Internet Democratic Policy

Blog on (a) desirable qualities for a democratic policy and (b) how the Internet might enhance or degrade these qualities (or both).

After reading the thoughts of the scholars regarding internet democratic policy, I developed a few of my own ideas. First of all, in today's society there is an assortment of old and new technologies. Some rely solely on emails to communicate with colleagues and friends, whereas others stick to the telephone, the fax, and "snail mail." At the same time, some people live in homes without dishwashers and microwaves. Thus, I think it is important to enforce a policy that is "fair" and equal throughout the many information technologies. What's considered unacceptable over the telephone should definitely not be allowed or legal over the web or any other medium. Our government should strive to achieve consistency, so that the policies are relevant people of every area, age, sex, religion, etc. A "digital divide" of policy should not be in place! A policy of the sort would be difficult to construct, as one does not "go" anywhere when using the web. Also, how do you track down website creators? Furthermore, as we discovered with internet censorship, potentially illegal/disturbing sites do not stay in one place long enough to be evaluated, etc. A concern of a few of the authors was the role of the internet in the political arena (that is, campaigning and voting). I think that the internet is helpful in some respects because it allows one to access so much information in seconds. On the other hand, in the case that someone is already stuck on a particular candidate, that person would probably avoid the pages supporting the opposing candidates, and thus might not obtain a complete and objective view of those running. This would be a challenge to regulate. Obviously the National Democratic Party Website should not be obligated to display objective information about Bush and others, and vice versa.

When searching for information, through Google or another search link, I think it is hard to determine whether the internet enhances or degrades the ideal policy qualities. Depending on the subject of information you are hoping to gather (i.e. your information found about Salsa dancing would probably be more objective than information on abortion), and your level of experience with the internet, I think that it could go either way. However, I think that in most cases the internet is degrading. As I have learned throughout this course and through our selections from Lessig, it is always difficult to regulate what is on the internet, and thus, it would be hectic to try to instigate a fair and equal policy.

Google Results

My first "friend search" was for one of my best friends, Lauren ("Lolo") Silver. When I first Googled her, there was a mix of results. I got a lot of unhelpful answers about Ralph Lauren Silver Sunglasses, Silver Plated Utensils, the Ralph Lauren Silver Fireball necklace, and other things of the like. The sixth item listed on the first page was finally of relevance: "Player Bio: Lauren Silver: Women's Water Polo." Because this opened up a biographical page about Lolo, I was able to access a variety of detailed information at once, including her height (5'9"), her class (Freshman), her hometown (Long Beach), her high school (Wilson), her birthdate, and her major (International Relations). Also, there was the Stanford logo in place of where her picture will be posted shortly. Further down the page, there was a "High School" list of some of Lolo's accomplishments in water polo and swimming. For example, it states that she was a Four-Time All-American, a Two-Time "Dream Team" Player of the Year, and a part of the gold medal Jr. National Team at the Junior Pan American games in El Salvador. Next, there was a "Personal" Section telling of her parents' names, and the fact that her mother swam on the 1976 Olympic Team, was a World Champion and American Record holder. It also says that she hopes to become a lawyer. I also found a bio for another Lauren Silver at Columbia University, of the Sigma Delta Tau Sorority. Furthermore, I found a link to an article on the USA Water Polo website, about Lolo's performance in a recent Speedo Top 40 Tournament. There were also links to an OC Register article with a quote from Lolo about another goalie in the area, the article which appeared on Stanford's website when she signed her letter of intent to attend Stanford, and other miscellaneous water polo articles. When I entered the query "Lolo Silver," even more water polo information came up, and there was a lot about our high school (Long Beach Wilson) as well.
My second search was for a friend of my father's, Mike Rivard. After googling the name, I found that there is a musicianbass player of the same name, because I was directed to many music websites. Finally, I came across an article entitled, "1000 kites to fly over Long Beach Marina on Oct. 23 in attempt for Guinness World Record," which was related to the Mike Rivard that I know. The link had a quote from Mr. Rivard, and also some information about him: "Rivard, 59, is one of the longest survivors of open-heart surgery and congenital heart disease. An account executive for KABC and KLOS radio in Los Angeles, Rivard had his pioneering surgery at St. Mary Medical Center for an atrial septal defect in 1956 at age 11, when heart-lung machines were in their infancy. (He was, in fact, the first person in Long Beach to have the surgery and had to be packed in ice for the procedure since the hospital did not have a heart-lung machine.)" At the bottom of the page, Mr. Rivard's email address and telephone number were listed. Another link under the query "Michael Rivard" took me to a webpage through USA Weekend magazine. There was a picture of Mike on the cover of the magazine, with the article attached. There were many facts about Rivard's life and his philanthropic project, such as "There was nothing like Camp del Corazon 48 years ago, when Rivard, at age 11, became Long Beach's first open-heart surgery patient."
Finally, I Googled my grandfather, Walter Pratt. There were a lot of irrelevant responses (since his name is quite common in his generation), but I did find a few that applied to him. For one, he was a "Contributing Donor" in the $1000-1499 category to the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Walker Arts Center (my grandparents live in Minneapolis). There were also a few photographs of him on the Minnetonka Yacht Club website (he is an avid sailor). His name was also listed on the Audubon Minnesota State Board. The fact "A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER is hanging out in the Minneapolis yard of Walter Pratt. This is the second report of an overwintering sapsucker this January..." was on the MOU website for Minnesota birdwatchers.
I think that there are many factors that determine the extent of online information for an individual. I think that if you obtain a certain level of "local celebrity" (for example, Lolo is a phenomenal water polo player, and Mr. Rivard organized the Camp del Corazon fundraiser) there are bound to be articles published with your name in it, which will then be available online. I think that if I had Googled one of my more "ordinary" or "normal" friends, there would have undoubtedly been less information available about them and their endeavors. Also, there are certain career paths that gain more publicity than others. For example, the average politician would most likely have more information on the internet about them than your average doctor, unless that doctor had done amazing research, found a cure, etc. etc. Also, if you participate in exciting and highly-publicized events, such as marathons or the National Spelling Bee, your name or picture may be posted on the internet as well.

Term Paper Ideas

Term Paper Prospectus for Elizabeth Dilday

In his study of Internet use among college students, Keith J. Anderson, Ph.D., of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, writes: “While no actual substances are involved in typical Internet use, this is similar to the concept of dependence. The DSM-IV (P.181) currently lists seven criteria that are used to determine substance dependence.

1. tolerance
2. withdrawal
3. using larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
4. the desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control the substance use.
5. a great deal of time is spent in obtaining, using, or recovering from the substance.
social, occupational, or recreational activities are reduced because of substance use.
6. substance use continues in spite of negative effects.”

A few nights ago I talked on the phone with my parents, who informed me that my brother, a senior in high school, had had a recent “breakdown” about his schoolwork after receiving two discouraging test grades. My father explained his point of view: “You know, Jack will spend ten minutes studying for his calculus test (or economics, or English...) and will think he has done enough. The rest of the time he spends ‘dilly-dallying’ on the internet, listening to his iTunes, and chatting with friends online.” In response to my father’s remarks, I decided to write Jack an e-mail to cheer him up and encourage him. In addition to a few tips about how to handle previous teachers of mine from our same high school, essentially my advice to Jack was that he should get some homework and studying done before turning on his computer each evening and wasting time on the web. After I sent the e-mail, I reminisced about what I had just written to my brother. I thought, isn’t it strange how, according to my father, the internet is my brother’s biggest hurdle with his academic work? On the other hand, what are some the positive effects of being an internet and technology connoisseur? For example, so many news magazines can be accessed on the internet, so does more time spent “surfing” translate into more knowledge? Also, as Professors DiMaggio and Dobkin mentioned, could there be positive effects to gaming, such as an increase in hand-eye coordination?
Internet addictions. Before this class, I didn’t know that such a thing existed. Then, I googled the term and found many websites (ironic, isn’t it?) where one can receive help and information regarding their addiction. I found articles, surveys, and more that discussed and diagnosed this relatively new phenomenon. Some prefer to call it “excessive internet use,” as they believe the term “addiction” jumps to too many conclusions. Excessive internet use, like other addictions, often occurs due to a lack of satisfaction in other areas of life. There are many places to get help, such as COLA, the Center for On-Line Addiction, and even Alcoholics Anonymous “is considering setting up a separate division of their organization to work with people addicted to browsing the Internet,” according to Rudolph G. Briggs of SUNY Albany.

• http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/ excerpted from “Internet Addiction Guide” by Dr. John M. Grohol: This site compares internet addictions to pathological gambling and also names several symptoms and reasons one might have an addiction.
• http://www.stresscure.com/hrn/addiction.html from “The Health Resource Network.” This site hosts an Internet Addiction Survey, and also has links where one can seek help.
• http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr00/addiction.html “Is Internet Addiction Real?” by Tori DeAngelis. This article researches the reasons behind internet addictions.
• http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/sexaddict/a/normalinet.htm “What you do online may be as important as how long you spend online. Some online activities seem to be more compelling and potentially "addictive" than others.”
• http://www.rpi.edu/~anderk4/research.html A study by Keith J. Anderson, Ph.D. of the Rensselaer Polytechnic institution of Troy, NY: While the typical Internet-using student uses the Internet for 100 minutes per day, there is a small group of students that use the Internet to the degree that it interferes with other aspects of their lives. Approximately 10 percent of Internet-using students have used the Internet to the degree that their usage meets criteria that are parallel to those of other forms of dependence. Most dependents are males and are found in the hard science academic majors.

After doing a little bit of research, it seems that my brother is not the only one in the world whose use of the internet is affecting his daily routine and overall being. My brother is only sixteen, yet I am certain that there are children much younger (and older) with a much worse problem. I remember in my earlier years the special programs through AOL that were aimed to entertain kids. Children today are getting started so early in life with using instant messagers and e-mail; many of them are developing unhealthy habits at such a young age. For college students, there are many incentives to being online; for example, talking to old friends from home provides comfort. I know that I have friends who literally never turn off their AIM. When they are not sitting at their computers chatting with their buddies, they leave up an away message revealing their whereabouts and schedules for the day.
There are so many “time-wasters” out there on the internet: Myspace.com, LiveJournal, Xanga, and Facebook, just to name a few. With so much available to children on the internet, people can (and do) spend endless hours exploring. People use their free time to “hang out” on and peruse these websites; precious time that could be used doing something more worthwhile. More and more socialization is occurring over the internet, rather than through “snail mail,” telephone conversations, and face-to-face interactions. Also, Laudi Cojac in Annals of Sleep Psychology in 2002 found that the average hours of sleep per night decreases as the hours of internet surfing per day increases. Therefore, how does this alter one’s mental, psychological, and physical health? Perhaps sitting in front of the computer excessively will increase childhood obesity over the years? So much has changed with our society’s use of the internet over the last ten years, so I wonder, what will people’s relationships with the internet in ten years entail? How will the children in our next generation respond to the internet?
I wonder, how much time per day on the internet is too much time? Should there be a limit? How can the government control this to help the American people? As Professor DiMaggio posed on slide 8, “Freedom of Expression,” on the Week 2 powerpoint, “Policy issues on the Internet,” how should government act to protect children from internet addiction? If some sort of policy were to be instigated, would this be an infringement on our civil rights? When researching for and writing my term paper, I hope to further investigate these questions.

Week 6 Reading reflections

In the latest chapter of Code, Lessig evaluates and speculates on many ideas of protection of intellectual property in cyberspace. He starts with an anecdote about a University of Chicago Law student named Harold Reeves. Lessig was intrigued by (yet did not agree with) Reeves’ views on trespass laws: Reeves held the view that “there should be no trespass law in cyberspace. The law should grant ‘owners’ of space in cyberspace no legal protection against invasion. They should be forced to fend for themselves.” (Chapter 10, page 122) Like Lessig, I wondered how we can enforce laws “efficiently” and effectively over the internet, since everything is just out there and so easily accessible to anyone and everyone who logs on. I think that some sort of code or law must be in place; otherwise, the internet will be mayhem. I see the situation as being similar to when the looters pillaged the streets of New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: an unrighteous free-for-all. Lessig points out the fundamental difference between real-space code and cyberspace code. Whereas real-space laws and regulations are needed to protect actual things and actual touchable property, there is no such thing in cyberspace, because the intellectual ideas cannot be physically taken. On page 131, Lessig notes, “If you ‘take’ my idea, I still have it. If I tell you an idea, you have not deprived me of it…Your consumption does not lessen mine.” This is very true. Information, music, movies, and other downloads on the internet, are uploaded in order to be shared with others, whereas one’s own toothbrush or bicycle is meant only for the use of that person. Also, the setup of the internet makes it extremely difficult to patrol, and to see exactly who is doing what.
Similarly, the same issue was touched upon in the article entitled, “The BitTorrent Effect.” This article from “Wired” magazine describes the life of Bram Cohen, a computer science genius living in Bellevue, Washington, who developed “BitTorrent.” With the aid of BitTorrent, people are starting to get their TV online. First of all, I find it ironic that Cohen doesn’t even use his own software, because he is aware of just how illegal it is, and does not want to risk being sued. However, strangely, he still developed this software, so that people all over the world can take advantage of its innovative technology (40 million people will use it by 2006). BitTorrent, “the world’s largest TiVo,” works very quickly, because movies, television episodes, and other things of that nature, are downloaded from many people concurrently, in smaller pieces, rather than in one large chunk. Of course, the Motion Picture Association of America is angry and is filing lawsuits, as they are quickly losing revenue.
With the internet in full swing, copywright laws are being called into question. As stated in “Amateur-to-Amateur,” “copywright matters in society because it encourages the production of socially beneficial, culturally significant expressive content.” The internet is threatening this long-standing law. Similarly, in “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace,” John Perry Barlow brought up many sound points which I had not previously thought about. For example, the internet has no government, therefore “anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity.” When doing research, I know I have come across many freaky or downright disturbing content on the internet. This was especially true when I had to look up “The Laramie Project” and the death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.
That is all I have to say for now. Good luck with midterms, everyone!

OK here is my technology blog for Monday, October 10:

9:30- check e-mail after morning water polo workout and before going to class; listen to iTunes

12:30- once again check email, facebook.com, myspace.com.... sign on AIM momentarily

1:15- check princeton.edu email before heading to econ precept

3:30- call mom, check cell phone messages; check e-mail and facebook

6:30- sign on AIM, put up an away message... use my cell phone to call Dad while walking to CVS pharmacy

9:30- check my princeton e-mail account while in Firestone Library

10:30- get back to my room, turn off away message and sign off AIM

11:30- talk to Dad on the cell phone (he was at the Angels v. Yankees game and I wanted an update!)

12:00- sign on AIM, talk to Lolo, sign off

12:45- write this technology blog, check e-mail, go to bed!

Hello classmates and professors! I am currently working on my technology blog for the day (monday, october 10)... so i will have it up tonight before i go to bed! I thought it was supposed to be done for a weekday. Thanks for your patience!

Term Paper Prospectus

Term Paper Prospectus

How should government act to protect children from internet addiction? This question was posed by Professor DiMaggio on slide 8, “Freedom of Expression,” on the Week 2 powerpoint, “Policy issues on the Internet.”

A few nights ago I talked on the phone with my parents, who informed me that my brother, a senior in high school, had had a recent “breakdown” about his schoolwork after receiving two discouraging test grades. My father explained his point of view: “You know, Jack will spend ten minutes studying for his calculus test (or economics, or English...) and will think he has done enough. The rest of the time he spends ‘dilly-dallying’ on the internet, listening to his iTunes, and chatting with friends online.” In response to my father’s remarks, I decided to write Jack an e-mail to cheer him up and encourage him. In addition to a few tips about how to handle previous teachers of mine from our same high school, essentially my advice to Jack was that he should get some homework and studying done before turning on his computer each evening and wasting time on the web. After I sent the e-mail, I reminisced about what I had just written to my brother. I thought, isn’t it strange how, according to my father, the internet is my brother’s biggest hurdle with his academic work?

Internet addictions. Before this class, I didn’t know that such a thing existed. Then, I googled the term and found many websites (ironic, isn’t it?) where one can receive help and information regarding their addiction. I found articles, surveys, and more that discussed and diagnosed this relatively new phenomenon.

• http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/ excerpted from “Internet Addiction Guide” by Dr. John M. Grohol: This site compares internet addictions to pathological gambling and also names several symptoms and reasons one might have an addiction.

• http://www.stresscure.com/hrn/addiction.html from “The Health Resource Network.” This site hosts an Internet Addiction Survey, and also has links where one can seek help.

• http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr00/addiction.html “Is Internet Addiction Real?” by Tori DeAngelis. This article researches the reasons behind internet addictions.

After doing a little bit of research, it seems that my brother is not the only one in the world whose use of the internet is affecting his daily routine and overall being. My brother is only sixteen, yet I am certain that there are children much younger with a much worse problem. I remember in my earlier years the special programs through AOL that were aimed to entertain kids. Children today are getting started so early in life with using instant messagers and e-mail; many of them are developing unhealthy habits at such a young age. For college students, there are many incentives to being online; for example, talking to old friends from home provides comfort. I know that I have friends who literally never turn off their AIM. When they are not sitting at their computers chatting with their buddies, they leave up an away message revealing their whereabouts and schedules for the day.

There are so many “time-wasters” out there on the internet: Myspace.com, LiveJournal, Xanga, and Facebook, just to name a few. With so much available to children on the internet, people can (and do) spend endless hours exploring. People use their free time to “hang out” on and peruse these websites; precious time that could be used doing something more worthwhile. More and more socialization is occurring over the internet, rather than through “snail mail,” telephone conversations, and face-to-face interactions. Perhaps this takes a toll on one’s mental, psychological, and physical health? Perhaps sitting in front of the computer excessively will increase childhood obesity over the years? So much has changed with our society’s use of the internet over the last ten years, so I wonder, what will people’s relationships with the internet in ten years entail? How will the children in our next generation respond to the internet?

I wonder, how much time per day on the internet is considered too much time? Should there be a limit? How can the government control this to help the American people? With my term paper, I hope to poll the opinions of Princeton students, research current and past policies, and arrive at some conclusions.

Reflections on Lessig

Hello everyone! Sorry for my blog neglect... here are my thoughts about last week’s reading of Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace, by Lawrence Lessig.


I was interested to read Lessig's many arguments in Code. Some of his points I agreed with, others I failed to understand, and others I found to be a little disturbing, especially since I know that they are very applicable in today's internet-crazed society. For example, the fact that one can assume up to five different identities through one AOL account worried me. I am a member of a family of six, so it never occurred to me that one would take advantage of this AOL feature to create five distinct personalities. Also, the University of Michigan student named Jake who led two polar-opposite lifestyles in real space and cyberspace had a similar effect on me. This example also raised a question that I am still pondering: when you “go” to cyberspace, you don’t actually go anywhere, so should the same laws and social rules apply that do in your county or state? In addition, Lessig notes that Jake's "potential audience was larger than twice that for the top fifteen best-selling novels combined" (page 16). I once again was reminded of the vast scope and availability of cyberspace: people can, and do, access the internet from virtually every corner of the world. The example of Jake also touched the surface of the issue of sexual predators and personal safety on the web. Although (almost) everyone uses the internet today through a multitude of different e-mail servers and homepages, therefore it is nearly impossible to reach and warn all web users when a new virus or sexual predator is on the prowl.


What also interested me was the change in focus, or purpose, of the internet over time. Yes, the book is relatively old (the copywright was in 1999), which explains the outdated reasons behind many of his arguments. It is amazing how much has changed in five years! Lessig writes that "the Internet was built for research, not commerce." (page 39) Yes, millions of people today use search engines like Google and others to carry out research. However, I more often hear of the millions of people who use the internet to buy books through Amazon.com, purchase iTunes for their iPods, sell various items and collectibles on eBay, find a date and mate on match.com, get groceries delivered directly to their home from HomeGrocer.com (back in the day when it still existed), and so on. The internet is now a tool for entertainment and communication. This was also touched upon in last week's readings, when the optimism and pessimism that accompany new inventions, and the changes over time with certain products, were discussed.


I am looking forward to seeing all of you (briefly) on Friday, at a different location. My term paper thoughts will be blogged ASAP! Thanks and see you at the end of the week!


Sincerely, Elizabeth a.k.a. "Liz"