Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Censorship on YouTube

The world has become closer than in the past because of technology. Internet is the best media to spread new information to other places. I became interested in YouTube because I think YouTube is a very famous website that almost everybody uses. Rankin (2007) said, “YouTube is a video-sharing website that is changing American culture. It seems that every day, some short video clip on YouTube makes headline news. Here's the story behind the phenomenal success of YouTube, and some tips on how you can join the fun...” (para. 1). There are many kinds of videos on YouTube, such as news, music videos, and funny videos that make users enjoy themselves. According to Carlson (2008), YouTube’s revenue will be $90 million in 2008. This is one of the statistics to guarantee that YouTube is one of the most famous websites in the world. However, YouTube has some mistakes that cause misunderstanding. According to Naim (2007), “The YouTube effect has brought other mixed blessings. It is now harder to know what to believe. How do we know that what we see in a video clip posted by a ‘citizen journalist’ is not a montage? How do we know, for example, that the YouTube video of terrorized American soldiers crying and praying for their lives while under fire was filmed in Iraq and not staged somewhere else to manipulate public opinion? The more than 86,000 people who viewed it in the first 10 days of its posting will never know” (para. 6). Some videos on YouTube are too violent for children. It also has inappropriate videos that should not be posted on YouTube. For example, YouTube posted a clip video that insulted the King of Thailand (The Nation, 2007). Another example is that YouTube posted videos about teasing politicians that made people confused (Akerman, 2007). From “Business in the hotseat over Net censorship” (Toronto Star, 2008), we know that many countries, such as China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Turkey, and Thailand, have tried to block access to YouTube because of offending videos.

There are many reasons to show that YouTube should censor some videos, because some videos have too much violence that are harmful for children, some videos hurt other people’s feeling, and bad videos may hurt YouTube’s image.

The first reason that YouTube should censor videos before posting is that some videos are dangerous for children. Danger includes words, violence, and sex. Nowadays, children use internet to search for information almost every day. It is very easy to see what they want on some video clips. Some videos are cartoons, but actors and actresses use impolite words. Some videos on YouTube do not use very impolite words, but the comments by watchers following them are (Ellis-Christensen, n.d.). Children may think these words are normal words that everybody uses in daily life. Moreover, there are too many violent video clips on YouTube. Internet is the most free channel to share information. Some information or pictures can not be shown on television, but all can be shown on the internet. For example, some pictures show a car bomb in Iraq that has corpses in horrible pictures. Furthermore, some clips show bad events in which people try to kill each other. If people watch these video clips too much, they may become tolerant and they may think it is a usual event that can happen everywhere. When they are very angry, they may copy the behaviors that they have seen on the internet to solve their problems. In addition, a lot of clips in YouTube are about sex. According to Cooper (2007), “None of this is meant to trivialize the challenge. A recent University of New Hampshire study found that 4 out of 10 American youths, ages 10 to 17, have seen pornography online, and two-thirds say it was uninvited. That means there's a very good chance your kids are going to see penises, vaginas, breasts and any combination thereof rubbing against each other. Without you even knowing” (para. 12). This is a scary statistic that almost half of children watch pornography on the internet. YouTube also provide many videos that are similar on the same topic. For example, if children search for the sexual video clips, YouTube will show other clips that are about sex. It is very easy for children to see other nude clip videos that are more and more dangerous for them. Children are too young to learn about sex by watching video by themselves. It also may be dangerous to their studying, because they just want to use internet to watch video clips all the time, and do not pay attention to their studying.

The second reason is the detail in some videos can hurt watchers’ feelings. Some videos have pictures about killing each other. When some watchers see these videos, watchers may feel depressed. Moreover, some videos insult someone that some people love. For example, YouTube shows videos that insult The Thai King. YouTube should learn who the Thai King is, and how important he is to Thai people. According to Biggs (2008), “Imagine how shocked I was when I found this website from the USA which talked about the Thai celebrations. The news story was talking about how wonderful it was that Thais wore yellow throughout the celebrations, and it spoke of the deep feeling of love Thais have towards their King. But … at the end of the news story there were a series of comments from readers. One or two of them were very obnoxious. They said shocking things about the King; even I was very surprised as I read them. I left the website thinking, “Why would people write such cruel and nasty things about a situation they didn’t even know about?” (para. 2, 3). Andrew Biggs is not Thai, but he knows and understands how Thai people love their King. People who are going to do something should know all details before doing it. It is especially true when they want to express something by using the media. They should have more responsibility because watchers are not only writers, but also people around the world. If they show some things that are wrong information to the public, watchers may believe all detail that they consume, and they may misunderstand. YouTube also posted videos that tease the U.S. presidential candidates. These videos can make people confused about which one is his or her real character between a reliable and funny person. Lowry (2007) said, “Since when do we want our politics ‘controlled’ by anyone? Anyone, anywhere, the worriers say, can post negative material about candidates. So what? Positive ads are often as misleading as negative ones. This is a point implicitly made by someone who posted on YouTube a Rudy Giuliani ad from his 1993 mayoral campaign that depicted him, in sickeningly gauzy terms, as an utterly devoted family man. How's that for dishonest advertising?” (para. 8). Some people want to frame up a rival by posting obnoxious videos in order to hurt a rival’s image that may make watcher confused. If people get confused because of YouTube, they may decide to change to use other websites that provide similar videos, but do not make them feel bad like YouTube.

The third reason is that these bad videos may hurt YouTube’s image. Image in business is very important for companies. Williams (n.d.) said, “For starters, your image should reflect your company’s personality (or brand) - which, to some degree, is your personality because you are the owner of your business. It should also reflect your industry, along with your customer’s expectations and the defining attributes of your products and services” (para. 3). Image can tell the class of your product. It also can tell a kind of customers. Now, consumers not only want to consume some products that they want, but they are worried about their image. If they consume good image products, it means they have a good image, too. In the same way, if YouTube has a good image that provides qualified videos, users want to use this website, because they do not have to worry about what they are going to see. In contrast, if YouTube has a bad image such that everybody thinks YouTube has many bad videos, users may stop using YouTube. For example, if YouTube provides bad videos that everybody can see, including children, parents may feel bad about YouTube and don’t want to see videos anymore. Moreover, in the case of Thailand, not only Thai people feel bad about videos insulting the Thai King, but also watchers all over the world may feel bad with YouTube. Another example is the case of Indonesia, in which YouTube posted clips about Islam. According to Popa (2008), “I am a Muslim and am also offended by that video on YouTube, but the website ban is just too much, YouTube ban was too much and that MySpace ban is just ridiculously unreasonable. You might think that by banning YouTube would resolve the problem but no, hey we're not the only ones in Indonesia, we have people of other religions as well and this would only result in bad image for the Muslims yet again” (para. 6). There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world (Wraith, 2006). If all Muslims around the world protest YouTube about these videos, YouTube will face a very big problem with their image. So, YouTube should try to protect its image in order to keep their users and get more in the future.

It is true that children may copy some behaviors after they watch bad videos. Some people may argue that parents should monitor the sites their children visit, should limit the time their children spend online and should know what their children watch; however, we have to think that children spend most of their time in school. It is about 8 hours per day. Every school has a computer for students and the teacher can not take care of each person-to-person. When they go back home, parents have to cook for them and do the housework. Parents do not have time to check what their children are doing all the time. YouTube has argued that it has banned pornography for children under 13. In practical reality, when users want to see nude videos, they have to register and inform of their age before watching these videos. How can YouTube prove the age of users? They can register by using a fake age and wrong information, because they know that nobody can check their information. It is very easy to register and to see pornography on YouTube. However, television is one of the most popular media that is easy to reach. Some programs on television are shown at specific times. It is especially programs about sex. These programs are shown on television in the depth of night, when all children are already sleep. It is a good way to protect them from seeing inappropriate programs. YouTube can use this method to prohibit children, too.

From the case of Thailand, some have said that Thai people have to accept the freedom of the internet and not be serious about the Thai King videos. Moreover, some have told YouTube to block these videos only in Thailand. People from different countries should know that the Thai King is like a father of every Thai person. It doesn’t matter whether Thai people can see these videos or not, but Thai people do not want other people in other countries to insult their King. If you were them, do you want some people to make ridiculous pictures of your father and mock him? Do not say anything if you do not exactly know about that. YouTube is the key cause of this problem. YouTube’s revenue may reach $90 million this year. Why can’t YouTube share their profit to set up a censorship department? It should be good if YouTube shows its responsibility for watchers that can help to improve its image.

These three reasons make it very clear why YouTube should censor some videos before posting. There are some videos that are bad examples for children. Children may copy bad behavior after they watch these videos, and their parents can’t control their action all the time. Moreover, watchers feel bad after watching videos that insult a person who is loved by other people. People in insulted countries will be angry if YouTube posts these videos, because they do not want somebody to laugh at their respected person. In addition, YouTube has to share its profit to set up a censorship department. YouTube should censor bad videos to keep its image in order to keep its customers.

Akerman, P. (2007, July 19). Politics of sexy silliness - YouTube election. The Daily Telegraph(Australia). Retrieved on March 28, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Biggs, A. (2007, April 8). YouTube. Weblog for Andrew biggs. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.andrewbiggs.com/blog2/?p=196

Carlson, N. (2008, April 2). Competitor: YouTube’s 2008 revenues will reach maybe $90 million. Valleywag weblog. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from http://valleywag.com/375041/competitor-youtubes-2008-revenues-will-reach-maybe-90-million


Cooper, C. (2007, February 9). Perspective: Thinking the unthinkable about kids and Net porn. CNET NEWS. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.news.com/Thinking-the-unthinkable-about-kids-and-Net-porn/2010-1025_3-6157791.html?tag=topicIndex

Ellis-Christensen, T. (n.d.). Is YouTube a Safe Site For Children to Use? Wiskgeek. Retrieved on April 26, 2008, from http://www.wisegeek.com/is-youtube-a-safe-site-for-children-to-use.htm

Lowry, R. (2007, March 27). Outrunning the Political Regulators. Real clear politics. Retrieved on April 26, 2008, from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/03/outrunning_the_political_regul.html

Naim, M. (2007, January-February). The YouTube effect. Foreign Policy. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3676

The Nation (Thailand). (2007, April 10). Freedom comes with responsibility. Retrieved on March 25, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Popa, B. (2008, April 11). YouTube Unbanned in Indonesia. Softpedia. Retrieved on April 27, 2008, from http://news.softpedia.com/news/YouTube-Unbanned-In-Indonesia-83124.shtml

Rankin, B. (n.d.). What is YouTube? Ask Bob Rankin. Retrieved on April 24, 2008, from http://askbobrankin.com/what_is_youtube.html

The Toronto Star. (2008, March 17). Business in the hotseat over Net censorship. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Williams, J. (n.d.). What’s the Right Image for Your Small Business? Bplans. Retrieved on April 24, 2008, from http://articles.bplans.com/index.php/business-articles/marketing-a-business/whats-the-right-image-for-your-small-business/122

Wraith, T. (2006, February 11). How many Muslims in the world? Thomas the Wraith weblog. Retrieved on April 27, 2008, from http://rantwraith.blogspot.com/2006/02/how-many-muslims-in-world.html

Monday, April 28, 2008

Debate of Wikipedia

Nowadays, a lot of people like to search for information from the internet. It is especially true with Wikipedia. Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites that people usually use to find out some information. According to Parry (2008), “This website has grown into an immensely useful resource for background information on a wide range of scientific subjects, and can serve as quick reference for ant number of scientific facts. What is perhaps more important and useful, though, is the extent to which Wikipedia also preserves the debate and discourse around a particular subject” (para. 6). Some people also said Wikipedia has become a phenomenon since it was launched six years ago (Martin, 2008).

However, Wikipedia has bad ways for users because users can’t trust all information that is posted on this website, the information on the Wikipedia is not a good source for academic work, and this website makes students too lazy to search for information from the library.

The first bad reason for using Wikipedia is some information is incredible. Lengel (2006) said, “Wikipedia is an cyclopedia complied by the voluntary contributions of hundreds of writers and editors. Anyone can write an article and post it to the Wikipedia; anyone else can come along later and edit the article. It’s a kind of open, voluntary, work inprogress. As such, it’s the most up-to-date encyclopedia you’ll find” (para. 6). How can we believe this website if everyone can post and edit the information all the time? Some people may trust this information that may cause bad results in the future.

The second reason is the information on Wikipedia is not accepted by academic professors, because professors think some information in Wikipedia may be wrong. According to Bilodeau (2008), “Wikipedia is not a proper source for an academic work. Many professors would not accept an encyclopedia entry as a citation in a paper regardless of which encyclopedia it came from. Some might accept it as a source of a definition, perhaps, but in those cases, it would have to be an encyclopedia recognized in that field. Wikipedia, in a general sense, wouldn’t make the grade” (para. 8). Moreover, some schools ban access to this website in order to prohibit students from using it.

The third reason is this website makes students too lazy to their studying. Nowadays, almost every person has his/her own laptop, which is very convenient. When a teacher gives an assignment to students, they always find the information from the internet. It is especially from Wikipedia, which has a lot of information in various fields. They never find the answer from books in a library, or even find from their textbook. They may search information from an encyclopedia, not from the internet because nobody can guarantee all the information from the internet like the book.

In conclusion, people like to search for information from the internet. It is especially from Wikipedia. There are three bad effects to users from this website. First, users can’t believe all information from it because everyone can post and edit this website all the time. Second, most professors don’t accept the information from Wikipedia for academic work. Finally, this website make students too lazy to search for information from credible sources.

Bilodeau, E. (2008, January 14). Academic banning of Google and Wikipedia misguided. Cool Weblog. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.coolweblog.com/bilodeau/archives/003743.html

Lengel, J. (2006, February 07). Authorities. Teaching with Technology. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology/article.shtml?ID=12

Martin, N. (2008, January 21). Wikipedia clamps down on ‘unreliable’ editors. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/20/wiki120.xml

Parry, D. (2008, February 11). Wikipedia and the new curriculum. Science Progress. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/02/wikipedia-and-the-new-curriculum

Monday, April 21, 2008

Censorship on YouTube

The world has become closer than in the past because of technology. Internet is the best media to spread new information to other places. I became interested in YouTube because I think YouTube is a very famous website that almost everybody uses. There are many kinds of videos on YouTube, such as news, music videos, and funny videos that make users enjoy themselves. According to Carson (2008), YouTube’s revenue will be $90 million in 2008. This is one of the statistics to guarantee that YouTube is one of the most famous websites in the world. However, YouTube has some mistakes that cause misunderstanding. Some videos on YouTube are too violent for children. It also has inappropriate videos that should not be posted on YouTube. For example, YouTube posted a clip video that insulted the king of Thailand (The Nation, 2007). Another example is that YouTube posted videos about teasing politicians that make people confused (Akerman, 2007). From “Business in the hotseat over Net censorship” (Toronto Star, 2008) many countries, such as China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Turkey, and Thailand, have tried to block access to YouTube because of offending videos.

There are many reasons to show that YouTube should censor some videos, because some videos have too much violence that are harmful for children, some videos affect other people’s feeling, and bad videos may affect YouTube’s image.

The first reason that YouTube should censor videos before posting is that some videos are dangerous for children. Danger includes words, violence, and sex. Nowadays, children use internet to search for information almost every day. It is very easy to see what they want on some video clips. Some videos are cartoons, but actors and actresses use impolite words. Children may think these words are normal words that everybody uses in daily life. A lot of clips in YouTube are about sex. Children are too young to learn about sex by watching video. It also may be dangerous to their studying, because they just want to use internet to watch video clips all the time, and do not pay attention to their studying.

The second reason is the detail in some videos can hurt watcher’s feeling. Some videos have pictures about killing each other, or insult someone that some people love. For example, YouTube shows videos that insult The Thai King. YouTube should learn who the Thai King is, and how important he is to Thai people. YouTube also posted videos that tease the U.S. presidential candidates. These videos can make people confused about which one is his or her real character between reliable and funny person. If people are angry with YouTube, they may decide to change to use other websites that provide similar videos, but do not make them feel bad like YouTube.

The third reason is that these bad videos may hurt YoruTube’s image. Image in business is very important for companies. It can tell the class of your product. It also can tell a kind of customers. If YouTube has a good image that provides qualified videos, users want to use this website, because they do not have to worry about what they are going to see. In contrast, if YouTube has a bad image such that everybody thinks YouTube has many bad videos, users may stop using YouTube. So, YouTube should try to protect its image in order to keep their users and get more in the future.

It is true that children may copy some behaviors after they watch bad videos. Some people may argue that parents should know what their children watch; however, we have to think that children spend most of their time in school. It is about 8 hours per day. Every school has a computer for students and teacher can not take care of them person-to-person. When they go back home, parents have to cook for them and do the housework. Parents do not have time to check what their children are doing all the time. From the case of Thailand, some have said that Thai people have to accept the freedom of the internet and not be serious about the Thai King videos. Moreover, some have told YouTube to block these videos only in Thailand. People from different countries should know that The Thai King is like a father of every Thai person. It doesn’t matter whether Thai people can see these videos or not, but Thai people do not want other people in other countries to insult their King. If you were them, do you want some people to make ridiculous pictures of your father and mock him? Do not say anything if you do not exactly know about that. YouTube is the key cause of this problem. YouTube’s revenue may reach $90 million this year. Why can’t YouTube share their profit to set up a censorship department? It should be good if YouTube shows its responsibility for watchers that can help to improve its image.

These three reasons make it very clear why YouTube should censor some videos before posting. There are some videos that are bad examples for children. Children may copy bad behavior after they watch these videos, and their parents can’t control their action all the time. Moreover, some videos insult a person who is loved by other people. People in insulted countries will be angry if YouTube posts these videos, because they do not want somebody to laugh at their respected person. In addition, YouTube has to share its profit to set up a censorship department. YouTube should censor bad videos to keep its image in order to keep its customers.

Akerman, P. (2007, July 19). Politics of sexy silliness - YouTube election. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). Retrieved on March 28, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Carlson, N. (2008, April 2). Competitor: YouTube’s 2008 revenues will reach maybe $90 million. Valleywag weblog. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from http://valleywag.com/375041/competitor-youtubes-2008-revenues-will-reach-maybe-90-million

The Nation (Thailand). (2007, April 10). Freedom comes with responsibility. Retrieved on March 25, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

The Toronto Star. (2008, March 17). Business in the hotseat over Net censorship. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Funny Political Videos on YouTube

In “Politics of sexy silliness - YouTube election,” the author reports that YouTube has many videos about teasing politicians, and that this method is not a good way to promote their policies. The most popular video on YouTube is about two presidential candidates in the U.S. YouTube also has many funny videos that are related to famous people, such as the Prime minister of Australia and Paris Hilton. The author also said campaign politicians who use clips with dancing on YouTube might succeed at first, but it does not reflect exactly the policy of politicians. Finally, YouTube users should know what the true information is and choose it to adapt to their lives.

Politicians should not promote their policies on YouTube, because these videos may make watchers confused; politicians should choose other ways to find supporters, and YouTube should have censorship to censor videos if these videos make watchers feel bad.

The first reason that politicians should not use YouTube to promote their campaign is that funny videos might make users confused about the character and policies of the politician. Some videos show funny face and funny actions of politicians, such as their dancing with sexy girls and their singing a funny song. These videos make users confused about what the real characters of politicians are. Watchers also get confused about politicians’ policies because some videos show politicians talking about a policy to help children, but they show only sexy girls, no boys. These videos damage politician’s image. A politician should be a credible person who we choose to be a leader of country, not a clown.

The second reason is that politicians should find other better channels to promote their campaign than using the internet. We have to accept that the internet is an easy way to access people, but it is not the best way. People who are surfing on the internet to see politicians’ funny videos do not want to vote for them, but just want to relax with jokes on YouTube. Politicians should use other ways to show their policies. For example, a politician may talk to people in a public area. People might feel closer to a politician than if he used other ways. In addition, a politician may use other media which are is reliable, such as television and newspaper. These ways are better than using internet.

YouTube should have a department to censor videos if videos are dangerous for some people, or for watchers. For example, YouTube should ask politicians if it has videos about funny politicians, whether these videos are dangerous for their image or not. If politicians tell YouTube that these videos are not harmful to them, YouTube can post these videos to the public. On the other hand, if politicians say that these videos should not be posted on the internet, YouTube should respect their right.

In conclusion, politicians should not use YouTube to promote their policies. The first reason is it may make watchers confused about a politician’s personality and policy, because there are many funny videos that may lead to the misunderstanding of watchers. The second reason is that YouTube is not a good way to promote policy, because a lot of people who watch videos want to see a funny video, not to vote. Finally, YouTube has to ask people who are related to videos before posting videos.

Akerman, P. (2007, July 19). Politics of sexy silliness - YouTube election. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). Retrieved on March 28, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Monday, March 31, 2008

More Freedom, More Responsibility

In “Freedom comes with responsibility,” the author reports that YouTube posted a clip video that insulted the king of Thailand. This video compared the Thai King to George Bush in a bad way. Sitthichai Pookaiyaudoom, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) minister, said the King is the most important person in Thailand that all Thai people respect. The Thai government asked YouTube to remove the clip, but YouTube insisted on keeping it. So, ICT had to ban this website. Julie Supan, YouTube spokeswoman, explained that YouTube tried to give education to Thai people. She also said this video clip did not break YouTube’s policy. In the end, the Thai government continued to blocked this website until it erased the video clip.

YouTube should censor all video clips to show its responsibility, because of culture differences, too many nude video clips, and too many violent video clips on YouTube.

The first reason that YouTube should censor the video clip is that different countries have different cultures. YouTube is one of the most popular websites that people use around the world. Each part of the world has a different culture that YouTube should learn about before posting videos. From this article, the most important person that Thai people respect is the king. YouTube should know how important the Thai king is in Thailand and what would happen if YouTube posted this clip. Religion is also a sensitive issue that YouTube should know about. For example, in Buddhism, a monk can not touch a woman. Then, YouTube should not post a clip that makes Buddhist people feel bad. If a user feels bad with this website, they may change to use other websites and YouTube may lose good users.

The second reason is that YouTube has too many video clips about sex that are dangerous for children. Nowadays, children use internet to search for information almost every day. It is very easy to see some video clips that they want. A lot of clips in YouTube are about sex. Children are too young to learn about sex by watching videos. If they watch sex clips without suggestion from their parents, they might copy all behaviors and they may commit crime easily. It also may be dangerous to their studying because they just want to use internet to watch video clips all the time, and do not pay attention to their studying.

The third reason is there are too many violent video clips on YouTube. Internet is the most free channel to share information. Some information or pictures can not be shown on television, but all can be shown on the internet. For example, some pictures show a car bomb in Iraq that has corpses in horrible pictures. Moreover, some clips show bad events in which people try to kill each other. If people watch these video clips too much, they may become tolerant and they may think it is a usual event that can happen everywhere. When they are very angry, they may copy the behaviors that they have seen on the internet to solve their problems.

In conclusion, YouTube should censor all video clips before posting on the internet, because there are different cultures in different countries. Some people can accept all details on video clips, but some people can not. In addition, there are many sexy video clips that may be harmful for children. Finally, people may watch violent video clips that make them become tolerant. They may think violence is a good solution and this may cause many social problems.

Freedom comes with responsibility. (2007, April 10). The Nation (Thailand). Retrieved on March 25, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Give Freedom to People

In “Controversy blights UN net summit,” the author reports that the Tunisian government did not accept helping from the UN to use internet in Tunisia because the Tunisian government was worried about censorship on the internet. From the World Summit on the Information society, many countries still had a doubt about who should check all information on the internet. The US delegation showed dissatisfaction to Tunisia that its government did not let people talk in the way they want, like the Tunisian government declared. The Chinese vice premier said that even though China gave people freedom of speech, the government still prevented crimes from some websites that were dangerous for people or country. Finally, Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, secretary general of the International Telecommunication union, said that everyone should have the right to create and show their opinion.

Government should allow people to use internet and have freedom of speech, because internet is a good way to share information, everybody has the right to talk and government may know what people want.

The first reason to support this idea is that the internet is a convenient way to spread information. Internet is a very easy method to contact other people around the world. The internet never sleeps, so people can search for information all 24 hours. People can learn new things such as technology, education and other culture from the internet, so that they can adjust their lives to it. We have to accept that the internet is very useful for people in a modern society like nowadays. On the other hand, some websites are dangerous for people and country. Government should control these websites, for example, websites for teaching how to use weapons and websites that have naked pictures.

The second reason that government should give people freedom of speech is that humans have the right to talk. If people have the right to be born, they should have the right to talk the way they want. Speech is a primary freedom that they should receive. Government should allow freedom of speech to people because people may recommend or suggest good ideas when they know from the internet that government never knew that before. For example, people might suggest other ways to control inflation when they how to solve problems from other countries. People also may advise the government to protect the environment if they search for the information from the internet.

The third reason is the government will know what people want. Almost every country has a big area and large population. Government can not take care of them efficiently. People who live everywhere in the country can share what they want on the internet. They also can tell what they like or what they do not like about the government’s policy. If government knows what people do not like, it can adjust the policy to the way that people want. Moreover, if government knows what people want and it can not completely change the policy, government should find the balance point where two sides agree with this solution.

In conclusion, government should allow people to use internet and give them freedom of speech because all people have the right to talk all the way they want. In addition, the internet is a very convenient way to contact other people in all the world. People may know new information from the internet, but government should control some websites that are harmful for people and for the country. Finally, people can reflect their thinking about government’s policy in order to try to find out an optimal point for both sides.

Twist, J. (2005, November 18). Controversy blights UN net summit. BBC News. Retrieved on March 19, 2008, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4450474

Monday, March 3, 2008

Internet Dating Survey

1.Introduction

Have you ever tried to use internet dating? Do you think males or females use more internet dating? Is it a good way to find a serious relationship? In the U.S. society, many people find new friends, girlfriends, or boyfriends from online because this way is very convenient. In “Online dating service” the author reports, “U.S. residents spent $469.5 million on online dating and personals in 2004, and over $ 500 million in 2005, the second largest segment of ‘paid content’ on the web” (n.d., para.4). This is a big amount of money in the U.S.’s economic system. This indicates that Americans like to meet new friends from online dating more than from other ways. This way is not a suitable way to everyone. From the same research, the author also reports, “Even when member’s profiles are ‘real’ there is still an inherent lack of trust with other members” (n.d., para.15). This shows that internet dating is a harmful way for users.

2. Purpose

Our group; Botian, Johnny, Abdullah, and I decided to examine the relationship between gender and age of Americans who use online dating. We want to find out whether males or females worried about danger from online dating. Moreover, we wanted to know their opinion about internet dating, and whether they think it is a dangerous way to find new friends or not.

3. Hypotheses

We have three hypotheses about this problem. First, we thought old people are more likely to use online dating than young people. Second, we thought females would be worried about safety. Then, females would be more likely to think that a company should check the criminal background of members than males. Finally, older people would be more likely to think that internet dating is a bad way to find a serious relationship than young people.

4. Methods and Procedures

Our group asked thirty people who are of different ages and genders in Carbondale to learn about different ideas. We planned to ask SIU students in order to know the opinion of young people. In addition, we wanted to ask older people, too. We prepared a survey that had 10 questions. These questions asked about gender, age, yes/no, and order questions. It was very easy survey to understand and took a short time to answer.

5. Data and Chart

Connect here http://eap1.blogspot.com/2008/03/internet-dating-survey.html

6. Results

From the research, twenty out of thirty of people (66.7%) never used internet dating. Of these twenty people, six people wanted to try to use internet dating and fourteen people did not. Many people (70%) thought males used more internet dating than females. Respondents thought people who are 26-35 years old used internet dating services more than other ages. People used this way to find a girlfriend and boyfriend because it is interesting. Twenty-five of thirty of people (83.3%) did not believe all profiles on the internet. Almost all(96.7%) of the people thought the company should check the criminal background of its members. Moreover, most people believed that people are looking for smart person. Finally, fourteen of thirty people thought internet dating is a good way to find a serious girlfriend or boyfriend.

7. Conclusion and Discussion

I believed that older people are more likely to use online dating than young people. From the result, most people who used internet dating service are 24-26 years old. I think it is because young people usually use the internet than older people. I also thought females are more likely to think that a company should check the criminal background of its member than males. I was right because I thought females were worried about safety more than males. Some girls thought online dating was dangerous for them. I thought males think internet dating is just for fun. So, they do not care about background. In addition, I thought only older people are more likely to think internet dating is a bad way to find a serious relationship. The result showed that not only older people thought internet dating is a bad way to find a serious relationship, but also young people. I think both old and young people are still worried about all profiles on the internet. Some profiles such as address, career and pictures are not accurate. People who use online dating tried to make very good profiles in order to help them become more interesting.

If I were to do this survey again, I would want to ask a larger number of older people. Because I did this survey at SIU, most respondents are SIU students and they never use online dating services. I think it is because they still have a chance to meet a girlfriend or girlfriend at the university. I would want to ask more people who are over 30 years old. Some people have no opportunity to meet new friends because they work only at their offices. I think these people are the main group of people to use this service. I would get better statistics if I ask them.

8. Reference

Online dating service. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved on February 27, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_dating_service

9. Appendix

Copy of survey http://eap1.blogspot.com/2008/03/internet-dating-survey-results.html

Friday, February 29, 2008

Punishment By Spanking

Family has the most important role in our society. Children can be good or bad adults; that depends on parents’ teaching. If parents can treat their children very well, they will be successful in their life. On the other hand, if parents do not treat their children well, they may have many problems. Teaching has different ways to make children understand. When children did something wrong, some families only blame children. However, some families are still punishing their children by spanking. According to the article, “Our view on corporal punishment: to spank or not to spank?” the author says spanking is not a good method to punish children. It may become illegal and it makes children become tolerant.

Some people think thinks spanking is a good way to punish children, but other think it is a bad way to teach children. There are three reasons to support this idea. Parents should find other ways to punish their children. Spanking can make children become tolerant, and it is illegal in some places.

First, spanking is not a good method to punish children. If parents hit them, they may think their parents do not love them. They might ask themselves why their parents make them hurt. If their parents do not explain the reasons why they were hit, they may feel bad with their family and want to separate to live by themselves. I think punishment is good to teach them if they did something wrong, but spanking is not an appropriate way to treat children. Parents should try to find other ways to punish them, not spanking. For example, when my cousin wants to punish their children, she tries to explain to them about their mistake. Then, her children will get time out by staying alone in their bedroom for 10 minutes. I think this method is one good way to teach their children.

Second, punishment by spanking makes children become tolerant. Parents can give children life, but parents are not owners of children’s life. If the children hurt their body when they do not understand, they may think spanking is the best way to solve problems. When they go to school, they may hit their friends if their friends did something wrong because they think it is a normal way to punish other people. If they get spanking too much, they may think that it is a normal punishment because they are used to learning with this method. Moreover, when they grow up, they may become hooligans. Violence is absorbed into their thinking along with the idea that it is the best way to solve problems.

Finally, punishment by spanking that harms to children’s health is illegal. Punishment is a good method to teach children, but too much is dangerous for children. Parents should give them punishment at an optimal level, in order to help children learn what right or wrong is. Children are humans that have rights the same as adults. If parents give them a punishment that dangerous to their health, it is illegal. Parents have to go to jail. Nobody will take care of their children. It can cause many problems in the future that are caused by family problems.

In conclusion, family is the most important organization in our society. Whether children will be successful or fail depends on parents’ teaching. Parents should have a good method to teach them. Punishment is one of the good ways to teach them. However, if it becomes violent, it is harmful to children. Children might feel bad with this punishment. They may get used to this method, it makes them not learn anything from this punishment.

Our view on corporal punishment: to spank or not to spank? (2007, January 25). USA Today. Retrieved on February 28, 2008, from http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/01/post_35.html

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Lowering Drinking Age Survey

1. Introduction

Do you usually drink alcohol? When you drink, how do you go back home? Do you think about what age people should be allowed to drink alcohol at? In our society, we have many problems that are affected by alcohol. For example, when drinkers are drunk, they usually fight for stupid reasons. Alcohol is bad for their health. They may have an accident easily and they may commit crimes. In “Addressing underage drinking” the author reports, “the fact is alcohol is No.1 youth drug problem in America and more young people die in America” (n.d., para.3). Some teenagers want to change the drinking age from 21 to 18. They claim that they can be soldiers and die for their country when they are 18, so why can they not drink? They do not think that they are too young to control the limit of drinking. Then, when they are drunk, they may cause many problems.

2. Purpose

Our group, EAP1 A, decided to examine why people who are 18 want to start drinking alcohol. I wanted to find out the relationship between gender and age of people who want to change the drinking law. Moreover, I want to know people’s thinking about drinking under age. Furthermore, I want to examine people who were worried about the drinking problem at Carbondale/SIUC.

3. Hypotheses

I had three hypotheses about this problem. First, people who are under 18 would want to change the drinking age from 21 to 18 because they want to be cool people in their opinion. Second, men would say they started drinking earlier than women. Finally, only young people would want to change this law.

4. Methods and Procedures

Our group was supposed to ask sixty-six people who are of different ages and genders in Carbondale in order to learn about different ideas. But in fact we got 49 surveys and all were from SIU students. We prepared a survey that had 9 questions. These questions were mostly yes or no questions, and one question that asked them to write a short answer. It was very easy survey to understand and took a short time to answer.

5. Data and Chart

Connect here http://eap1.blogspot.com/2008/02/practice-survey-results_27.html

6. Results

From the research, people who are under 20 drink alcohol slightly more than people who are not. Thirty-two out of thirty-six of people who are under 21 (88.9%) drink alcohol. The same percentage of males and females do binge drinking. However, drinkers who do not binge (79.6%) are more than people who binge (20.4%). Females started drinking a little bit earlier than males. 84.7% of people think that too much drinking is not a problem in Carbondale. Forty-one out of forty-nine (83.6%) believe that a little alcohol is good but too much is bad. Over half of people (69.3%) think that drinking age should not be lowered, but 30.6% of people think that it should be lowered.

7. Conclusion and Discussion

I believed that people who are under 18 would want to change the drinking age from 21to 18 because they want to be cool people in their opinion. However, the research showed that nobody thought drinking alcohol made him or her a cool person. I was surprised because I thought they wanted to be cool people, but the result showed that their feeling about alcohol is that a little alcohol is good but too much is bad. I was also surprised that females started drinking earlier than males. This is a shocking number for me, because I believed strongly that males started drinking earlier than females. However, I forgot to think about physical girls. Girls grow up earlier than boys; that may make girls try to drink alcohol earlier than boys. The last hypothesis was that only young people would want to change drinking law. The research showed that not only young people wanted to change the drinking law, but also people who are over 21. However, the number of people who did not want to change the law was higher than people who wanted to change. I think people are still worried about problems that may happen when young people drink alcohol.

If I were to do this survey again, I would want to ask not only SIU students but also workers, because most SIU students are 18-25 years old. I want to know the different opinions in different ages. Maybe if I ask older people, I may get some good opinions from them. One of my questions in this survey is about opinion. Respondents have to write a short answer. It was difficult for me to conclude the answer. I want to change to yes/no question. I think it would be easier to count the answers.

8. Reference

Addressing underage drinking. (n.d.). why21.org. Retrieved on February 5, 2008, from http://www.why21.org/under21/

9. Appendix

Copy of survey http://eap1.blogspot.com/2008/02/practice-survey-results.html

Friday, February 8, 2008

Lowering Drinking Age Is Not A Solution

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of drunk drivers who are 16 to 20 years old and died in car and motorcycle accidents in 2006 increased 3.9 percent from 2005 (Insurance Information Institute, 2008). This is a high increase in drunken driving. Some 18 to 20 year olds claim their right to drink alcohol. Should they have this right? Everyone knows the answer from the number is shown above. It is very obvious that people who are under 21 should not have the right to drink alcohol.

There are many reasons to support this idea. Reduction the age of drinking is a bad thing for teenagers. It will increase the number of drinkers in our community. In addition, it can cause a chaotic society.

The primary reason that the lawmakers should not change drinking age from 21 to 18 is it may encourage teenagers who never drank to start drinking. If the law changes, it will increase the amount of drinkers. All of them are students. They should take time for their studying, not drinking. It may harm their education and future. It also affects the country, which needs potential workers for its development. Moreover, they are students. Some people work, some do not. Some of them get allowance from their parents. Most bars have entrance fees. When they go to a bar, they have to pay both entrance fee and for beverage. It wastes money for them. In addition, it also can cause family problems. They may hang out with friends too much and not pay attention to their family. Talking with members in the family is the best method to share each other’s feeling.

Moreover, an important reason lawmakers should not change the drinking age from 21 to 18 is it may make more hooligans. They do not know themselves when they are drunk. If some places are full of them, they usually fight such as shooting and stabbing for totally stupid reasons. It is very dangerous for their life. They may commit crimes because they are drunk. For example, they may steal other people’s cars, they may destroy public assets and they can have sexual abuse. According to article in “why21,” “The fact is alcohol is the No.1 youth drug problem in America and more young people die from alcohol” (Addressing underage drinking, n.d., para.3). Because they are drunk, it is very dangerous when they drive a car. They can have an accident. It can cause them to be injured, crippled or dead. The big problem is not only they die, they also take other people’s lives with them.

A lot of people who are under 21 want to change the drinking age from 21 to 18. They wonder if they are old enough to drive, vote, go to war, and die for their country, they should be old enough to drink, right? From the article in “Progressiveu.org,” the writer answered, “Because you might die without going off to war, better to die for your country than to die drunk” (Changing the drinking age back to 18, 2006, para.1). These people are wrong, because 18–year-olds can be drivers, but they can not control their limit of drinking. When they are drunk, they have to drive back home. It is very harmful for their life. Moreover, 18-year-olds can be soldiers to protect their country, but it is their duty. It is for their country, not for an individual reason like drinking. Everybody should do it. Soldiers fight invaders to protect the country in the war. It should be good if they hold the gun in the battlefield, not in the bar. This law does not mean they do not have the right to drink, but they will get this right in the next three years. Why do they really want to drink when they are not mature? The answer is they want to be cool people. They can be a cool person without drinking. They can pay attention to other things such as studying, sport, recreation, art, etc. These activities are better for your health and future than drinking.

It is very clear that the lawmakers should not change the drinking age from 21 to 18. It would urge teenagers to start drinking earlier than they should be. It will increase the drunkenness in our society. Moreover, when they are drunk, they are not scared of anything. They can do something illegal. The most harmful thing is an accident. They may die and kill innocent people. Therefore, the government should keep this law. 21 years old is still an appropriate age for drinking in the U.S. 18 years old is suitable for voting and going to war that is a good responsibility for the country, but not drinking. Three years for waiting to drink is not too long a duration. They should use their time for good activities in order to have a good future, not drinking.

Addressing underage drinking. (n.d.). why21.org. Retrieved on February 5, 2008, from http://www.why21.org/under21/

Changing the Drinking Age Back to 18. (2006, October, 14). Progressiveu.org. From Overused Prototype. Retrieved on February 5, 2008, from http://www.progressiveu.org/151450-changing-the-drinking-age-back-to-18

Insurance Information Institute . (2008, February). Drunk Driving. Retrieved on February 5, 2008, from http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/drunk/

Mulcahey, S. (2002, January 30). Lowering drinking age is not a solution. Retrieved on February 1, 2008, from http://media.www.westerncourier.com/media/storage/paper650/news/2002/01/30/Opinion/Lowering.Drinking.Age.Is.Not.A.Solution-443723.shtml

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Causes Of Stress

Every person has different stress. The causes of stress come from their problems such as health, family, work and economy. It is especially true in modern life, in which all people want much more money. How dangerous stress is depends on your mind. If you think you can control it, you will not get stress. In contrast, if you can not deal with if or you don’t know the cause of stress, it may be harmful to you.

There are three big causes of stress that may be harmful: greed, confusion and laziness. People never stop wanting. They try to find new things to make them happier. They get confused in their life. They never let something be. And they are too lazy to exercise for relaxing.

The most important cause of stress is greed. People always need conveniences to help them be more comfortable in modern life. They want a big house, a modern car, or a luxurious accessory. All of these conveniences are very expensive. They have to work hard to get much money to afford these things. It gives them more stress. If somebody wants something but they do not have enough money, they have stress. They may not be able to control themselves. It makes them become insane people.

The second is confusion. They want to hold everything in their hand. They don’t let something go. For example, if your assistant becomes your boss, you will have stress, because you always think he or she is a lower level than you. If you can adapt yourself with every situation, you will not have stress. An example comes from my religion, Buddhism. Buddhism taught me how to cope with stress in my mind. Everything is not stable; it will disappear. Then, I should not hold everything. If something is gone, I have to understand and adjust myself with what remains.

Laziness also can be the cause of stress. For example, if you are too lazy to work, you might get little money. It is not enough to support your family. You will have stress from your laziness. From my experience, I usually read the book only at night before taking the test, because I am lazy. I have stress every time when I am going to take the test. It has many affects on my body. Before taking the test, I can not eat anything, I have a headache and I want to vomit. That is the worst thing, that stresses are linked to the body.

In conclusion, there are three different causes of stress. The first cause is avarice. People still want more than they still have. Some people become crazy people because of their stress. Another cause is confusion. They get confused in their life. They try to keep everything with them all the time. The other cause is laziness. You do something too late because of laziness; it gives you stress. Stress also affects your body. You may feel uncomfortable inside your body if you can not control it. This article just tells a few examples of the causes of stress. It can help you to understand them and learn how to manage yourself in the modern life as we have today.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

“Road Rage” Runs Rampant In High Stress U.S. Society

In “‘Road Rage’ runs rampant in high stress U.S. society,” correspondent Kyoko Altman reported that the serious problems from crowded traffic make people angry easily. Drivers may hurt other drivers by shooting, stabbing or crashing into them for stupid reasons. A doctor said people who are always angry when driving have a problem. But they never accept that they need help. Government try to solve this problem by using technology, but it is not enough.

The main cause of car accidents on the road in the U.S. is road rage. That is a result of stress.

Every day people have many stresses which are from their family, their work, their personal problems, etc. The severity of these stresses depends on each person. Some people can control their mood but some people can not. It is very dangerous when they can not control themselves and they release stress on other people. It is especially when they are on the road in rush hour. They can kill other people because of anger.

The government can be a part of solving this problem. They can fix the accidents by installing automatic machines that can take pictures when drivers break the law. It is one of the good ways to prevent accidents. Government also should increase the punishment, for example, by taking the driver’s license from the killer. A psychologist can take part in solving this problem. Road ragers should accept that they need help. They can consult a psychologist when they have a lot of stress in their daily life and try to find out the best way.

People who have a lot of stresses should learn how to decrease them. There are many ways to relax, for example, sleeping, exercising, watching TV and shopping. Even when driving, they can listen to music. It can help them to relax in a stressful situation. If they can not stand the crowded traffic, they can stop the car at the gas station and drink coffee or an energy beverage to help them feel fresh. It is one way to reduce the stress on the road.

Road rage is the most important cause for death. It is the result of stress. Everybody can reduce their stress by themselves or find another way to help. Government should increase the punishment of the law and psychologists can be a consultants for road ragers. If every part of society collaborates to solve this problem, it can help everybody live together happily.

Altman, K. (1997, July 18). ‘Road Rage’ runs rampant in high stress U.S. society. CNN. Retrieved on January 25, 2008, from http://www.cnn.com/us/9707/18/aggresive.driving/

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

College Students Screaming For Stress Relief

In “College students screaming for stress relief,” the author reported that one of the good ways to release students’ stress when they face the serious situations is to scream. They usually called this “primal scream”. It is popular among college and university students. This article also reported about other ways for students from different universities to relieve their stress. For example, at Santa Clara University, students stop studying and play with kids to relax. NYU students had a “midnight breakfast” with professors during exams. Finally, Dr.Kirk, President of Florida’s Saint Leo University, suggested that the period for counselling should be longer before exams. Then, students have more time to get counselling about their stress problems.

College students screaming for stress relief. (2007, December 12). The Associated Press. Retrieved on January 23, 2008, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22219591/

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Cash Flow Causes Student Stress

According to Ed Ewing and Rachel Jasper in “Cash flow not debt causes student stress, scientists told,” Adrian Scott, psychologist from University of Bath, showed the reports of his studying about student debt and stress. He asked 268 students about their size of their student loan and financial problems in their living. His result presented that the amount of money that they borrow did not make them worry or be serious. But the big problem was cash flow for living was not sufficient for their daily life. He suggested students should plan to use their money before going to university, and the teachers have to teach them how to manage money. Some universities have financial centers for consulting but students don’t pay attention to it. He also recommended that students separate two accounts for using and saving in order to save for their future.


Ewing, E. & Jasper, R. (2005, April 4). Cash flow not debt causes student
stress, scientist told. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on January 18, 2008, from http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/finance/story/0,12728,1452001,00.html