more reasonable price for the average consumer, it is going to become much more widely used making it an even bigger target if no preventive measures are found soon.

                The relevancy of this article may not be too high right now as the prices of smart TVs are still too high for widespread use, but it is only going to become more and more relevant. Not only does it make you think about whether your TV or mobile devices are safe, but also your computers and laptops. From this article, we can learn that while these new TVs and devices seem really cool to have, there are also risks attached since they are new.  Another thing that can be learned, is before you buy a product that uses internet connections, check the internet to see whether it can be prevented through anti-virus software or in other ways.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2609251/Now-TV-infected-computer-viruses-Technology-security-expert-warns-cyber-criminals-infect-millions-devices.html

Week 12

For my project, I have focused on how-to conduct research for papers and projects in what would be considered the “scholarly” and correct way. While doing my research for this project, I have come across a few things that I thought were either interesting or things that I just had previously been oblivious to.

Wikipedia has always been my go to website in order to collect background information for a topic or even just somewhere to read about things that are of interest to me. But unfortunately for me, my teachers have always disallowed the use of Wikipedia as a credible source in papers or projects. I understood that they didn’t want it used because simply anyone could get on there and post a bunch of nonsense that could be inaccurate, so I just thought nothing else of it and didn’t even use the site at all for research. After researching for this project, I found out that Wikipedia could be used almost like a database for a topic. Since the contributors cite their sources usually at the bottom using footnotes, those footnotes could just be used as the source instead of the Wikipedia article. Going forward, this useful piece of advice I found from my research will come in really handy when teachers assign papers that need scholarly sources.

Like most teenagers and college students, I am frequently on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to follow friends and interact with others, but I did not realize that these sites could actually be cited in a research paper. I had thought that all those sites would fall in the Wikipedia category, since it is always active and constantly changing, but it’s actually different since one person is all that has access to a specific account and not just an open-ended platform like Wikipedia. These sites may not be much of a use in historical aspects, but in events that are current, it could be an important aspect that could be added to a paper. Personally, I think I will find it very useful as my college career continues on, as more and more people get on social media sites and treat them almost like personal press releases.

While I have been conducting my research for our class project, I have learned several new things that could be useful in the future as I conduct my own academic research. While I have learned some now, I will probably continue to gain more pointers before I finish the project.

Week 11 Blog

               As the internet keeps growing daily and becomes one of the most popular avenues of communication and entertainment, it is just natural for businesses to catch on so they stump for some more business. Using the internet and specifically multiple forms of social media, businesses can reach millions and millions of people without having to spend a dime. The company I’m focusing this blog on, Verizon Wireless, has about every form of social media imaginable including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

                The layout of their different social media accounts are pretty similar to what any other company would be, as the main goal of their company is to sell phones and phone contracts so their pages and feeds are going to be commercially based. A common thread between their 4 different tools of social advertising is that they are constantly advertising the next big thing and other new gadgets that are sure to be eye-appealing. Another thing that they do on their Instagram and Facebook accounts are contests where is you “follow” or “like” them, you will have a chance to win a phone or something else. Their YouTube account on the other hand is a lot less active and interactive. The majority of their videos on Verizon’s channels are commercials that are already show on TV, or are celebrity endorsements.

                There are several misconceptions I had about companies advertising on social media especially Verizon Wireless. For instance, I would have never of thought that Verizon would have a YouTube channel in order to reach potential customers or to regain old ones. Another item that I was shocked to notice, was actually how interactive Verizon’s pages were with their customers. On their Facebook page I saw where angry customers had complained about their phone’s service and they had actually responded saying how they were sorry for the inconvenience and were more than happy to help. Also on Twitter and Instagram how they would use hashtags to have trivia contests or to ask followers how they liked their new phones or phone services.

                The use of social media sites has given businesses a chance to expand their commercials and products even further into our lives at a much cheaper price. Following or “liking” these businesses gives them the opportunity to constantly push their products to us at all times of the day by blending it smoothly with our entertainment and social environment.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNe2bEwZk5Jvn6wK7kToR0g

https://www.facebook.com/Verizon

http://instagram.com/Verizon

https://twitter.com/verizonwireless