Message From: LoverBoy547: "I Think I love You"

By: Reid Mene

Not until recently have men and women found their life partners before ever coming face-to-face with them.  What I mean by this is online dating services.  Online dating sites for those who do not know are sites where people can post pictures and information about themselves and depending on the site they are matched up with other people or they are able to browse through the site and can message those they feel they may be interested in.  Some of the major online dating sites are, E Harmony, Match.com and so on.  (those are just a few you have probably heard about on TV.)  Over the last few years online dating has blossomed into a huge phenomenon for the 21^st centuries generation.  It is estimated that over 20 million people a month visit some form of online dating service.  This may come as a surprise to some people but online dating services have become very popular for many reasons.  Ignorant people think online dating sites are for those who cannot find relationships through personal conduct because they are unattractive or have poor social skills; this I can assure you is not the case.  Although I have never experienced dating through the online world (only because I’m a college student not looking for serious relationships) I have read up as to why people use these sites.  Online dating allows for people who work 8 plus hours a day who do not have time to go out to bars or go to other social places on the regular a change to be able to interact with people and possibly find what their looking for. 

         

   

Internet dating allows for their users to find people who are looking for the same thing they are, or the type of relationship they are looking for.  Often when you meet someone face-to-face and you are interested in them even if they are interested in you, both of you may have completely different wants for a relationship.  One may want a long-term relationship, to find a sole mate and someone to love, while the other could just be looking for a little fling but nothing serious.  Online dating can help people so they don’t have to waste their time with someone who is looking for the opposite of what they want, in turn creates stronger relationships.  Online dating allows for users to meet people from all over the world to picking those in their town.  A major positive that comes along with online dating seems to be that it is a major ice breaker for the first date.  Since you get some background information on the person and have had some contact with them you are one, able to tell if there could be a connection and two there is no awkward intros that a couple could encounter from a blind date. 

       

Personally through what I have seen and read about online dating seems like a very effective form of dating and could possibly be the future of dating in many ways.  In class we discussed how these apps are taking of the Internet and the web is going to become the supreme overlord.  I wouldn’t be suppressed to find the dating services will create apps for their site so people with iPods, phones, smart phones ect. would be able to check up on their account, see if they have any new viewers who are interested and check new members.  If this occurred it could drastically change dating because everyone would be online wither at home or on the go using their gadgets of whatever sort finding dates and long-term love affairs.  

Cyber Bullying, Don't Let It Effect You

By :Reid Mene

This week in class we saw a presentation on cyber-bulling.  For those who do not know what cyber bulling is, it is the act of making fun of or intimidating someone over the internet.   I have some experience with this.  I have had friends who have had this happen to them, and it is not a joking matter.

After reading an article by Alison Browne (http://www.thebeehive.org/school/k-12-students/supporting-my-child-school/top-5-ways-boys-and-girls-bully?gclid=CNm31I64naUCFVB95QodP1X3IQ), I have learned that girls are more likely to cyber bully than boys.  Browne says this because apparently boys are more physical, and when they get upset they tend to resort to physical aggression or verbal conduct.  This is in contrast to teen girls in particular who are more prone to engage in secretive messages through the internet.  As a not-too-long-ago high school student myself, I do understand and agree with this.   I watched innocent girls become a victim of cyber bulling, and they were much more affected by this than I would have imagined.  Males are said to be a little more timid over the internet and are not as gullible.  This results in them not being as forward and outgoing as their female counterparts are.


It is hard to imagine that there are parents today who are not paying attention to what their children are getting involved in via the internet.  Wither it is through social networks, e-mail, blogging or cell phones, cyber bulling is seemingly becoming a more common problem as people adapt to and become more versatile in the internet and its impact.  It’s particularly unfortunate that children have to be scared when they log on at home.   Even home is not safe.  As we wrote our papers on in class, this is a perfect example of how social networks such as Facebook and new media have negative consequences.  It complicates life, rather than simplifying it.  It makes life harsher, rather than making it more pleasant.

Personally, I thought that cyber bulling was something that was prevalent among adolescents, but I have learned that it is a problem for children of all ages.  I recently saw a very troubling video involving an eleven year old girl.  This is unacceptable in a civilized society, and makes victims of all of us. I and egocentric eleven year old cry her eyes out over being made fun of through the internet.  this really made me understand the effectiveness of cyber bullying and that it really can hurt people.

MacBook Air, Its Thin, Its Light, Its the Perfect Gift for the Holidays

eid Mene       

With the holiday season coming right around the corner now is the time when the hottest technologies of the year are being released.  So it makes sense Apple would release their newest addition to the MacBook pro team, the MacBook Air. 

For those Mac lovers, Apple is announcing their newest version of the MacBook, the “MacBook Air.”  This is what Apple terms the culmination of everything they have been working towards, and is considered to be the next generation of MacBooks.  The MacBook Air is extremely thin and light, being the reason it is given the moniker “air.”  This computer is available in an 11-inch model and just this past October they released a 13-inch model starting at $999.  This computer is said to be able to stay in sleep mode for up to 30 days.  (That’s longer than even I can sleep.)  It has a multi-touch track band, battery lasting 5-7 hours and a high pixel density (better viewing quality).  After doing some research on the MacBook Air, I found that although it appears to be the, perfect, computer, there are some limitations.  The Air is said to often over-heat which is never a good thing.  In a review done by Hubet Nguyen of ubergizmo.com, he said that he would not recommend this as your main computer.  He points out that it can be difficult to do a lot of work on a screen this size when doing more difficult or complex tasks.  The MacBook Air is ideal for going on one-week short trips where you need something light that can reboot easily and is easy to open and close.  The MacBook Air is said to be lighter than a net book, which is pretty impressive. For those of you who don’t know what a net book is, it’s a light weight computer that runs on Windows 7, equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth.  This is a versatile computer for business people who travel for work, or anyone who needs easy access to their computer at all times.  No more lugging around full on laptops, the MacBook is the future as the on-the-go computer.

The MacBook is also one of the first environment friendly computers, and what will most likely be the beginning of a new trend.    The MacBook Air is made of a highly recyclable aluminum enclosure, and contains a mercury free LED-backlit display.  MacBook meets ENERGY STAR requirements as well.

            I am very excited to see how this computer will be received.  There is a certain amount of guesswork about need in all new technology.  Personally I am a Mac person, so this excites me and I will actually be hoping Santa brings me this for Christmas.  (Dad, are reading my blogs?) It’s perfect for college students . . . majoring in humanities a/k/a not engineering.  It’s a comfortable, cozy computer to work on for typing in your room, library or class.