i wasn't able to make it to class on Wednesday but from looking over others blogs & seeing what the topic to be discussed i have a general idea. being safe & protected online is something that everyone strives to achieve but many seem to fall victim to identity theft or theft in general. like many of us in class we all know someone who has had something taken from them online. my brother bought something off of e-bay & soon after while checking his bank account....someone was purchasing stuff with his account. they ended up spending something like $600 before he caught it but luckily our credit union was able to retrieve some the money back but not it all. it's amazing to see that we are able to purchase items online & simply just put in our credit/debit card without thinking too hard. it's good to see that companies now can purchase security protections for their customers to ensure a safe purchase but sometimes some websites can purchase a protection plan & let it run out but it will still show that it's a "protected website."  

another topic that seemed to be covered was cyberbullying. this topic has finally gotten the attention it deserves but it's sad to say it has taken so long. bullying is something that has been around for awhile & has affected many kids, but with the internet it took bullying to a whole another level. with people being able to say whatever they want with little to no accountability, people can be nastier to each other & get away with it (sometimes). the website thedirty.com is a perfect example. the website is based off of people sending in pictures of others who they typically don't like or think is a "douchebag" or "sloot" & the moderator Nik Richie says whatever he feels about the person. 9 out of 10 times Nik says things that are terribly about the posted person & others will leave comments to typically reinforce what Nik says. outlets such as facebook & myspace (RIP) also are another good place for people to bully. it's sad to see that kids now a days are taking their lives over comments that others make. hopefully there will be some outlet to help those bullied & those who bully. Self goverence seems to go hand in hand with this subject.

these two topics are rather sad but hopefully one day we can make advances to prevent these two problems from escalating any more than they already have.