Blog Post #2

As a student, MS Word has been a constant presence in my life. I will not go 2 days without having to use the program for some reason, unless I am away on vacation. I always have at least one file from MS word on my computer, which is usually a syllabus for some class. Ever since I was a child I have been using word, and have watched the program grow along with me, from MS 2007, to 2010 and so on and so forth, and each time I have learned to navigate and use it fluidly because it is required of me to know the ins and outs for doing coursework. All MS Office programs have been frequent in my life, and will I may not excel at all of them, the outlook I gained from previous experience in office work have given me invaluable knowledge, and knowledge is power. Point me to the newest update of MS word and I will be able to relearn and adjust to whatever layout they settle on, flawed and complicated as it may be. Let's face it, MS Word peaked in 2007 and they have been trying to catch lightning in a bottle since.

Legality and the internet has been a complicated relationship in my experience. Due to its nature and its relative young age, the internet has brought up countless issues that governments have been having trouble locking down illegal activities. I, myself have participated in less than legal activities on the internet regarding intellectual property and copyright, but have never used those for self profit, only entertainment. As "wrong" as it may be, to me it is a morally gray area that has not been around long enough for a social stigma to be added on. As a professional in the workplace, I would never use an illegally downloaded software for my purposes, as that impacts other people and I would not be able to manage the consequences which could turn ugly, and would expect any student to follow suit.

The issues brought up in chapter 11 reflect legal issues, such as copyright infringement, social issues like cyberbullying, and ethical issues like academic dishonesty. Copyright infringement is a complicated issue, and it is hard to prevent students from partaking on their own time, but I feel it is best to educate students on the matter and the ramifications. Informed and knowledgeable students should be aware of which choice is the right choice. Cyberbullying is a different beast altogether, it is a social issue that has pervaded society ever since the dawn of the internet. The best way to address this is to have support groups that students can turn to that will take action, or have an anonymous reporting system to crack down on those who are cyberbullying others. It is important to teach students to remember the human on the other side, and that words can hurt even through the internet, but some, or most cyberbullys already know this so it is best to crack down on those who are being hurtful. Academic dishonesty is an issue that is unique to every student, and how they perceive what is right and wrong. Some may view it as a "get done quick" scheme but fail to realize the ethical issues about what they are doing. Informing students is the best approach, and reprimand those who take others work for themselves as harshly as necessary.