Blog Post #7

Diffusion of Innovations

In 1962, Everett Rogers developed the Diffusion of Innovations theory. It is used to explain why certain technologies are created and what seems to make them flourish. It consists of 5 stages, with 5 adopter groups that explain society's role in adopting a new technology. 

1. Experimental - Individuals who serve as the "pioneers." They are the innovators. 

2. Uptake - Early adopters, typically the youth.

3. Critical Mess - The early majority, who are not fully educated on the new technology, but are open to it.

4. Maturation - Late adopters who usually consist of the older crowd, are skeptical until tried by majority.

5. Saturation - Laggards who are completely against the new innovations being made.

After learning more about this theory, I have reflected on certain innovations through the years. A major one being the car service, Uber. 

Uber was launched in 2009, and disrupted traditional transportation. It went public 10 years later, and has grown to be the number one ride-sharing service. The appeal of this platform was the ease it provided for individuals. With one tap of a button, you can request a car in as little as 5 minutes. However, it was a very slow rise as this new innovation was not familiar. From its start, late adopters and laggards were probably very skeptical of this entire operation. But now, people of all ages have adopted this innovation and use it in their lives. This was definitely clear to me when my grandfather of 90 years old started using Uber.

Another innovation would be the highly popular vacation home and condo rental service, Airbnb. Established in 2007, and officially launched the next year. This service would be linked under the "disruptive innovation," category. This is since the entire appeal of airbnb is to provide a more affordable and easier way of getting a room for the night. It also has the opportunity to get a wider audience of customers, as you can access it on your phone. 

Although these innovations were life-changing, there are still some who are skeptical. This is why we have to consider the pros and cons of each service. I think the reasons for the early-adopters taking a liking to these services are obvious. They provide seamless solutions to common problems we have on a daily. Situations like, "I'm stranded and can't catch a ride," provides the appeal for Uber. "I have a business trip and need to find a cheap place to live," provides the appeal for Airbnb. 

The late-adopters and laggards may not think the same way. First off, both of these services are on mobile devices. If you are not technology savvy, it may be hard to use the platforms compared to the youth. Additionally, they take into account the safety of it all. Both services include either hitching a ride with a complete stranger, or staying in that stranger's house. Either way, it is a little bit sketchy when explaining it to a person for the first time.

A major reason why some individuals won't adopt Airbnb is due to it negatively impacting the housing market. An article by Forbes Magazine, discusses the "Airbnb Effect," on housing and the major increase in rent. According to the Economy Policy Institute, the economic cost of Airbnb outweigh the platform's benefits. Therefore, why would individuals support this new innovation if they know it's the reason why their rent is through the roof? In the article it states, "a 1% increase in Airbnb listings leads to a 0.018% increase in rents and a 0.026% increase in house prices." These percentages are very dangerous to individuals trying to find a new apartment or house. 

Let's also not forget that with Airbnb, you are ultimately taking a gamble. There have been plenty of times where the customers expect something from the residence that they will not receive. This could be due to out-of-date pictures, or a misleading person trying to get more money than what they deserve. 

Either way, when adopting an innovation we must consider all of these factors. While I may think that Uber is the best thing since sliced bread, a laggard may never give it a chance. This theory is very interesting as it is very prevalent in our technology-based world. Who knows what other innovations are in store for us, in the future. 

Blog Post #6

The Progressive Era

The role of dissent concerning war was highly prevalent during the Progressive Era. Many antiwar voices were being silenced, sentenced to jail, and even condemned to death. Just having these opinions in the first place was enough to be punished. 

This makes me think of the present day. War is at an all time high currently between Russia and Ukraine. President Biden has given a large amount of defense materials to Ukraine to help aid against Russia. With war comes extreme debt, then recession. The cost of a war America is not even part of is contributing to our debt of around $33 trillion. 

After exploring the two websites, I have gotten a clear view of anti-war voices. However, it is crazy how I have never even heard of the anti-war perspectives being clearly expressed online. This is since they rarely, if ever, get to be displayed on the mainstream news. 

The Biden administration has stated that using the money from taxpayers' to aid in these foreign wars, will actually make America rich. I agree with author Doug Bandow in that America should not be donating military arms, if our security is not in danger. This is contributing to the major amount of debt that we have accumulated. Why add more, for a war that America is not even a part of? 

This is not the first time a President has encouraged creating more jobs that included killing civilians. Donald Trump's last administration advised for this to occur. Therefore, this is not new for a President to prioritize waging military operations. 

After looking for more anti-war voices, I discovered an article dating back to 2021. It concerned Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan. The authors brought up an interesting point that the media comes up with a narrative. Any other perspective that goes against this narrative is completely hidden, or "shut out." These voices, who are going against the mainstream narrative, are in turn not being heard. Especially, if they are criticizing the President who is running these operations. If you want to find these opinions, you certainly have to look for them. This is a shame as it is not more exposed to the public. 

The comment section under that antiwar article was very interesting. One comment by Kate McMullan regarded the column saying, "They should be required reading for all Americans." This was eye-opening in the fact that individuals should be open to exploring other perspectives. Even if they do not align with their own.  

Blog Post #4

EOTO Com Tech Timeline

The Technology of Paper

HISTORY

The history of paper dates back to around 2,000 years ago in China. Before it, individuals would often communicate through images on stone tablets, or even carvings on tree bark. 

In 200 BCE China, Ts'ai Lun recorded the paper-making process. There were various steps involved in producing paper. This included harvesting, soaking, and pounding fibers to be evenly spread onto molds. This process took around 3 months, as it was very tedious. watch Ancient Egyptians also created papyrus, which later was turned into the word we recognize, paper.

The first paper machine finally made its way to the United States in 1817. This was all thanks to the Gilpin brothers, of the Gilpin Paper Mill in Delaware. Eventually paper-making through hand was nonexistent. 

As we are in a digital age, it is hard to recognize just how imperative paper actually is. The use of paper took many forms, as it was constantly evolving. Before paper, people relied on word-of-mouth to get information across. However, the invention of paper was truly life-altering, as it provided a world of opportunities. 

The ancient Romans spread news through the "acta diurna," or the daily doings. This consisted of gossip, deaths, births and daily events. However, in 1440 the printing press was established by Johannes Gutenberg. The printing press was revolutionary as it was an easier solution to hand-writing everything on scribes. This allowed for reproducing printed materials, which brought on the creation of newspapers. In 1609, Johann Carlos produced the first newspaper in Germany. This was a hit across Europe, and eventually made its way to America. 

Paper is lightweight, easily accessible, and durable. All of these factors contribute to the basis of its appeal. As opposed to clay tablets, paper was the obvious substitution. Not only did paper revolutionize the news, but also trade within the economy. Paper money contributed to the foundation of the financial system set up today. 

Let's not forget education! Although we now have the internet at our fingertips, people relied on books for all of history. Our parents and grandparents could not access Google. Instead, they had to go to the local library and use paper books for their education. 

Although paper was an extremely positive invention, everything comes with its downsides. Paper is a huge contributing factor to global warming. This is due to the nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur dioxide being released into our air. In simple terms, the paper production releases more air pollution than the plastic bags. It is also a major contributor of waste at landfills. 

Overall, the invention of paper shaped the world into what it is today. Even though our society is getting more-and-more digital, the use of paper will never die out. 

Resources:

History of Papermaking Around the World.pdf

how-paper-changed-the-world

watch

Blog Post #8

Privacy Online & Off

After viewing the 6 Ted Talks regarding privacy, I am freaked out, but not shocked. Since our whole lives are on the internet, it is not surprising that the government would find ways to use it against us. Electronic tattoos, surveillance equipment, wiretapping, cyber harassment, email, and even children's toys are all ways in which technology can abuse our basic rights.

Electronic Tattoos

In Juan Enriquez' Ted Talk, he explains how like a regular tattoo, electronic tattoos can tell a lot about a person. With facial recognition technology advancing, it is almost too easy to find a name and their record. Face.com was sold to Facebook, with over 18 billion faces being revealed. This is alarming as Facebook can easily understand your interests, and link specific advertising. 

Surveillance Equipment

In Catherine Crump's Ted Talk, she explains how surveillance equipment enables police departments to gather sensitive information about individuals. Normal GPS tracking can reveal this without your knowledge. Another tactic is through automatic license plate readers. Police departments are using license plates to see where you have gone, who you're with, etc. This is a brutal reminder that just because you cannot physically see something, that doesn't mean it's not there. 

Wiretapping 

In Christopher Soghoian's Ted Talk, he explains the advancement of wiretapping. Each phone has been wired for surveillance making it easy for anyone to listen in. He educates on resources we can use that aren't as easy to wiretap. This includes iPhone text message, FaceTime, and WhatsApp. However, these surveillance features come at a cost since good people use the same technology as criminals. No one knows if these features will be used to the benefit of you, or the disadvantage of you. Therefore, we must be at least aware. 

Cyber Harassment 

In Darieth Chisolm's Ted Talk, she explains the real effects of cyber harassment and digital domestic violence. The consequences for displaying explicit content without a person's consent, is as low as a $500 misdemeanor fine. This is while women's careers are being held at risk. The DMCA is responsible for protecting both copyright of owners/consumers. However, there is still a lot of work to be done regarding this huge issue.

Email

Andy Yen explains in his Ted Talk how our data will eventually outlive us, since we don't know what the idea of privacy is anymore. He uses email as a primary example. A possible solution is encrypting your email. However, it's not that simple since the government can ask for encryption keys at any time. Since advertising is a huge money-maker for huge companies, people are hesitant to fix these issues. The bottom line is that advertising is an invasion of privacy that companies are using against us. That is why we must get educated in order to make privacy accessible again. Individuals can support different business models that won't take advantage of their privacy. This simple step will ultimately create a whole new internet that a new generation can use.

Kids' Toys

Finn Myrstad explains how devices as innocent as a kids' toy or vacuum invade privacy. The banned toy, "My friend Cayla," connected to a bluetooth device and was able to communicate with children. However, she could also listen in on the entire household behind closed doors. Finn brought up a good point: "What is the point in having a home with a key if any connected device can come inside?" It is almost too easy for invaders to come inside the safety of a person's home through technology. 

I feel as though these videos were a harsh reminder of how powerful technology really is. These issues affect everyone, whether we'd like to admit it or not. The government should be enforcing better regulations to protect the people. For example, the talking Cayla doll was not banned until almost a year. Who knows who was on the other end of the line talking to thousands of children? We must do our part by not skipping over boxes of terms/conditions for various apps. Additionally, using safer forms of communication such as FaceTime, iMessage, WhatsApp, can possibly protect us from wiretapping. In conclusion, I fully agree with Finn's statement, "Technology can only benefit society if it respects basic rights."