The good and bad internet

[DEATHMASTER]

Ok so I'm doing a research paper about cyberspace in general. But form my thesis I have to take a stance: for or against. I got to thinking, and its so much easier to come up with all the things that are wrong: piracy, exploitation, hacking, etc. and when I tried to think about the good things, all I came up with was: some decent communities (this place ), information. I want to make it a good thing so got any more ideas? :bounce:

 

[Beerdude26]

Freedom of speech can go both ways. Build your paper around that fact.

 

[Ennui]

I would try to make the point that despite negative effects like exploitation and hacking, the internet represents freedom of speech and information, which idealistically is very positive. The negatives associated with it are just side-effects of incorrect implementation.

 

[Sam]

Communication, banking, shopping, exposure for tons of media, greater freedom of expression, vast amount of information beyond anything else.

 

[Stigmata]

Its pros far outweigh its cons. I'd build your paper around what Ennui said

 

[<RJMC>]

porn

 

[Cole]

Look at how fast information can travel across the world!
How fast we can learn about new things that happens anywhere in the rest of the world!
How it has helped unite the world!
It helps students gain information to write papers!

The internet has revolutionized the world and almost every aspect of our lives.

 

[PvtRyan]

You have to take a stance? Doesn't that stance come naturally out of your research results? Shouldn't be necessary to start out biased, but with whatever your research shows. And the research results should probably be that the internet is becoming by far the most powerful and important medium. But I'm not quite sure how you can be 'against' the internet, unless you're an Amish or something.

 

[Krynn72]

If the internet was bad, how come the majority of house holds have internet access, how come businesses rely on it, how come its such a huge factor in all our lives? Communication is the biggest thing. The internet allows us to advance our society in so many ways, improve daily life, and it gets rid of some physical limitations that heed progress in many fields. For example, buisnesses can now have important meetings when nobody is in the same room. Email is a invaluable method of communication now, and without it, everyone would be doomed. DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

But yeah, what everyone else said.

 

[Marinmald]

piracy, exploitation, hacking, how-to-guides on how to do just about anything i.e. explosives, mis-information....and that is just the tip of the ice berg of goodness. but seriously, its like a library at your finger tips, it can even save lives. thanks to the internet I now know how to perform a tracheotomy and other lesser surgical procedures. and generally speaking, you can easily find people that are willing to help you with something or just to talk. anyways I could go on for while about the good things about the net, but I need to fap and catch some z's.

 

[Gunner]

You have to take a stance? Doesn't that stance come naturally out of your research results? Shouldn't be necessary to start out biased, but with whatever your research shows. And the research results should probably be that the internet is becoming by far the most powerful and important medium. But I'm not quite sure how you can be 'against' the internet, unless you're an Amish or something.

That's not what a research paper is in the american education system. It's called research paper but it's more like an essay.

 

[Baal]

There are even terrorism networks (PHBB2 forums for jihadists) set up on the Internet, which is probably one of the worst things the Internet offers. Terrorists getting their message out to impressionable people on a global level is good for no one.

Not a bad way to start your Cons portion.

 

[Muffin Man]

Wait, you're saying all you came up with for pros is information? Information is a powerful thing, man.

 

[Operational]

You could point out that crime has existed from the dawn of civilization. The fact that computer crime exists shouldn't tarnish the otherwise positive aspects of the internet.

You could also point out that the internet (and indeed computers themselves) are relatively new concepts and the rate of computer crime should diminish as users become more computer and internet savvy.

You could also point out that there are over a billion internet users worldwide, making the internet the best form of communication in human history (think about it any of those billion+ people can make a website, post on a blog, forum, etc which can be read by up to a billion other people)
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2153rank.html

 

[Qonfused]

Say that you did all of your research on the Internet -- it's the most condensed place to achieve information. Instant A.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Wait, you're saying all you came up with for pros is information? Information is a powerful thing, man.

Yeah but I looking for a bigger breakdown essentially~communications, freedom of speech, etc.

Thanks for the input, and yes, it's more of an essay than just listing of info then give a stance.

 

[Bad^Hat]

porn

.

 

[Narcolepsy]

Have you considered narrowing your topic a little? It's ridiculous to take a stance "for or against" the internet... that's missing the whole point of the paper. You should be looking at some issue related to cyberspace - free speech, internet pornography, free web - and evaluating it.

Imagine that you were writing about microwaves.
Your topic: "Microwaves: Good or Bad?" This is ridiculous.
Better: "Microwave Radiation: safe for the household?"

If you do decide to just write on the internet, you're gonna need to come up with some spin to make it seem like it has a focus. Talk about how internet has changed society, for example, and evaluate that change.

Of course, I got a very European style education in the IB Program. Here in America, we like to do things a little... dumber.

 

[Element Alpha]

a couple I came up with:
-it evens out the marketplace: small one-person businesses have an actual chance to beat the bigger ones.
-e-government: no need to wait in line downtown at city hall.
-huge library of human knowledge and thoughts.
-ability to communicate through video conferencing across the world(family/friends/business)
-all of the above are cheap; everyone can afford it, even in 3rd world countries.
-you get to read my post

 

[Azner]

eBay & Paypal & buttsech