Unrestricted Web Publishing

The World Wide Web has proven to provide immediate information available to individuals across the globe. This allows for news to spread and become widely known at a moment’s notice. But with the ability for any individual to broadcast stories and “news” in an unrestricted fashion, how does one determine what is the valid truth?

In an online article I found called, Web Publishing and Educational Scholarship:
 Where Issues of Form and Content Meet, which was published in 1997 by the Cambridge Journal of Education, “The pool of distribution can be targeted or unrestricted; for articles posted on Web pages, presumably, the predominant sentiment is ‘come one, come all’” (Burbules, 1997).  In this article, Nicholas Burbules, member of the Department of Educational Policies at the University of Illinois, depicts the issues of consequences that may come about due to the ability for anyone to publish their opinion on the Internet.  Self-publication has become easy, affordable and convenient yet often bypasses the important step of confirming facts, revision and verifying truth. 

Another factor that has been recognized as a concern in this age of unrestricted self-publishing is the lack of effort put forth for error checking. Not only may the facts, details or sources be tampered with, but also one’s spelling, grammar and sentence structure may be incorrect and works may go un-cited.  This hardly poses a positive outcome for readers or up and coming scholars. 

The Science Publishing Group has recognized the practice for scholars to gain information at a faster pace using what they have named, “Open Access.” This unrestricted format of accessing journals, peer-reviewed work and articles, they say, will accelerate one’s learning.  According to this publishing group, “By reducing the barriers that restrict access to knowledge, Open Access maximizes the opportunity for publications to be read and for authors to be recognized for their contribution in their chosen field and beyond” (Science Publishing Group, 2012).  Will reducing the barriers of accessing knowledge allow for an influx of decreased accuracy? These are questions that need to be raised.  While it is convenient to accelerate one’s access to knowledge, we must make sure that the knowledge is in fact, truthful. 

References

Burbules, N. C. (1997). Web Publishing and Educational Scholarship: where issues of form and content meet. Cambridge Journal of Education. doi:10.1080/0305764970270210

Science Publishing Group (2012). Open Access: Science Publishing Group. Retrieved April 9, 2014, from             http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/info/openaccess.aspx#what

Social Media and Truth

The world of social media is a complex one.  Outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others allow individuals to promote and distribute information about themselves or others at any moment in time to a global audience. With such an amazing amount of communication power, it is important that each social media user exercises self-control in their interactions.  However, many times users take the liberty to abuse their freedom of speech. 

With the drop of a name or a misplaced quote, the reputation of the media poster, or the individual who was posted about, could be ruined.  In this age, social media is not only used as a way to interact with friends and family but it is reviewed by employers, government officials and other figures of authority who have the power to dictate the future of an individual’s success. While this immediate and convenient form of evaluating one’s person seems like it may be too harsh or inaccurate, this is what our age is growing accustomed to. Social media is often the first avenue used for researching clients, employees and acquaintances. 

Put in this light, one can see the necessity of exercising their freedom within the social media world in an ethical and respectful manner. How one conveys a message will determine how they will be viewed or how the subject of their message may be viewed.  This personal responsibility lies with each social media user.  While one cannot control the environment around him, he can influence how others perceive him by maintaining a respectful and accurate social media profile. 

Communication Ethics

Whether or not we are consciously aware of the affect that social media has on our lives, it is extremely influential in how each person lives their life. In Blur, an analysis of modern media usage, the authors said, “As it reorganized social order, each change in popular communications was accompanied by a renewal of the tension between two strands of knowledge or ways of trying to understand existence: the tension between knowledge based on observation and experience and knowledge grounded on faith and belief – the tension between fact and faith” (Kovach and Rosenstiel, pg. 13, 2010).  I know that I personally am connected to multiple social media outlets almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Each time my iPhone blinks a little blue box informing me that something, anything, has been updated on Facebook, my head is turned.  On my 25-minute commute to work, I hear the latest pop tunes on the local radio station, interrupted frequently with advertisements for products and events that I was previously uninterested in. When something even remotely important has occurred in our local or global news, my home webpage will highlight the details.  After being connected to the Internet and my E-mail all day at work, I return to my house where my family is watching the newest YouTube videos gone viral.  Needless to say, the media has a great impact and voice in my life.  I don’t think I am an exception when stereotyping the average American adult.

Being brought up to date on events and news at any and every point of my day allows me to be more effective and accurate and work.  With the resources at my fingertips, I am able to inform my clients of appropriate information while using the most advantageous avenues of communication. While I appreciate the immediacy and convenience of being constantly connected to the world of social media, it also can be a distraction to the main purpose of my job and keep my mind only on half of the task that is at hand. The constant knowledge that something else might be more important keeps me on edge and waiting for the notice.

Social media and constant media connection may also be detrimental to my relationships at times. For instance, the iPhone has replaced a lot of my personal, face-to-face interactions with friends, family and loved ones. The impersonal avenue of text messaging has become a habit and go-to form of communication for way too many, way too often. This is my opinion but I know that text messaging has also allowed me to stay in touch at any moment with my loved ones which can be very convenient as well. 

To sum up my opinion, media can be a double-edged sword. However, reliance on media is the direction that our society is moving towards.  Every day there is a new format by which individuals and groups can form social communities through the World Wide Web.  The questions then stands, do these communities enhance our social life, or only create a false sense of belonging? While progress is made in many areas through technology, many relationships may experience a slow and dangerous slide into a more impersonal and less intentional form. 

Kovach, B., & Rosenstiel, T. (2010). Blur: How to Know What's Real in the Age of Information. New York,, NY: Bloomsbury USA.