Monday, March 24, 2014

Whispers, secrets and lies? Anonymity apps rise

In the past year numerous apps such as Whisper, Yik Yak, and Confide have been created around the idea of anonymity in social networking. This is the idea of posting things on a social networking site without your name attached to it. It is a concept which has gained popularity among teens and young adults. Whisper founders say that it gets rid of the need to appear perfect online. It also allows people to seek honest advice without having to feel embarrassed about asking for it. It has also been said to be able to prevent mischief. Critics have pointed out multiple problems about this. It is said to encourage bullying. Anonymity lets kids ridicule others without fear of repercussions. One bomb threat was even made in a California school. 
Apps such as these have been used in our school. These apps are targeted at us teenagers and we have the choice as to how we wish to use them. These criticisms about the dangers of anonymity online can be proven or disproven based off of how people in our age group use these apps. We must make sure to not use such apps for bullying and threats. It tells us also how these apps can help people and get rid of the appearance of "the perfect person" on social networking.
The article is well written. It gives the pros and cons of these apps and does its best to remain unbiased. It gives the who, what, when, where, and why's. It provided a lot of interesting information about not only these apps, but about human psychology.
Citation : 
Associated Press. "Whispers, Secrets and Lies? Anonymity Apps Rise." Washington Post. Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/whispers-secrets-and-lies-anonymity-apps-rise/2014/03/24/f85ac880-b37f-11e3-bab2-b9602293021d_story.html>.

6 comments:

  1. Danny wrote a great current event, about the article, Whispers, Secrets and Lies?. Danny did a great job telling about both sides, how the internet is used to benefit people and how it can be used to abuse people. Danny summarized his article very well and gave examples from the text, such as the bombing in the California school. I liked how Danny connected the article to our school and how apps, like the ones he mentioned, effect us today. Danny made his review captivating and informative.

    I thought Danny could have improved on a couple of things. I thought Danny could have put a quote from the article in his review. There were many interesting examples of anonymous posts that could have supported his thoughts. I also think Danny should have introduced the article he read and the author.

    I knew previously about anonymous apps and sites but never knew how many people it affected. I also found it interesting that apps made to help people with their problems are often used to bully. I thought Danny overall had a great review that was well thought out and descriptive.

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  2. Danny did a great review on the article, Whispers, Secrets and Lies?. He summarized the article very well and picked an article that is very relevant to what's happening today. I liked how he mentioned the different apps and the pros and cons of being anonymous. For instance, he stated that one side thought that anonymity was good because you could be yourself and not be afraid to be judged. The other side thought that anonymity was bad because people were misusing it to bully and make bomb threats like they did in California.

    Danny did a very good job, but there were a couple of things he could have improved on. For instance, he could have put a quote in the article and given a few more examples. He also could have stated the author and the title of the article in his first sentence.

    I found it interesting that both sides thought the things they did about apps where a person can be anonymous. I also liked how we can relate to the article because it's something that is effecting many people across the country today.

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  3. I enjoyed reading Danny's review on "Whispers, Secrets, and Lies? Anonymity Apps Rise". He did a great job of getting the main points of the article across, such as saying how the anonymity of the apps allow people to feel more comfortable with asking for advice without putting their names out in the world. Also, he chose a topic which most of us can relate to, while stating both the positive and negative reasons of the apps.
    Although the review was both informative and enjoyable, he could have included a direct quote from the actual article. This can help the review to have evidence of the points he made straight from the article. He also could have mentioned what the article's name was and who was its author. Other than those minor improvements, the review was great.
    I had heard about these anonymity apps, such as Yik Yak, but until I read Danny's review, it had not occurred to me that the article gives information on human psychology. With these facts, I can be more aware to the technology of today and how it effects the people around me.

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  5. I thought that Danny's article review was well written. He summarized the article quite well and included all of the main details. I also liked how he wrote about the benefits and disadvantages of anonymity. I also liked how he picked an article that connects with our lives.

    Though this was a good review overall, there are a few things I would change. I thought that Danny could have included a quote from the article. Also, I thought that he could have done a better job introducing the article rather than just jumping into the facts.

    I learned about the harm of these apps and also the dangers of anonymity from this review. I thought that this review was very well written.

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  6. Overall, I think Danny’s review was well written. One thing in particular I likes was his summary. Her included all the main details and it was understandable. Another think I like was how he stayed neutral on the topic by discussing both the advantages as well as the disadvantages of anonymous apps. Finally, I appreciated that Danny chose an article that may relate to our lives.

    One thing I think Danny can improve is putting in more quotes. I think this would have enhanced his review and get across all his points better. In the beginning, I also felt Danny jumped right into the facts, rather then introducing the article.

    From Danny’s article, I learned how dangerous these anonymous apps can be if they are abused, and so often are.

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