Emily Ayotte

1.The Internet should be free of charge.
This principle is kind of a given in most cases. The internet is already such a vast and uncontrolled sort of idea anyway. It has become so significant in professional, educational, and social aspects of living that one might call it essential. It is hard to live in this day and age without internet or access to it. It debilitates those who cannot afford it, which can even keep them from pulling themselves out of financial trouble. Not only would it benefit those who cannot afford it now, but it would also be great for those of us who can. If we could access the internet anywhere, at any time, for free we could hypothetically have the information we need at our fingertips. Because of the recent increase in demand for internet access just to live in today’s world, free internet access seems necessary and essential. The internet is a collected series of information that many have contributed to, and in order to access general websites, we should not have to pay a service provider such as Comcast or Verizon. I adopted this principle because I believe the internet has become such a huge part of our lives (good or bad), and each citizen needs to be given the same advantage of being able to access it. It is a serious issue because we are paying for a company to grant us access, when we should already have the right to access the internet for free in the first place.

2. Creative work posted on the Internet should be under the same copyright umbrella as traditionally published creative materials.
I think this is a simple principle that any respectable human being would understand. If you create something, it is yours, no matter what. Even if the person puts something on the internet, which is a huge cluster of anything you can imagine, it is still theirs. They are sharing something that they have created, which does not mean, in any way, that they are allowing others to steal it, sell it, etc. I adopted this principle because I believe that the internet can be crucial in terms of stimulating creativity and spreading ideas. This can be taken advantage of on the internet because there are no laws that protect a user’s work (unless it is traditionally copyrighted). This might eventually start deterring users from posting on the internet, which would not only be counterproductive, but it would also take away one of the greatest aspects of the internet: the sharing of information and ideas with fellow peers (who should respect ownership of the said information).

3. The Internet should not be censored.
The internet is meant to allow for free speech. It is a crucial part of the internet and what it does for society. Anyone, no matter their age, sex, race, etc. should be able to express themselves, after all the internet is an open forum. I selected this as one of my principles because I value other’s opinions and I think that it should be a given that everyone respects and is exposed to other opinions. Our internet is already tailored to our own opinions and beliefs, as expressed in our reading about “The Daily Me”, so in a way it is already somewhat censored. I think it is crucial that we keep the internet uncensored for that reason and also because I am afraid of who would be selected to censor it…I mean think about it.

4. Hate speech on the Internet should be restricted.
Well, I know this principle conflicts somewhat with the previous one, but I still really believe in it. I think hate speech is underestimated in terms of the damage it can do, even if a lot of it is just social problems. I think hate speech is unacceptable and should not be tolerated, but I also believe that there is a grey area between hate speech and expressing an opinion. I think the internet should support a norm that leans more towards expressing your opinion, but not rallying against someone or a group of people. I adopted this norm because I believe that the more hate and hate speech we allow on the internet, the more acceptable it will become in everyday, real life. If we do not change the norm on the internet, it could potentially wreak havoc on our social norms.

5. Children under the age of 18 should not be allowed to create a social networking account.
This norm is essential and my favorite. I think that social networking has created a lot of good things, but it has also allowed for children to spread their lives (unknowing or not) all over the internet. I do not think they are completely aware of their consequences, and I also believe they are too naïve to know the definition of privacy on the internet (if there is such a thing). This would keep 17 and younger children off of the social network and away from predators. I adopted this principle, not going to lie, mainly because after Facebook became available to anyone, I sort of shunned Mark Zuckerberg. I think the fact that younger children could get on Facebook made it more like a Myspace site, which is almost like a soft porn site with a mass amount of easy, underage targets. I think this principle would keep children safer and give social networking a better name. Letting children on Facebook is like letting a baby play on the floor of a bar, they don’t belong there and it’s dangerous.

6. Businesses/companies SHOULD be allowed to access potential employees' blogs and/or social networking page.
I’m sorry to the rest of you who do not believe this norm, but I think it should be allowed. I think this norm is an important one to think and analyze. Social networking is great and allows you to connect with friends etc., but it also is a portrayal of who you are as a person. Whether you like it or not, you are displaying a form of yourself and making a virtual representation of your personal life and your personality. This can be beneficial, and it could possibly get you a job, if you portray yourself a little more like a professional that values privacy, and not a drunkard who values keg stands. I know the idea of religious views and political views came up, but I think that if someone judges/hires you on the account of either of those views, they aren’t a respectable company/business anyway. With that said, I think that businesses should not base much of their hiring process on a potential employee’s social networking profile, but be able to access it if they would like. I don’t think it should be a required at all, but it should be an option if the company wishes to view a page that you posted about yourself. I think you can actually show a great side of yourself on a social networking site, and do not be ashamed of who you are (unless your are a crazy drunkard/pothead with tons of pictures posted as evidence.)

7. Privacy settings, company regulations and other information regarding email ought to be simple and easily accessible for users.
This norm is very important and should be supported by all users because it protects them and gives them options, as well as control. No matter what age or literacy of the user, each person has the right to set privacy and regulations. If these settings are not readily available and easily accessible, a user might miss the opportunity to use them. They might not even know whether or not there are options for their privacy. I’m not sure why the internet is like this now, but the privacy settings are almost hidden from users. They should be put forward and sites should even prompt the user to set their privacy settings (sort of like Firefox does when you access a site and it asks you if you would like to remember this password). I adopted this principle because I have seen my own mother struggle with privacy settings. Even though she is less literate with computer technology, she has every right to know what information of her is being displayed and what is not. I realize it is her ignorance, but she is a victim of circumstance and a generation gap; there should be more of a catering to them than there is now.

8. Sites that allow users to find the location of others without their consent should be eliminated.
This is principle is a given. No one should be able to find your location on the internet, especially via satellite and advanced video technology. I realize the government has been doing this and setting a bad example for its citizens, but by allowing users to find other users and even find out their addresses, phone numbers, and location at the time is scary. It is the ultimate creeper/stalker status. I don’t see how this could be useful in anyway for citizens. The government, as much as I hate to admit it, has some rights to do these sorts of things for protection, but any old citizen? Absolutely not. I adopted this principle because people with too much power and information could cause a lot of damage, and I think the internet is placing just that in some dangerous hands: American’s with that “it’s a free country, I can do what I want” attitude.

9. All forum and chat room-based websites must require users to provide valid registration information.
This principle is a great one, that would demand that each user who posts on a forum provide valid information about themselves. This would allow for inappropriate, dangerous, or suspicious users to be tracked down. It also would make each user own and own up to what they state so ferociously when they are anonymous. I think owning what you say, whether on the internet or in person is not valued nearly as much as it should be. If you are putting it on the internet, put it on the internet as what it is: yours. I adopted this principle because I think too many people hide behind the fact that you don’t have state who you are or have any sort of connection to what you wrote if you don’t want to. This can be dangerous, but it also might make people think twice before making inappropriate comments.

10. The Internet should encourage responsible government participation.
I think that this is another principle that is already sort of being put into action. I think that the internet should support and encourage citizens to participate and actually be voters, not observers. I think that the internet already has begun to implement this with Youtube and the candidate’s sites. I think that it is based on democracy, so the internet should also support democracy. I adopted this principle because I believe that every eligible American should vote, and I think that since the internet is already so filled with ideas and supports others ideas, it should encourage voting and political involvement. The internet is already so powerful and controls norms, why not make patriotism and democracy an important part of those norms.

11. The Internet should not be owned or controlled by any one person or organization.
This principle would make sure that no one person or organization could have complete or even partial control over the internet. The internet has so many contributors as well as users. It is a powerful place, and should not be controlled by any elite person or group. That is way too much power for one person, and if it was controlled by someone, it would not be the internet we know now. Everyone owns the internet, and that’s the way it should stay. I adopted this principle because I think the internet is already restricted enough, why would it need to be owned or regulated by a separate person(s).

12. Society should not become one with the computer.
This principle is a little more complex than the others. It suggests that as a society we should keep our lives separate from the internet. They should not rely or be based on the internet or even the technologies around us. We do not have to use the internet, it might make things easier, but we should not be addicted to or have to have it as a society. We should be able to function as a society without the internet. It is a technology, not a way of life. I chose this principle because I think that society relies heavily on the internet and rarely realizes that it is a manmade technology that is just that. Then again, I also think I was born in the wrong time, thus I might be a little more inclined to say the hell with technologies.