Blog #6 EOTO presentations

During presentations of each one teach one I found carrier pigeons to be very interesting. Before the presentations, I had heard a little about carrier pigeons but I always assumed it was an exaggeration or folk tale. Carrier pigeons are predicted to have started in ancient Greek times, they were the first form of communication. The first example of pigeons being used to carry messages was 1350 BCE when they brought news of the Nile river flooding. Other occasions of carrier pigeons delivering news include the Olympic games, Tulane football games, Empires and rulers, and most notably World War I & II. 

But how did pigeons know where to go? It was very important, especially in wars for the pigeons to go exactly where they needed to be. They carried very vital information that could potentially save lives and in some instances did. Pigeons had a very solid routine, they were fed once a day and were not fed again til they left their loft. Pigeons knew where home was by remembering landmarks and have what you call a "home instinct". Multiple pigeons would be sent carrying messages to ensure that news was delivered sufficiently. Another interesting fact is that pigeons were also disguised, they would be dyed black to blend in with crows. 

During presentations, we also learned about "famous" carrier pigeons. One of the most famous being G.I. Joe, who is known as a war hero. G.I. Joe saved the lives of over 1000 British soldiers and civilians during World War II in Calvi Vecchia, Italy. He flew over 20 miles in 20 minutes delivering the news of a scheduled bombing coming that way. He was awarded the Dickin Medal for Gallantry and is said to have made "the most outstanding flight made by a United States Army homing pigeon in World War II" Learning about carrier pigeons made me understand that this isn't a folktale and in reality they played a crucial role in our history. 

Blog #5 Privacy, offline, & off

 

One of the most valued aspects of America is our right to privacy. The Fourth Amendment guarantees us this right, it protects the American people from unreasonable searches and seizures and is reinforced by The Supreme Court. But how well is our privacy protected by the government?   

 Have you ever noticed that after you search or even speak about an item or brand it pops up on your phone on another platform just minutes later? We often claim that the government is spying on us after this happens and the truth is we are not entirely wrong. Who is allowing this? and why is this a thing? The truth is we are the ones allowing this! We consent to this almost every single day without even realizing it.Think about every time you make a new account you are asked to agree to terms of services and you do without even reading it! Those cute little cookies you accept are really trackers that watch your every move and collect data from you.      

   

Businesses use "cookies" to understand what your interests are and start an algorithm to persuade you into purchasing their product or service. In my opinion, I believe this is genius on the business side. However, I can understand one's concerns when it comes to privacy. We really don't know just how much they can hear and see. Think about your Siri, Google Home, or Alexa, they have to be listening 24/7 to register when we say "Hey Siri" What are they doing with that data? Another issue that comes to mind is who can give consent to cookies and terms of service? Today's generation of children use technology just as much as anyone else. Technology is even used in K-12 education on a daily basis in the United States. 

My opinion on this topic might be a bit controversial, I don't believe this is necessarily causing an issue. We are consenting to it and we should always be aware of what we are agreeing to and there is always the option to reject cookies. When it comes to the topic of children on technology I believe it is the parent's job to protect and use parental controls. I also believe that children should not freely roam the web. So what should the government do about this? I think the government should closely monitor how much information websites are taking from us and possibly establish limits to these data collections so that they can't eventually track us even more. In conclusion, I believe it is really up to you as a technology user to ensure that your information isn't being tracked if you view it as a serious matter, reject the cookies, read the terms of service, and be careful what you put on the internet.

regardless of my feelings about digital data collection, I find that the information Catherine Crump shared with us is alarming. I find that what Mr. Katz-Lacabe experienced is very similar to stalking. Also similar to this issue is phone tapping, I find this to be very intriguing because in some states it is even illegal to record a conversation without consent. To defend my argument in the ways my feelings differ about each subject I would like to bring up the importance of consent again. Digital data collection such as cookies and terms of service is being consented to by people who don't feel like reading a few paragraphs where as people like Mr. Katz-Lacabe are having their data collected without their consent or knowledge without breaking any laws. I believe the government should step in and create policies to prevent unreasonable data collection of U.S. Citizens or extend the Privacy Act of 1974 to also local agencies.