alondrasthoughts

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post #10 (DUE: 04/24/2025)

Did the US government take the liberties that US Patriot Act gave to government too far? 

The US Patriot Act liberalized use of the federal government's four  main tools of surveillance wiretaps, search warrants, subpoenas, and  pen/trap orders (FEAR AS INSTITUTION: 9/11 AND SURVEILLANCE TRIUMPHANT, p.200). I think that ever since this act passed, the U.S. has used to this as an excuse to surveil the American people. I think that now more than ever we are being watched by the government in uncomfortable ways. The Patriot Act was passed after 9/11 to try to track terrorist individual or groups in the country for protection purposes. I think fast-forward to almost 24 years its time to rethink how these liberties are being used. I understand protecting the country from potential attacks but not at the expense of having certain groups constantly being watched.  

What are the methods that the U.S. government use to surveil us and to identify criminating patterns? 

The U.S . government pulls information like credit cards, electronic tolls, banking transactions, and health records to find incriminating patterns (FEAR AS INSTITUTION: 9/11 AND SURVEILLANCE TRIUMPHANT, p.203). These methods are very specific and can be distributed to our privacy. This was part of a project by Total Information Awareness (TIA) which was led by the Pentagon’s Defense. They wanted to spot certain patterns that can mean terrorist behaviors. This project was defunded a year later it was created. This is just one project developed by the U.S. government to surveil the American people. After 9/11 there were many projects created to try to prevent another terrorist attack.  

How do laws that deal with protection and surveillance negatively affect marginalized groups? 

When talking about laws that deal with protection and surveillance, it’s important to understand that there are biases that exist within those laws. After 9/11, and the US Patriot Act was passed, specific people were targeted, like those who descend from Middle Eastern countries. This bias emerged and was embedded into our laws, making these people very uncomfortable and accusing them of something they had no part in. A Newsweek survey found that 32% of Americans agreed to put Arabs under special surveillance after 9/11 (FEAR AS INSTITUTION: 9/11 AND SURVEILLANCE TRIUMPHANT, p.204). These laws and agreements create a hostile country where people are purposefully being put against each other. If racism already exists in our society, laws embedded surely don’t help with the elimination of racism in our country.  

How can technology be used to create hostile environments for immigrants? 

Technology is a great tool to advance our society in different ways, like in medicine, science, and much more. The power that we’ve given technology is important, but when used negatively can cause hostile environments, for example, for immigrants. “In Southern California, Homeland Security detains hundreds of law-abiding immigrants, many of whom have only minor technical problems with their paperwork” (FEAR AS INSTITUTION: 9/11 AND SURVEILLANCE TRIUMPHANT, p.205). These technical problems are rooted in the technology we use to fill out our paperwork in different spaces. If an immigrant mistakenly fills out a paper, it can lead to Homeland Security to suddenly watching their everyday moves. Although technology is a great tool for advancement, it can cause problems in our society that put our morals as humans at risk.     

[alondrasthoughts]

BLOG POST #9 (DUE: 04/17)M

When discriminating against a woman’s hair, is it based on pure appearance or the culture that ties to the hair style? 

I believe discrimination is an entry to offend a person’s culture, identity, and self-worth. Discrimination based on color of your skin, hair, body type, disability, etc. are ways to purposefully attack a deeper feature of a person. Companies/schools used hair to discriminate against Ashley, Tiana, and Vanessa (Women of Color and Social Media Multitasking Blogs, Latoya Lee, 2015).  The companies/schools used hair as a notion to draw attention to these women/girls to make them feel uncomfortable and hostile in their professional settings. These actions do not surface level, when speaking out against a person’s physical features it’s important to note that their features may be tied to a custom. Each culture has their own customs and one of them can be their hair, there may be specific norms on how a woman decides to style their hair. For many women they take pride in their hair, when they are with people from the culture, they feel safe because it can be a cultural norm. But it’s unfortunate that we live in a society that can’t accept people’s differences and uses them as a way to humiliate them, specifically their character.  

What are online communities and how can they provide social change? 

Online communities are communities like real life's one or an extension of a new breed of community (Ethnic Online Communities, McLaine S., pp.234, 2003). Online communities are important because people in these communities may have share values and ideas. We see this during movements, during the protests against ICE earlier in 2025, there were many online communities promoting change. There was an exchange of ideas and values among the members. In the communities there are people from different parts of the country and even the world, this gives publicity to social changes.  

Can companies take advantage of online communities? 

Online communities started to be very organic for people to unite and discuss their ideas and opinions. There is this temptation to sacrifice necessary community maintenance and development in order to ensure financial return (Ethnic Online Communities, McLaine S., pp.234, 2003). When businesses enter these spaces to try to promote their product(s) or service(s) it can cause a shadow on the reality of the community. Many online activists fight hard to have a space online and when companies block their voice it can disheartening and frustrating for them.  

Are women safe on online communities? 

Women in online communities just like in real life faced harassment making these spaces unsafe. For a lot of women, the internet is an escape from reality to be able to jot down your thoughts, opinions, and have fun with other inline users. There are women like Zoe Quinn who faced death threats and harassments while playing online games (What Is Gamergate, and Why? An Explainer for Non-Geeks, Hathaway J. pp.2, 2014). Unfortunately we live in a society where harassment is a norm and women are at most danger.  

[alondrasthoughts]

BLOG POST #8 (DUE: 04/10/2025)

What is textual poaching? Can it be a positive tactic in the social media space? 

Textual poaching is the idea of fans who express adoration and fascination for a specific topic like a movie, communities are often created (Black Twitter A Response to Bias in the Main Media, Latoya A. Lee, pp.1-2). Textual poaching is a way where fans get together to discuss their high interests of a certain televised media via an online platform. Often, we see fans getting very passionate about it, for example, when Games of Thrones was premiering thousands of people were on Twitter discussing. This high passion for shows/movies can be transmitted to social change in the media. Taking the same imitative in textual poaching when discussing politics and current news. This fascination can lead to action to change injustices in our systems.  

Do hashtags actually work in terms of social change in online platforms? 

Hashtags are very common to use when making a post whether it’s a picture, video, or even text entry. Using a hashtag can be silly and to add more context to your message. But the true power of hashtags are that they can create exposure for the topic being covered because it can be popularized. Just like #BLM and #NODAPL these hashtags were heavily popular during these social changes initiates. Hashtags are way of textual poaching because they provide resistance (Black Twitter A Response to Bias in the Main Media, Latoya A. Lee, p.2). Resistance is key during social changes and hashtags are great method to take advantage of to spread awareness and get political change.  

Are the effects of online change just online, or are there physical, real-world changes? 

Online change is not a new concept, ever since technology was introduced the idea of using it as method to express our opinions has been present. I think now more than ever we can take it to extra step and have it be physical real-world change. The ideas we share online can be heavily influenced in today’s political conversations. Mobilization is the term to describe this idea of online action calling congressmen as an example to change their policies and listen to their people (Classifying Forms of Online Activism, Vegh S., p. 4). Technology has been given great power that can use for good or for bad.  

How can online activism groups create change specifically in government? 

Online activism groups have the power to organize communities to protest any injustices occurring in any institutions. We see it all the time when online groups of people start boycotting certain companies due to their actions. We also see it with the government; now more than ever, people are surveilling the government because of the use of technology.  For example in Mexico, there was a pro-Zapatista movement to support the struggle of the indigenous people of Chiapas against the oppression of the Mexican government, the Internet played a role with the external communication of the movement this helped activists in other countries with more advanced communication capabilities to help the cause (Classifying Forms of Online Activism, Vegh S., p. 5). The internet pulls people together to fight for each other even if it’s different countries and communities.  

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post #7 (DUE: 03/20/2025)

What are trolls and how do they affect online users? 

Trolls are described as people who lie in a “malicious” and “deliberately” manner (The Origins of Trolling, Phillips, p.58). Those who play into this persona purposefully create false information about a person that can potentially ruin their day and even worse their life. Today, we place a huge importance on people’s opinions on our personal lives and take things to heart. Knowing how online users react to comments, trolls can use this to take advantage of people and in return feel some pleasure. Many apps have loose community guidelines online in which trolls can easily access and create false lies about people. It is quite common for the troll and the person they trolled to have some sort of engagement, this in return is money for these app companies. The tech companies benefit from the troll's behavior, and this is a problem because their essential priority is on the currency and not the mental health of online users.  

How does trolls' behavior set the precedent for future online platforms? 

Unfortuntately, trolls have successfully marked their spot in online platforms because there is a large community of them. Trolls have ruined what the initial purpose was for cyberspace and their behavior has progressed (The Origins of Trolling, Phillips, p.59). Pioneers of cyberspace hoped to create an online platform where people could engage ideas and perspectives in a positive manner to spread information. Trolls have taken advantage of online platforms and have made it a normal practice to hate online. Children who are entering this space can easily see the dynamic and some can see troll behavior as a norm. As younger generations are engaging in online platforms their practices will affect how online platforms are set and that dynamic which will be a reflection of where we are today.  

What does a troll gain from their behavior and what does this say about their behavior? 

A troll gains the pleasure of causing harm and discomfort to another person in seeking a reaction that will humor them (Don’t Feed the Trolls, Bergstrom, p.1). A troll’s behavior really speaks on where we are at as a society in terms of mental health. I’m sure the idea of making fun of people has been around for centuries but in today’s age the access to people is large. Trolls have a larger pool to feed from and their influence can quickly spread across the numbers. Mental health is a taboo that has slowly made it to our talking points as a society. If we continue to accept this behavior on online platforms it can be a leading cause for people to develop a mental health problem.  

Is the comment karma a positive or negative feature Reddit? If so, can it be implemented in other apps?  

Comment karma is a filter tool on Reddit that is intended to hide spam, flames, or comments that don’t provide positivity to the discussion (Don’t Feed the Trolls, Bergstrom, p.2). This feature helps the flow of conversation to be based on constructive criticism and healthy conversation. But as we have seen trolls are everywhere and this allows for trolls to be identified and removed. This feature is great for security purposes but also negative because it is used as a method of censorship. If someone comments on a person and their ideals don’t match up, it can quickly be viewed as trolling. This can cause problems with boundaries and doesn’t allow for normal debating to occur. It’s hard to create an equilibrium with online platforms.  

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post #6 (DUE: 03/13/2025)

How is the idea of the cyborg going to affect future generations?  

A cyborg is the combination of organism and machine, it’s a mix of fiction and social reality (A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century, D. Haraway, p. 354). This concept is groundbreaking because online platforms has allowed us to become cyborgs. In a way, we are all cyborgs because we are always connected to a machine, for example, our phones, tablets, laptops, medical devices, etc. It’s became so normal for us and even more for the young generation. The concept “i-pad” kid is branch of the cyborg, there’s a large generation who grew up or are currently growing up with a device whom carry a device constantly. The older generation who integrated technology at a later age might have an easier adjustment to boundaries. But those who grew up with this captivating technology will have a harder time placing boundaries between social interactions and technological usages. Habits are hard to break if it’s been developed at a young age.  

Are cyborgs dangerous? What are the consequences of a cyborg?  

The creation of the cyborg is man-made, it’s something that we as humans have created and incorporated into our lives. The cyborg is not innocent and has high skills that can be sinful ( A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century, D. Haraway, p. 357). The cyborg allows for us humans to turn into machines that can cause harm. For example, when we are on social media we are acting as machines commenting, posting, and reporting information. We turn into a different species in a way, this transition can make us feel powerful. Online bullies are powerful because they are behind a screen acting on these machines and committing hurtful actions. The cyborg is dangerous since we have yet to create boundaries to how far we can take it and impact each other.  

Is modern technology truly “user friendly?”  

Many technological companies use this marketing strategy “user friendly” to imply that their products are diverse. But the reality there is this gendering of technology and the dynamics of technology/gender/sexuality (Gender, Technology, and  Visual Cyberculture Virtually Women, K. O’Riordan, p. 245). There is a lot of imbedded biases in technology that limits user and their access to get the full experience.  As we discussed in the class, technology has a history of racism and sexism ideals in the coding. This slogan is very misleading when the product doesn’t match up and sets back people.  

How can certain depictions of women online affect real women and their mindset? 

Female characters in movies like cartoons have certain depictions of women with certain characteristics. These can be skinny, light-skinned, long-hair, curvy which creates the “ideal” women. The reality is that the character may be fictional, but it has a body which causes it to be informational (Gender, Technology, and Visual Cyberculture Virtually Women, K. O’Riordan, p. 247). When thinking about how cartoons represent women it’s important to look at how it affects women. These depictions can cause insecurities for many women who want to look like a certain character. I know a lot of women around me that when Halloween comes around, they get nervous because the character they want to dress up seems unrealistic. In the cartoon, the women look “perfect” and they feel like their body doesn’t match up which causes disruptions to their life.  

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post #5 (DUE: 03/06/2025)

Why is race thought of as a verb and not a noun? 

The idea of race and what it means has been defined via our actions and human interactions. Grouping people based on certain characteristics whether physically, geographically, etc. is an action that we have done via socialization. Our “mind’s eyes” is what characterizes people and it’s in contrast with the one we would give our own self (Race and Social Media, T. Senft, S. Noble, p.109). Since it’s something we do via socialization it’s an action therefore a verb. If it was a noun, race would just be a “thing” that’s concrete and set. The action of race makes it as if it’s constantly changing and what it consists of.  

How can online platforms be used to fight against white supremacy?  

White supremacy is an issue that has been occurring for decades, but in today’s modern era it may look different versus 50 years ago.  Online platforms are now the most powerful tool to spread information, the idea of white supremacy has become more known to man because of online platforms. This tool has given the voice to many individuals who have been victims of white supremist and their ideals. This voice was seen in 2013 when a jury acquitted Zimmerman who shot an unarmed Black teenager, folks quickly went to Twitter to highlight this inequality and organized protests (Race and Social Media, T. Senft, S. Noble, p.121). The power that social media and overall, the internet can help fight these injustices like white supremacy.  

Does representation in T.V. promote diversity or hide the inequalities that minority groups face? 

The past 20 years there has been a slow increase with minority groups being represented on television shows. There has been an emergence of shows with mixed minority groups as well. But my thought is does this add or does it take away from the inequalities that minority groups face. It’s amazing to see people T.V. that looks like you and can relate to you. These shows/movies will often highlight the struggles that some face, but it can feel that it’s just a highlight and not an activist form. The celebration of diversity can often just cover up the inequalities to avoid these uncomfortable conversations (Race After Technology, R. Benjamin, p.44). I think it’s important to analyze if the diversity on television is sincere or if it’s just makeup to hide the true realities.  

Are online platforms making it easier for white supremacists to spread their ideals? 

I think that online platforms are a mask for many individuals to say things online that they wouldn’t know in the real world. Now more than ever there’s a wave of intolerance toward racism and in public situations, we will defend those who are victims of racism. That’s in the real world; online platforms are a scary tool that can help spread these racist views. White supremacists have easy access to global linkages and access overall (White Supremacy in the Digital Era, Daniels, p.6). I think we are living in an interesting time where these technological tools can either push us to an equal world for all or a world of dangerous hiding.

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post #4 (DUE: 02/08/2025)

Why does race root from culture and not from nature? 

The use of the word race and its definition can vary through diverse cultures and environments. For one environment a category can look completely different compared to another. The word race has different definitions and visible appearance across the world due to history and individual experiences. “If race were purely a natural thing, there wouldn't be such variation across time and space in people's understanding of racial difference” (Race in Cyberspace: An Introduction, Koliko, Nakamura, and Rodman, p.3). This quote in the article really ties the idea that the differences in race stem from people’s experiences and thoughts and that vary throughout the world. The words we use to categorize people are a creation from human nurture and not nature.    

How do the conversations surrounding race affect online platfroms?  

Conversation surrounding race has a long history of being covert, in the past couple of years activists around the world have pushed this to become overt. This is quite common in social issues but when talking about online platforms usage not so much. The reality is there’s a lot of biases that are imbedded into our technology and there isn’t much conversation around the issue. The race conversation has been a topic that has been unacceptable topic for discussion (Race in Cyberspace: An Introduction, Koliko, Nakamura, and Rodman, p.4). Not having this “uncomfortable” conversation about race is putting many people at a disadvantage when the bias in tech is negatively impacting people’s life.  

What do cyborgs truly represent in online platforms? 

Cyborgs are half human and half machine creatures that live on online platforms to perform different tasks. A key part in this idea is the human element, humans are what is driving everything. The machine is only doing what the human is telling it to do, these spaces are arenas where racial domination, capitalism, and sexual abuse can be easily represented (The Revenge of the YellowFaced Cyborg Terminator, Ow, p. 54). The messages behind online platforms aren’t created by the machine, it’s created by the human behind the machine. The concept of cyborg helps us analyze who truly is at fault for all the positive and negative online platforms are providing.  

What values do videogames truly hold? 

Videogames are a very popular down time hobby for many individuals. It’s part of their routine and something they look forward to. J. OW sparks a great point that many video games' principal goal is to conquest and exploration, rather than capturing justice (The Revenge of the YellowFaced Cyborg Terminator, Ow, p. 58). His point made me realize that the popular games focus on these principles, it seems that being the hero of the day has died away. It made me realize that conquest and exploration are very common in adult video games and justice is common in younger kids' video games. I’m questioning what occurs between adolescence and adulthood that drives the principles in the video games we engage in.  

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post (Due 02/13/2025)

How can we apply the digital divide theory to today’s education system? 

The digital divide theory refers to the gap between the haves and the have-nots in relation to access to the internet and digital technology (Everett, 2002, pp. 130). Using this idea, we can apply it to today’s education system by looking at which communities lack the proper resources like technology to educate children properly. This theory recognizes that there is a gap between those who have access and those who do not. Highlighting this problem helps unfold the fact that each school offers a different amount of access to technology. There are some schools who may afford it and others who do not. This is important when talking about allocation of funding because each child should receive an equal number of resources to succeed.   

How does biases affect the development of new technology? 

As new technology is consistently being produced it’s important to understand what goes behind its creation. Technology codes are a tool to facilitate and are filled with biased information that can take years and long process to erase and update (Benjamin, pp.23-24). These codes are the bases for creating technology and the creator’s own biases can affect the development of them. When a person is creating an app, website, or software in general they have vision for the said technology. If the person has certain biases the structure will reflect this and be created around it. When thinking about how technology should be created it’s important for the creators to not include their biases and if they do an investigation should be held. This is to protect the users from any harm that could have caused the modern technology to their lives in any aspect. If there’s no regulation serious harm can be produced, and difficult consequences follow.  

How can the emergence of recent technology contribute to the biases that exist today? 

In today’s world, there’s a lot of biases across the board and technology can be a tool to promote and spread such biases. “Tech advances (...) could not exist without data produced through histories of exclusion and discrimination” (Benjamin, pp. 30). The data used to create technology have roots of being biased and is used to this day to create technology. If we want to live in a world where race, gender, sexuality, etc. is not a problem when accessing basic things such as the internet, then the data collection needs to be updated. If we are using old data for current day use, we need to make sure it fits today’s climax. This would create better environments for everyone and create a precedent for “cleaner” technology where there’s no exclusion or discrimination at its foundation.  

How can intersectionality frames potentially help companies? 

Intersectionality allows us to see things in an institution and help unfold a person’s identities (Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw, 2019). A company can use the frames of intersectionality to get a better scope of their target market. A person is not defined but just one identity, they have multiple ones that shape who they are. Understanding the overlap of identities can get companies to view their marketing in a different light. This can open the door for their target market to widen more if done correctly and appropriately.  

[alondrasthoughts]

Blog Post #2 (02/06/2025)

How does the new digital data affect certain minority groups? 

New digital data algorithms are affecting certain minority groups such as the low-income folks. This new technology is set up to make it easy for government sites, for example, to collect information to detect the availability of certain resources. The problem is algorithms are created to suspect fraud even if there’s no viable evidence like in the case of Eubanks where the system suspected fraud about her medical insurance. Unfortunately, a target is placed for these people, creating false claims. Folks who are in the bracket may not have the resources or the knowledge to deal with suspected fraud. Comparison to those who are middle class who have the knowledge to manipulate the system and get these claims removed.  

What negative effects are there to the commercialization of the Internet?  

As we know the internet not only allows people to express what they feel but allows companies to advertise their goods. The concern is that companies are entering into these spaces simply to profit. Daniels (2009) found “Indeed, the commercialization of the Internet at sites such as iVillage.com (...) co-opts the rhetoric of feminism for profit (Royal 2005)” (p. 103). These sites are taking advantage of certain platforms intended to promote awareness on certain topics to push their services and products onto women specifically. They are actively entering these spaces and using the platform to redirect the site's focus somewhere else. Instead of focusing on the author’s voice and what they want to portray, these companies are causing distractions which lead to demotivation of people using their voice.  

What is valued in automated eligibility?  

Automated eligibility is a convenient tool to make the accessibility to public resources quicker and more efficient. Applying for EBT for example, from the comfort of your own home versus having to visit your local government office is available via automated eligibility that uses new technology. The reality of this system is that it collects an overabundance of personal information that stays in their system that can later on be used for a different purpose. Eubanks discusses how automated eligibility offers no security and protection for folks. This information is given to law enforcement and social services that can target certain groups. Clearly, it doesn’t value personal privacy and protection of personal information.  

What are the two realities that people are facing when using internet platforms?

Online platforms have become part of the normal routine in our personal and professional lives. This means that the internet can be used to express our authentic selves or become someone we truly aren’t. Daniels (2009) shares that some feel that the Internet offers a safe space and a way to survive but also a method for repressive sex/gender regimes. This means that people are using the internet in today’s age not only to access non-fiction information but also as a tool to self-identify and share who they are online. As we move forward, internet platforms allow people to express their personalities and opinions more often than in the past.  

[alondrasthoughts]

A day were technology gave up.

A time when technology did not live up to its hype was a couple of months ago when the internet crashed at work, and it caused major problems for us cashiers. According to my boss, he was told that the internet company we were using was the best one in the market, it was reliable, and it was very resistant to climate shifts. That day when the internet crashed it had been sprinkling all day, with no hard rain throughout the day. It was very calm weather; we had a heavy flow of customers all day. As we were arriving at midday, we started noticing that the internet was acting inconsistent. My supervisor had us turn on and off the internet to get back the connection. This process was working, and we were able to attend to customers quickly. We were doing this process for about an hour until the internet completely went out. My coworkers and I were very confused because the rain was mild, and it was coming in waves. It was not hard enough for it to cause some type of breakout in the internet connection.  This caused so much stress for the team because we were losing customers since our point of sales system and our pin pad relied on the internet for their function. The only source of payment we were taking was cash, but we had to manually charge the customers and could not give them a receipt. It was a madhouse that day since we as a team were frustrated and the customers were annoyed and angry for the long wait. We immediately contacted our boss, and he was incredibly angry with the internet company because he had specifically chosen this company because of its “reliable” internet service. The internet company could not help us in any way, and they said that the rain was the reason. This day taught me that a technology company can advertise its services/products saying it is reliable but as consumers, we cannot rely on them to the max. It is important to always have a second plan when dealing with technology. At the end of the day, we all walked out burnt out with huge headaches and felt exhausted.