Blog #6- Carrier Pigeons

    During the presentations on Thursday, one of the most interesting topics I learned was about Carrier Pigeons. Carrier Pigeons were used primarily during the 1900's, being especially relevant during World War I and the Olympics. They played a major roll in the intelligence service during the war, providing the ability to send messages to other camps on positions of the enemies, or strategies. It would take about six weeks to successfully train a carrier pigeon, and after those six weeks they were ready to serve. When in combat, the carrier pigeon would unfortunately only survive about 10% of the time due to the fact that enemy soldiers would shoot them down to dismantle the chance for messages to be passed. In result, countries like France created laws that anybody who impended a carrier pigeon from its message would be sentenced to death. Soon after World War I, the use of Carrier Pigeons diminished due to advancements and expansions in technology. However, carrier pigeons played a pivotal role in the success of the United States military during World War I. For their efforts and bravery, some carrier pigeons would receive the Dickin Medal, which is the highest honor an animal can receive in the service. The use of carrier pigeons, though short and sweet, will forever go down in history as one of the most unique ways to communicate with one another, and for sure was a technological advancement that paved the way for future ideas. 

Blog #5- AntiWar

 When it comes to the United States media, some topics are almost always relative in the news. Sports, what celebrities are up too, breaking news from around the area are just some examples. However, the discussion of war, especially those who are against the idea of it, are rarely present or even discussed in the mainstream media. 

Something the United States pride ourselves in is our devotion to this country. Think about it; what do July 4th and Labor Day have in common? The country will celebrate with big, elaborate parades to celebrate our patriotism and citizenry as citizens of the United States of America. We're seen as a powerful country, ultimately the most powerful in the world, and the possibility of challenging our power would be completely demoralizing. 

Furthermore, though writers do obtain Freedom of the Press as part of their First Amendment Rights, the writers could be held liable for starting something if they were to write something negative or something that could impact the United States government as a whole. The writers in some facets have much more knowledge than we as citizens do, so because anti-war writers are in the position they are in to share negative things about the world, they could state something that many people would not agree with, potentially causing chaos.  

Another risk factor that anti-war media could bring is violating the Sedition Act. The Sedition Act makes it a crime to criticize the Government, and often times anti-war writers risk breaking it due to their beliefs. The writers will argue that the Government is making a bad decision or doing harm to other countries or people, and just stating that could risk potential jail time. 

In conclusion, Anti-War writers could consistently risk themselves as well as others with their writings, because frankly, it is hard for people to read the truth, or read something that they might not agree with, especially in today's time. 

Blog #4- Twitter

 

    When one thinks of the most popular social media apps, the obvious come to mind; Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Tik Tok, and of course, Twitter. Developed in March of 2006, Twitter has grown into one of the most popular social media profiles with over 329 Million users in 2021 alone. With the amount of users only increasing, there is no doubt that Twitter will continue to dominate the social media world

Creation

The creation of Twitter started with the podcasting venture Odeo. In 2004, three developers named Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and Noah Glass  created Odeo as a website that gave the ability for users to develop, record and share podcasts. However, in 2005, Apple announced their addition of podcasts to it's music sharing platform iTunes, and Odeo's developers felt they couldn't compete with the far more popular company. Odeo then proceeded to explore other ideas, and employee Jack Dorsey proposed the idea for Twitter. His idea was to develop an app that would work as an SMS (Short Messaging Service) service, where users would be able to share short messages with friends on a larger space other than texts. Thus, the idea for Twitter was born. 

Development

Soon, Dorsey became the leading man behind the project. Within a few years, Twitter had become more than just an idea. Dorsey sent out the first tweet on March 6, 2006, posting, "just setting up my twttr". Once the tweet was released, the future of the app was seen by the developers, and they bought out the origin company Odeo. After buying the former company out, they settled on a new name and company called Obvious Corp. With Obvious Corp, Dorsey along with Williams, Stone and Glass were able to further develop Twitter. The company even received a $10,000 Series A Funding from the State Union to continue to develop the app. After a presentation at the music and technology festival "South by Southwest" in Austin, Texas, the app's interest increased. Afterwards, Twitter became it's own corporate entity, and Dorsey became the CEO of Twitter Inc. The app was finally released to the public in July of 2006. 

Impact

Twitter originally began as a free social networking source. It gave users the opportunity to chat with friends and other users across the app. The apps popularity continued to grow, increasing user rate of about 130% in 2009. The app's popularity was largely due to the fact that users could do all of the same things one could do on a separate social media app, however without the added fees and membership rate. It was essentially like being able to text or communicate with whomever one wanted too without the fees applied. As time passed, Twitter became a revolution for Politicians and Celebrities to communicate with followers and fans. It helped to connect the rich and the poor, the popular and unpopular. In addition, it became also like a news feed, for people to have the opportunity to post direct links to breaking news stories across the world.

Speech Theories: 8 Values of Free Expression

    When the United States Constitution was written, it featured the First Amendment. The First Amendment had six clauses, all based off the idea of "Freedom of Speech". Freedom of Speech, is what the United States prides itself on. It gives people of the country the ability to speak their minds, to defend themselves, to peacefully meet and discuss, and most of all, to have a voice. With having a voice and Freedom of Speech comes the "8 values of Free Expression". The values of expression are essential to us as Americans because it gives us the ability to express ourselves. Expressing ourselves gives us the ability to be who we are, and that helps us with our ideas, opinions and beliefs. According to the First Amendment, you have the ability to express yourself as long as it does not take away someone else's rights. One of the most important ways to be able to openly express yourself as an individual is through the value of "Promoting Innovation" and how a community in which individuals have the ability to express themselves will function much better. 

       

The idea and theory of "Promoting Innovation" has already seen success in the United States today. Communities that promote themselves and have the freedom to express themselves have been seen to be much more successful than communities where the voices of the community are silenced. For example, we can look at the social media app Twitter. The super popular app allows its users to publicly post their opinions and thoughts, while not being limited to what they can say. Due to the fact that there are no regulations to what users can say, users are able to freely express themselves on a public platform. Because of this, the app has seen a ton of success in the social media field than other apps. 

    After looking at a popular example of why having a community that can freely express itself is popular,

we can look at examples in the real world. Another example is the government itself. State Governments, especially city governments, face the vast majorities of issues in the United States due to their large populations. Bloomberg Philanthropies states that city governments have the unique ability to use their Government Innovation Team to gain insight from city officials and citizens on what would be most beneficial and what is needed for the city. The ability for a government to involve its community in major decisions that will impact everyone allows for the community to find success. Government officials are allowing citizens to express how they feel about their community and what they want changed. 

    Lastly, one can really analyze how this theory of promoting innovation is connected to the clauses of the First Amendment. Giving individuals a voice, allowing people to express themselves has been seen to help communities thrive because it allows a community to grow closer together. Freedom of Speech has been beneficial in the founding of the United States, and allowing communities to be involved in situations such as allowing people to have a say in voting. However, some people are afraid to speak their minds or become involved because of potential backlash they could receive. This shows that not everyone believes they have the opportunity of free speech in the United States. But, the people who are given an opportunity to speak their minds and have a say completely believe and love the idea that they have the opportunity to express themselves. 

United States Supreme Court

  The United States has the privilege and honor of being one of the most powerful countries in the world. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and that responsibility is held by the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the country, and has the ultimate power to make legal decisions in the United States, as well as deciding if laws are constitutional or not.

    The Supreme Court was established by the United States Constitution, in Article III along with the ruling that Congress has the power to establish less powerful federal courts, essentially meaning state governments. The Supreme Court was organized by Congress, and ultimately was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, officially being signed off by President George Washington. The first Supreme Court had six Justices, and it was decided to ensure stability and security for the nation, they were to be in power until they perish or retire. The first Supreme Court Meeting was in February of 1790, and their first decision was given on August 3, 1791. Presently, Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the President of the United States, and ultimately confirmed on by the United States Senate. 

   

    The current council of nine justices, changed from six in 1869 meet twice a week, discussing necessary topics decided on by the Chief Justice, who is the highest judicial officer in the nation. The change to nine was decided so that the court would avoid an even split on decisions.The Supreme Court’s power stands alone as it has been pivotal in many important decisions throughout history ultimately shaping the United States government and the country today. Among the multiple court cases heard by the court  are Dred Scott v. Sandford, Roe v. Wade and Plessy v. Ferguson, all of which have had an instrumental impact on civil rights of American citizens.

 

    The Supreme Court has one of the toughest jobs in the world, ultimately putting the fate of the United States in its hands with its decisions. However, the role of the Supreme Court and the evolution of our country because of them has gone unnoticed throughout history. Without them, the United States would struggle to come to decisions on cases, bans, and new laws.

    

My Top 5 Sources of News and Information

  

    There is no shortage of websites and sources we can gather news and information from. Whether it is a popular social media platform or a location based news broadcast, news and information can be released to the public eye in several different ways. Many people have their opinions on what they prefer and rely on, whether it is agreed upon or not. Below I present my top five sources and why I rely on them. 

    1. Instagram- This extremely popular social media app allows users to post and edit photos publicly or to ones followers. Businesses create accounts to promote their brands and stay active among their followers. Many public accounts use the program to release news and information to the public. Accounts will provide a post with the headline of the news or information, then provide context and details of the story or information in the caption. Instagram is super popular for Generation Z, so many younger adults, including myself, have the ability to discover and see updates that are posted. 

2. Twitter- Another extremely popular social media app, users are able to post "Tweets" to a public platform, allowing all other users to view it. Twitter has a very robust group of users that are able to post whatever their opinions or ideas are to the public. Many politicians, athletes, celebrities, and businesses use the app on a very frequent basis to post their opinions, whether good or bad, on the platform. Due to the fact that the app has no restrictions to what a person can post, the app tends to become very heated and many celebrities, for example Donald Trump, have been banned from the app. However, because the app has no restrictions on what one can post, it is very helpful for finding news and information that may not be released somewhere else. 

3. Tik Tok- Gaining popularity very recently, Tik Tok is a social media app that allows users to post short videos up to 3 minutes long. Though the app is mainly used to post humor, dancing, or short bits, there are accounts that post about political issues, news around the world, or even information on what is occurring in the media. Due to the rise of popularity, many businesses and politicians have began posting Tik Tok's to connect with the younger audience. In addition, the apps algorithm will provide user's with post's similar to posts that the user has liked in the past. Due to the fact that is guided toward the younger audience, many accounts are skeptical to post more advanced news and information to the media, but does provide a multitude of news information. 

4. Snapchat- Created in July of 2011, Snapchat is one of the most widely used social media apps on the app store. The app gives users the ability to send pictures back and forth to friends, while also giving users the opportunity to chat a friend as well. Many user's also have group-chats which give the opportunity to talk to multiple friends at once. The app has recently released a "Discover" page in which influencers, pop culture sites and news channels can post stories to any of the app's users. Many news channels such as "Stay Tuned" and "Buzzfeed" post stories revolved around what's going on in the world, and even Fox News has a channel to provide news stories and information. Due to its popularity, many channels release "stories" multiple times a day, allowing for users to see all types of breaking news. The app is a great source for news for the younger audience as well as quick news stories. 

5. ESPN- A broadcast network specifically revolving around sports, it provides viewers with breaking news stories and information. Broadcasting several different shows, the network has all the news and information that a sports lover would need. Also supplying an app, users can be notified of breaking news and information around their favorite teams and players. It is also the leading sports network, so there is no failure of opportunity to get needed information or news stories. The network has the best of the best researchers and broadcasters in the sports business, so the information and news is completely reliable. In addition, ESPN streams live games and events, and if one were to purchase ESPN+, any game can be streamed live that is broadcasting through ESPN. Furthermore, the show Sportscenter, is the best way for sports lovers to receive the news and information as they discuss every game, news story, and information wanted by a sports fan.