Anti War Voices

I honestly did not know websites like Antiwar.com and The American Conservative even existed until this assignment. What surprised me is that I spend way too much time online. I get most of my news from TikTok, Twitter and sometimes real news stations on television.

After looking through both sites, I noticed they talk about war very differently than what I usually see. A lot of the content on my feed focuses on the latest update or what might happen next. The articles on these websites spent more time asking whether military action is helping anything at all. Even when I did not agree with everything, I found it interesting because it was a point of view I do not normally come across.

The assignment also made me realize how much social media shapes what I see. I always knew algorithms played a role, but I never really thought about how many viewpoints I might be missing. If I mostly get my information from certain sources then I am mostly seeing whatever those platforms decide is popular, engaging, or likely to keep me scrolling. That does not mean the information is wrong, but it does mean I am only seeing a small piece of the bigger picture.

What I found most interesting is that these websites clearly have dedicated writers and readers, yet they are not places most people my age talk about. When friends discuss politics or world events, nobody says they read Antiwar.com that morning. Most people reference something they saw in a video, a tweet, or a post. That made me wonder whether good ideas can get overlooked simply because they are not being delivered in a way that younger audiences consume information.

This assignment pushed me outside of my normal habits. I am not saying these websites changed my mind on every issue, but they did make me stop and think. More importantly, they reminded me that getting information from only one or two places can give you a very limited view of what is really out there. Sometimes the most interesting thing is not whether you agree with a source, but the fact that you did not even know it existed before.   

AI DISCLOSURE: This assignment was collaborated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot, which was used as an editing, structural and organizational tool. AI was used to summarize outlines, structure frameworks and polish grammar.

The Evolution of Cloud Computing

Most people use cloud computing every day without even realizing it. Every time we save a file to Google Drive, stream a movie on Netflix, or store pictures on our phones, we are using cloud technology. Cloud computing has become a major part of how people communicate, work, and share information. It has made technology easier to access, but it has also created concerns about privacy and security.

Cloud computing was not invented by one person. Instead, it developed over many years through the ideas of different computer scientists. One of the earliest people connected to the idea was John McCarthy. In the 1960s, he suggested that computer services could someday be offered like a public utility, similar to electricity. At that time, computers were extremely expensive and only available to large organizations. His idea was to make computing resources available to more people without requiring everyone to own a powerful computer.

According to the https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-145.pdf, cloud computing provides access to shared computing resources over a network. While the technology looked very different in the 1960s than it does today, the basic idea of sharing resources helped shape the future of cloud computing.

Another important step in the history of cloud computing was the development of time-sharing systems. These systems allowed multiple users to access the same computer at the same time. This helped solve the problem of limited computing resources and made computer access more affordable. As computer networks improved and the internet became more widely available, the idea of remotely accessing data and software became much more realistic. The growth of the internet played a huge role in creating the cloud services that people use today. More information about the history of internet development can be found through the Internet Society.

Cloud computing became much more common in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Companies began providing software and storage through the internet instead of requiring customers to install everything on their own computers. Salesforce was one of the first major companies to offer software through a web browser. Not long after, Amazon introduced Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing businesses to rent computing power instead of purchasing expensive hardware. Information about this development is available through the https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/history/ and the Salesforce Company History.

The impact of cloud computing on society has been enormous. One of the biggest changes has been in communication and collaboration. Cloud-based tools allow people to work together from almost anywhere. Students can edit group projects online, businesses can share files instantly, and employees can communicate in real time even when working in different locations. Services such as Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, and Google Drive have changed the way people communicate and complete daily tasks. Information about cloud services can be found through the Microsoft Cloud Overview.

Cloud computing has also made technology more affordable. Instead of buying large amounts of computer equipment and maintaining expensive servers, organizations can pay only for the resources they need. This has helped small businesses gain access to powerful technology that was once available only to large corporations. According to https://www.ibm.com/topics/cloud-computing, cloud services can help organizations reduce costs while increasing flexibility. 

While cloud computing has many benefits, there are also concerns that should not be ignored. One major issue is privacy. People store large amounts of personal information in the cloud, including documents, emails, photos, and financial records. Users must trust companies to keep this information secure. The https://www.eff.org/issues/privacy discusses how privacy rights continue to be an important issue in the digital world.

Security is another concern. Cybercriminals often target cloud systems because they contain valuable information. Data breaches can expose sensitive personal or business information, which can create serious problems for both individuals and organizations. The https://www.cisa.gov/topics/cybersecurity-best-practices provides resources that explain the importance of cybersecurity and data protection.

In conclusion, cloud computing has changed the way people store information, communicate, and work together. What began as an idea about sharing computing resources has grown into one of the most important technologies in modern life. Cloud computing has made technology more accessible and efficient, but it has also created challenges involving privacy, security, and the responsible use of personal data. As technology continues to evolve, these issues will remain important conversations for both businesses and everyday users.

Privacy Online, and Off

Most people do not think twice about the information they share every day. Location data can seem harmless at first, but when combined with information from millions of other people, it can create a surprisingly detailed picture of our lives. 

One point that stood out to me was how location information can reveal much more than where someone is at a particular moment. It can show where people go, who they spend time with, and even patterns in how they behave. When this information is collected over long periods of time, it becomes much more powerful.

A good example is the use of license plate readers. The technology sounds fairly innocent, but these systems can record the date, time, and location of vehicles as they pass by. Over time, that creates a record of where people travel and who they may be traveling with. 

As I watched the videos, I kept thinking about how much information can be gathered without most people realizing it. The concern is not just that data exists, but how it could potentially be used. In the wrong hands, detailed records could provide opportunities for blackmail or political advantage.

The videos also discussed efforts to limit the collection of information. Some city councils have required police departments to delete data connected to innocent people rather than storing it indefinitely. That idea stood out because it attempts to balance public safety with personal privacy.

Several terms were introduced that help explain how information is collected and used. These included data mining, user-generated data, tracking malware, deep packet inspection, digital dossiers, and behavioral marketing. Together, these practices show how information can be gathered, organized, and analyzed.

Another concept that caught my attention was the third-party doctrine. The basic idea is that when a person voluntarily gives information to a second party, they lose control over how that information may be shared or used by others downstream.

After watching these videos, I came away with a greater awareness of how much data is connected to our daily lives and how important it is to understand who has access to it and why.

AI DISCLOSURE: This post was a collaboration using Microsoft Copilot. I took notes from watching a video about information being stored via Flock cameras and used Copilot to summarize and correct grammar.

Eight Values of Free Expression

 We hear the phrase “free speech” all the time, but I think it becomes a lot more interesting when someone uses that freedom to say something we completely disagree with. It is easy to support free speech when we like what someone is saying. The harder part is accepting that people also have the right to say things that we find offensive, annoying, or even hateful. This is what made Promote Tolerance one of the Eight Values of Free Expression that stood out to me. 

The idea behind Promote Tolerance is that protecting speech we disagree with can actually help society become more tolerant. At first, this idea seems a little backwards. Why would protecting hateful or offensive speech make us more tolerant? Lee Bollinger discusses this idea in The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech. He argues that allowing people to express even extreme ideas can teach us how to deal with opinions that we strongly disagree with. Instead of immediately trying to silence those ideas, we can respond to them, challenge them, and understand why we disagree.
    

I think social media is one of the best examples of this. As a college student, I am constantly on TikTok Instagram, and X. I see people sharing their opinions about politics, religion, social issues, and sports. A lot of the time, my algorithm shows me things I already agree with. Then I will come across a video or post with an opinion that I completely disagree with. Sometimes I honestly cannot understand how someone could think that way, in a difference of the way I think.

  

Our first reaction can be to argue in the comments, block the person, report the post, or just keep scrolling. We all have the ability to respond in different ways. However, seeing something we do not like does not automatically mean the government should step in and remove it. The First Amendment protects people's ability to express their opinions, even when those opinions make other people uncomfortable. If I see someone disagree with my sports team, that does not mean it should be removed. If I see someone disagree with my political beliefs, it should not be removed.

This does not mean that being tolerant means agreeing with everything someone says. There is a big difference between allowing someone to have an opinion and supporting that opinion. We can think someone's beliefs are completely wrong while still recognizing their right to express them. We can also criticize those beliefs and explain why we think they are harmful. That is part of having an open conversation and allowing society to decide what it considers acceptable.

If we only hear opinions that we agree with, we never really have to practice dealing with disagreement. Being exposed to different ideas can teach us how to respond without immediately trying to shut someone down. Over time, these conversations can also help create social norms about what people consider acceptable, offensive, or harmful.

Social media makes this process happen almost instantly. Someone can post an opinion, and within minutes hundreds or even thousands of people can respond to it. Some people may agree, while others may criticize the person or explain why they think the opinion is wrong. The public has a role in deciding how ideas are received and what kind of behavior society is willing to accept.

At the same time, promoting tolerance does not mean there are no limits to free speech. Some types of speech are not protected by the First Amendment, and social media platforms also have their own rules about what can be posted. The important point is that simply disagreeing with someone is not automatically a reason to take away their ability to speak.

Promote Tolerance is about learning how to live with people who think differently from us. We are never going to agree with everyone as we all think for ourselves. The First Amendment protects the exchange of ideas that we may strongly disagree with. Being tolerant does not mean accepting every opinion or pretending that hateful ideas are okay. It means understanding the disagreement is part of living in a free society and learning how we can all respond rather than trying to silence them.