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Cassie Lancellotti-Young
The Internet serves as a powerful vehicle for social change. When considering
its potential as a molder of society, it becomes evident that there are many
issues that can be addressed concerning the social affect of the Internet. While
there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with the evolution of
the Internet, its development has resulted in great strides forward in the fields
of education and health care reform.
With regards to education, the Internet allows students to research unlimited
quantities of information and also provides the ability to get an education
from almost anywhere.
The Internet's impact on health care has also been tremendous. By virtue of
the Internet, the debate of the status of health care in the United States has
been removed from the exclusive control of politicians and health care professionals
and now includes the greater portion of the population, those who are most significantly
affected by the associated decisions.
Websites to view:
http://polaris.umuc.edu/~hsimms/paper/Social.html
(this one relates to both health and education stuff)
www.healthprivacy.org/usr_doc/final%20Ooverview%20chart%2pdf
www.21stcenturytrust.org/Naughton.pdf
(these are about social change and the Internet in general, but also have some
more specific discussion areas)
Education
http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/soc/courses/stpp4C03/ClassEssay/index.htm
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?Did=000000282764771&Fmt=3&Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=9&Sid=3&RQT=309
David Suk
A mong many circles, the word "blog" means nothing whatsoever. That
will soon change because of the effect these blogs (short for weblog) are having
on channels of communicating news and information. Blogs are internet based
diaries that disseminate the thoughts and opinions of the author/s to everyone
on the internet at the click of a button.
While many of these blogs are personal, and are nothing more than logs of daily
activity, a few bloggers have created websites that are constantly updated with
links and news that are overlooked by mainstream media. Combined with quick
analysis and commentary, these sites attract thousands of visitors, not all
of whom are insignificant. There are special blogs by legal experts that track
interesting court rulings that are followed by judges and law students alike.
In addition, there are an increasing number of political websites - both left
and right leaning - that spout out opinions about the most current of issues.
The wave that this revolution rides on is defined by a cost of basically nothing
to publish one's thoughts to a potentially huge audience - all without editorial
restraints, overhead, or complex print or video mechanisms.
I aim to study how this new content delivery mechanism works in affecting change
in areas unrelated to the Internet, such as in policy and other social issues.
This may be difficult because to affect social change, the traditional media
must notice the issues making waves on the internet. When this happens, though,
the results can be dramatic.
On December 5, 2002, Trent Lott made a comment at Strom Thurmond's birthday
party supporting Thurmond's presidential bids that were based on a segregationist
platform.
The next day, several blogs spread news of Lott's comments, starting a huge
backlash to the (now former) Senate majority leader.
Noticing this backlash, the traditional news media picked up on the story, a
full 4 days later. The results are familiar with everyone.
Websites to view:
http://www.blogdex.com
MIT site that tracks popular activity on all blogs.
http://www.blogger.com; http://www.movabletype.org;
http://www.xanga.com
Blog publishing software and services
http://www.instapundit.com; http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com;
http://www.andrewsullivan.com
Weblogs widely regarded as the best at keeping updated with relevant news and
sharp commentary
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,56978,00.html
Story chronicling social change already affected by blogs.