“Internet, Broadband, and Connectivity in the Volunteer State”

For a huge portion of the past ten years, a huge part of the American people has only had a couple of high speed internet broadband services to choose from. It soon may be one for those who want it for their home as the cable and Verizon deal may change the way home cable and internet is. But the monopoly on broadband will be locked in, AT&T and Verizon will dominate this market of mobile service and will move as they please through the mobile market. This will give the two Verizon and AT&T the ability to manipulate the prices as they feel. The Government needs to step in and re-examine the entire broadband policy so that it will not hurt the under privileged. It is their Constitutional rights to be able to speak about their situations and convey this to the world. The under privileged and the rural areas are already at a disadvantage.

This trend suggests that the government needs to take an in-depth look into needs of the people and change its entire approach create new rules and law for broadband. The international community is taking charge in the aspect of pacing the access for all and the speed of the internet. The U.S. is lagging in the race with their peers. The government/FCC has failed us tremendously in addressing this issue in timely manner. The broadband plan, it is possible that only one service provider will cover three quarters of the U.S. with amazingly fast high speed download speed capabilities.

Most of the world offer some sort of open access and unbundling packaging to create more competition. This is what we need to move forward and create acceptable internet from the bottom to the top. It’s the rights of the people who pay taxes no matter what level of income they are it is their right. The other issue is the government is focused on opening up and freeing up a more powerful mobile broadband spectrum and not looking at how it affects the under privileged who deserve as much as all others the right to have affordable access and access period.

Policy Makers and or the government need focus on the lack of dimensions in the world of broadband. The competition will grow if they do so opening up the market and allow more players into the internet and broad band game. The competition should be encouraged from the community level, from the pubic level, government level, all sectors should encourage this. State legislators should push with tremendous force to create their own community networks. This would push the competition and open a new world of internet access and fast download capabilities at a price that will allow access to the people who may not be able to afford it now.

 

Tennessee, Chattanooga has set the standard for the state offering a world leading internet broadband and internet service. The speed is not only one of the best in the world but it is also is bringing jobs to the community. The massive internet companies are beating down the door to get into this geographic area. This should serve as a template for the state. The state should throw its weight behind this and push for the communities to develop their own broad band networks. Every major city in the state should develop and adopt this plan. By doing this it would began a movement throughout the state. They are all equipped for this; all have fiber optic cables throughout the cities making them prime for the internet upgrade and their own networks. Making the major companies look for new sources of revenue pushing them into the rural areas and bridging the gap and also bringing in new jobs.

The major companies are the hold back in this; they are the proverbial speed bump. They often throw their weight behind state laws. Claiming that this would be an unfair act if the government was involved in the private sector of business and stifling the movement forward. The companies have promised to upgrade, but to this day nothing has come of theses promises. So it is time for the state to make its big move and do something to move forward with this issue. The state needs to revisit these laws. The infrastructure needs an overhaul not tomorrow but now. Tennessee needs to find the funds to put into this upgrade of the system and help the major cities move into the powerful fiber optic community.

As the people and companies become more and more reliant on high speed internet access for work, education, healthcare and all forms of new media. The decreased investment of time and energy will continue to put us behind as a nation. This is something the people of our state can no longer afford. It is no longer an acceptable practice.

Education is increasingly becoming reliant on the internet. Tennessee schools need high speed internet and broadband access to be effective and compete with the major states. This will create a rigorous technology infused learning environment. Therefore the student will have need of affordable high speed internet and broadband access at home to extend and expedite their learning process. Teachers also need this guaranteed access to the high speed internet to better service their students. This will allow them to enrich their curriculum with technology such as video conferencing that allow them the ability to conduct distance learning and resolve any issues that a student may have.

The educators can also have and develop professional community conferences that are engaging other professional in order to promote higher learning initiatives. This will allow the development of new educational resources such as educational portals. Educators need high speed internet to conduct online assessments and data for the benefit of effective making of decisions. Their students need this also to overcome the divide of the digital world that hangs over our head in this state and country. The rural area students as well as adults are entitled to the wide range of  new and rich educational applications that are out there. The resources that are available for anywhere leaning at any time.

 

Here in Tennessee, universities, colleges and community colleges also state governed schools are assured of adequate internet services. Libraries also fall into this filed of adequate services. The major need for the expanded services so that we can make forward movement in our educational goal is for rural area connection to be at the forefront of our state goals. Expanded broad band service would provide and exponential educational growth. Greater educational growth in the rural areas would give us a more educated work place with better paying jobs. This translates into less low income households.

They will also help the health of the rural areas by allowing them to access doctors and physicians. The people my ask questions pertaining to their illness or injury. Physician may be able to diagnose either of the two illnesses or injury and possibly save a life in the process. The internet and broadband connectivity in this breath can help provide and improve healthcare system. This can greatly impact our communities in this aspect. It brings improved care to the people who may need the advice or assistance of a medical professional.

The expansion of broadband and high speed internet into the rural areas can enable individuals living in the most remote areas of our state to have a much needed and depended upon technological service. The advantages of this will have a tremendous effect on the bridging of the technological gap. High speed internet is a critical part of the future of Tennessee in the job filed, in the educational field, and also in the health field.

It was once considered a luxury, something that was inaccessible to many. Now it is a public need. It is going to take everyone in our community to make a change. The government, public and private sectors must come together to dissolve the gap. They have to drive for the development of the adoption of internet access to all. The technology in pertinent to the development of our future, all aspects of our community and nation as a whole is relying on the development of the technology.

Tennessee must see the advantages of the internet service. Internet with high speed capability lets student go online for help with homework from educators. Many areas don’t have the proper education of adults leading to the need of this helpful asset. Many students are more technologically savvy than their parent. Therefor the need of available internet is a necessity. Companies throughout the world can connect with each other, why is it not possible to connect a state.

We need to use the latest technology to make internet with high speed technology available to every person in the state of Tennessee no matter where they are located. The accesses should be like turning the water on in your house. It should be a household thing as universal as the air we breathe. Tennessee should have broadband and internet access without a short fall to any areas in the state. The rural areas should not be shorted because of the lack of competence of high and mighty companies. They have the same right to have as equal a voice as any other citizens of the state.

This also incorporates affordable broadband and internet of the high speed capacity. Massive companies are controlling this by ruling the prices with an iron fist. In the affected areas if they want or need the access they must purchase very expensive equipment that is not up to standards. It also has a high cost, this does not fit into their budget. The affordable internet and broadband should not be out of the reach of our fellow statesmen. All should have access at an affordable and faster capacity.

Future internet will definitely require faster speeds due to the evolution of the application being invented daily. There will need to be higher standards when it comes to the education of our Tennesseans, to the health of our Tennesseans and the overall access of our Tennesseans to the interment. The only way we will get there is to follow in the footsteps our in state partner Chattanooga. Design of public and private partnership will definitely make that happen.

In conclusion, with the creation of so many types and forms of digital social media and the use of this media to educate, we here in Tennessee need to be connected more than ever. The use of these new media channels has become pertinent in the evolution of many people that live in the state. The emergence of social media platforms like Facebook, Skype YouTube, twitter, personal sights like blogs and many other media platforms we need to be connected. The need for high speed connection is becoming as much a part of the political process as signs on the street. New media is driving this force and our people need to be able to get the information they need and not be in the dark.

There must be a change, but it depends on whether we as whole make an effort to connect our state. Bridging the gap between urban areas and rural areas will take a massive movement or leaders who see the need. Point and case Chattanooga, who has jumped into the forefront and created a different culture with its internet standard. A new way of internet for the city which should be embraced by all into state so we move for in many ways. The future of education, the future of health care, the future of jobs all depend on the forward movement of our state. There should not be any of the areas left behind it should be a priority of the entire state to make high speed internet as common as taking a drink of water. The digital divide issue in the state has demonstrated that clearly our community leaders need to step up.

 

 

“Digital divide proceed”

 

“Beyond simply providing access to computer hardware and software, how should educators and policy makers concerned with closing the digital divide proceed?”

                The access to information that is available on the internet is pertinent to the education of all. The digital divide prevents this from happening in a way that leaves many behind. Connecting and bridging this gap will accelerate this ability to learn for all that have the want to learn. Today we have the ability to distance learn through online courses. There should be laws in place to expedite this divide; the government should make this a high priority on their list of things to do. It has to be led by the educators and communities or it will be overlooked.

                The push by the educators and communities will solve this issue or divide that is plaguing our country. We have to come together and position ourselves to be as successful and also as literate as other countries. Our leaders of today and tomorrow depend on this divide being closed. They must focus on the work directly and make sure that the quality of our education that everyone around the world will use as a template.

                All children should have access to the highest quality of education we can provide to them. The adults should also have this opportunity also. This is the only way to conquer the divide, through a high quality education. The educators and leaders must focus on this issue and the advance technology is the only way to do so. The goal of the government and educators should be to empower all of the people the academics. This should be done in a sense of no one will be left behind. The only way this will happen if there is a community of innovative technology savvy people.

                The educators and the government must get on the same level together. They have to make it know that technology can make the learning more right now or immediate. It can make it self-paced and not have as much pressure will put on the individual. They can use the universities open course system to make this difference in the bridging of the gap, actually make it the platform they stand on. The education and the technological divide must be brought together.

                Educators and policy makes must come together to change national laws and state laws on technology and telecommunication front. They have to help benefit the individuals of our county and those of our local community. Inadequate technology is going to hold use back from bridging our divide. The underutilization of technology that we already have in place should not be an oversight anymore. Media literacy must be a priority if we are to move forward and bridge this gap that hurts our community and country. Its making it difficult for our people to find job because they cannot use or do not have access to the internet.

“MediaParticipation: A Legitimizing Mechanism of Mass Democracy”

“MediaParticipation: A Legitimizing Mechanism of Mass Democracy”

I think mass democracy is a direct effect of our use of the new media that we have at our use today. The citizen involvement around the world today is a direct result of interactive media. It elaborates the involvement of personal media participation. We have moved away from the conventional political notions of twenty to thirty years ago and this is directly affecting the policies and politics of today. The communication media system that has evolved from the many avenues we use to communicate with one another has shed light on the many horrible situations around the world by giving use immediate access to the on goings. It is instant news, legitimizing the mechanism of mass democracy.
Media systems and formats have made it accessible to citizens a political system that has been highly exclusive, orchestrated and professional. Only if it is even symbolic it is empowering and engagement through a civic aspect, new media is an important legitimizing mechanism of mass democracy. It can be passive or active and inactive political involvement is given to distinguish civic involvement.
Blogging along with Facebook, twitter, YouTube and all other forms of new media has transformed the way we communicate and exchange information. These new media formats have had an effect on our political process it is controversial yet very affective. The process is not well understood by many but it driven and open the political moment of many areas in the world.
There is a powerful belief in the ability of social media to make the political process more democratic. At points the evidence is strongly supported by the movements around the world as well as here in the United States. This was made very apparent with the Egyptian Facebook revolution a few years ago. The event that occurred in the Far East with the earthquake also was a major as well. The immediate news due to civilian using twitter prompted the shutdown of twitter by the government in that region. Many feel as well I that this was a direct result of our new media use and democracy.
The new media has also become an important means of surveillance for many governments. It is being used to monitor unrest as well as political movements in their regions. This has also become way to control citizens before they can reach a point of revolution or revolt. The participation in this voluntary democracy through tweeting, YouTube, Facebook, blogging and other social media throughout the internet is both a blessing and a curse but it is a democratic process.

 

In my eyes the benefit of new media and all the social networks have changed the political process in ways never thought of. Many individuals have the power to change things one tweet, blog, YouTube video or Facebook post at a time. This in my opinion allows citizens the opportunities to participate in and engage in a new political machine called Mass Democracy.

“Communication System”

“Why does December consider the Web to be fundamentally a communication system (as opposed to a textual database, online encyclopedia, or tool for commerce)?”

I think the reason the World Wide Web is being considered a communication system is that everything has an address. All that is needed is three parts a sever name, extra bit of data and a protocol name. Putting these three pieces together will allow you the information you needed or desire. This action will give you the information or file and allow you to put it up in any manor you like without restriction.
In the 90’s early 90’s, individuals put together documents dedicated to only to specific files that pointed out or referenced only certain file on FTP sites. There was no thought of the site having any type of address that would allow the people to click a link and be directly sent to the information they desired. Only certain circles of had any knowledge of this and these were the inner circle of the web engineers.
We us the URI now to access more information as well give more information. The entire address is machine readable; we can gather files through FTP. This is the communication highway for use today. More often than none we are looking and browsing, talking and socializing, sharing and getting. It is more than textual database, online encyclopedia, or tool for commerce. It brings millions of ideas together and people as well.
The hyperlinks are so important to this communication system. I see it as the big pot holding the hyperlink soup. One link is seen as the pot the leads to and holds many other hyperlinks. A plethora links that keeps going and going and going; the communication of things that keep communicating to feed the consumer.
Normal text with hyperlinks have now taken the forefront, you have no need to site anymore. One single word can take you to any place you would need for more information. All HTML pages are at the same time a textual document. It is also a directory of other web pages as both a stopping and a destination point on the beaten path to another URI. What a communication system.
Look at how this entire thing the World Wide Web is set up now, widespread appearance of personal pages. The mass uses of personal pages are in many ways and informal resume. These personal sights often incorporate personal information and professional information. It is a system of information service that severs the masses. It is being used to publish information and construct and identity.

 

To me the World Wide Web is a social hypertext community that provides communication to the people whom seek knowledge and also build themselves on personal levels. It is the platform to link to the next link, to inform the uninformed. The links allow us to connect, giving use, providing use with our friends’ network of friends and colleagues and even their concerns. It is the center of communication.

“They are the same”

“What are the key differences between filter-style blogs and journal-style blogs, and what different functions do they perform?”

 

                I think that there is not much of a difference. One is just a little more link drive than the other. The filter style blog is more of a networking blog, it’s built for sharing each other’s sight links. This is the building of a community that supports each other and a cypher or circle that continues to build with every discovery of another’s link. The journal style is more personal, while being very personal each an every discovery of the sight if liked by someone is shared with others.

                The same, that’s how I see the two blogs. We have been actively accepting blogging technology for the simple reason of providing the pertinent information of our personal likes and important things to us. There are many people out there that look at our favorite personal interest and say I feel the same way about that issue. So they adopt our blogs as their own and share it others, this creates a circle that continues to grow as it is shared by others.

                It has now become part of their cypher, they copy and post the link in their blog and it goes from being a journal style to a filter style with the click of a button. This is why I personally consider the two the same. They go hand and hand, without one there could not be the other. The use of the journal style leas directly to the filter style. It is used as background, as source and is expanded upon with the words of the individual who has adopted it.

                The collaboration of the two turns to the collaboration of three and then four and so on. As this happens more and more information is added and you have the filter that has become a massive entity. An ongoing wealth of information that can be viewed by all that is interested in the subject. This has become a team of minds a melting pot of wealth and knowledge on the subject.

                This is a media dream, the ability to put personal thoughts out in a community of likeminded people fighting to give a personal perspective of what they like and don’t like. It’s also a corporate dream knowing how and who to market to. No need for them to put as much into the marketing of a certain thing or product because the information is just a click away.

                What you will find out about the structure of the two blogs, the journal and the filter is that they are one the same. Two entities that cannot live or survive without the other, they coincide like the water and the earth. The content of one is such an importance to the other. They push each other to be better and more in depth in many ways. Leaving me to believe they are the same.

“The Future”

“Why is the debate over broadband networks not just about the future of the Internet, but about the future of communication media in general?”

 

I think the big debate over broadband networks is all about the piles of money that follow in the foot step of who controls its majority. Big companies other big companies in order to control position and themselves for the future. We don’t know it all, but they allow enough information to keep us in the know and not guessing. Internet access has slowly close the gap between the races and I hate to bring it into this but I think it is also in the back of the mind of some.

                The affordability of broadband is partly the issue, the cost is an ongoing problem. Many people can’t afford it but it is more that it’s not available in sections that desperately need to be literate in a new way of life one that they are truly not literate in. This if made available would shatter the glass wall between many people and the restriction of knowledge. Everyone should have access to and have knowledge of this unbelievable tool.

                The future of broad band is I think is the pay toll idea. This idea was explained in great detail by a source that I believe is a top professional in his filed. I have always thought this was the future but his explanation has further let me know I was on the right thought path. You have major broadband companies buying up each other in order to control the market. This will allow them to do anything they please with price, blocking from sharing large files (bit torrents).

                The future also includes a way of monitoring any crazy, outlandish thoughts that put out into the enormous world of internet. This eye in the sky, that thin line between public and private. I think this a protective measure and only in the public interest. This is where the transparency come crashing into our everyday life. There has to be a watchful eye somewhere, even if we don’t like the fact that our privacy may be at risk.  So this is why we develop at an alarming rate. Trust can be lost at any time.  

                To round out what I think the future of broad band will be is the massive commercializing on the internet. It is already there, but it is not on the level that it will be. The future is all in the mobile device. This allows all user to be free and never miss an email, update, message of any kind. They are free to move around at while and stay connected. The advertising community will love this for the simple fact that they can monitor and store data and market to the particular users.

                Social media is a snowball rolling downhill. Its building and building, the effect it has had on the way media is given us.  They many ways, sides, angels it is uses to keep us informed is amazing. This the future, tolls, blocks, breaking down wall, big money and somewhat safety.

“Reexamination”

“How, specifically, is convergence transforming the nature of mass communication, leading to a reexamination of the term “mass communication” itself?”

 

                It has already with accessibility , we the users of the internet have all kinds of different channels at our finger tips at our disposal, in our pockets on our person somewhere. It has happened, cell phones, tablets they have the access to search engines, advertisements and hyperlinks.  Together with the always accessible brain in most cases and the nonstop learning has transformed mass communication.

                I sit home with my lab top or I have my cell phone with me; which practically attached to my hip at all times. I am always connected. If I have a thought and wanted to express myself any place I could. If I am think I have been misinformed what I do Google… search and there it is. Multiple resources, from different sources around the world are at your fingertips. This is convergence

                This has happened; we can be consumed at the drop of a pin with the click of button or touch of a screen. We are completely engulfed in the products. We have every product we could possibly want in the form of an app. I can access my music, my books, my games, my blogs and the list goes on and on. The advertisements are conveniently placed for you’re a quick purchase through hyperlink and tailored to your liking. Mass media is changing every single day due to great minds and fast growing technology.

                The communication networks and the media content have come together with the development and the popularization on the internet and also the convergence of our products.   We are scraping the surface of what will be. All aspects of our life is now revolving around the convergence of mass communication. Just thinking about it, our businesses, social life, the government, education, health are all part of this massive beast called mass communication that is growing by leaps and bounds. All are involved the interactive digital media environment and have to be involved to even compete.

                I think the flexibility in how we use and consume our media has caused the convergence. The availability media content any and everywhere. Our 4g society from you tube, broadcasters, iTunes, news organizations, social media sites and so on. The sources are unbelievably available, I only mentioned a few and as I sit here typing and look to right I see an advertisement, it says free trial and then it changes to buy it today, need I say more.

“The Divide”

“How is the problem of drawing a clear line between what’s public and what’s private cyberspace part of the more general problem of understanding how to coordinate the virtual and real worlds?”

 

                I think it’s always going to be an issue. It is about the bottom line. Money is the divide, if the cyber companies took out contracts to have the issue fixed it affects the bottom line. So if it’s possible for them to use your likeness or words to generate profit, you security is not as big of an issue. We will be given just enough security to keep use happy.

 

                I think the pressure for even better protection of personal information or security of it comes from creating a community or culture. This community would require security in order to ever do business. It could do more than any program that can be developed for the simple facts there will always be someone who defects or break the code.

               

                The other side of this divide is how much time will be put into watching, monitoring, regulating and money will be put into the privacy area. Once again it comes down to the bottom line, dollars and cents. There is a huge question mark over the heads of the giants of cyber space regarding the almighty dollar.    

 

                Regulation, no one is sure how to do this. It’s like a corn maze, so many lanes but one exit. We need to figure out some sort of way to regulate the attention given to the security of cyber space. People need to know where their information is and need to pay more attention to cyber security.

               

                There should be heavy fines for any company that allows use of personal information knowingly. Some information will slip through the crack and crevices. But the social security numbers, the credit card information, the debit card information. These are unforgivable; they must be hit where it hurts the bottom line.

 

               

The government and the private sector should work closely on this situation, but government needs this information as much as the cyber companies. They work closely together in the storage of information. This information is a large part of the keeping up with society and security. I think this is why the private information is monitored so loosely. This information is very important to the two sides.

 

                There are some tensions there, but not enough to pump millions of dollars into making the security of privacy more secure. The great problem in my eyes is the lack of care and recognition. The private sector doesn’t care enough to invest in the protection because of the bottom line. The government needs the information to be a little loose so they may use information as needed.

 

                All together software developers have to be on board. The reason they are not is because it will cost on the bottom line.  It is going reduce the year-end profit.  There for the divide will continue and the privacy will be loosely monitored.

Revolutionary

“Do the transformations that have taken place in communications technologies deserve to be called revolutionary?”

                Yes, the information and communications technologies and the media of today’s culture are revolutionary. The character of the media and the culture of the young people are things that you cannot look over.  The links between technology and new media has created a culture of fast acting, quick links, immediate access, technology savvy individuals.

                This in its self is revolutionary, the power to connect on a level never seen before with people all over the world. The sources used are both primary and secondary, but it’s the fact that we can come together and collaborate hours and miles away from each other. So the global level of coming together to figure out a project or to have someone put together a sketch can happen at lightning speed.

                The new forms of technology are happening so fast that it’s hard to keep up with it. Every day is revolutionary; the emergence of all these new forms of social media has put everyone together.  People today we live in world characterized by what’s next. In a world of constant change brought together dramatic and dynamic

culture of forward thinking individuals. Economic, social, education these things have brought about some of the brightest minds and allowed the together to change the days we live in.

                No matter where you are now you are connected. You have an opportunity to be heard, seen, known and admired.  There are still circumstances for some that prevent them from being literate of the communication technologies and information, but this is vanishing at an alarming rate for the simple fact that the youth are growing up in the information age. They are teaching their parents.

                It’s not slowing at all; many young people are more technology literate than being worldly literate. It is the age of technology and information. This is revolutionary, no if and or but about it. Globally this is happening, the fastest growing part of our society in technology. In all areas of life technology is adjusting life. You can have an accurate count of the miles you walk in a day with your phone. You can know your blood pressure by looking at your phone; you can control every operation of your home.

                The revolution is also the ability to unify. The unifying on a level that is to standardize culture in ways never seen by mankind.  Our media culture and the fact that our technology is on a level that allows the mass information passing along is incredible. This is the informational era; you have to have access to the internet to even apply for work. Hard copies are becoming obsolete.

                Economy, the want and need for the bosses and management to be flexible in their plan to be global
and have the ability to capitalize on the trade of other markets require the technology. This pushes the demand of society to be literate and change, be revolutionary.   This is an ongoing revolution day by day second by second, revolutionary!