Whos is Big Brother? It's everyone!

I am amazed, really! Almost everyone I know worries about privacy, protecting personal information and identity theft. Almost everyone I know think there are too many cameras monitoring sidewalks and roads. Many think "The Government" is somehow spying on it's citizens and almost everyone I know was absolutely flabbergasted when they heard of the infamous Patriot Act that allowed the US government to monitor phone conversations without any permission from a judge. Ok...privacy is precious...right? RIGHT!

I do not want to look at the Facebook profile of my step-kids because I am too afraid of what I might find....I've seen it too many times. Party pictures posted on a social networking site will entertain your friends for a while but what is on the net can be saved on any computer and, eventually, could be used against you! My question is this...who would be willing to use that info? Very simple answer: your friends, your family, your colleagues, your neighbours, the police, the government....ANYONE could use ANY picture to prevent you from getting that promotion, that new job....and what else?

Recently Michael Phelps commited the mistake of being caught on a camera-phone while smoking some illicit substance. In the paper this morning I saw that picture of Jon Favreau, Obama's star-speechwriter grabbing Hilary Clinton's breast...it was a cardboard Hilary Clinton but it was extremely disrespectful.

These pictures were probably sent via an anonymous email (I am not sure, I did not check that fact...I have lots of marking to do still...) but it seems to me that "THE Government" does not need to spy on us....we already do that for "Them"....Come on people, we cannot change human nature but we can be a bit more careful about stuff we post online....can we?????

Facebook from space....in 3D!

Too funny or too pathetic...hummm...good question!

Lynn (AKA Babybluezephyr) wrote this in her blog:

"So I get a friend request from someone today that is a teacher at camosun, and is wanting to start a group for everyone in the class. Which in itself is pathetic."

I think I just might be the "pathetic one"...the culprit. Why ??? Well let me tell you that I teach at Camosun and that,on the 24th of August, I sent a request to my students to join a group that I created in Facebook. Why in the world an instructor like me would like to get students to join a Facebook group ? Because I need friends ?.....well...it's true that I just moved from Québec and that I left my very good friends behind...but no, it is not the reason. Because I want to be a cool instructor ? Well, I want to reach students but mostly, I want them to work together. The group I created in Facebook (for BIOL 124) is a study group that, I hope, the students will use to solve problems and understand that Web 2.0 tools are there to be used for learning and not just because to show funny pictures and talk about drinking habits - of course I exagerate a bit here. Are my intentions pathetic? Are they that funny? Well maybe for some...

Yesterday, I talked with one of my colleagues that is also a blogger. He wrote this:

Facebook is not where they go to learn. It’s where they go to socialize, relax and throw virtual food at each other.

After talking to him and reading his post I almost regret having created this Facebook group. I understand that students might not want me in their space but still many students replied to my request. When I think about it, with such a perspective, when I was 20-26 I just might have found a request to facebook pathetic....but maybe not....