## Ad Blocking 1. Before Ad blocking ![](https://i.imgur.com/vkbGW0W.jpg) 2. After Ad blocking ![](https://i.imgur.com/l6kCbgK.jpg) 3. Adblockers definitely have an obvious upside to the user, but do users understand the potential adverse effects? A question raised by Alex Hern, Jacob Kastrenakes, and Don Marti within their articles. The apartment upsides to adblockers are that Hern highlights such as the ability to “protect their devices from attacks of this sort, as well as making the web surfing experience faster, more pleasant, and less draining on mobile devices’ batteries.” The article also focuses on the malware attacks that hackers can embed within ads in a website and hold a user’s hard drive hostage in exchange for a bitcoin or two. A simple preventative measure is installing an adblocker. Adblockers also have more subtle adverse effects. One significant impact is that websites that are free to users rely on advertisements embedded in their sites in order to make money. They utilize ads to make their site free to consumers. But, if users continue blocking ads, it will give websites no choice but to charge a fee to enter the site since they are not receiving ad revenue. Another way websites are trying to sidestep adblockers is by not allowing users who have adblockers turned on to enter their site. This forces users to turn the adblocker off in order to enter the site. Another solution Adblockers have turned to is replacing large intrusive ads with smaller, more appropriate ads. This is known as Adblock Plus that has a marketplace of acceptable ads to serve users. This is an interesting solution because it takes the control from the websites and networks and puts the AdBlock service in control. According to Kastrenakes, Adblocking plus also has an interesting pricing structure where “Publishers will get to keep 80 percent of all ad revenue from marketplace ads, with the remaining 20 percent being divided between various other parties involved with serving the ads. Adblock Plus will receive 6 percent of total revenue.” Through this, it can slit the revenue so that websites can still make money through ads, but Adblockers are in control.
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Reading Responses (set 2)

Reading Responses 5 out of 5 Oct 28 Fri - Shaped “Just as giving and receiving feedback can entail significant emotion work, online comment can be an important part of the emotionally laden construction and understanding of people’s social selves.” Through this comparison, Reagle is able to highlight the relationship between feedback and comments made online. The two have similar characteristics, as they both can be critical of one’s personality, looks, or self-worth. With the world we live in today, where people openly share details about their lives online, it has come to a point where people feel the right to comment and give their feedback. The creation of anonymous question platforms, such as Askfm and Formspring, has allowed people to be less mindful of their actions. The feature of anonymity that these sites have enables people to say things that they would not say in person or if their name was connected. This removes the need to be mindful and creates an environment for bullying and mean comments and questions online. “your not only ugly but your black too wtf nasty.” This is an example of a negative and racist comment that recipients of these anonymous questions platforms receive, causing them to face self-esteem issues. These issues stem from the negative and hateful comments being received on their questions page. The definition of self-esteem, which relates to how we see ourselves and how others see us, helps explain the issue at stake. The recipients of these negative comments believe this is how others see them and have a weaker sense of self-esteem. On the flip side, there is the issue of narcissism on these platforms. This can be explained through stereotype enhancement, “highlighting a positive stereotype about a person’s group.” Comments that align with this theory are about one’s looks, personality, knowledge. By receiving anonymous positive comments, it reinforces the idea and can lead to narcissism.

12/6/2021
Spencer's Home Page

Home Page Required assignments Wiki tutorial Web search and evaluation Filter and label your email Adblocking Privacy footprint

11/16/2021
Reading Responses (Set 1)

Reading Responses 5 out of 5 Sep 17 Fri - Superconnected “The internet and digital media are not responsible for the stresses and pressures of modern life; more often than not, they help people manage these stresses”. A phrase In the reading Superconnected by Mary Chayko, stuck out because it is easy for people to blame social media for problems, but also take the positives for granted. The article begins with some of the positives technology has brought us. It attributes the internet and social media for bringing people together in a way that was not possible. Chayo discusses convenience, and microcoordination, and about how the internet has made tasks that were once near impossible available in seconds. Cell phones have made gatherings and meetings with people from all over a common occurrence. The internet has made it possible for those who were once bored to fill their time with online entertainment. It has also allowed those with a shared interest to “become full-fledged cultures, with rules, rituals, symbolic boundaries, and initiation practices by which fans gain access to an inner circle”. “There is much concern that attention spans are diminishing in the digital era, though this, too, is difficult to quantify with precision. Many have become accustomed to posting digital updates frequently, or checking in with friends, or simply looking at or scrolling through digitizer screen” Some of the negatives that social media and the internet have brought on to society are decreasing attention span, a need for instant gratification, and constant updates. Social media also has created a new level of FOMO, since everyone can see what others are doing. This can lead people to have increased anxiety. Since phones have become a necessity to everyday life, we've debated if phones are an addiction or a dependency? With evidence that can back both sides of the argument, the debate continues. Phones could be considered an addiction because people feel unwell if their phone is not with them at all times, it has come to the point where people even sleep with their phones. At the same time, the argument can be made that phones are a dependency for health and safety reasons. Some people feel disconnected from society without their phones or even feel unsafe walking without them. I think it is an important question to think about, are you addicted to your phone or is it just a dependency? Sep 21 Tues - How the Web Works The internet works in a similar fashion to ordering a bagel and iced coffee from your local cafe. The article How the Web Works, uses this simple analogy to explain a complicated process which is the internet. The storyline begins by explaining the two main characters: the client and the server. A client is an average person using their iPhone or laptop while connected to the internet through software such as safari. The server is on the other side of the interaction, they store the information for the websites. Now for the bagel and coffee to be delivered they must go through multiple steps. The first step in getting your bagel delivered is the distance between the shop and the house, which is known as the internet connection. Then you have to use their app to place your breakfast order, which is known as the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol. Once you have their app downloaded you have to find the location nearby, which is Domain name servers working similarly to an address book, but for websites. It is important to use the correct language when placing your order to ensure you get what you are expecting, this is known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Now you have to place your order for both the bagel and iced coffee, which is compared to the Component files. There are two types: code files and assets. Code files are the actual building blocks of the website, while assets are what users see.

10/25/2021
Web Search and Evaluation

site:Wikipedia.com "Northeastern University" * 288 Results skate fish -icerink 5. A website that is not creditable, is TMZ. This is because it does not have creditable sources. The article Truth, truthiness, triangulation: A news literacy toolkit for a “post-truth” world, by Joyce Valenza discusses credibility. TMZ is an example of a confirmation basis, which is when readers believe everything on the internet is truthful. This is because TMZ does not cite its sources and tries to pull readers in, even if the story is not true. This site also is an example of virality, since it uses attention-grabbing headlines. These headlines are able to get the attention of readers at the expense of celebrities, regardless of the validity of the article.

9/23/2021
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