Fear and Blogging in UB

PORN REVIEW May 1, 2006

As a whole, I feel that I have learned a great amount with this course. First of all, it was my first online class and that alone was an experience. In retrospect, I don’t think I would have taken the course if it wasn't online. Being an online course actually seems more appropriate considering the subject matter, and it lent itself to the blog format quite well.

The material has held my interest throughout the semester way more than I expected. Pornography truly is a major part of society and culture, and it is just as much of a thriving successful industry than any films. I guess as a whole the class opened my eyes to that element, as opposed to thinking of porn as a touchy subject that shouldn’t really be spoken of.

I never really knew about aggregators before this class, but putting all of your favorite blogs in one place is a pretty cool thing. After exploring the blogging community during this class, there are a few that I plan on checking from time to time. Anyway, all in all I had a good time in this class, and would definitely recommend it to future students.

PORN.XXX April 27, 2006

The new website labeling proposal seems like a great idea, but also tends to take things overboard a little bit. It is clear that there needs to be more regulation and control over pornographic websites on the internet. I like the idea of a rating system, where an outside site would rate all sites. Search engines would only show rated sites, and more filtering options will be available than ever before.

I remember hearing about an idea to change the .com suffix to .xxx for all pornographic web pages. I think this would be a good idea when it comes to strictly pornographic sites. It would solve a lot of problems, and I really can’t see much of a reason why they wouldn’t allow it. The problem comes from the sites that have a mix of material.

The idea of imprisonment and federal punishment seems a little out of control. The new proposal talks about up to 5 years of jail time for people that violate new ratings or rules. While punishments need to be set, the first amendment is still in effect. It makes it very hard to set limitations on the web, but also defends the rights of its users.

Internet Security April 23, 2006

This article, which I found using the Technorati search engine, brings up some interesting points about how to address children when it comes to pornography. The author had been invited to a conference at her child’s school regarding internet security. The invitation also came with a footnote recommending the parents bring friends and colleagues, but not bring their children.

I guess I can understand why children shouldn’t attend. The issues discussed will probably address strategic measure parents can take to protect their children’s experience online. Different logging or censoring programs will probably be addressed, all very real options considering many of the crimes being committed.

Children do need to be educated on such issues. While parents do have control over the personal desktops in the house, children are exposed to many other forms of the internet, even on their cell phones and handheld gadgets. MySpace and other related sites are also beginning to cause major worries for parents, and children need to know what is out there.

Lucas Q’s April 22, 2006

Michael Lucas's blog is an interesting combination of events occurring in his life, and strong well thought out political views. In his most recent blog he basically completes an assignment that we had a few weeks ago, writing an entry from the opposite perspective of his actual opinions. He takes a stand for gay rights in many of his posts, including one bashing the Golden Globes. They did give Brokeback Mountain the best picture award, but they also avoided and basically did not say the word "Gay" the entire show.

Questions-

How did you feel about Brokeback Mountain from a strictly filmmaking perspective?

How did you get started in this business?

Firefighting pornography April 17, 2006

veenonporn posted this article about firefighters that got in trouble for viewing porn on the job. I agree with veenonporn regarding the fact that it is being blown way out of proportion. This will wind up being an embarrassment in a small town yet really isn’t a big deal. It is sad that it blew up to the level that it did.

However, the fact remains that they are on the job and are a vital part of society. I guess I really don’t know too much about firefighters and the job, but from what I know they do spend a lot of time in the station, waiting for a call. If a computer is made available to them, then there should be a set of rules in effect. Even website filtering could be put into place.

With all of the sexual harassment talk in recent years, it makes sense that something like this would become an issue. The article doesn’t go in to detail regarding the complaint, or the complainer.

Porn Myths = Opposite Day April 3, 2006

The myths mentioned on the Porn Myths website are supposedly all incorrect. The author provides proof for why each is untrue. However, a number of them do have truth to them and are actually correct.

Porn Enhances Relationships-

Clearly not applicable to all relationships, but can have beneficial effects on couples. Not everyone is porn obsessed like the site infers, and Porn can open up new doors in relationships regarding experimentation and open-mindedness. I guess it really could only help on a sexual level, but as we all know that tends to make an impact on the relationship as a whole.

Women who become strippers and hookers choose these careers, so who are we to judge them?

Everyone in either of these industries have their own personal reasons for what they do. We can judge the profession that they have chosen, but judging the person requires a lot more knowledge. Many of these women are actually successful and prosperous at what they are doing, and my judgment of them would actually be quite positive.

Best of the Blogs April 3, 2006

http://barizzo.wordpress.com/

Barizzo has some very clear and interesting posts. They always have a solid thesis. I also like how alot of outside information and opinions are brought into each post.

http://pringlescan.wordpress.com/

Pringlescans blog is one of my favorites because he gets his points across using a great sense of humor. He also integrates tons of images into the blog, making it visually stimulating and fun to read.

http://celebrityskin.wordpress.com/

Initially, i liked the cool looking theme that this user used on their blog. However, the posts are also well thought out and lengthy.

Pete Townshend – Child Pornogapher??? March 25, 2006

Lecture 19 begins discussion regarding the consequences of porn, particularly child porn. Pete Townshend, guitar player from The Who, is a common example of potential consequences after his incident in 2003. He was placed on the list of registered sex offenders in Britain for five years as well as having all of his computers confiscated and searched.

I remember taking a special interest in this as a pretty big fan of “The Who.” Really the media made it seem like a bigger deal than it really was. He readily admitted that he had made a credit card purchase on a website back in 1999, but basically claimed it was for research purposes only. He says he was abused as a child, a fact that I pretty strongly believe after seeing Tommy. He has also been an advocate against child pornography and pedophilia throughout his career.

His story checked out and he really didn’t face much of a punishment. Gary Glitter, a star from 1999, was actually served four months in prison after illegal pictures of kids were found on his computer.

Many important people have actually been caught in recent years due to a massive investigation into child pornography currently ongoing in England. 1,300 people, including 50 police officers and a judge, have already been arrested so far.

I agree that these people should be arrested for such a crime, but I really don’t see how any of them could receive any significant amount of punishment. They didn’t create or distribute the content, so their crimes seem pretty minor to me.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/12/1041990179285.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Townshend

blog review.. Two Thumbs Up! March 6, 2006

I feel that I have put a good effort into my blogs and brought up some good points. I have never blogged before, but I am a pretty knowledgeable internet user and I didn’t have a hard time catching on.

Cyberporn is my first online course, and I hope to take more in the future. I know I am contradicting myself by saying that I like having so much time to do each assignment, because each week I find myself writing on Sunday night. However, I do like having the option of not waiting until the last minute. Despite the procrastination, my I do regularly read the aggregator. I feel that my postings are well thought out throughout the week.

The aggregator feature makes it easy to view others postings in one place. I enjoy commenting on other posts and it feels when others comment on yours. A number of my posts have been commented on, which I feel is an indication that my writing has some substance.

I’d say I probably deserve a B at this point. While I haven’t written 3 postings for every week, I feel that the blogs I have written are substantial.

High Def Porn March 6, 2006

This article, which was published in the technology magazine Wired, profiles a new service that provides high-definition porn over the internet at rapid speeds. Entice TV, the company behind the internet protocol television service (IPTV), is using a new form of compression to allow for quick downloads. The interface is nice, and the video itself is extremely high in quality. They are hoping to add a new realism to the pornography industry.

High-definition television is a market that has only developed in the past few years, but has rapidly grown. Televisions and monitors that are capable of high definition are of a higher caliber than others. The gap in quality that exists is a significant and noticeable one.

I feel that this is a venture that will catch on quite nicely. It may be for the higher class porn viewer, due to the higher prices and requirement for more expensive equipment. Pornography really is limited to no specific social class, so the market for this material is wide. The only downfall is the fact that people haven’t completely adapted their computers as media centers yet, so the viewing experience won’t be as good. Over the next few years people will be using their desktops as total entertainment centers, and this form of TV will really become worthwhile.