Assignment 4 : Felicia Yee (4B) and Leandra Nair (4B)

Summarise from Paragraphs 2-4 why ecological modernism believes that technology is the solution to environmental problems in about 100 words.

Ecological modernization believes that harnessing innovation and entrepreneurship can save the planet, and while modernists are still all for being environmentally friendly, they are all for making use of nuclear energy, genetically modified crops, urbanisation and geoengineering to help solve the problem of climate change. They state that they embrace these technologies to give nature room, to allow nature to rest while we are able to narrow our human activity through more efficient technology. With technology, more land can be freed up, and modernists want to cut the links between mankind and nature, and restore large spaces of habitats and reintroduce species that once lived in those habitats.

READER RESPONSE QN: Do you think technology is going to help Mankind solve all environmental problems? Your response should be between 200 and 250 words.

I do not think that technology is going to help Mankind solve all environmental problems as it might lead to other problems, and might cause the sustainability of the industry to decrease. For example, one of the biggest technological innovations in aquaculture and fishing in the last half century has led to a near total breakdown of all saltwater fisheries worldwide. Instead of increasing the stocks and providing greater resource management, it has done the exact opposite. In this case, technology has not made life easier for the fish, but has made life easier for the fishermen. With mile long nets, city-sized drag lines, sonar fish-finders and huge commercial harvesting boats, the stocks have been reduced to the point where they could be reaching total collapse. This shows that even though technology can indeed solve some environmental problems, it could lead to more problems in the same industry. With technology, there is decreased sustainability as well, when there is an increased rate at which the fishermen catch the types of fish they catch, what will happen to the other organisms that feed on the fish or the organisms that the fishes feed on? There will be an imbalance in the ecosystem and the ecosystem might not be able to sustain itself any longer. Therefore, I do not think that technology can solve all environmental problems as it will inevitably lead to other problems, and affect the sustainability of the industry as well.

Assignment 4: Technology is the solution to environmental problems. Xin Ni and He Ying (4C)

[Summarise from Paragraphs 2-4 why ecological modernism believes that technology is the solution to environmental problem.]

Ecological modernism believes that harnessing innovation and entrepreneurship can save the planet. The modernists are pro-nuclear, pro-genetically modified crops, pro-megadams, pro-urbanisation and pro-geoengineering of the planet to stave off climate change. They say they embrace these technologies to give nature room. Modernism hope to do their business through smarter, greener and more efficient technologies. The modernists want to cut the links between mankind and nature and carry out rewilding. With technology, ushering in the return of the wild will be more painless, because more land can be liberated. But without technology, it can only be done by culling humanity.


[Reader Response - Do you think technology is going to help Mankind solve all environmental problems?]

Undeniably, technology has brought about benefits to the environment, however it is not going to help mankind solve all environment problems partly due to the side effects that technology can bring about, and giving rise to more environmental problems. Technology is likely to cause an unsustainable and unstable environment. Take for instance, alternative energy such as the nuclear energy posses an extremely harmful side effect when the nuclear plant melts down. The nuclear disaster in Japan had caused deaths, and the radiation that have caused health problems, and severe environmental problems. This simply shows that we cannot set nature free from the impact of humans, specifically the impact of technology. These impacts are irreversible, and that technology is definitely unable to eradicate them. We may be able to recreate the woolly mammoths, but remaking their habitat is beyond us and what technology can do. These problems have already been made, and it is no easy deal to solve these problems. Going back is a physical impossibility, and hence, my stand is that technology cannot help mankind solve all environmental problems.

Assignment 3: The Flight from Conversation (Ng Wei Qing, Tiffany Tsui, Cherri Chan)

Summary:
Technology has definitely decreased human interaction significantly. People have sacrificed conversation for mere connection and accustomed to a new way of being “alone together.” We do not want to be interrupted and we prefer working alone, fearing the start of endless conversations. We have learned the habit of cleaning messy and demanding human relationships with technology, tempted to think that our little “sips” of online connection add up to a big gulp of real conversation, but they do not. They are unlike face-to-face conversation, they diminish chances to learn skills of self-reflection and do not instill patience in us. As we get used to being shortchanged on conversation and to getting by with less, we seem almost willing to dispense with people altogether. As Siri, the popular digital assistant on Apple’s iPhone, becomes more advanced, “she” will be more and more like a best friend — one who will listen when others won’t. This habit of seeking comfort from technology may be caused by the sentiment that "no one is listening to me", hence people tend to have an illusion of companionship and that machines are better than face-to-face conversation, avoiding conversations with others around them, and as a result increasing the distance of relationship between people.
Reader's Response:Do you agree with the author and is this happening in your society? If so, how can we improve
This is definitely true in our society. We see handheld devices everywhere, including at restaurants, when customers are waiting for their food to arrive. One may think that food would be the only thing that would make them raise their heads from their own devices. Face-to-face conversations are every bit as important as having a device. They reveal things about the other party that would not be revealed easily through a device. They build up bonds between friends, strengthening them. They let you confront your enemies, frightening them. Thus, to promote face-to-face conversations, a family could have a rule where there would be a no-device day per week; employers could suggest a Conversational Day, and lastly, friends could discourage each other from using phones when in others' presence. Although we could come up with the excuse of having no time or "there's a really important message I have to to get to", we have to keep in mind that human conversation is good for our mental health. There are days when we feel particularly depressing and we need someone's shoulder to cry on, I'm pretty sure that the handheld devices that we all have won't be great to cry on. We cannot deny the benefits they bring to us but sometimes it is good to note that it is okay to take a break from them once in a while.

Assignment 3: The flight from conversation Ryan & Anping

Anping & Ryan  4C

Summarize the impact of technology on human interaction

Human interaction has been drastically minimised due to technology. Indeed, technology changes what we do and who we are, making us forget how to interact with one another. Fear of conversation induced by technology has been prominently displayed in workplaces, where young people nowadays go to work wearing earphones, avoiding any chances of real conversation. Many a times, even though people are gathered together, they are barricaded in their own bubble, furiously connected to their electronic gadgets.The cause of all this is due to the comfort technology brings. Through technology, people are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people while keeping at distances we can control; not too close, not too far, just right. Humans treat online interaction as a substitution for real life conversation; making us seem disregard the importance of human interaction. As we ramp up the volume and velocity of online connections, we start to expect faster answers. Now, we are more willing to dispense everyone altogether. We lose the confidence that we will be there for one another; simply saying we now expect less from human interaction as we have find no motivation to meet the demands of relationships. (196 words )

READER RESPONSE QN:

Do you agree with the author and is this

happening in your society? If so, how can we improve the way we interact with

one another? Provide reasons for your answers in one paragraph, with reference

to the arguments in the article, within 200 to 250 words.

I fully agree with the author's stand on technology reducing human interaction greatly. From youth that seem to be physically attached to their smartphones to even children who find it hard to pry their eyes away from the tablet showing their favourite cartoon, it is evident that there has been a decline of human interaction in our society. To improve human interaction, we can create ‘scared spaces’ to encourage our children to interact with each other.  By making places like the kitchen, dining room and cars “device-free zones’’, the value of conversation presents itself. As for employees at work who may lack the time to talk about things that are of utmost importance, a period of time could be set aside for them to talk so that they have more opportunities for human interaction. Most importantly, we need to cast aside communication through technology, and really listen to each other. Regardless of the conversation topic, we have to listen as it is often in these unedited movements, moments in which we hesitate and stutter and go silent, that we reveal who we really are. Improving interaction can be as simple as kicking away some of our bad habits when we walk outdoors. Nowadays, we often walk with our heads down, typing messages or searching the web. Even when we are with friends, partners, children, everyone is focusing on their devices. We simply have to gaze at the sceneries, look up at our companions, and start the conversation. (247 words)

Assignment 3: The Flight from Conversation

Summarise the impact of technology on human interaction in 150 to 200 words.
We now live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. However, in the midst of our communication, we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. We have embraced technology as we can use technology to keep one another at distances we can control and present the self we want to be. However, this very technology we embrace has now made us fear conversation. Human relationships are messy and demanding, so we have learned the habit of cleaning them up with technology and thus, moved from conversation to connection. However, we fail to notice that online connections do not substitute for conversation and forget that there is a difference between conversing and connecting. We close our eyes to the fact that online communication doesn’t work as well when it comes to understanding and knowing one another compared to actual conversation where we can attend to tone and nuance and are called upon to see things from another’s point of view. When people are alone, even for a few moments, they fidget and reach for a device. We become so busy "communicating" that we often don’t have time to talk to one another about what really matters.

Do you agree with the author and is this happening in your society? If so, how can we improve the way we interact with one another? Provide reasons for your answers in one paragraph, with reference to the arguments in the article, within 200 to 250 words.
I agree with the author and this is explicitly happening in our society. One way we can improve the way we interact with one another is by understanding the benefits of having real life interaction. As quoted from the article, conversation allows us to "tend to one another", it culminates patience and encourages the learning of "skills of self reflection." Society fails to understand that only through real life conversation can two individuals accurately understand each other on a significantly meaningful level. This is done through tone perception, facial expression and body gestures which are simply masked behind our devices when we "connect" with others. The beauty of real life interaction is undermined and disregarded by the modern day perception of "technology keeping one another at distances we can control" and it is crucial that this mindset is addressed and corrected to improve our way of interaction. Another way we can improve the way we interact with one another is by creating "sacred places" that restrict the use of digital devices. Such a method would forcibly engage all individuals in the household in active conversation and promote real life connection. The inclination to engage in real life conversation will progressively develop once the individuals personally experience the benefits of real life communication. The "anti gadget rule" will allow individuals to see the value in the little updates they are provided with and will encourage a more open and inclusive environment for the organisation.

Assignment 2: Big Data: Are We Making a Big Mistake? (Andrea + LingXuan 4C)

SUMMARY

Big data was seen as a quick, accurate, cheap to collect relative to their size and theory-free mode of arriving at a conclusion. Big data is also considered data points collected for disparate purposes and the possibility of updating it in real time is noteworthy. Big data is also seen as a gateway to better integration and analysis if data, a factor contributing to cost efficiency. However, when it comes to data, size isn't everything. Big data is closely linked to the sampling error and it's tendency to not reflect the underlying population purely by chance. Sources that provide the collated data, that then form Big Data, are biased, not representative of the population as a whole and thus unreliable. Big data also tends to be messy and to contain systematic biases. It is difficult to figure out what biases lurk inside the data. Notably, errors produced by Big Data are related to the fact that the data set is not based on the favored "N = All" theory, where the sample includes everyone. Big Data is only an illusion of a comprehensive conclusion.

READER’S RESPONSE

Big Data will continue to be useful to us by being able to solve problems and find answers using the sheer scale of data sets that now exist. For example, Google was able to track the spread of influenza across the US faster than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Google was faster because it used the digital exhaust of web searches to track the outbreak. Big Data will continue to be useful because it is cheap to collect relative to their size and can be updated in real time. As our daily lives have moved more to the Internet, life can be recorded and quantified by Big Data in a way that would have been hard to imagine in the past.
We can be better at using Big Data by ensuring that we are gaining answers from Big Data in a stable environment, without making statistical mistakes on an even larger scale.
When examining a pattern in Big Data, we need to ask whether such a pattern might have emerged by chance. Also, there must be a question about who and what is missing, especially with a large and messy pile of data. Furthermore, we need to be aware of the problem of sampling bias, where the sample in which the data was collected from is biased. Due to data sets from Big Data being so large and messy in nature, it can be hard to figure out what biases lurk inside them. Lastly, we cannot submit to the notion of “With enough data, the numbers speak for themselves " and ignore problems like sampling bias.

Assignment 2: Big Data: Are we making a big mistake? Ryan & Anping 4C

Summarise Some of the reasons the author offers as to why using Big Data is popular and also why it may not be so useful in 150 - 200 words.
Google was able to track the spread of influenza across the US in just a day’s delay, which was much quicker than the Centre's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Moreover, cost for tracking was extremely cheap as it was done by the collation of the digital exhaust of web searches updated in real time. Yet, results were uncannily accurate and fast. This, along with credit card payments and mobiles pinging the nearest phone mast, is a result of Big Data, making it very popular due to the success of the Google Flu Trends. By wising up to the potential of big data, costs can be reduced in factors such as health, through better integration and analysis of the data produced by everything from clinical trials to health insurance transactions to smart running shoes. However, there are a lot of small data problems that occur in big data, which was worsened when so much data comes so easily. Furthermore, it aims to merely find statistical patterns in the data, caring more for correlation rather than causation. It also heightens the chances of vast electronic surveillance and threatened personal security. Thus, Big data may not so useful after all.
READER RESPONSE QN: How will Big Data continue to be useful for us? How can we be better at using Big Data?Provide reasons for your answer in one paragraph, with reference to a specific argument in the article, within 200 – 250 words.
Although ‘Big Data’ can be rendered useless upon careless handling, it can still be useful if we choose to heed the familiar statistical lessons. Despite the setbacks faced leading to the failure of the Google Flu trends after the many success, it will bounce back, recalibrated with fresh data. Big Data opens up broader opportunities due to the ease with which we can gather and analyse vast data sets. Without needing the results of a single medical check-up, they were nevertheless able to track the spread of influenza across the US. What’s more, they could do it more quickly than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Google’s tracking had only a day’s delay, compared with the week or more it took for the CDC to assemble a picture based on reports from doctors’ surgeries. The speed, accuracy and reliability of the results derived from Big Data for the past many winters are still very useful to us. However, there are faults in the Data, and unless we learn the lessons of this failure, and further develop the potential of Big Data, we must not pretend that the traps have all been made safe. A theory-free analysis of mere correlations is inevitably fragile, and thus we must find both causation and correlation. This way, one would have an idea of what might cause that correlation to break down. From here, one can then find a solution for the problem, and receive more accurate data.

Assignment 2: Big Data: Are we making a big mistake? (Ng Wei Qing, Tiffany Tsui and Cherri Chan)

Summary:
Big Data is popular as they are quick, accurate and cheap. Also, it interest many companies with their "found data". For example, the data set of Facebook is bigger than the LHC data. Despite the size, they are actually cheap to collect and can be updated on real time. Besides all these, it is theory free. However, other than size, there is other factor to consider when collecting data - sample error and sample data. Thus, it may not be so useful as we often put the emphasis on the results only. In addition, the sites collecting data only care about the correlation rather than the cause. This is actually very risky as the correlation can break down if we do not find out the cause.

Reader's Response:
Big Data aka Google Flu Trends is the data analysis that produces uncannily accurate results; that every single data point can be captured, making old statistical sampling techniques obsolete. It is absolutely useful in pinpointing the area of any kind of outbreaks, regardless of the geographical location. It is faster as it tracks the outbreak by finding a correlation between what people searched for online and whether they had any symptoms related to the disease. It could be used for that purpose to reduce the amount of time needed, which is from a week based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention need for piece together a picture, to just merely a day. With outbreaks happening now and then, time is a necessity because we may never know it decides to hit one of our closest kin. However, as much as we love to rely on something new, digital and of the 21st century which we all live in,  we have to realise that Google is not accurate in a sense where it required to do systematic collation of the data and organized the data themselves. It only collects a messy tad of data, puts into a collage and it's up to the people analyzing it to make it precise. Thus I say, we use it as a reference, maybe not as the main data, but as a data which brings us to more precise data.

ELA Reading Assignment 2 ( Chua Zheng Qian (18) and Wang Rizhao(23) )

ASSIGNMENT 2: “When Governments Attack --- Online”

SUMMARY QN:

 Summarise the key points of the news article in 100-150 words.

This article brings to our attention the increasing severity of the threat that the cyberspace poses in recent years, in particular the use of malware or bugs to disrupt or perhaps even shutdown targeted cyber systems and intercept specific data to disadvantage a particular group or nation. Cyberspace provides the very platform that the governments of belligerent states seek, to manifest their desires of surveillance, disruption and dominance into lethal bugs and spyware, so as to instil fear into any who stand against them. Be it a lack of prudence or simply ignorance, one could easily fall prey to the malicious software disguised as a benign site. Unsuspecting companies or employees are then lured into these sites in a moment of folly, and unknowingly fall to their demise at the hands of vicious hackers by providing access to highly classified information. Therefore, discretion and vigilance is highly recommended by the author to safeguard oneself in the risky cyberspace.

READER RESPONSE QN:

 Discuss the importance of online security for individuals, companies and governments and how might this be achieved. Provide reasons for your answer in one paragraph, with reference to a specific argument in the article, within 200 – 250 words.

 For an individual, online security entails one’s very existence in the cyberspace, as online security is the only line of defence between one’s privacy and the rest of the world in the cyberspace. With the growing popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype, millions have flocked online to indulge in the pleasures of cyberspace, unwary of its vulnerability and susceptibility to hackers. As such, they openly divulge personal secrets and details of their life in their profile pages, with the false mentality that the fragile security network would ensure maximum privacy, unbeknownst to them though, the online security provided by social media platforms can be easily shattered with a few taps of a keyboard. Controversial images and racist remarks could be uploaded in a moment, which could blacklist the individual and ruin his or her reputation in the eyes of the public in an instant. For activists such as the Mamfakinch, a pro-democracy citizen media project in Morocco, the risk is even greater as the details of their private life on social media can be easily used as blackmail and intimidation on individual members, leading to an eventual breakdown of the group in its entirety.   

As for companies and government bodies withholding classified and essential information regarding other nations or economic investments, massive stalls of data can be wiped in a blink of an eye (as evidenced from the South Korea Shinhan Bank cyber-attack whereby tens of thousands of computers were wiped of their data, leading to $756mil economic loss), dealing a huge blow to corporations and government bodies alike and stalling their economic, social or political progress by a great deal. The enormity of the stake at risk here is in the millions, billions and possibly trillions, and one can barely imagine the magnitude and severity of consequences if highly classified data is lost or delivered into the wrong hands.

Therefore, the above examples have highlighted to us the utmost importance and urgency regarding the implementation of measures pertaining to online security. If we are to secure our very existence in the cyber world, and very possibly in the real world, then we ought to realise how huge a potential and asset the cyberspace is, but also be aware and vigilant to the threat it entails as a double edged sword, and subsequently focus on online security to avoid unnecessary backlash and undesirable consequences.

Assignment 2: Why we shouldn't worry about teenagers using mobile phones

Assignment 2: Why we shouldn’t worry about teenagers using mobile phones

READER RESPONSE QN:

Discuss, with reference to this article and to any other sources of information you may gather, the impact of technology on youths nowadays. Provide reasons for your answer in one paragraph, with reference to a specific argument in the article, within 200 – 250 words.

Living in a revolutionizing digital age where everything is fast, instant and, most importantly, on-the-go, people are disengaged from having one-on-one face interactions. Technologies impact negatively on youths nowadays, they get so obsessed with them. Researchers have indicated that 77 percent of people aged 14 to 24 are nomophobic, having an addiction with mobile phones. An average teenager spends 144 minutes a day on their mobile devices. For those who suffer from nomophobia, the fear of being disconnected from the virtual world is heightened when they are restrained from checking their phone. The lives these teenagers that are addicted to mobile devices are so contingent on their need to feel socially connected on their phones that without mobile technology, they begin to express a sense of vulnerability that can trigger certain moods and behaviors like anxiety. Many are fanatical about being always available and are extremely uneasy if unable to contact their friends countless times each day. If the trend continues, teenagers will soon be incapable of forming and maintaining relationships without the help of a mobile devices. One study showed that Japanese children didn't make friends with peers who didn't have mobile phones. This shows how important technologies are to teenagers. Therefore in conclusion, technologies impact negatively on youths nowadays as they have become obsessed with them.

SUMMARY QN:

Summarise the key points for why people worry about teenagers’ use of mobile phones and why they shouldn’t be in 100-150 words

People think that mobile phone technology harms teenagers by making them stupid and stopping growth in terms of the way they think. People are also worried about their addiction to their phones and even health problems it might bring like brain tumour. Yet, people should not be worried as teenagers become more self-reliant and are able to do many things at one time, resolve challenges, attain data and think quick with their mobile phones, and these are all important and valuable characteristics for a teenager. This shows that mobile phones in fact better their cognitive development, instead of stopping it. As for addiction, the reason why teenagers check their phone so often is due to boredom and insecurity and adults are like so too. Everyone is struggling with the unfamiliarity of mobile technology, thus the reason why teenagers are doing some things wrong may be because of bad examples set by adults.

Done By: Loo May Chie & Tang Fan Xi 4C

Yeo Yong Liang and Travis Tan Teenagers using smartphones

Reader response
I agree with the author in the viewpoint that we should not worry about teenagers using smartphones. As a teenager myself, I must agree that using smartphones has had many large beneficial effects on my life. For example, smartphones can easily kill boredom during inevitable timeframes of the day, like riding on a train where smartphones can allow you to occupy yourself by doing things like listening to music, playing games, reading e-books, instead of blankly staring into space while waiting for the train to arrive at your destination. The use of smartphones have also allowed students to be able to complete work quicker and easier. When they are unable to remember a mathematical formula, a quick press on the smartphones will give them their answer, instead of having to flip through every single mathematics textbook in order to find out the formula. However, smartphones are also definitely a double-edged sword. In a scenario where one is searching for solutions to a problem regarding his work, a single message from a good friend might lead you into endless chatting between both of you, and before you know it, precious time has been wasted and the task is still not completed. Smartphones can bring easy access to the unlimited amount of information on the web, but surely major distractions will also be more accessible to teenagers. This will significantly lower their work productivity if one is easily distracted. Only with one's clever use of these smartphones can they keep focused on their work and abstain from being easily distracted by the smartphone. Yet, the occasional distraction is still necessary, to prevent one from being labelled as a workaholic and for one to live life to the fullest. Therefore, the use of smartphones by teenagers is not a major concern to the livelihood of the young generation.

Summary
People worry about the teenagers' use of mobile phones because they are afraid that teenagers might get addicted to using mobile phones for social networking and for online games, none of which benefit them. However people should not only look at the disadvantages of using mobile phones as using mobile phones come with many advantages as well. By using mobile phones, teenagers are able to sharpen their quick-wittedness, multitasking skills, problem solving skills and also the ability to gather information from a bountiful of sources. Furthermore, they can learn to be independent as information is just a touch away. In a nuthsell, using a mobile phone brings about many positive effects and helps in the development of teenagers.

Assignment 2 : why we shouldn't worry about teenagers using mobile phones by Alicia and Qi En 4B

Summary: People worry about teenagers' use of mobile phones because of addiction, as well as the fact that killing time with the usage of mobile phones will not be of any benefit to them, as with the games and social networking. However, these people should not worry so much about the negativity of using mobile phones that would be inflicted upon these teenagers. There are advantages that come alongside using mobile phones, such as sharpening one's quick-wittedness, multitasking skills, problem solving skills, and also the ability to gather information from a bountiful of sources. One can also learn to be independent while using the mobile phone, as information is just a touch away, and is virtually available and accessible to anyone who has the mobile phone.

Reader's response: Technology can be seen in every aspect of the modern society. The impact of technology on youths has been said to be positive and that negative effects only occurs when technology is not used in moderation.

Technology has made our youths much more abled in multitasking, thinking fast and can help home problem solving skills as well as information gathering skills. Technology has also made our youths much more independent. As Joanna Moorhead observes, her daughter can do all sorts of task by herself that would require her parents to do in the past due to technology, making her much more independent on herself instead of being too overly reliant on her parents.

However,  with autocorrect, shortcuts and chatrooms present in the technology they use, students may become dependent and use short forms. They may rely too much on digital communication and forget about their writing skills after long term usage. Also, with the lack of physical interactivity, the physical interaction skills of many students would be hampered as they do not know how they should act in social situations. Not only so, recent studies show that with increased use of technology, the amount of tolerance in students is vanishing quite increasingly due to the improper use of technology.

Thus, technology may be used to bring about more efficiency and develop skills but as youths are addicted to using technology so often that these positive effects are rarely seen, only a plethora of negative effects.

Assignment 2: qn 3 Online Security ( Lee Si Yun 8 and Chng Jiu Hui 5 ((4c)))

SUMMARY:

A malware was likely created by a well-known government supplier called Hacking Team, to hack several industries' systems. Emails sent to targets contained links to apparently benign websites. With each click, spy software, known as malware, was surreptitiously downloaded onto the computers of each staffer who tried to open the document. That program was designed to steal workers’ files, intercept their emails and snoop on their Skype communications, leading to devastating impacts.

According to research by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Citizen Lab, both activist bodies focused on internet freedom, and a broad range of industries fall into the bull’s-eye of such attacks. The most likely targets are those who have direct lines into the most valuable information on a business’ network. The US has charged five Chinese army officers with hacking into American companies. 

READERS RESPONSE:

In modern day where many important information is transmitted and stored online and everyone, including companies and even governments reply on technology, computers and the internet to carry out important duties, online security is extremely crucial. Passwords and documents that appear to be safe and secure might not be so at all, as many online hackers and hacking or spying software exist that can be used (without the victims knowing) to retrieve “private” and “protected” information. A spy software known as a malware is designed to intercept workers’ files, intercept emails and snoop on even their Skype communications without the victims’ knowledge as it is deviously hidden in seemingly harmless forms such as emails or links. This leads to devastating impacts and consequences. For an individual, he or she may suffer from identity theft or have their bank accounts manipulated, but for major companies and industries which rely on online means to carry out their duties, it is much direr than that, as it includes failure of online systems and services and loss of thousands of dollars. For governments, confidential files and information might be leaked that might lead to political issues. The threat of online security being challenged should be dealt with or at least prevented. To prevent cyber-attacks workers and even individuals should learn to identify suspicious looking emails, being cautious about using public wifi (as information can be infiltrated by a hacker) and using strong passwords for their online accounts.  

Assignment 2: When governemnts attack - Online (Lucia and Yuling 4C)

Summary

The article discusses how widespread cybercrimes are and its ability to manifest in harmless and subtle ways, which causes the unknowing user to openly invite spyware and bugs. It also highlights the potential lethality of a single computer virus, being able to wreck havoc to banking networks, causing online services to fail. Beyond the digital complications, it creates hardware and monetary issues by rendering infected hardware unusable. The author closes by reinstating the importance of personal discretion and user awareness; users should not underestimate their chances of being a cybercrime victim and exercise caution when dealing with passwords and emails.

Reader Response

Online security should be of paramount importance to users at all levels, from the individual to the major institution. In this day and age, a lot of important information, e.g. passwords, confidential files, reports, is processed, transmitted, received in a binary form, it is all the more crucial that we recognize what is at stake, what we could potentially lose to hackers, and take action to protect this medium at which information flows.For individuals, online security is important, mostly as a p rotection of one’s privacy and confidential files. The advent of social media websites has made sharing one’s life experiences a lot more convenient, and at the same time it dangles the bait of personal information to potential hackers. The past few years have been marked by a number of “lows” in social media history, like Facebook stalkers gleaning off personal particulars from user accounts, user Skype chat being leaked to other terminals, Facebook accounts being hacked into and used to post obscene and controversial content. This shows that we are not as protected as we thought, only a password separates all our private data from the hungry hacker, and the ways hackers can abuse, manipulate what they sift out seem inexhaustible. For the typical user of the internet, he has an online bank account, social media account, email. He has a lot at stake here, there is very little that separates him from cases such as identity theft and bank account fraud. As such, individual online security is all the more needed in such an age where nearly everything goes through the net. 

For corporations and governments, online security means more than protecting ones privacy, it is about keeping sensitive information and protecting daily online operations. Businesses and government have too made the quantum leap into using technology and the digital world to run their operations. Banks have their own online transaction system; shops have their own buying platform, and governments store info in databases rather than on paper. Compared to the individual, the magnitude of what is at stake is a lot higher. Think WikiLeaks, when Julian Assange leaked diplomatic cables online, it sparked a backlash of public defamation on the government. Think “Messiah” (Singapore hacking organisation), that disrupted multiple local government pages, and posted nasty and harsh remarks under the name of Singapore government. From the above, we can tell that online security is not just important; it is a necessity, to protect us from all the potential infinite repercussions.

Assignment 1: Obama to Call for End to N.S.A.’s Bulk Data Collection - Cheryl Chua & Kai Ting (4B)

SUMMARY

Ever since the revelation by ex-N.S.A contractor Edward J Snowden, the fact that the American government has been keeping bulk records of the American citizens' calling habits has been faced with many oppositions. The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a new legislative proposal to replace the soon expiring 215 program, which has been listed as illegal by an independent federal privacy watchdog. Under the proposal, it states that the N.S.A would end it's systematic collection of data of the Americans' calling habits but instead the bulk records would stay in the hands of the phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any longer than they normally would. With a new kind of court order, the N.S.A could only obtain the records with permission from a judge and would require phone companies to swiftly provide the records in technologically compatible data format, including data about any new calls placed or received after the order is received. However, this proposal would not affect other forms of bulk collection of records under the same provision.

READER'S RESPONSE

By collecting every and any Americans' phone records for a time as long as five years illegally, is in fact a major breach of not just Americans, but any individual's basic right to privacy. If phone records of Americans are to be collected in bulk without each and every affected individual's consent, it is taking someone's belonging without permission which is in a way, a form of theft. Besides, it has been mentioned in the web article that such actions are deemed illegal by America's laws, if it is illegal, it should definitely be stopped and thus not justified for the N.S.A to continue collecting phone records of all Americans. Even though it is said that the huge amount of phone records stored by the N.S.A is necessary to aid in the government's investigations in terrorism and to help prevent large scale attacks, there have been many examples questioning the necessity of the bulk collection of phone records by the N.S.A due to its ineffectiveness. For example, in 2010, Basaaly Moalin was alleged of numerous conspiracies to provide support to al-Shabaab, a Somali terrorist organization. At trial, prosecutors alleged that Basaaly Moalin spoke by telephone to Aden Ayrow, a al-Shabaab leader, and that Basaaly Moalin then transferred an estimated $8,500 to the organization. In this case, the N.S.A's bulk collection of phone records were utilized to associate a number in the organization to the suspect, however, the authorities found themselves in a two months wait to start investigations and then wiretap Bassaly Moalin's phone. This is an evident example showing that the N.S.A is in fact not necessary in investigations and thus has no valid purpose or reason to mass collect Americans' phone records and should not be justified.

Assignment 1 Bitcoin by Thaddaeus and Jun San

SummaryThe author argues that Bitcoin was based on greed and a impractical and unrealistic vision. He argues that Bitcoin's popularity is like a gold rush, where people are rapidly moving to a newly-discovered goldfield. He believes that Bitcoin is unable to buy most things and can only be used for gambling and other extreme activities. Thus, he argues that Bitcoin is practically useless. The author also believes that Bitcoin is going to have a major crash one day due to the over-reliance of its rapid rise in prices   Loik,than its actual use as a currency.

Reader Response
I think bitcoin is very similar to gold, the only difference is that gold exists physically whereas bitcoin exists virtually. Gold is just a metal, but because people put value into it thus it is worth a lot of money today. Similarly, the price of bitcoin 3 years ago was 9 dollars, it was just a virtual form of currency not worth much, however, when more people started buying it its value increased. However, do not think it is worth it to invest in bitcoin as it does not give me a sense of ownership and it is just a few numbers in my account while gold can be physically held and kept. Bitcoin is a perfect representation of todays society not wanting to be left out, even though the value of bitcoin is high and increasing still, people are willing to spend that amount of money just to say that they own their share of bitcoin. There will of course come a period of time where there is an economic crisis and bitcoin's value will drop, maybe even becoming worthless while physical objects like gold will always be valuable.

Assignment 1: Obama to Call for End to N.S.A.’s Bulk Data Collection - Ong Shi Qing & Renise Ngo (4B)

Summary:
The Obama administration is proposing an overhaul of the National Security Agency’s once-secret bulk phone records programme used to analyse links between callers to identify hidden terrorist associates, if any. Under the proposal, the NSA would stop collecting information on Americans' calling habits, could obtain specific records only with permission from a judge and be able to access them with cooperation from phone companies. N.S.A. analysts are also required to obtain court approval before using a phone number to make queries of the database. The programme would undergo major changes under the plan the administration has developed. Many agree that the N.S.A.’s bulk collection of call records should end, and that the government can track suspected terrorists without permanently surveying millions of people. The administration would still determine whether a particular phone number is suspicious enough before the N.S.A. can obtain associated records.

Reader's Response:

Assignment 1 - article 4: much ado about bitcoins - Cherith Lim (7) & Roxanne Yew (12) 4B

Summarise the main points of the current fascination with bitcoin
Many are fascinated with the idea of bitcoin. Senate hearings held to discuss regulating bitcoin earlier this month were “lovefests,” according to The Washington Post. Abroad, Chinese investors are flocking. Bitcoin seems on the brink of respectability. Some of bitcoin’s appeal comes from the fact that it does not physically exist. Each bitcoin is just a string of numbers. Instead of a bank, a decentralized network of computers ensures the authenticity of bitcoin and issues new ones by doing complex calculations. This allows bitcoin to be traded peer to peer, bypassing credit card companies and payment processors. It’s digital cash, offering the same relative anonymity and freedom as a paper sack of bills. WikiLeaks began accepting bitcoin donations in 2011 in order to bypass PayPal and credit card companies, which had frozen payments to the organization. Everything would be for sale to anyone all the time, 100 percent tax-free. Many of bitcoin’s hard-core fans see the currency as a revolutionary step toward this anarchocapitalist wonderland and is mainly innovative in the way of credit default swaps: new ways to gamble with money. 

Reader Response To what extent would you agree with the writer that bitcoin will not last as a form of currency?

I agree with the author to a large extent that bitcoin will not last as a form of currency. "Bitcoin is built on a weird mix of the most old-fashioned kind of speculative greed, bolstered by a contemporary utopian cyberlibertarian ideology." Apart from dealing with otherwise illegal substances on Silk Road, there seems to be hardly any daily value in bitcoin, in terms of buying daily commodities. In my opinion, bitcoin is at best a trading currency, like a fluctuating stock market; everyone is cashing in because the value of bitcoin is continually rising, but how many of them actually spend these bitcoins? "So many have bought in because the Internet is very good at stoking the fear of missing out. There’s even a trendy acronym, FOMO, to describe the anxiety inspired by scrolling through the social media accounts of people having more fun than you. Bitcoin fosters a particularly potent brand of FOMO. " By seeing people gaining small riches, others are afraid of missing out on the cash;   hence this line says it all - "Bitcoin is too dependent on speculative mania to be of practical use as a currency." I watched the value for bitcoin increase by more than USD$100 in a day; this shows that the value of bitcoin is so uncertain that it is impossible to pin down as a proper currency to be used. If one day someone decides to sell tons of bitcoins and send the price crashing down, everyone is just going to lose a lot of money, and public interest will fizzle out really, really quickly. 

Bitcoin (Christine and Joycelyn) 4C

 Summary:
One bitcoin cost around $9 in 2011, then rose to about $14 and it is worth around $880 in 2013, it is on the brink of respectability. Its appeal comes from the fact that it does not physically exist and each bitcoin is just a string of numbers. A decentralized network of computers ensures the authenticity of bitcoin and issues new ones by doing complex calculations instead of a bank, allowing bitcoin to be traded peer to peer, bypassing credit card companies and payment processors. It’s digital cash, offering the same relative anonymity and freedom as a paper sack of bills. Many of bitcoin’s hard-core fans see the currency as a revolutionary step toward this anarchocapitalist wonderland. However, even with government regulation, the promise of bitcoin seems to end with helping online retailers avoid credit-card processing fees. Bitcoin is mainly innovative in the way of credit default swaps: new ways to gamble with money. 

Reader's Response:
I agree to a large extent that bitcoins cannot last as a currency. Bitcoins, because they are not widely regulated or under government scrutiny, are mainly used for illegal purposes. In January 2014, U.S. government agents arrested Charlie Shrem, the CEO of Bitcoin exchange BitInstant, charging him with laundering money for customers of the online drug bazaar Silk Road, which has already been shut down. Law enforcement is trying to stop the use of Bitcoin on such sites—where people can conveniently buy drugs, guns, and illegal pornography. Bitcoins are so widely used for illegal purposes as they are a source of secure payment mode. When one performs a transaction, the Bitcoin software performs a mathematical operation to combine the other party’s public key and his own private key with the amount of Bitcoins that he wants to transfer. It is practically impossible, even with the most powerful computer, to ascertain the code of someone’s private key from his public key, due to encryption. Thus, to prevent illegal crimes from happening, the government should not consent to regulating bitcoins as a currency.
Although people are willing to trade in their government-issued money to obtain Bitcoins, it will not last as a currency because it will pose challenges to the global banking system.

Assignment 1:National Security Agency's systematic collection of bulk data phone records by Jodie Suwe(13) and Hew Ying Xin(4) 4B

Article 5
Summarise the main arguments for and against the National Security Agency’s systematic collection of bulk data phone records program in 100 – 150 words

Arguments for the National Security Agency's systematic collection of bulk data phone records is that it helps to identify terrorist associates which helps to prevent terrorist attacks and also able to help in the investigation for FBI if it is deemed relevant.Arguments against the National Security Agency's systematic collection of bulk data phone records programme is that it has exceeded current legal authority,not proved to be effective,the government can track suspected terrorists without placing millions of people under permanent surveillance,is illegal and it has set off a controversy that scrambled the usual partisan lines in Congress.Therefore,there is not a need to collect phone records.


Is it justified for the N.S.A. to continue collecting phone records of all Americans ? Provide reasons for your answer in one paragraph, with reference to a specific argument in the article, within 200 – 250 words.

I believe that it is not justified for the N.S.A to continue collecting phone records of all Americans. Firstly, human rights include the rights to privacy; people should not have their phone records being put under surveillance without knowledge. As mentioned in the article, the existence of this system was only made known to the public because it was leaked. This means that if this information was not leaked out, citizens might never find out that their own phone records are being put under surveillance and may have been hidden from the truth forever. Secondly, the U.S government’s reason for this system is to analyze links between callers in an effort to identify hidden terrorist associates. However, the government should be able to track suspected terrorists without placing millions of people under permanent surveillance. Also, there is no concrete evidence of any major terrorist’s attacks being prevented because of this existing system. Furthermore, even with this system to track down terrorists, there have still been numerous terrorist attacks in the United States. For example, the Boston Marathon Bombings where 3 were killed and another 264 were injured. Thus there is no point as the system is not very effective, and hence, it is not justified for the N.S.A to continue collecting phone records of all Americans.