So long! (...but for how long?)

The Fall 2010 semester has come and gone and taken Information 3.0 with it. It's almost nostalgic looking back at my blog posts and tweets over the course of the semester. Fun and education don't generally intertwine for me, but this I-series course was as fun and educational as I've had in recent memory. Coming into the semester I considered myself to be a rather tech savvy individual, capable of talking about most innovative technological trends and the like. Not to say that I wasn't, but there were definitely a number of things I didn't really ever think of too deeply that have certainly made me wiser over the course of this last semester.

In the very beginning of the class, we had an assignment where we had to post our thoughts about technology on the main class board. On September 2nd, I said:

"Technology is tricky. While it is generally used to make our lives easier, I feel like technology is advancing at a much faster rate than the people who are capable of using it are. By the time the average user figures out and comfortably uses a certain device, there is something completely new coming out. Endless cycle."

There isn't anything that I learned in the class that really swayed my thinking about this statement, and I still stand by it, but now I know there's much more to it than just what I wrote. It's not so much about new things coming out and having to re-learn everything all the time. Technology is about how we adopt it and use it to fit our lifestyle. It could be the most helpful, life-enhancing tool you've ever encountered, or it can be the complete opposite- the most disruptive (and destructive) distraction you'll ever find. It's all about your approach and whichever way you choose to take it.

There were too many things learned in this class worthy of reminiscing about in this blog post, but I particularly enjoyed our unit on mobility. It's unbelievable to think how far we've come technologically as a society. Watching SciFi YouTube clips from the 1980s, they thought we'd have cell phone wrist watches with a built in television and such. We have the technology nowadays, it's just not be the most convenient thing in the world. It's no longer about carrying that portable cellular phone in your pocket and being able to make phone calls from anywhere. It is now about carrying that computer in your pocket that allows you to watch movies, order food, pay your bills, start your car, run your business, and turn the lights out in your house. Oh, and it also makes phone calls. The evolution of the wireless world has been something amazing. If we have come this far in 30some years, I can't wait to see what kind of technology I'll be using 20 years from now.

Wimba. The mixed course. That was pretty awesome. I had never actually used Wimba in any of my classes previously, so using it in the classroom with Professor Yaros made for a great experience. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why other professors don't use it as well. There is really something to be said about being able to vote on certain polls and voice our opinions and have a computer gather all the data and interpret it in a matter of seconds. I can't help but think back to my days in grade school when the teacher would ask a question and we'd raise our hands to vote with some kids putting their hands down as the teacher counted or raising their hands twice in some instances. Wimba was quick and efficient...and it worked. I was able to attend class from home when I was feeling under the weather and I didn't miss a beat. It is hard for me to see how this is not implemented in a larger percentage of courses moving forward. Great tool.

Lastly, to anyone who didn't get to experience this fall semester with us, the one thing I will tell you is that there is no such thing as "too safe" on the Internet. The Internet is a public domain, and if you're not careful about your privacy, you may really grow to regret it. We've all read about identity theft and how easy the practice has become for cyberthieves nowadays, but all of these things are preventable if we just spend a bit more time thinking about the kinds of things we make available to complete strangers on the Internet. This is one of the things I became particularly conscious about over the course of this class, and something that I will keep in mind with me any time I'm inputting any of my information into a computer. It is most definitely something to think about.

This is my last blog post of the semester. I would like to thank Professor Yaros and the rest of my Info 3.0 classmates for helping to make this such a great experience. I feel like I got to know a few of you more than I got to know people in other classes and it really was unlike any other course I've ever taken. I will certainly recommend it to other friends and classmates. I plan to continue posting on this blog beyond Info 3.0 as I've had a blast doing it and I have a legitimate interest in the topics of economics and technology. This is goodbye but it shouldn't be for too long. Thanks, everybody.

Technology in the Classroom + the Internet as a Supplement to Print Media?

After conducting an interview with Professor Grinath this morning, a few of my ideas were confirmed while a few others were challenged. It was an interesting talk, and I really wish I had more time. I began by asking Professor Grinath about his use of technology in the classroom. Having taken one of this Economics classes in past semesters, I really enjoyed the interactivity of his lectures and the way they were organized in PowerPoint presentations with various illustrations and clips along the way to help the economics non-enthusiasts digest the seemingly never ending demand and supply curves!

image courtesy of home-schooling.org

Aside from his typical classroom sessions, Professor Grinath teaches a few blended courses. In our own Information 3.0 class this semester, we experimented a bit with the blended course setup and it seemed to garner rather positive reviews. In retrospect, the period of time when we decided to experiment with the blended course may have had a little to do with the positive reviews (as everyone counted down the minutes until Thanksgiving break) but a few other things came to mind in regards to the differences between my limited experience with the blended course setup and Professor Grinath's thoughts after some time teaching them. For starters, Prof. Grinath believes that the individual who joins a blended course needs to be a little more motivated (or at least more organized) than the average student in your typical classroom course in the sense of keeping up with lectures, discussions, etc. In your regular classroom setup, the instructor is able to repeatedly remind students about upcoming deadlines and other course assignments. In the blended course, the dedication is required from the student to keep up with all the important dates on his/her own. Another thing that came to mind in the way of the contrast of my experience with blended courses in comparison to Prof. Grinath's account was the technology used to teach these courses. Although I didn't ask during my interview, I'm almost certain that Montgomery College uses WebCT as their primary client for distance learning courses. In our Information 3.0 class this semester we have been using Wimba which is a bit more modern and includes some more features than what I remember WebCT having. Regardless, my Info 3.0 classmates and myself may have enjoyed our limited time with the blended course format simply because it was a one time thing and something different than what we'd been accustomed to the whole semester. The response may or may not have been different if we had spent the entire semester using Wimba. 

Moving over to the economics side of things and in the context of this course, I asked Professor Grinath about the effects that the Internet has had on print media and the newspaper industry. In recent years we've seen the site traffic of online outlets like The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast skyrocket while the demand for print newspapers has dwindled. As he explained, the new substitute (the Internet) has brought down the demand for print media leading to a decrease in price and production of print materials, but he does not expect a complete elimination of these in our society as there will "always be a place for them." As both Professor Grinath and Judith Rosen explained, online media is not a necessary substitute for print media yet, but it can be thought of as a type of complement. The online availability of print media does not necessarily replace the handheld demand for the product, and although the levels of demand may fluctuate from time to time, the This is the same case as applicable to online retailers and their apparent dominance over the retail sector. Over the course of the past few months, I've been finding myself more and more drawn to buying all of my necessary items online. Whether they're textbooks, games, or music, I can't remember the last time I visited a brick and mortar store (except, of course, going to physically see what I would later order online). Just like with print media, there will seemingly always be a demand for brick and mortar stores simply from the viewpoint of being able to see and hold things physically. Professor Grinath can foresee partnerships forming between the typical brick and mortar stores and online retailers in the near future. For big box retailers who haven't done so already, this seems like the logical next step.

As I mentioned in my very first blog post, economists have grown to associate long term economic growth with steady technological progress in a society. Although it is hard to predict historical technological breakthroughs, it is hard not to see how the ease of accessibility to online media sites and online retailers are changing our lifestyles on a daily basis. This is a trend that should only continue to grow as technology becomes more accessible and we (hopefully) face periods of economic prosperity in the near future.

Sources:

Peters, Jeremy. "Longtime Washington Post Writer Heads to the Daily Beast." The New York Times. 5 October, 2010. 

Rosen, Judith. "Gazing Into the Crystal Ball." Publishers Weekly. Volume 247, Issue 20. Page S9.

PNC Bank's Virtual Wallet- the Future of Mobile Banking?

Image courtesy of AppScout.com

Between iOS and Android platforms, banking and finance applications seem rather standard, sticking for the most part to the basic online banking functions adapted to a mobile device. Today we’re taking a look at three applications relating to the topic that have made people’s life significantly easier. The first app is PNC’s Virtual Wallet application. Seemingly the most innovative of all proprietary bank applications, the PNC Virtual Wallet application gives us a glimpse at the future of mobile banking. The application is free on Apple’s App Store and is available for use to any PNC Virtual Wallet customer. PNC Bank has taken an interesting approach towards mobile banking with this application, going above and beyond standard banking applications. To begin, the Virtual Wallet app features a calendar view that allows the user to get organized financially. One can toggle back and forth between a daily, weekly, and monthly view of any funds presently spent or to be spent in the future. The calendar allows the user to view balances, past activities, and upcoming payments. Using push notifications, the calendar feature allows the user to receive bill reminders even if they are not presently using the application itself. The Virtual Wallet application synchronizes in real-time with a superb matching web-based application offered by PNC. A customer is able to perform a one-time setup of their respective bills, and subsequently pay their bills directly from their phone. This allows for bills to pay automatically, saving customers valuable time otherwise spent on regular mail procedures. As described by the bank, the “Money Bar” feature gives customers a “high definition view of [their] finances.” The bar allows you to easily transfer funds from a “Scheduled Out” account (or spend account), a “Free” account (money available after bills are paid and prior to the arrival of your next paycheck) and a “Reserve” account (savings). Altogether, PNC’s Virtual Wallet application is a hit and an exemplary display of what mobile banking should look like.

The second application is the Yahoo! Finance app, now available for iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices. The application allows the financial market observer to follow Wall Street from the palm of his/her hand. The user is able to customize the application, sorting by market or company and tracking any changes by price, percentage, or market cap. It is a rather straightforward application with easy navigation menus and no distracting bells and whistles. The application directly synchronizes with the Yahoo! finance website, allowing the user to make changes from any internet terminal and immediately noticing said change on the mobile platform.

image courtesy of AppCraver.com

Lastly, the personal finance application I’ve found most useful, particularly for the budget-minded individual, is called iXpenseit. Ideally, the iXpenseit user is one on a quest to detail personal expenditures over a certain period of time. It is a user driven cashflow management tool that allows the user to input a series of data regarding income and expenses. The application takes care of organizing this data into different subcategories (gas, food, personal expenses, business expenses, etc) and then displaying a much more organized view of where funds come from/go to. Whether in a pie chart, bar graph, or report form, iXpenseit shows a very clear view of all the data submitted by the user. As a college student, I have particularly found this application helpful as it allows me to see where I’ve been spending (or wasting) some of my money, and areas where my spending could improve. Over the course of the past year, it has most certainly made me a wiser and more conscious consumer. It isn’t one of the most well-known personal finance applications available right now, but I do think it can have a similar effect on any user with the dedication to keep it updated.

Mobile Devices...and your Car?

Photo courtesy of blog.chryslerllc.com

You heard it. Automakers are turning to smartphones to further enable productivity and interaction between you and your vehicle. From the very basic like Chrysler putting your users manual in the palm of your hand in the way of its iOS app, to the more complex-like Audi allowing you to measure your car's fuel performance, smartphones are surely making their way into the very basic infrastructure of your vehicle.

Smartphones are becoming an extension of the vehicle as we know it. They're far more useful than electronic features built into the car as web-based applications are much easier to update and it's more difficult for them to become outdated. They allow the driver to stay in touch while IN the vehicle, but also allow him/her to access data about the car while away from it. Take GM, for example. Their iOS OnStar application allows drivers to remotely start their car from their mobile device. The app also allows the driver to remotely lock, unlock, flash headlights, and honk your horn; things we've all wished we'd been able to do at some point in our lives when trying to find our cars in a crowded lot.

Audi is taking the automotive smartphone development to a whole new level with their latest CarMonitor application. This invention allows the driver to plug in his/her smartphone into the car's OBD II port on the dashboard to allow the phone to communicate with the car's engine computer, enabling the driver to track important fuel performance data among other statistics. Audi is taking the social networking approach and allowing the driver to upload the data onto the web to allow them to compare their statistics with those of other Audi users. Knowing how competitive the automotive world is, it is difficult not to picture just about any automaker to soon adopt this technological model with their newest releases.  This kind of invention allows the user to have at least some sort of control over their vehicle's performance, knowing when something may be going wrong and in need of repair. Personally, I've always felt uneasy about paying so much money for vehicle maintenance and repairs but not knowing much at all about the topic, I've always left it up to those who do it for a living, even if they've been known to make some things up here and there to make a bigger buck.

Photo courtesy of caradvice.com.au

With these developments, it is evident that smartphones are moving into yet another area of our everyday lives that we might not have thought possible before. With automotive and mobile technology increasing so rapidly, it is imperative for automakers to find a way in which to interlock the two technologies. From an economic perspective, it is important for them to find a way to allow mobile technology to prevent their automotive technology from becoming outdated. An automobile presents a hefty investment for most consumers. If automakers can find a way to take this model and further incorporate smartphone technology into their vehicles, I can most definitely foresee a big initiative from most brands forming partnerships with smartphone firms in an attempt to give the user some more control over his/her vehicle.

Visual Information

I began searching for these images over the weekend in relation to the topic of a recession. With the most recent recession, I recalled seeing some vivid images show up on the internet, and wanted to examine them a bit further.

1) This first image shows a halogen bulb lying on top of a pile of dollar bills. In my opinion, I think it's rather easy for an individual to extract the main idea of the image without it containing any text. Some argue the recession prompted a shift towards a greener lifestyle for a lot of people and this image is successfully suggestive of the benefits of the practice. 

2) I found this second image to be particularly clever as it takes aim at credit card companies. I think this is another perfect example of a visual where the reader can instantly draw the main idea being presented, but it could be interpreted as feeling trapped by credit card companies, or simply to stay away from the traps that are credit cards. 

3) Continuing with the idea presented in image #2, this is another example of a striking visual capable of delivering a message without the need of any text in the body. Again, taking aim at predatory credit card practices, this image is symbolic of the risk and burden of debt.

Image Credits:

#1- edelmar/Stockphoto.com

#2- Peter Dazeley/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images

#3- Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty

On 3D Technology.

Combining the two topics of theatre and economics has been interesting and we have managed to find a great middle ground. We have found that 3D theater has been gaining popularity the past few years; especially with groundbreaking titles like Avatar coming out. The history of 3D theater and the technology that has evolved with it has changed quite dramatically. Along with it, many questions arise. Why has it become so popular? Why does it cost more money to see a 3D movie? Does it cost more money to make an actual 3D movie? Is this helping the entertainment business grow and make more money? Do people prefer it to the regular 2-D movies? And finally, is this going to become the new norm? 3D technology is slowly but surely moving into the household.

When did 3D even make its first appearance or when did the idea first emerge? “Like the electric car, the 3D process has been around for more than 100 years.” (Otto, 1). This seems strange because 3D really hasn’t seemingly gained much popularity until just recently. It was said to have been “First pioneered and patented by William Friese-Greene in the late 1890s.” (Otto, 1).  But, they did not have the technology that we have today. The whole process is completely different from when it was first started because, not only do we have digital technology, but because it required two projectors and now, today, it only requires one projector. Heineman (as he is quoted in this article) states: “older 3D technology involved the use of two film projectors, one that projected a left eye image and one that projected a right eye image.” (Steenhuysen, 2). Obviously, the 3D technology has advanced quite a bit; but not enough where you do not have to wear those silly glasses!

 Since the new Avatar movie and its great popularity in 3D, this form of entertainment has taken the industry by storm! Obviously, it was not that popular in the past because there were not that many 3D movies being made. But now it seems like every commercial you see it is advertising that particular movie in 3D. Personally, I just don’t understand the need for 3D. Not only does it cost more to see a movie in 3D but just wearing the glasses are uncomfortable. I took a really quick 2 question survey among my friends and peers just asking whether 1) they would prefer to see a movie in 3D or 2-D and 2) would they pay the extra money to see a movie in 3D. The answers were unanimously against 3D. Many of them said that it didn’t make sense to have the movies in 3D and many also agreed that the glasses were uncomfortable to wear and just made viewing time less enjoyable. While the average college students here may not want to see the movie or pay the extra money it is quite popular amongst other people in general.

Avatar, and director James Cameron, can take credit for that hype. This movie raised the bar for so many different aspects of the film industry. The new technology and cameras they were using and the technique of viewing the movie. Yes, you still have to wear the silly-looking glasses when viewing the movie but it “requires audience members to wear polarized glasses.” (1). People have complained in the past about having headaches after watching a 3D movie but with these new glasses they had the audience wear they have also said, “It is a vast improvement on the sometimes headache-inducing techniques that relied on cardboard cutout glasses with red and green lenses and rose and fell in popularity in the 1950s.” (1). And yes, we all remember those glasses that we had to wear when entering the theater that just really did not make the movie better. In addition, they have developed a new, lightweight camera for when they filmed the movie. “His camera rig is now lighter — up to only 50 pounds — and the two camera lenses can dynamically converge on a focal point with the help of a computer, which is crucial for sweeping camera moves and action sequences.” (1). Obviously, this helped when they filmed the movie because then they could carry or maneuver the camera in ways that they could not before (having it in an awkward spot, having it hung for a longer period of time, etc.). Finally, it raised the bar on capturing the action needed for the movie. The new technology they used was able to “creates computerized images from real human action.” (1). This was great because, obviously, aliens are not real and having the actors in a costume and make-up would not really capture the image that he wanted for his movie. He wanted the aliens to look a certain way in this movie and he could create them using new digital technology. Judging by the box office records and the overall performance of the film, it is safe to assume the public’s response was rather positive.

We observed the three dimensional thrill sweep through movie theatres all through the last year. More expensive 3D movie tickets triggered an emphasis on 3D showings, bringing forth more profits for theaters throughout the nation. In March 10^th of this year, the Motion Picture Association of America released a press release making reference to the newfound success of three-dimensional technology and its importance to the long-term success of the movie industry.  Bob Pisano, president of the MPAA, mentions in the press release: “Digital technology is the foundation on which 3D has been built. Together, digital presentation and 3D hold the promise of a dramatic game change in moviemaking and movie going. The global film audience is voting with its feet, and those feet are planted firmly in the direction of local cinemas that have the latest technology.” Having the “latest technology” is the driving force, and it was here that we decided to take a look at this evolving force as it begins moving into the household. 3D television has seemingly gained more steam in the past year and a half than it ever had before. The spike in popularity of hit 3D movies like Avatar has the nation buzzing about the technology, and the business world is listening. Samsung and Sony are leading the push for production of household 3D TV sets in the United States, with Toshiba not far behind them. Time Warner and DirecTV have caught the 3D fever and have launched 3D networks in ESPN 3D and Discover 3D. In a nutshell, the functionality of 3D televisions revolves around tricking your brain. As Jonathan Strickland explains: “…by showing each eye the same image in two different locations, you can trick you brain into thinking the flat image you're viewing has depth. But this also means that the convergence and focal points don't match up the way they do for real objects. While your eyes may converge upon two images that seem to be one object right in front of you, they're actually focusing on a screen that's further away” (1). We mentioned the “silly glasses” you must wear to get the full 3D effect when watching this content, and it’s not much different with household technologies. Strickland continues: “The LCD lenses in the glasses alternate between being transparent and opaque as the images alternate on the screen. The left eye blacks out when the right eye's image appears on television and vice versa. This happens so fast that your mind cannot detect the flickering lenses. But because it's timed exactly with what's on the screen, each eye sees only one set of the dual images you'd see if you weren't wearing the glasses” (3).

Understanding how the technology works, we set out to interview area experts about the technology and its impact on our immediate market. Mr. James Thomas, a senior home theater specialist at Best Buy, spoke about the buzz being created by home theater technology. When asked about the marketing efforts of his company centered around the current technology, Mr. Thomas explained how Best Buy has significantly picked up its marketing of the technology “because it is very profitable and brings a lot of customers into the store.” Going into the local Best Buy stores we noticed quite a number of people frequently huddled around the 3D demos, eager to experience the technology first-hand. With previous technological trends, we had similar experiences in the way excitement was being generated surrounding the technology. Much like the latest Apple products, we suspected there would a group of individuals who just had to own the technology upon its release based merely on its potential. Mr. Ted Hinden, a home entertainment consultant for the same company, confirmed our suspicions as he explained: “early-adopters have had the technology in their hands, and are most excited about the buzz in recent months, as it will be the driving force for the release of more content.” Both Thomas and Hinden explained the differences between customers who might be more likely to pick up one of these handsets. Thomas mentioned: “Families with children and movie lovers love 3D and are willing to spend the premium to make the family happy, whereas older couples generally do not see much benefit in it. For some it is rather inconvenient, especially if they have to wear 3D glasses on top of their normal glasses.” After conducting a brief survey, we confirmed what Mr. Thomas had mentioned. 3D appeared to be a hit mostly to the younger crowd, especially the students we surveyed on campus. Some of the older folks we spoke to were rather indifferent about the technology, with some wondering about whether it was worth the money, and others confusing it with high definition television.

After conducting our research along with interviews and surveys, we found the prevailing sentiment to suggest that 3D technology is here to stay and it represents the (not so distant) future of home entertainment technology. Both Hinden and Thomas spoke about the profitability of this technology, and as we know, money makes the world go round. With this in mind, providers are only going to supply more and more 3D content, subsequently driving up the demand for the technology, and eventually bringing down the cost, which is what will propel the technology into more households around the nation. As Hinden said: “for the longest time, 3D has been looked at as the future of home entertainment technology. The future is now here and it is only a matter of time until 3D televisions are a part of our everyday lives.” 

How Private is YOUR Data?

The internet is a public marketplace. We've heard over and over the horror stories about financial information being stolen and we seem to never do much about it until it hits a little bit closer to home. I once had my PayPal email login and password stolen with my bank account information directly linked to it. These people used my PayPal account to buy a number of domains and hosting services from GoDaddy, but luckily I was near my computer at the time and was able to log in to PayPal right as they were doing it. I learned to never use the same password for two important accounts as they also had access to my email address, going in and changing both my password and the "alternate" email address where a new password could be sent. I would have been helpless in that regard, except I was trying out the new version of MSN messenger for Mac so I could talk to my family in Colombia. I could not log into my email from a web browser as they had already changed the password, but MSN messenger has a direct shortcut to your email address that I was able to use to log in. Because I was already logged into MSN messenger, it allowed me to go back inside of my email and change both my password and my alternate email address. I was extremely lucky, but most people in this situation are usually not.

On a larger scale, large corporations and small businesses alike in today's world are extremely concerned about security breaches. There are hackers out there who focus their time entirely to stealing personal information from others. This is why individuals must be particularly wary of the things they make available on the internet. I'm not sure how these hackers obtained my password, and I consider myself a technically savvy individual. These people are organized criminals and they have streamlined the process of identity theft. From an economic standpoint, the average consumer is targeted repeatedly in attempts to steal financial information. On a larger scale, businesses have to budget large amounts of money for cybersecurity as nobody is really ever safe. When looking at online identity theft from a business's perspective, one has to consider the risk at hand when not just your financial information but also your ideas and goals are on hand. This will ultimately have a negative economic effect no matter how you slice it.

If you're reading this, ask yourself both when the last time you changed your passwords were and how complex they may be to figure out. Consider what kind of information you make available about yourself to the WORLD WIDE web and think about how someone reading that info may now easily be able to answer all of the "security questions" that websites have you fill out currently. Take some preventive measures before it's a little too late.

About: Good/Bad Research Sources

Numbers, numbers, numbers: seemingly the only way to add any validity to any argument we may present.  Needless to say, economics are all about the numbers and this makes it crucially important to double (and triple) check where I get my numbers from. Technology largely affects micro and macroeconomics, and it is widely considered to be the driving force behind long term economic growth.

When talking about economics, it is important to consider some of the more credible and established sources that talk about this topic. Although this blog will mostly focus on microeconomics, it will be impossible to avoid the larger spectrum of macroeconomics. For a few years now, one of my favorite publications has been The Economist magazine. This magazine has been one of my primary go-to sources when I connect real-life examples with the theories I learn in class. Not only is the publication a strong resource on its own, it is also a great way to find out about other credible sources in the field of economics. Generally when I get this magazine, I tend to focus on all of the technology articles anyway, so I hope to be able to relay a lot of the things I learn from there to my blog discussions. 

I hope to be able to support my topics with scholarly articles that I'll pick up from various databases like JStor and ebscohost. When talking about economics, it's imperative to stick with professional studies and research and separate it from a lot of the word-of-mouth stuff that so commonly goes hand in hand with the topic. Generally speaking, numbers are often thrown around and accepted by others as true for the mere fact that they are "numbers." Moving forward, I will cite all figures that I post in this blog. It's the only way to establish credibility, and it will only make this blog more interesting. 

My Thoughts on "Internet Satisfaction"

The concept of "online satisfaction" is an interesting one. Liu and LaRose argue that the internet can help individuals build positive moods which support social support and relationship development. They use these characteristics to develop judgement about the 195 subjects they surveyed. In their survey, they measure online self efficacy, online social outcome expectations, extroversion, perceived social online support, school life satisfaction, and overall internet use. They readily mention in their research that there is little to no literature about this subject out there today. I acknowledge their efforts, but I have some some reservations about the overall strength of the research. For starters, measuring intangible characteristics like extroversion and using this as a large part of their research can be risky. Aside from this, there wasn't much I could find in the research about the background and the overall upbringing of a lot of these subjects. When I consider the overall effects of internet use in my academic life, I attribute a lot of it to information I've learned along the way. 

Because of this, I decided to take a look at a study which went further in analysis of the overall background of test subjects while taking a look at a similar concept. It was conducted by George Bradford and Shelly Wyatt at the University of Central Florida, and it's titled: "Online learning and student satisfaction: Academic standing, ethnicity and their influence on facilitated learning, engagement, and information fluency." In their study, Bradford and Wyatt examined the overall satisfaction of distance learning vs. traditional in-class students, and looked at factors such as ethnicity and academic standing to examine their effect. As it relates to our Information 3.0 class, there was survey section for "information fluency" which examined simple factors like the student's previous online experience facilitating the student's ability to be able to take in information in an academic environment.  Bradford and Wyatt concluded that ethnicity, for one, has little to no effect in the student satisfaction section of online learning. This is most definitely an interesting finding, but I wish the study had taken more different ethnicities into consideration to see how they varied from one another. I understand this was not the point of the study, but I definitely have found a topic for further research. 

Technology and Money: a (brief) Historical Perspective.

For as long as we've been alive, technology has made our world go round. In this competitive world of ours, technology is too often directly interlocked with economic incentives. Today, our endless pursuit of economic profit has poured billions of dollars into funding research and development, not to mention advertising. In every aspect of life, deeper investment in technology has generally resulted in larger monetary profits for corporations and individuals alike.

As a whole, economists have grown to associate long-term economic growth with steady technological progress in a society. The time period leading up to the industrial revolution brought our society  a large amount the breakthrough inventions that changed the world as we know it today. As I sat in the student union yesterday talking to one of my classmates from an accounting class last semester, we talked about the topic of this specific blog post, he asked something along the lines of: "are you going to write about how everything that can be invented, already has been?" This got me to think about the commonality of this specific idea. Reading through different opinions and forums online, I realized there is a widespread feeling of conformity with today's technology as "everything has already been invented." In my opinion, we're not going to have "breakthrough" inventions like the wheel and printing press nearly as frequently as our society once did, but its more about the microinventions and additions to existing technology that our going to take our society to the next level. It's not so much about inventions that change our world immediately, as much as it is the developments and improvements to our existing technology. There can never be enough technology in areas like energy and medicine. One could say we've only just begun.

Case Study: Online Advertising

Economics are a broad topic. "Technology" itself is a broad topic. Heck, the internet itself can be considered a broad topic when talking about technology and economics. Because of this, I specifically wanted to focus in one area of the internet that I hope to address with frequency in this blog in the near future, and that is online advertising. Without advertising, there are no profits to be made. What better way to do it than through the portal visible to billions of individuals on a daily basis? We all know about advertising giant, Google. Sweet, sweet Google. The internet search engine that has become a verb in our everyday vocabulary. Some believe that search engines aren't the most profitable of ventures. On the surface, that would seem reasonable, as all it does is virtually spit back thousands of results relating to a specific keyword you may have given it. Advertising, however, is what drives google's profits through the roof. They have seemingly mastered the art of online advertising. AdWords, AdSense, Sponsored Links...they're everywhere! This got me to thinking about some of Google's predecessors and their inevitable downfall upon running into Google.

 Looking back about 10 or 15 years, we had a cluster of search engines that seemingly lacked a real vision, or simply couldn't get a grasp of the market as quickly as Google did. Magellan, InfoSeek, Snap, Altavista, all hoped to get close to the level of success that Google has had, but came up just a bit short. Back then, all that was important was to receive a decent enough list of internet page results upon entering a specific keyword. Something that each of these could do relatively well, but not as quickly as Google could upon it's inception. Having mastered the art of the search for the search engine had Google up and running in the right direction. Shortly thereafter came the monster of online advertising...which I will breakdown in the continuation of this blog post. Word limits...