Now that you have almost completed this course, you have an understanding of what the term "information overload" means--you have experienced it firsthand! The Information Age: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The personal computer, the Internet and all the information we can access from it have changed the way we live. You recall the Internet was initially a way for scientists to communicate and share information. Twenty years ago, who would have thought that you could plan a wedding, get vital medical information or shop for toys, all while sitting at a computer in the comfort of your own home, 24/7 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)?
We have talked about some of the problems with this vast amount of information, especially issues of quantity (how can you sort through the vast amount and find what you want?) and quality (how reliable is the information?). However, there are even more serious problems that have arisen in the past ten years, and a course on Information Literacy should at least introduce you to these concerns. Some of these concerns are privacy, censorship, and equitable access to information. Let's take a look at some of these issues.
Privacy
Most of us value our privacy and take it for granted. Answer the following question.
YES NO
We assume that when we email our friends or family, the material is private. In 1999, the New York Times fired a number of employees after their email was reviewed and found to be offensive. As many fired employees have painfully learned, what you write is not private. The February 28, 2000, issue of US News and World Report states that approximately one-third of companies examines office e-mail.Read the following brief article.
Office Politics in the Electronic Age on the U.S.News Web site.We also assume that when we search the WWW in the privacy of our own homes, what we look at is our business, and private. We also assume that when we make a purchase on the Web, the only people who know about that transaction are the company involved and the purchaser. Unfortunately, we are wrong on both counts.
The issue of privacy is not new or unique to the Internet. Prior to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, some states sold your name, address and phone number, without your permission, when you registered your motor vehicle. Who would wants this information? Telemarketers! You have undoubtedly been called at dinnertime to get a "once in a lifetime" deal on replacement vinyl windows!
New technology, however, makes it much easier to collect, organize, retrieve and distribute information. When you grocery shop, do you use a store card? Every time you do, personal information (which you provided when you applied for the card) is swiped into the computer. The information collected is then sold, and soon you are receiving coupons for competing or similar products! More junk mail.
With the Internet and shopping online, personal information must be entered to complete a purchase. New software allows online vendors to monitor what you are buying and then later solicit you with advertisements for their products. This collection of information may not sound terribly threatening at face value, but it could have far reaching consequences in certain situations.
Privacy issues are becoming more and more of a concern for most of the American public.
Let's look at the issue of censorship.
