I have never been one to think about law too much. I live my life in a very safe “coloring inside the lines” mindset because having to deal with any legal issues is a very troubling thought to me. That said, with social media becoming practically an essential part of a professional and social life, it may be time for me to start taking law into consideration in a more active way.
The first piece of material that stood out to me in this module was the chapter of Mediactive titled “Privacy & Surveillance“. I am so very thankful for automatic updates that happen on my phone and computer, or else I wouldn’t give a second thought to it. I never realized how important keeping software up to date would help protect my privacy (the limited amount of privacy I feel that I have).
Besides entering my credit card information while purchasing textbooks or the plethora of unnecessary items I find on Amazon, I don’t have much information that I feel that I need to protect online. So when this chapter discusses the government creating an illegal surveillance system under the Bush administration, it doesn’t quite worry me much… Then again, I suppose you would expect to hear that from someone who has something to hide.
As someone who considers herself a “creative” and would like to pursue a career in an artistic field, learning about the takedown notice in the chapter titled “Copyrights and Takedowns” gives me some peace of mind. I am a painter and a writer. I have always been hesitant to sell my work or even post it. Among many other reasons (creative insecurities and whatnot), I am worried my work will be used online and there will be no way to prove it’s mine. I feel very protected by the law in this situation. Looking further into copyrighting if I make a career of the creative, I see the law as a very sturdy base to stand upon because of the ability to send a takedown notice.
https://giphy.com/gifs/painter-AXc58rS6nzQQ
The final piece that stood out to me in this module was an article by Electronic Frontier Foundation called “How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else)”. While journalists who are on payroll for major magazines like Time or Elle have clear protection when it comes to their work, I am delighted to find that there are people fighting to let bloggers have the same writes as these established journalists.
If I ever start a blog (if I don’t already have one), I plan on using a pseudonym. While professor Gillmor has been very clear (in Chapter 3 of Mediactive) about questioning sources that hide behind a pseudonym, I feel that I can be blatantly honest about my experiences with out backlash in my personal life. I won’t be reporting hard-hitting news that will affect the public’s well-being, so I don’t believe this will be a big deal. However, my stories may affect those around me, so I greatly appreciate the right to stay anonymous.
I realize I should change my actions based on the lessons I’ve learned and the rights that I have become more familiar with. However, because I am not a news reporter, I don’t have an affect on the general public’s well-being, and I don’t currently publish a public blog (as far as you know), I don’t see myself changing the way I use media. Because a lot of protection is automated in terms of computer and phone security, I don’t feel that I will put the effort into having an active role in protecting my information.
Citations
“9.1.1 Privacy and Surveillance.” Mediactive, by Dan Gillmor, Dan Gillmor, 2010, mediactive.com/9-1-1-privacy-and-surveillance/.
“9.1.5 Copyrights and Takedowns.” Mediactive, by Dan Gillmore, Dan Gillmore, 2010, http://mediactive.com/9-1-5-copyrights-and-takedowns/.
“3.5 Anonymous Versus Pseudonymous.” Mediactive, by Dan Gillmore, Dan Gillmore, 2010, http://mediactive.com/3-5-anonymous-versus-pseudonymous/.
