Blog Post Six

What I Learned from EOTO One: 

    I found that listening to each and every presentation during our first Each One Teach One project was informative and exciting. You don't think about how all the technology we use today is brought up and how the founders of the technology brought such a vital staple technology to the surface of our world. Although some of the technologies are used in today's world, they each have had a separate impact on bettering our world and getting the technological advances to where they are today. One of those is, the VCR.

     The VCR, or videocassette recorder, presentation stood out to me and I wanted to further talk about it due to the complexity of how it has shaped what we use today. Even though the VCR is not heavily used as a technology object today, it opened so many more opportunities to those finding other technological advancements and allowed for past research on the VCR to better future findings. The first prototype was founded in 1951 and the final product was released in 1956. This VCR was released by a company called Ampex, which is an American electronics company. 

    VCRs are the reason we can record TV shows and not have to wait for a specific air time. The VCR essentially reinvented watching TV at home. It also allowed people to rewatch their favorite movies and shows without waiting for them to re-air. Having the recording means you can watch the show at any time which makes many people more inclined to sit down and watch TV. 

    VCR changed the way that we watch TV, that generation never had been able to “pick” what they watched on TV, and was the start of the change in how we watch television today. Without video recording, we would not have Netflix, Hulu, or any of our favorite streaming platforms. VCR made it possible to record TV. However, within the first 10-25 years of VCR existence, it was slowly dying due to faster development in technology. Modern improvements eventually lead to the expiration of the VCR.

    I would personally disagree that VCR had any negative effects on society, rather it reinvented how we watch TV today. Without a VCR we would not be able to download our favorite shows, stream television, and watch movies at our own convenience with the expectation of exploiting women and pornography distribution.   

Blog Post Five

AntiWar Voices

    After looking over and studying these two sources: ANTIWAR.COM  and American Conservative, I can confidently say that I am more confused than ever. First of all, the AntiWar website is so disorganized and I don't recognize any of the headlines that I may see on social media or mainstream headlines. It focuses on links to other news sources that allow for voices and opinions on AntiWar. As for the American Conservative website, it is easier to navigate, however, it holds the same concept as the AntiWar website with headlines that one may not recognize from where one finds their news sources. On top of these websites being difficult to navigate, I would have never found them if it wasn't for this class. Makes me wonder if there might be a reason why I couldn't find them before...

    War seems to be a tool that our government uses to fight against what we see as injustices and because of that, they wouldn't want their citizens protesting every war or every conflict we get involved with. Also, the people who make money off of war, don't want us to hear the other side of those who have strong AntiWar voices. When there is money involved, people get defensive and don't let anything stand in the way of those making the money.

    In the past, some were persecuted for their AntiWar voices, opinions, and views, and now the government still tries to keep those opinions quiet in the hope to keep America out of the war. To throw those into jail just for voicing their opinions in the past and now taking away individuals' first amendment rights becomes such a disheartening thing to hear for our country. These websites proved just that; hide the voices of those who are causing more trouble for our government which people need to start realizing is a violation of our freedom of speech right. However, for Americans, this is not something we are custom to and Americans are supposed to encourage war rather than oppose that theory and not want to consider war.    

Blog Post Four

 EOTO Project Research: PowerPoint Evolution

    I had the opportunity of doing research on the evolution of PowerPoint presentations. During my research, I struggled to find any sources via Google Scholar. Anytime I searched "PowerPoint Evolution" or "PowerPoint Past" or anything of that sort, it came up with PowerPoint presentations based on a topic that gave me nothing of the upbringing and evolution of PowerPoint. I got lucky when searching on Google, and found a website I trusted, Britannica. This really helped me get the ball rolling on my research. 

    This Britannica website allowed for so much research along the lines of who and how PowerPoint was founded.  I learned that Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin launched Microsoft Powerpoint at a software company named Forethought, Inc. This launch was in 1987 and the software was originally called Presenter. In July of 1987, the same year the software was launched, it was bought by Microsoft for better and more accessibility. Through the original business, it was only able to be accessed through the Apple Macintosh computer so to better its abilities Microsoft expanded the access to other findings that their company was making within their software. They purchased the rights to Presenter for 14 million and it was then birthed to be what we know now as PowerPoint. However, there were so many different designs over the years as technology advanced to make it what it is today.

    Along with the new versions coming out, we have been able to see so many expansions of technology which is one of the big benefits of software like PowerPoint. With the evolution of PowerPoint, and especially in my generation of a student, we get to utilize these helpful tactics to our benefit to better our education and projects for educational purposes.

    The reason for the launch of PowerPoint was originally for business endeavors within group and team presentations. As we talk about the evolution of these technological inventions, we can see how PowerPoint has grown after researching its original circumstance for creation. PowerPoint can be used for, as we mentioned, school and educational endeavors, but also storytelling, introductions of a group, cinematic purposes, narratives over slides, and more.

    According to a trusted source called Slide Master, I read an article about the way to properly structure a presentation for the most effective way of relaying information which also taught me insight into how Powerpoint has made our world better today. PowerPoint presentations have been, by far, the easiest and best way to get a point across when presenting to a group of people, Personally for me, I am a visual learner, so when a professor has a presentation to relay the information, I feel that I grasp a better understanding which I feel like most students and business individuals can agree with. The website also taught me how to best use the different structures of PowerPoint to get a point across which many people can use to bring their presentation to the next level and wow their attendees.

    Among the negative effects of the software itself, is just the fact that it was such a good idea that others made different versions of it. Between Google Slides, Prezi, and Canva, PowerPoint has had a run for its money. Personally, I have used all of these applications and don't necessarily prefer one over the other based on the effect which isn't great for PowerPoint purposes, because they all work great.

Blog Post Three

Free Expression: 

    I will forever be grateful to feel like I live in a country that allows me to speak freely without consequence. Personally, I think it is so important to have comfortability with the way you express things and it is also important to surround yourself with people who allow you to express yourself the way you feel that you should be able to. 

    Of the Eight Values of Free Expression, the one that resonates most with me would be Individual Self-Fulfillment or better known as Self Actualization. This expression is noted to be creating one self by the way they express themselves. I hold myself to a certain standard when expressing the way I feel but also don't allow others to dull my light when I feel the need to express my beliefs. I do feel that I have a human dignity to allow myself to show myself through my words. I also feel that autonomy has some role in it, however I do believe in a higher government being able to see how others express themselves. 

    Within the Eight Values of Free Expression, I believe that the one used most today would be The Marketplace of Ideas Theory because how many people are uneducated and allow themselves to fall victim to others' opinions of politics and government-related topics. I grew up not really educating myself on the political topic and noticed that as I grew into college many people have their own opinions so when I did more research and have grown my mental capacity for the subject, I realized that the people around me also weren't as educated as they seemed to be. 

    However, along with the Marketplace of Ideas Theory, the Freedom of Speech world has drastically changed. The Eight Values of Free Expression that covers my next topic would be Check on Government Power. More recently, the government has implemented time, place, and manner rules that have restricted individuals to go about their "freedom" of expression. This has been shown in court cases and arrests currently, and for example, when the country is in national distress. These lines have been crossed by people which can get censored, fined, or even arrested. This has allowed many people to argue against the government for taking away their right to the Freedom of Speech.

 

Blog Post Two

All about SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States):

    As mentioned in my last blog post and due to my main media sources, you could say that I am not exactly up to date on any current events or really anything circling around government and law. I also have not exactly loved the subject of history, however, when it comes to the Supreme Court of the United States, I can say that I am somewhat in the know. I do know that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary. The Supreme Court also has the power over any United States court case, specifically federal court cases over the state. 

    The article from history. com titled Supreme Court has enlightened me on many more things about the Supreme Court of the United States that I did not know before. According to this article, I learned that article three of the United States Constitution was when the Supreme Court was established. The Supreme Court is made up of six representatives who day-to-day study case files and will be in the position until the day they die or until they retire. To become a Supreme Court Justice, you must be elected by the United States president and approved or denied by the United States Senate. 

    I believe that the most important fact about the supreme court that I learned through the article was about the circuit court. The justices were required to hold circuit court twice a year in each judicial district for more than 100 years following the establishment of the Supreme Court; this taxing obligation was formally repealed by Congress in 1891.

    The most surprising thing that I learned about the Supreme Court is the Chief Justices' position. As was the case with Presidents Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, the chief justice also presides over impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States in the U.S. Senate. 

Blog Post One

     Being informed and maintaining what is going on in our world is extremely important. Current news is changing day to day and to be able to better understand our world, we all need to find our preferences for news sources. As cliche as it may sound, social media has become my muse for news sources. I'd like to say that I am in the know with recent news but with my main sources, I can confidently say that it is mostly word of mouth and may not always be the most accurate. I can also say that the algorithm I have on the majority of the social media I am on is geared toward what I want to see, so whether it is biased or not can be up for debate. However, I can say that being in the know or being informed about something comes from any kind of media, biased or not. As much as I wish I could say that I watch the news or look up current events in articles through news corporations, however, for the people of my generation, this is not always the case. 

    

To start, TikTok has become my main media source. TikTok is a social media app where users can make, share, and find brief videos. The software gives young people a platform to express themselves through lip-syncing, dancing, comedy, and singing. It also enables users to make movies and share them with their social networks. TikTok has grown immensely since its introduction, and now people are using it to share things like media and current news. 

Another social media site that I have used to inform myself about current events is Instagram. On Instagram, there is a feed called the trending page which allows for more important posts to be seen by the public. These posts can be news articles, our favorite celebrities, and even short video reels. As mentioned with TikTok, there is an algorithm that is shown to each person, but it is still a valid way to get current event updates.  

Snapchat is a social media source that people overlook for "current" news. Even though people see it as social media to communicate with friends, they also share reels from companies like daily mail, buzz feed, and TMZ. There are more than can be listed, however, this news is highlighted as more of a paparazzi and gossip insight on our favorite celebrities. However, I have seen things about our current president and information about the government. 

Twitter is the most accessible social media source when it comes to getting information. People around the world are constantly tweeting news articles and current events that people are able to comment on. You also have the ability to follow fox news, CNN, and other news media outlets. I'm sure we all know that famous people in government also are users of Twitter. In the past, these government officials making tweets have also caused people of different mindsets to argue. 

Facebook is also a social media that you can easily access up-to-date media. Like the others, news articles are shared every day by people who want to start conversations with their followers. Like Instagram and Snapchat, they have a page where you can see more popular topics that are going on currently. With the audience of Facebook tending to be an older audience,  this social media might deem to be the most accurate on where to get news from.