As internet usage spreads across the globe, more and more people are looking for cheaper ways to get online. Mobile phones have begun to fill that gap. In a recent survey, "45% claimed that mobile phone is the gadget most people could not live without."
Phones are becoming a necessity in every country, even in developing countries. For example, there is a new movement called mHealth, or mobile health, which aims to spread "use wireless technology to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and create a new paradigm in health care delivery." Putting mobile phones with internet access in the hands of disenfranchised people (particularly women in developing countries) can help improve access to health care and thus improve quality of life.
The price of desktops and laptops deter certain people from purchasing them when similar services are available on phones (and tablets). And as more and more people access the internet via their mobile devices, sites are changing their designs to be more usable on the smaller screen.
Responsive design--or websites that readjust their design to fit the screen, whether it's a phone, computer, or tablet--is becoming more the rule than the exception. The fact that responsive design is so widespread is evidence that people are using their phones more than ever to get online.
Prompt for blog (4): Give an example of diffusion of Internet technology
Monday, February 17, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Privacy Policies
According to Wiki How, "most
businesses are not required by law to have a Privacy Policy." They are
only required to have a privacy policy if the website collects personal
information and or data from users.
Anytime a person signs up for something online, they usually check a box next to "I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions." Since we live in a world of instant gratification, especially online, many of us click that box without even reading the document, which typically contains a privacy policy.
Many sites, like Google, are taking our personal information and using it to give us targeted ads, assess our GPS location, etc. About 50% of Americans worry about what kind of information is available about them online.
Though there are ways to limit the information that advertisers, sites, or the government, can find about you, you must invest time and energy resetting privacy settings, clearing internet histories and cookies. Not everyone knows that if they do not do this, they are giving others the right to use their personal information in a variety of ways.
Privacy Policies are typically convoluted. They often take the form of a short paragraph written in legalese buried in a long document. Not only do we need clearer policies, but we need mandatory privacy policies across the internet. For example, it should not be acceptable for cookies to exist in your browser unless you have activated them.
What are your thoughts on privacy policies? Have you ever deactivated your cookies? Have you changed your privacy settings on social media?
If you answered no to the last two questions, you should take a moment to Google yourself. Are you surprised by what you find? Do you like what you see? Do you not like it?
Just like we all take steps to protect our belongings whether by a lock on the door or by keeping a hand on your wallet in the subway, we should take steps to protect our privacy in an environment that continually threatens it.
Prompt for blog (3): Give an example of a online problem. Are there any policies that can reduce this problem?
Anytime a person signs up for something online, they usually check a box next to "I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions." Since we live in a world of instant gratification, especially online, many of us click that box without even reading the document, which typically contains a privacy policy.
Many sites, like Google, are taking our personal information and using it to give us targeted ads, assess our GPS location, etc. About 50% of Americans worry about what kind of information is available about them online.
Though there are ways to limit the information that advertisers, sites, or the government, can find about you, you must invest time and energy resetting privacy settings, clearing internet histories and cookies. Not everyone knows that if they do not do this, they are giving others the right to use their personal information in a variety of ways.
Privacy Policies are typically convoluted. They often take the form of a short paragraph written in legalese buried in a long document. Not only do we need clearer policies, but we need mandatory privacy policies across the internet. For example, it should not be acceptable for cookies to exist in your browser unless you have activated them.
What are your thoughts on privacy policies? Have you ever deactivated your cookies? Have you changed your privacy settings on social media?
If you answered no to the last two questions, you should take a moment to Google yourself. Are you surprised by what you find? Do you like what you see? Do you not like it?
Just like we all take steps to protect our belongings whether by a lock on the door or by keeping a hand on your wallet in the subway, we should take steps to protect our privacy in an environment that continually threatens it.
Prompt for blog (3): Give an example of a online problem. Are there any policies that can reduce this problem?
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