We Are The Gatekeepers

Today is a day that will live in infamy, at least in the realm of the Internet. Today, on January 18, 2012, the masses and technology corporations rallied together as a host of influential websites, including such power players as Google, Craigslist, Tumblr, and Wikipedia, blacked out their websites in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill that according to Wikipedia, “would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods”. This, from what I have been able to gather, means that if I, a mere blogger hoping to have some kind of positive impact on the world, were to post a link to a page that itself contained links to copyrighted material, my blog could be shut down, I could be sued, and the company that hosts my blog might even be liable to be sued. As a student of business and journalism hoping someday to have a future on this great thing called the Internet, this does not sit right with me.

Why I Like Twitter

Every so often, a new form of technology comes out that wows us and boggles our minds. I’m talking jaw-dropping, how-did-they-do-that, I-gotta-have-it awesomeness. Twitter is not one of those technologies. But it is pretty cool.

Lost in the Links

     

It never fails. I’ll be surfing the Internet, minding my own business, when a brightly colored hyperlink attracts my attention. Immersed in whatever article, blog post, or video I’m currently focused on, I’ll casually right-click the link and select “Open link in new tab”. I’ll read it when I’m done with this one, I think. Two or three inches later down the page, another link catches my eye. Again, I open the provoking content in a different tab. Then again. Then again. Before I know it, I’ve got eighteen tabs open, my laptop is running slower than a snail on promethazine, and I’ve got messages popping up basically screaming at me to lighten the load.

In Remembrance of Nate Dogg

     

Snoop Dogg. Tupac Shakur. Dr. Dre. These names conjure up a lot of different feelings and beliefs depending on one’s background, birthplace, and age. They are all hip hop superstars, legendary rappers who came to prominence during a time when the genre wasn’t the quick route to fame and fortune that it is seen as today. They all helped create and put their stamp on this thing we call rap music. Beside them, though, just a little outside of the brightest part of the spotlight, stood a seemingly quiet young man with a distinct, soulful voice. This man collaborated with the others and played a major part in catapulting each of them to success at the beginning of their careers. His name is Nathaniel Hale. To the world, he is known as Nate Dogg and he passed away yesterday, March 15, 2011. He was only 41.