Web Usage

Describe how you use the web in your daily life (activities, applications, sites etc.)

The first thing I do when I wake up is to check my email account. It is important for me to know if the professors send out any important message. The the second thing I check is blackboard for any announcement. I often use google to do research for the assignment or when I need find some information. When I have nothing to do, I often go to Chinese websites to read stories. These sites are manage by people who make money through advertisement. Sometime, I watch video clips on YouTube or Tudou, another Chinese video site.


Do you, in general, think the web is a good or bad thing in terms of its effect on people and society? Why or why not? How does this relate to your own experience?

I think that the web has it benefits and drawback.

The benefit of the web is very obvious, the easy access to information. Today, people can find anything they can think of on the web. Whether it is information about some thing or a product, the web provide a list of sites that have the relate information. The web also allow people to communicate easily. For example, I use MSN to make a video call to my family in Vietnam so I can see and talk to them. Even e-mail is a communication method prefer by many professors and students.

The drawback is that people are less responsible for their action when they are using the web. Some people post nasty comments on the site about something they don't like, which they wouldn't do in front of people. They can just make up a random user name and no one know who they are. Also, the web make it hard for people to protect copy right. People can use the information they find on the web as their own and take credit for it. It is hard to find the original work to verify the information. Downloading also become a problem. People can upload and download anything on the web, which is illegal in most cases. For me, I like to download new songs from the web onto the computer, though I never use them to make profits.