Continuing the Design Journey

The 5th week of web design truly crept up on me. I feel like we have only been in class for a short amount of time but at the same time we have already accomplished so much. Thinking back to the first week that html was being introduced I remember thinking to myself “am I ever going to be able to fully understand how to code?” It was extremely daunting to me. But now, at week 5, I feel comfortable coding, uploading to filezilla, and am even excited to start delving into the world of CSS and design.

This week we started to learn more about what we want our website to look like and embody and what type of people we think our site will attract based on the design and content it holds. In class we did exercises containing questions such as: Who is your imagined ideal user? What is their motivation for wanting to look at your site? What is your content? I took this exercise seriously in that I wanted to make sure I answered these questions thoughtfully so that I could have a better and more narrow idea of how I wanted my website to play out. Below is a screenshot of some of my notes from this exercise where you can see my thought process.

Now on to Duckett. A tip that I have learned with this book and all the information it holds is to highlight and take notes. Being a visual learned I really have enjoyed having this book as another learning resource to back up what we learn in class. Just from reading (and sometimes re-reading) chapters 10 and 11, I was easily able to apply color to my html page. To me this was exciting because once again it proved that I was one step closer to this site starting to really turn into something in my eyes. Although I don’t think I will keep this color or font scheme necessarily, it gave me confidence! Another tip that has really helped me is constantly trying to aim for “Clean Coding,” a term we use in class a lot. Although it may seem silly at first to make sure things are spaced out and aligned, it really has benefited me. Something I really like about Brackets is that when I was adding my backgorund color it automatically provided a dropdown box of different possible colors that I could scroll through. This is a feature I found to be beneficial but also made me even more indecisive that I thought I was….

Whats up next? The design persona is something I have wanted to get a head start on because to me this is both an important and exciting part and start to the REAL look and feel of our site. Before I began I dipped into my personal Instagram archives and found three bloggers that I have admired for a while now both on social media and online. Looking at Cellajane.com from a design perspective I realized that I loved the simplicity of the blog and the fonts and colors used. To me its professional, calming, organized, yet bold all at the same time. Using this as inspiration really benefiting me when starting my design persona. I advise everyone to find a blog or even something as simple as a picture to use as their “jumping off point” with this process. Below I have attached a sample of the start of my design persona that I made on Adobe Illustrator.

Lastly, keep continuing to practice your coding and lets get creative with this process together!

#coding #webdesign #html #css #designpersona

Privacy vs National Security: a Debate

A complicated topic discussed in class recently was the debate between whether or not we should give up our rights to privacy in order to ensure national security. At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Of course I would chose not to give up a basic human right. Why would anyone want to give up their privacy? However, as I began to think more about the question, I found myself unable to form a solid opinion.

On One Hand:

I thought about how it would be hard to have your every move watched. Even though I, personally, like to think I’m not doing anything wrong, there is still the fear that something you do could get you in trouble without realizing. I then thought: well, some things are meant to stay private. But then I thought again about how even though it’s something you may not want everyone knowing about, it’s still not doing something wrong. This is not to say that I would ask for my internet search history to be published, but if the government were to take a look at it, it wouldn’t really matter. But there is still the worry that somehow everyone would be able to find out every little nitty gritty detail about you, which is a hard concept to wrap my head around.

On the Other Hand:

I started to think about it in terms of how much information we release about ourselves on a daily basis. On social media, we give up a lot of what’s ours to companies like Facebook. The CIA and other media sites already keep A LOT of data on the average, everyday person and this is just from what they post. Would it really be so terrible to be monitored for our security? I took this side for our class debate, even though I still consider myself undecided on the matter. I thought maybe if I took the more challenging angle, I would be able to form a solid opinion. However, I just ended up confusing myself more, because I realized there are major pros and cons on both sides.

My “Conclusion”

While I do believe giving up privacy would limit violent acts and help national security, I don’t think it would ensure it. I think it could definitely aid in preventing school shootings or terrorist attacks as many attackers plan from their computers in the privacy of their own homes. I do not think I would have anything to hide if we were to implement something like this, but still, the idea of the government knowing EVERYTHING about you, as it is described in this case, is a bit scary. Of course, it’s been likened to George Orwell’s novel 1984, which honestly terrified me when I read it. However, another novel that popped into my mind was David Eggers’ the Circle. In Eggers’ novel, society is totally transparent, and everyone can essentially watch each other. I do not think it would actually be like either of these scenarios in real life, but the thought that it could be a possibility still makes me unsure of whether or not I would actually want this implemented in our society.

So, What do you think?

Natalie Ochs

Internet filtering vs. teaching children internet safety and honest communication.

     In todays society filtering the internet your children use has become an extremely mainstream thing to do. The dilemma is the debate if this should be done or if we should just let our children access anything on their own. Here are some personal quotes on options about filtering our children’s internet that outline this discussion:

1. “We sometimes think too much about the content that we block, and we … limit their opportunities to succeed, explore their passions, and discover their strengths and talents.”
2. “Parents and children depended on YouTube to support homework time, including tutorials to solve math problems and to learn more about historical characters. The problem is that these platforms are multi-use, and those uses change too quickly for district [filtering] policies to easily keep up.”
3. “They understand that this connection is not a life-or-death situation, but that it affords opportunity. They also have a basic understanding of oppression and the idea that limiting access to the Internet limits people from opportunity,” said Hertz. “We sometimes think too much about the content that we block, and we forget [that] when we cut kids off [from social media] we limit their opportunities to succeed, explore their passions, and discover their strengths and talents.”

Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/04/internet-filtering-hurts-kids/479907/

These are extreamly important points to consider and understand. Many of these options support keeping children’s internet access open for the sake of learning, connecting with others, and creating bonds with parents. Although many have opposite views on this subject it is important to realize that sometimes this depends on both the child and the parent and how you want to raise your child in this new constantly changing digital society.

Take this poll:

 

 

 

 

 

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become so relevant in our society. Just look up and look around, everyone has a piece of technology on them, whether it is an Apple watch, phone, laptop, headphones, and the list could go on.

It is debatable whether Internet of Things is a good thing or bad thing. Yes, they make life so much easier, but in a way they also cause many complications.

1. Distraction
2. Social Anxiety
3. Lack Of Privacy
4. Always Communicating
5. Nothing Can Be Deleted

Net Neutrality and the Gaming Industry

Net Neutrality is something almost anyone using the internet is passionate about. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it basically means that the internet is open and we have free access to it. We pay a fee from our internet service providers (ISPs), but after that, we are free to use it and go to any website we please. It has been a long-rooted debate about whether or not the net will be kept open. Below, I’ve listed a brief history of Net Neutrality.

So, what does it mean that the order for Net Neutrality was repealed last year? The internet is going to change, and we’re going to have to pay for it. I explain the basics of it here, in my thoughts about Net Neutrality.

‘

This plan for change in internet speeds from our ISPs has caused some uproar in the gaming community, as well. Because the basic broadband speeds are not going to move as quickly, they will be virtually useless for gaming. With slower speeds comes a lot of buffering, which makes games frustrating and simply unplayable. Gaming might be moving toward the pay-to-play market, which is going to cost A LOT of extra money for just one gaming network. Yikes.

The people of social media are not keeping quiet about this, either. On Instagram and Twitter, many express their thoughts about what the change will mean:

Mark it on your calendar: April 23rd the FCC #repeal of #NetNeutrality protections goes into effect in the US. Say goodbye to "stable" gaming on any platform and hello to +100$ US for yearly membership on both consoles and on PC related titles. #OneMoreSenator

— CivilSavage on PS4 and XBOX1X (@BPCchosen) March 6, 2018

 

View this post on Instagram

We can't let this happen! #standup #fcc #equality #netneutrality

A post shared by Net Neutrality (@neutrality_net) on Nov 23, 2017 at 4:39am PST

It’s extremely obvious that internet users do not want to see this change that we are all speculating actually happen. In the long run, I do not think this will be beneficial to consumers, because at this point in time, it does not seem like they want to pay extra for services we have now for free, on top of the fees we pay for edge providers. However, we will just have to wait and see what it brings. In the meantime, we can use the net while it is still open and free to make our voices heard.

Natalie Ochs

 

 

Sophie’s Net Neutrality Blog Post

What is Net Neutrality? 

Net Neutrality essentially prevents IPS’s from denying users access to non-harmful sites, slowing down websites or apps, making sure that ISP’s aren’t causing traffic, making sure there is transparency, and making sure the rules are followed out.

The History of Net Neutrality:

 

Why is it important to us?

Because of Net Neutrality we have the ability to access the internet freely and can use websites that aren’t harmful to our pleasure and ability. Without it we are left with people who will regulate what we want and need on the internet and we will lose our ability to feel free again.

Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

#netneutrality #openrightsgroup #eff #fightback

A post shared by Erik Mackenzie (@erikmackenzie97) on Apr 13, 2018 at 6:12am PDT

Video:

 

Gaming in Net Neutrality

#NetNeutrality has been repealed. This is how it could affect gamers. https://t.co/tGAPd9VoCe

— Machinima (@Machinima) December 14, 2017

The impact on gaming is not going to be immediate, but it’s likely that if net neutrality is taken away then it will eventually affect how you use the internet to play games or even interact with those in the PC gaming community.

Conclusion

It is important to maintain an Open Internet firstly because without the internet companies all the way from Amazon to local start-up’s launching a new app, rely on the open internet to build their businesses and would suffer without it. Secondly and most importantly, our whole world functions off of the internet (how we work, learn, interact, play and even save lives).

 

 

Is anything really private anymore?

“I’ve always tried to keep the idea of “nothing is private once its online” in the back of my mind when doing, well, anything on the internet. It’s been told to us from a young age, so I really do try to be careful about what I’m posting. After watching the film Terms and Conditions May Apply, I was actually surprised. I knew that everyone could see the majority of what you post, but I didn’t know how much you’re actually singing your life away. I thought it was really unsettling to find out that social media actually helps the CIA find information about people. They have everything stored, and it never gets deleted. Even when using an app like Facebook Messenger, your messages are still saved by Facebook. The scariest thing I think, though, is that if your content is taken out of context, it can be seen and can actually be used against you. Going forward, I definitely want to protect my devices better by using a firewall, and maybe using an app that will encrypt my messages, like WhatsApp. Privacy really isn’t something we can depend on when using the internet, even when we’re not worried about being found.” 

-Natalie Ochs

This point is important and one that many Americans and even many in Europe feel about the evolution of the internet, especially social media. After watching Terms and Conditions May Apply, our eyes were open to the fact that much of our lives on the internet is regulated and used and seen by companies and the government. In many ways this makes one feel helpless, unable to protect their identity without having to completely not participate in social media and the many positive benefits it brings to our society. It is important however to keep ourselves informed about what we agree to when we sign up for new apps, log into our email providers, or even buy good through the internet. Although we can’t let fear predict how we live, we can become aware and make sure that we are using social sites well and being aware of what this exactly entails.

Why knowing about Creative Commons is IMPORTANT.

“Our work is to build a vibrant, usable commons, powered by collaboration and gratitude.” –Ryan Merkley, CEO

Before taking a communications course many of us were unaware of what Creative Commons even was. I know know and understand the importance of being informed about it, and we want to share this knowledge with you , so that you too are informed.

“What is Creative Commons?”

The main goal of Creative Commons is to create copyright rules that are free and reasonable to those who wish to use and share creations. These license allow those to not run into the strict laws of copyright that often occur when trying to use or reuse works created by authors, artists, or really anyone who put a copyright on their work.

“What are Creative Commons Licenses?”

Creative Commons licenses allow for the creator of the work to decide how they would like their work to be shared and used. The creator has an option from six different  licenses depending on how open or non open they want to be with their works. ” The combination of our tools and our users is a vast and growing digital commons, a pool of content that can be copied, distributed, edited, remixed, and built upon, all within the boundaries of copyright law.” (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/).

Creative Commons allows you to learn and discover new resources without a cost and without having to give credit to those who created it. It is an educational resource that opens users up to being able to do things such as remix music and videos, and even share these new creations freely. It is important for us as citizens to have the constant right to use information and creations how we want and when we want and thanks to Creative Commons we have this ability.

Useful Sources we used:

1. https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/what-is-creative-commons-and-why-does-it-matter
2. https://whiterabbitisme.wordpress.com/tag/why-is-creative-commons-important/
3. https://creativecommons.org/about/
4. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

Geographical Indicators

What exactly are Geographical indications?

Geographical indications are signs that are used on products that are made or have a very specific geographical location or origin. They are only really able to take effect When the area is defined, as soon as other cultures became aware of say chocolate coming from switzerland it took effect. In order for it to be considered a GI the products characteristics must be dependent on the area or origin.

What is the point of having a Geographical indicator?

A Geographical indicator allows those who have the right to use it to prevent its use by another source whose products do not conform to the standards. The downside to this however is that it does not prevent someone from using the same techniques.

Here are some examples of popular Geographical Indicators:

Pinggu Peaches

They’re native to China, and very popular throughout the country. In Chinese culture, the peach tree is actually known as the “tree of life” and represent living forever. However, they’re not just any peach. They’re known for their large size and distinct sweetness. They’re cultivated in the Pinggu region of China, and do a lot for the residents and farmers. They’ve even improved industrialization in China. They are able to demand a high price because they’re so popular. This is the first item to come from China that was registered as a Geographical Indicator.

Georgian Wine

Winemaking is a very strong part of Georgia’s culture and economy. Here is where the world’s first cultivated grapevines originated, about 8,000 years ago. Many families and households depends on the revenue collected from selling wine. Georgia has expanded their wine industry to outside their own country, to gain a bigger revenue and become more known. Georgia has great soil as well as climate for wine production, which is what makes theirs so good and popular.

 

The secret behind the red sole.

     Christian Louboutin is a French fashion designer that is best known for his red-laqured sole of his magnificent heels. Women from all over the world use his shoes as a stable of both fashion and status. Starting off as just a young designer, working for various top couture houses in Paris, he later began his own company taking to the fashion industry very well. Louboutin has recently been known for the trademark he has placed on his red sole causing what seems to be much controversy.

     In an a statement to ABC New Louboutin proclaimed that they were “extremely pleased and gratified that the Appellate Court found our key arguments to be correct: first that color can and does serve as a trademark in the fashion industry, and that Christian Louboutin’s world famous Red Sole trademark is valid, protectable and enforceable.” (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/louboutin-entitled-protect-signature-red-sole-court-rules/story?id=17163269)

     This case is fascinating in that Louboutin is not the only designer to have trademarked a color, Tiffany’s has done the same. Our question to you is, do you think this should be allowed or does it just cause more problems then it solves?

Fast Facts:

• The first soles of a pair of Louboutin shoes were painted with red nail polish in 1992
• Louboutin sells more than 650,000 pairs of these shoes per year
• They’re a status symbol, made popular on the show Sex and the City and worn by A-list celebrities
• The 2nd US Court Circuit of Appeals in Manhattan protected the red sole as Christian Louboutin’s trademark in 2012
• It was not infringement if and only if another designer’s shoe was red and has a red sole. If the shoe was not red with a red sole, it was considered infringing on the trademark. For example: Yves Saint Laurent’s shoes.
• However, as of 2018, The European Court of Justice is not sure if they are going to continue to recognize the red sole as Louboutin’s trademark
• If their trademark is seen as invalid, they will not be able to stop other designers from using the red sole

 

© Joan Stern 2015 – Women at New York Fashion Week show off the iconic red sole as they line up to walk in Christian Louboutin’s show.

There are many ethical issues that must be discussed when a color is claimed or trademarked. Many companies have colors trademarked for their logo or brand such as Starbucks, McDonalds, Tiffany, and few more. But Louboutin’s take this to another level. These shoes are trademarked in color by the actual product. This really puts a restraint on for other shoe companies and designers. Many issues arise from this because there are so many shoes made by different designers that have similar aspects, whether it is the shape, height, or color. Red is quite a common color for striking shoes, so for these shoes to be trademarked on the color red on the bottom of the shoe has caused many issues. “A trademark combining colour and shape may be refused or declared invalid on the grounds set out under EU trademark law,” this is stated by the ECJ in a discussion on the debated red soles. These shoes can still be a Louboutin speciality without being trademarked.

Here are some websites that are related to the topic and are relevant:

1. Louboutin Entitled to Protect Signature Red Sole, Court Rules http://abcnews.go.com/Business/louboutin-entitled-protect-signature-red-sole-court-rules/story?id=17163269

2. Shoe Designer Can Protect Its ‘Pop’ of Red, Court Says http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/nyregion/court-rules-louboutin-can-enforce-a-trademark-on-its-red-outsoles.html

3. Cases of Interest: Christian Louboutin v. Yves St. Laurent http://www.thefashionlaw.com/learn/christian-louboutin-v-yves-saint-laurent

4. Why Louboutin’s Red Sole Drama Just Won’t Quit https://www.refinery29.com/2015/05/87274/louboutin-red-sole-lawsuit