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Blog Post 11/18 week #13

Blog Post 11/18 week #13

What kind of social media site or digital platform are you creating?

The app that I will be creating is called pet date. It's dating up like a hinge, bumble, or tinder, but instead of just uploading pictures of yourself, it will be mostly pictures of your animals. Once you think the person is cute, you can match with them and decide to go on dates while taking your pet with you. It's an excellent conversation starter, and it helps find something in common with the other person easily.  Plus, you can meet some adorable pets while going on cute dates.

What will you measure?

What my app will measure is race, age, ethnicity.  It will also collect a person's email; we could also gather personal information if they choose to or give us that information to better interact with the app. It will also collect your location so you can be able to match with people nearby you.  All these items will be used to give you a selection to your liking. 

How will you weigh these factors?

All these things will be weighted as they make their profiles. They will be asked for their names and age right when they download the app they will then be asked to answer the rest of the questions as long as they relate to them. They can add hobbies and things they like and dislikes. 

What factors will be measured? 

What will be measured is how good your pictures are, also how cute your pet is. Depending on your pet can determine how many swipes you have. The more swipes the more successful you are on the app. 

How will the model learn or adapt new information?

The app will update on its own very often so you can cointime using the app. On the app you can edit things whenever they change, for example if you got a new pet or a new picture you can upload it. 

What biases will be built into the model? How will this change the algorithm's outcome?

Some biases it will include will be flagging people who use foul language towards others. They will be reported and their account will be suspended. Any pictures that are not appropriate will also be reported and will have their account suspended. The users them self will have the power to report things they believe is wrong and it will then be looked by people who run the app.

How will the model live out the (un)ethical practices we have discussed?

This app will live out the unethical practices that we have talked about by keeping people's information private. Also, unlike other accounts, if people decide to delete the app that have that option, all of their information will be deleted. We will also make sure algorithms are not biased or racist towards any group.

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Blog Post 10/8-1012 week #12 Attack on our privacy

Q1. Have you ever been profiled?

 As an Arab Muslim American, it has happened to me quite often. From being at the mall with my mother and being attacked to being stopped for a "random search" at the airport. As a kid, I didn't understand it, but I began being aware of what was happening as I grew older. I didn't know why a man would call my mom names at the mall while we were walking. We had come to the United States right after 9/11, so we had a lot of eyes on us. Anytime we went back to visit my family back home, my family and I would get picked to be searched. It became normal that my family would leave hours before the flight because we expected to get searched once we got there. These are things that people shouldn't have to go through, but my family and I did, and many others do. 

Q2. Should we allow the government to use our cameries?

 I  believe that is overusing their power and invading our privacy. Just like freedom of speech, we have freedom of privacy that must be upheld. We should have limits on what is monitored and what it is. No one should have access to the camera that is on my laptop but for me. We keep a lot of our information on social media, which is very public, so I believe that information is acceptable for the government to use. We should also know what is being seen by others. For example, in 2013, Edward Snowden exposed the NSA for hacking into people's cameras and giving out their information without the public knowing. This is just one example of how the government was abusing its power in the name of safety.

Q3. Should our posts on social media be used against us?

Many of us go on social media expecting it to be a safe place to express ourselves. What we say and do online shouldn't be used against us. Part of protecting our freedom of speech is also what we say online. We have seen many people get punished for things they have posted on Twitter. During the BLM protest, many people got arrested due to the videos that were online. That could be invading our privacy, but at the same time, it can be used to catch real criminals. The only thing with this is we don't know how and when it will be used against us.

Q4. Having spies for safety?

We read in the article how the United States wanted to deploy spies into our neighborhood, but it caught a lot of negative feedback from the media. This is the one way our government has used any excuse to protect our communities, but in fact, it's an invasion of our privacy. There should be a level of trust between the citizens and the government, and if we don't have that, the whole structure will collapse. A good government should have a good trust in their people.  

References

Parenti, C. (2004). The Soft Cage: Surveillance in America from slavery to the War on Terror. Basic Books. 

Power, M. (2010, March 11). How your twitter account could land you in jail. Mother Jones. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/police-twitter-riots-social-media-activists/. 

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Blog Post 10/1-10/5 week #11 Media the imposter

Q1. Have you ever been at a protest? 

As we read in the article Communication Power in the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement, we learn how vital face-to-face protests are compared to online activism. It was voted that face-to-face activism was the most critical form of activism. I remember my first protest back in 2008-2010 when I lived in Jordan. The Palestinian people were under attack once again, The whole world saw what was happening, and not one country helped. Protests began everywhere, and as a young kid, I wanted to be a part of something, So my cousins and I went out to the streets to make our voices heard. Ever since that day, I have always wanted to help others. I also got to volunteer in the BLM protest these past couple of years. It's a great way to make your voice heard and a great way to spread a message that needs lighting shining on it. 

Q2.  Is one form of activism  more important than another?

 Some would say online activism isn't as effective as an in-person protest. There are many reasons why some people contribute online, and that should not take away from the changes they are making. I feel this is the new age of activism we can do so much from. We are also able to spread out much farther all over the world. But I also believe that the older generation appreciates still seeing people out and expressing their freedom of protest by marching. 

Q3. Is the media an enemy to African Americans?

We have noticed how the news we read and watch can change the way we see things. The way the media word certain things can hurt what we believe. Trayvon Benjamin Martin was labeled as a grown man when he was only seventeen years old when George Zimmerman shot him, a 28-year-old grown man now walking freely. Another example of the media twisting things is during hurricane Katrina, two pictures that looked very similar. The only difference was one was a picture of two African American couples, and the other was two white people. The caption for the African Americans in the image said that they were looting, while the caption for the white couple was how brave they were doing a hurricane.

Q4. Does the internet make us more aware?

We have access to so much information sometimes it's hard keeping track. We can refresh our page every few seconds, and we will see new information in front of us. This can be good and bad; we can become overwhelmed with everything going on. It's hard to help one group sometimes because we are trying so many other groups. Also, there can be so many kinds of misinformation," fake news." We are fed information from TVs, radios, and even ads and not everything we see should be taken seriously.  We must be very careful with the things we hear and take things with a grain of salt. 

References:

Fuchs, C. (2018). Communication Power in the Arab Spring and Occupy Movement . In Social Media: A critical introduction (pp. 83–88). essay, SAGE.

Lee, L. (2017). Black twitter: A response to bias in mainstream media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, S. (2013). Classifying Forms of Online Activity . In Cyberactivism: Online activism in theory and Practice. essay, Routledge.

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Blog Post 10/25-10/29 week #10 Trolls and Their Power

Q1 Can trolling from one social media app to another be different?

 I ask this question because I have seen how some trolls are different from one app to another. I can look at some tolls from one app and think their comments are funny but others are mean and disgusting. I have noticed that many of the trolls/trolling that happens on tik tok are very hurtful and emotionless. Most of the users on that app don't use their name and don't have any information about themselves so they aren't held accountable for what they say. So they go to that app and abuse that part by ripping people apart with their comments. Unlike those platforms trolls twitter has a nicer audience compared to tik tok. Many of the trolls that I notice are using their accounts in a joking way. Many of their comments aren't sent to hurt but for laughter. Some people can still get hurt but the people who send them can be held accountable most of the time unlike other apps. I personally believe that some trolls can be harmless. 

Q2 has trolling changed throughout the years?

This was very true back then people on the internet trolled in different ways. We used to have a face that was known for being used for this specific thing. Another common thing people do is go under people's comments and “ratio” them which means to get more likes then there originally post. It's another way of trolling which is completely harmful and meant to be for laughs. I also believe trolls a couple of years ago were a lot more direct and the comments were much harsher than today. Back then I believed people were able to get away with saying things that are not acceptable todaa. This is good and we must keep the same energy moving forward because some things that people say on the internet can be taken differently. 

Q3 when does trolling become a hate crime?

Are people able to comment and troll as much as they want or is there a limit? Can be a threat of sxualy harrsment and violence. I believe there should be certain things that should be off limits. Telling someone you want to harm them isn't a joke or trolling and it must not be taken lightly. Releasing a person's personal information can be very harmful and puts a person in danger. There should be serious consequences for such things. Many people do get banned but these users always come back so I do believe they should receive actual consciousness. 

Q4. What are creative ways to combat trolls?

We can all come together and make sure these accounts are banned. Once we see them on our timelines we report them right away. Another way to combat them is making them know what they say doesn't mean anything. Many of these people feed off our hurt or anger and as long as they don't see those results they will stop. And lastly don't put too much information on the internet, the internet can't be very trustworthy because everyone is capable of using that information.  So just to keep yourself safe don't keep information to yourself. 

References

Citron, D. K. (2016). Hate crimes in cyberspace. Harvard Univ Press.

Phillips, W. (2015). This is why we can't have nice things:mapping the relationship between online trolling and mainstream culture.

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Blog Post 10/18-10/22 week #8 The right to Express

Q1 Is freedom of speech only important when people agree with you?

Over the years I have noticed freedom of speech isn't accepted like it used to be. Many people act as if they believe in freedom of speech but it's only in specific situations. We notice on online platforms or even during protests many people don't listen to another person's side; they just argue or invaldad their opinions since it's against theirs.This happens very often between many groups of people. For example protesters during the democratic convention in chicago were arrested and some even hospitalized for expressing their opinions, we can also see this happened today during the BLM protest. Many cops have been recorded using force to stop peaceful demonstrators from giving their opinions. 

Q2 Why do some protests seem violent while others seem violent?

There are many protests that are labeled violent or disorderly when in fact they are peaceful and are done to fight for human rights. Then we see people who go out in protest after big sporting events and cause damages and disrupt the peace for an issue not as serious.  I believe that is due to the crowd that is there and what people label it as. We never see news reporters calling these sporting event protestors violent because the majority are white.When ever POC or African Americans protests serious issues many news outlets label them as violent. These news channels see POC do things that white people do but label it as something else. 

Q3 Is white supremacy stronger now than before? 

I think they can have easy access to each other and they are able to connect with each other world wide. Unlike before where it was known that most of them are in the south, nowadays they can all connect with each other no matter where they are from. This also means they are able to spread hate much easier. Back in the 1900 most of the violence happened in person but a lot of these hate groups also use social media as a weapon. It's much easier for them to spread hate and misinformation while pushing their agenda of hate and racism. 

Q4 Should white supremacy websites be taken down?

It's a very hard question to answer due to the fact of believing in free speech but we must remember that with free speech comes consequences. Just because there is a website or a person that has a different view than us doesn't give us the right to take them down, but what if the content that they have is spreading hate. These people use freedom of speech as a way to spread these violent messages but in fact it's just hate speech. We censor things that can cause harm to others. Just because you have an opinion that doesn't mean it needs to be shared if your opinion is to put others down that does not need to be heard by others. Hate speech should not be tolerated by anyone. 

References

Daniels, J. (2009). Cyber racism: White supremacy online and the new attack on Civil Rights. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 

Elin, L. (2003). The Radicalization of Zeke Spier: How the Internet Contributes to Civic Engagement and New Forms of Social Capital. 

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Blog Post 10/11-10/15 week #7 AI and the future

Q1 Are today's Karens the first layer of white supremacy?

In recent times we have been saying many videos of white women attacking people unprovoked on the internet. We all see these videos and call these women crazy "Karens". We understand that these women are insane, and we don't take them seriously, but some of these women have affected people's lives. These women understand their power in being white women and how they can use it to get POC in trouble by yelling nonsense. As a society, we look at them and ignore them, but we should hold these women accountable for what they are doing. They yell out racist remarks and yell out help once they want to act like a victim. This silly game can be taken to the next level by joining these groups and committing hate crimes. 

Q2 Can we make assumptions off a person's screen name? 

I believe most screen names that we run into are very happy meaningful usernames. Most people either use their name or something that they have that they love to represent them. But a lot of people nowadays are getting away with making offensive names. These names are made to provoke and hurt people who come in contact with it. These names are also made to show us how these white supremacy groups are moving onto the internet. We used to think that the internet is a safe place but now say it's not the same. 

Q3 How will future technology be?

As new technology is making its way into our lives and into our homes new companies are working on making them friendly to everyone. For example gender is slowly becoming a topic that people don't ask about. As we see new laws being made that allow us to choose what fits us or we have the option not to choose anything. Many people are upset because what they see in front of them is different from what they are used to but change is good for the future.

Q4 Are we too attached to technology?

We have had a lot of improvements in our lives because of technology, but could it be doing more harm than good the more we progress with it? Many of us wake up and check our phones. As soon as we are up we put our apple watches on which keeps us connected to our phones. We then get on our laptops which connect to everything. Many people can see this as helpful but we can aso see how this can be damaging to us. We connect with humans through screens more than real life. I feel as if this is damaging our communication skills and much more. I can see this getting much worse later in the future. We should just be mindful of how often we use these things and how much energy it uses from us. 

References: 

Daniels, J. (2009). Gender, White Supremacy, and the Internet. Cyber Racism: White Supremacy Online and the New Attack on Civil Rights. Rowman & Littlefield

O’Riordan, K. (2006). Gender, Technology, and Visual Cyberculture. Critical Cyberculture Studies. New York University Press

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Blog Post 10/7 week #7 Representations and the Truth

Q1 Do you believe that we can get rid of racism on online sites?

I honestly don't think that this is possible. People read a person's name and they assume many things. Or from what you use in your avi people will use that as a way to get at a person. No matter what we do we will have ignorant people abusing what they can get their hands on. to use it against us. I do believe we can hold more people accountable for their actions. For example, people who use their real name and picture don't usually go online and spread hate speech everywhere. But people who use fake names and random pictures feel braver than others since they are hiding behind a screen. As a group we should work together and make these people know that they can still be identified even though they are hiding. 

Q2 Can having different websites for different races be helpful? 

Frankly, I don't believe it, because of the many different people in it, so many of the apps we use are fun to interact with. As we read in the article, there is a big difference between "Black twitter" and "White twitter." As a twitter user I can see how funny both sides are and when we see a lot of different things coming together from all sides. One thing we should do is give credit to the people that deserve it. We have seen a lot o f POC make jokes or other things on online websites and we watch it be stolen but white people who get praised for it. 

Q3 Are comedians aboe to make offensive jokes? 

I'm raising this because Dave Chapple's new standup on netflix is under fire. Many people argue that standing up is an art, and people can say anything they want, but others believe that a person can make jokes without it being hurtful. A Lot of people were angry about his jokes against trans people. Is there a line that we can't cross? Is there some jokes that we can say and jokes that we can. My personal opinion is that comedy is seen in multiple ways, and however you can express it should be fine. Throughout the years comedians were able to make a joke about anything, Until recent years many of them are to scared to do so because people will get offended 

Q4 Do you feel represented in the media?

I feel misrepresented in today's media. As an arb/muslim i feel we are represented wrongly. In many movies and shows that include us they make us seem oppressed when in reality we aren't. They always show a muslim women who is wearing a hijab that ends up taking it off and feeling brave or confident. That isn't what we really are, that doesn't happen often in the real world. Women aren't forced to wear that but they make it seem as if it's forced. It's how people view us but it's very wrong and misleading. Many people all over the world will watch that and view us differently. We need to have more people behind these cameras representing us correctly and not just white people assuming things and putting it in camera for entertainment. 

Benjamin, R. (2020). Race after technology abolitionist tools for the new jim code. Polity.

Daniels, J. (2009). Cyber racism: White supremacy online and the new attack on Civil Rights. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

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Blog Post 9/30-10/2 week #6 The attack on race in cyberspace

Q1 Have you been attacked for your race online?

Many people use online platforms like facebook, instagram, twitter, or even online video games as a way to escape this harsh world. But more than often things that happen in real life follow us to these spaces. Being muslim and middle eastern it made it very easy for people to pick on me as a child/teenager. We always run into internet trolls every now and then and their purpose is to get us mad any way possible. I have logged on to online platforms and been called many hateful names for example terrorist. People on online platforms would read my name and use that as a way to attack me. At first it hurt and I would be sad hearing such language but as I grew up I started hearing less of these. I have realised that these people were just hiding behind a screen and wanted a reaction from me.

Q2 Do video games encourage racism?

I believe video games are made with the intent to have people enjoy a game and relax. But it is also true that some video games can have racist  content. The reason some games can have this issue is due to the people who play them. A time I noticed this racism was back in jr high when my friends and I played black ops. The game would allow you to customize emblems and some of the ones would have hateful images. As kids we didn't really think much of it, it was just a game that we played for a couple of hours.  But now looking back it we noticed how wrong and inappropriate those things we saw are.

Q3 Should video games include politics?

I don't mind having politics in games. I personally believe having it in video games makes it more realistic and entertaining. Other people would say that we should keep that stuff out of video games because video games are meant to be an escape from these things. I don't see an issue with it being included as long as it's an accurate representation. I believe it's a great way to teach kids about these topics while enjoying free time. 

Q4 Are online websites a safe place?

Just like anything out there in the world there is a good side and a bad side. I feel that online websites are a safe place and can be a great place to meet new people. It all depends on what you are looking for and what you are there for. There are many different categories for all kinds of stuff so you are able to find what fits you best. We must always be careful because we can always run into weirdos or creepys so we must always be careful with who we make contact with. I was able to make many friends through gaming and twitter. Many of my long term friends are people that I have met through gaming and I still talk to them to this day.

Kolko, B. E. (2000). Race in cyberspace. Routledge. 

Fickle, T. (2019). Race card: From gaming technologies to model minorities. New York University Press. 

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Blog Post 9/16 week #4 Society and its errors

Q1. How has Technology helped African Americans or people of color in recent history?

In the reading “The Revolution Will Be Digitized” explains how African American influence in social media was delayed to the laws and the lack of eacces that they were introduced to. Many of the suffrage and experiences that they had to suffer was not publicly known to the world. As newspapers were being printed and radio stations were playing, African American voices weren't heard. I believe this is one if the reasons why change wasn't  happening as fast as it should have been. One way technology has helped recently would be the recent protests for the life of George Floyd because of social media we were able to see the injustices happen in front of us and make a change.  We can also say the same thing about the protests happening for the people that live in Palestine. Not many people know about this issue going on until social media helped spread the word. 

Q2. How important is your name to you?

As we read in this week's article we learn how important a person's name can be. It's what they hold onto for the rest of their lives. A person's name is usually the first thing a person learns about a person. My name Is Mohammad Hindi. When a person hears this they learn alot about me. Many could assume that I am Muslim and I would also be Middle eastern. Having my name as a kid was hard because I was called all sorts of racist names and have been bullied for it. As a child hearing these degrading words hurt but now as I have grown up I understand that that people are just uneducated and childish. My name means alot to me since I picked it one i moved to the United States. The name that I was given at birth was Turki (my parents were trying to spell Turkey). But as soon as we heard about thanksgiving and how Turki can be a hard name to have as a kid growing up here we decided to change it. And my parents asked me what I wanted my name to be and I chose Mohammad. For that reason I love my name and It's very important to me. 

Q3. Can algorithms hurt people?

People always like to blame errors from technology on technology but we seem to forget there are people incharge of these mistakes.These bad algorithms can present a false image of people. Many people use the internet all over the world so if they want to look a certain thing up and its not showing the right thing due to the algorithms that person would receive the wrong knowledge. This can be very terrible because misinformation can affect many other people around that one person. Many of these “errors” seem to be done on purpose coming from people behind these computers. 

Q.4. Do you believe the voice of an African American woman is heard enough?

Listening to the ted talk “the Urgency of Intersection” enlightened me how easily names of Black women are forgotten. Many of these names came to us without a face so we seem to forget these names very quickly. This is something that should be brought up more often. These women are just as important as the men. I believe that once we are aware of what is happening we will do better as a society to focus our time into these names. I think this starts with us letting the people around us know about this mistake that we are making.

Benjamin, R. (n.d.). Race After Technology. 

Everett, A. (2002). The Revolution Will Be Digitized; Duke University Press. 

Noble, S. (n.d.). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. 

TED. (2016, December 7). The Urgency of Intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOe5-UsQ2o&t=3s

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Blog Post 9/9 week #3 Women the right to fight

Q1. How has the internet helped empower women?

Many different organizations have taken advantage of the internet by bringing people together through the medium of the internet. In the United States, the Women's March was one of the largest single-day protests, thanks to social media, which helped spread the word all over the country. The same thing is happening again on social media when Texas votes to prohibit abortion. Numerous people have taken to social media to express their feelings and opinions on this unjust law that has just been implemented. This matter has been discussed more on social media than on national television, in my opinion.  As we read in Rethinking Cyberfeminism by Jessie Daniels we learn about a group called   Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan and how they use today's technology and media to help spread awareness about their struggles. 

Q2. Has social media helped you connect with your social identify?

It has helped me stay connected to who I am personally through social media. While living in the United States, it's not as easy to stay in contact with my culture in the Middle East. The internet has helped me learn about my culture because I don't have many Arab friends here. Many of the Arabs I've met online have helped me learn more about my own culture than anywhere else. You may find a variety of friendly websites for people of diverse races, ethnicities, and genders that can assist people get to know themselves.

Q3. Has technology hurt you?

As we read in the article about a flawed recognition reading system it has me wondering how often does this happen. I believe technology can have errors but for it to to be targeted  towards a specific race or ethnicity then that technology is not safe for the public. As a result of this, three African-American males have been falsely convicted of crimes they did not commit. If we want to ensure that future innovations are tested by everyone, not only white individuals who seem to forget about the consequences of their actions.

Q4. Is the internet a safe place?

As long as you use it properly, I believe it is. As a result, you need to be very cautious about what kind of information you give out. You can also use it to express yourself and connect with other individuals who share your interests. For some people its an escape from reality in which hundreds of others join to spread a message on and there emotions. 

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, gender, and embodiment. WSQ: Women's Studies Quarterly, 37(1-2), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.1353/wsq.0.0158

Hill, K. (2020). Another Arrest, and Jail Time, Due to a Bad FacialRecognition Match, 1–5.

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Blog Post 9/2  week #2  Real Fast News

Q1. Has the advancement of technology helped news outlets?

Technology growth has both advantages and disadvantages. It aided us in a number of ways, including the speed with which we were able to distribute information. Previously, receiving news could take hours or even days; now, we can receive it in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. This is good because it can help prevent situations or events that could harm society in the future. One way that technological growth may have caused harm is by having so many diverse sources without knowing which ones are trustworthy. It's difficult to choose the proper source among hundreds of radio stations, newspapers, and television stations. 

Q2. How divers are news outlets?

For many years, news channels in the United States solely featured towering white people. These networks did not begin to broaden their audience until the "1970s." Many of these networks would advocate a racial narrative that favored white people. Many of the stories that would be put out would be changed in favor of the white man. There isn't much diversity in these career categories even today. This is a terrible thing since many minorities on television are misrepresented because the individuals who run these networks have no idea what these people are going through.

Q3. Is social media a good tool for activism?

It's a terrific instrument, in my opinion, for bringing people together for change or spreading the word about a cause you care about. As stated in the article, social media had a significant impact in 2011 and this can still be seen now, as evidenced by the protest for George Floyd held only last year. Using social media to contact individuals all over the world and bring them together for these causes has made it much easier. People can also broadcast these protests or capture images of events that aren't regularly covered in newspapers or on television. Some people can also be activist straight from there home without taking much of a risk as being out side. 

Q4. Do we need social media to communicate?

I don't believe we require social media to communicate with others, but it certainly make it lot easier. Families used to live close to one another and could see one another quite easy, but nowadays, families live far apart. My family, for example, lives halfway around the world, making it tough to see them. With the films and photographs exchanged, the power of social media helps us come together.

Fuchs, C. (2014). In Social Media: a critical introduction.

González Juan, & Torres, J. (2012). News for all the people.

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Blog post: Week 1 Blog 1 8/27  When technology failed me

Around two years ago, technology failed to live up to the hype and misled me. My buddies and I used to be gamers, and we still are, but not nearly as much as we used to be. We played a variety of games, ranging from NBA to FIFA, but our favorite was COD, or Call of Duty. We would occasionally go live on twitch, which is a service where gamers can live stream video games. One day, as we were playing, a handful of strangers joined our stream and began joking around in the comment section, which is common, but things started to get odd and these random people began to reveal personal information.At first, it was just our names, which we assumed was normal because anyone could know our names, but then they started putting our street addresses and other personal information out there as well. That is when we realized we are being doxxed. Doxxing is when hackers use the internet to gather personal information and documents. We thought it was all done once we finished the stream, but one of my friends had the cops called to his house because one of the hackers had made a bomb threat. Fortunately, no one was wounded, and the cops were understanding, but things could have gone far worse.This incident is been in my mind ever since. The internet is a terrific place to find friends and a fun way to communicate with others, but it can also be a hazardous place to visit if you are not careful. Ever since that day my friends and I have been very carful we still live stream to this day but we are much more careful.  We make sure we don't go around saying personal information that other people could end up using against us.