Blog Prompt Assignment #1

The internet is something that everybody uses and most people are connected all hours of the day and I believe it's all because the internet is a very useful tool that has helped out society for the better. The obvious reasoning is how much being connected has improved our communication and networking.

The article we previously read by the Federal Communications Commission about the history of the internet discusses the obstacles people used to face just in order to send a message to another person. Today due to the internet we are able to communicate not only on a bigger scale but in a much faster way. The internet allows us to contact people within seconds via email, instant messenger or even a video chat. It also lets us talk to people all over the world, we can make more connections with different cultures and people in alot less time. This makes our lives easier, to have so many people around that are available just by a click of a button. We are able to keep in touch with family or friends that are on opposite sides of the world. Some people are even fortunate enough to apply to job positions in other countries over the internet and for some people make life changing dreams become reality because of this tool that was created to make our lives easier.

Pooling together knowledge which is also referred to as  "collective intelligence" is what Henry Jenkins and Mark Deuze mention in their editoral about Convergence Culture. Collective knowledge is when people are putting their ideas, opinions and knowledge out there like on the internet and learn from each other. This helps society become more open minded and can make them more understanding of a different perspective they haven't already considered. The internet is the main location for collective knowledge to take place because there are different outlets like blogging and having someone comment, or being involved in a discussion in a chat room. Things like that are what really help our society grow and learn from eachother alot easier than if the internet didn't exist.

The last point I'd like to make about how the internet is a good influence is how it's not just ourselves who benefit from frequent internet use, alot of causes set up charities that typically get the most funding online. On the webpage called "Reason Digital", it talks about how charities have used the internet in order to communicate with supporters and receive funding. Some charities have accounts set up during specific times to collect funding, it makes it easier to donate to these causes and it also allows more people to come in contact with the organization and what they are about. Charities have become more easily accessible and it has made coming in contact with members of the orgainzation a little bit easier. Just by posting online or on their website, a charity can promote events to a bigger audience and potentially gain a bigger following.

These are all benefits to having the internet available to us. It makes our lives easier and has greatly improved society but like all things, it's just how the tool is being used that makes it either a good or bad influence. These three main points I made are things I truly believe are important in society nowadays but I do think that not everybody has these intentions when they get online. However, I believe it's better to focus on the positive rather than the negative.