Tuesday, June 4, 2013
TWIF Flattener 2 - 8/9/95
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://svhs-hwc-fall2013.blogspot.com/2013/06/approved-sources-for-twif-current.html to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertion that 8/9/95 was a "flattener." Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to this point. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0719/US-promises-to-declassify-more-information-on-surveillance-programs
ReplyDeleteUS promises to declassify more information on surveillance programs
This article from CSM focuses on the declassification of information regarding surveillance programs. It expands on the rulings that have ordered for the justification of programs such as Prism. The story exemplifies Friedman's thoughts on the world wide web and its flattening capabilities because it enabled the government to expand its watch globally. To explain, when the web and internet came about, it ultimately caused millions of people from various countries to communicate and learn through the computer. However, this also made it easier for terrorists to collaborate. Accordingly, the government used the internet to catch possible threats such as terrorists attacks. In summary, the internet flattened the world by attracting millions of people to work on the computer, which created a large tool that the government could use to extend its watch.
UK has more digital firms than thought, NIESR reports
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23399134
This BBC News article describes a new method of learning about the economy, which was included in a report by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research to ascertain how many technology companies exist in the United Kingdom. This method involves following companies' online movements. A company called Growth Intelligence collects information this way and sells it to clients; they sold the data about technology firms to the NIESR. Growth Intelligence discovered more companies than the government, which uses older ways of "measuring the economy." This method also accurately goes into more detail about these companies.
While explaining Flattener #2, the release of Netscape, Friedman describes how the commercial web browser helped people easily use the Internet and the World Wide Web to access digital information stored there. This, in turn, created a demand for more ways to use this tool, which started the overinvestment in technology that fueled the placing of fiber-optic cables around the globe. This flattened the world because individuals and companies anywhere could be more productive and have more equal opportunities. This article supports Friedman's argument because it shows an example of the Internet being used in new ways (in this case, for economic research) that are more productive than previous methods. Overall, the economic research done by the NIESR and Growth Intelligence exemplifies Friedman's argument that the release of Netscape, a commercial web browser, flattened the world.
Google Said to Weigh Supplying TV Channels
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/business/media/google-is-said-to-mull-internet-cable-service.html
This article talk about how Google, a many other companies, are thinking of making cable television available through internet connection. Others are referring to this as an "over the top" service because tv channels would be riding on top of already existing broadband connections. This innovation does fall under Friedman's second flattener, so much as it is an extension of it. For this statement to be understood one must understand what the flattener number two is; it was the development of Netscape and the World Wide Web, and how they brought the Internet alive and made it something so easily accessible a five year could use it. If it were not for those innovations even just talking about regular cable television channels being broadcasted over Internet connections would be unheard and be plain and simple crazy talk. This new innovation is an extension of this flattener because without the Intrnet being brought to life in the mid-1990's by Netscape and the WWW this would not be possible just a mere decade later.
Internet in developing countries: Hailing the Google bus
ReplyDeletehttp://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/10/internet-developing-countries
This is trying to help developing countries become more used to the internet. This is related to flattener #2, because Netscape was used to wake the world up to the internet . It was also made the internet accessible to everyone. The Google bus the Google Internet bus is a free, mobile cybercafe dreamed up by the search giant and run in association with BSNL, a large state-owned internet service provider (ISP). It has covered over 43,000km and passed through 120 towns in 11 states since it hit the road on February 3rd, 2009. This almost just like what Netscape did promoting the internet to the world.