The Rising of Facebook

Facebook: The Rise and Rise of a social media giant ebook

Facebook started in 2004 in a college dorm at Harvard. It was designed by a IT student. Firstly it was meant to be an application for his fellow students at the university he was studying, but soon the program spread trough the whole of the university. Soon after that it also spread to other universities. It became an application platform and soon after that an entire web ecosystem. The designer is Mark Zuckerberg and in 2011 his was elected most influential person in the UK's media. His simple idea of connecting people in networks by sharing some personal details made him famous and one of the wealthiest persons on the planet. The latest development is that there is now also a book published writing about the rise of this internet application.

Martin Belam, guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 January 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/search?q=facebook&section=&date=date%2Flast7days

 

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photograph: Paul Sakuma/AP

Opinion:

I already knew this story and I think it shows that sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most succesful. I wonder how Mark felt when he realized that his idea has become world famous and made him one of the richest and most influential persons on the planet.

Besides the fact that facebook can be a lot of fun, I do also have some concerns. Some people post all the details of their life online, from whether they are in a relationship to when and where they are going on vacation. And some post even  more personal details. I believe when not thinking trough what you post online, Facebook can be dangerous place as well. There already have been reports about teenagers being harassed through Facebook and some research says that all these online possibilities are heaven for pedophiles and other bad people. Maybe the next thing Mark could do is make a "Facebook for Dummies" in order to prevent troubles and serious problems...

Flying Visit to Climate Event

Will.i.am arrives by helicopter for flying visit to climate event

Last year rapper WIll. I. Am visited the climate event in Oxford by arriving in a helicopter. When giving an interview at the event, the rapper expresses his frustration and confusing towards the fact that so little people are worried about the climate changes. He feels that it should be on everyone's priority list. Will. I. Am hoped that social media would help spreading the information about climate change. According to the rapper the best way to change the climate for the better is by using companies to make these changes. But on the other hand, isn't ironic that superstars promote action to improve the climate fly around in a polluting helicopter?

Duncan Clark guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 May 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/24/will-i-am-climate-debate?intcmp=122

Will.i.am with Prof Myles Allen of Oxford University at the Radcliffe Observatory this Monday talking about climate change and the Weatherathome project. Photograph: Duncan Clark/guardian.co.uk

Opinion:

I found this a very funny article. Especially since Will.I.Am is so motivated to talk about environmental changes but comes to a climate event in a HELICOPTER! I do like his approach on solving the climate problems. When thinking about it I also think that for solving the climate problems it will start by companies making "green products".I think that when it becomes easier and cheaper to buy green products, people will buy these products more. But if Will.I.Am really wants to make a statement he should stop flying his helicopter...

Special Educational Needs Budget Controlled by Parents?

Parents to control special education needs budgets

In the biggest reform of SEN in 30 years it is suggested that parents should be given control over the educational needs budgets. By giving the parents control it will be prevented that they are sent from "pillar to post". Because of this change bureaucracy is diminished and children will get suitable help sooner and more efficiently organized.

Alison Ryan, policy adviser for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, hopes that agencies will plan their services together. She also adds though that many parents will be the best to present their child and decide what is best, but this cannot be said of every parent.

Ben Quinn, The Guardian, Tuesday 15 May 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/may/15/parents-special-educational-needs-budgets

Sarah Teather, the minister for children and families, said thousands of families have had to battle for years to get the care their children need.

Opinion.

This is an interesting discussion. I do believe that by giving parents the control over the budgets for their children, things will be arranged sooner and more efficient, because there is less bureaucracy. On the other hand are all parents suitable to manage such a budget? Will parents be guided and helped with making the decisions about the budget and what is best for their child? And how will be checked if the budget is actually spent on Special Educational Needs. In short, I think there are a lot of advantages, but there are also some critical remarks to be made that should be researched, before this plan is put in action.

A Ferrari Hybrid

Ferrari to launch its first hybrid car – a snip at £527,000+

Ferrari is producing its first hybrid car. It will be an Enzo and it will be presented at the end of the year. The car is reported to cost €660,000. The engine of the car will combine two electric motors with a twelve cylinder gas engine. This combination will make it possible to reduce fuel use with 40%. Despite this new technology Ferrari's are still the most polluting cars at the moment, with a greenhouse gas emission of 545g/km. According to new agreements on emission it should actually be 95g/km by 2020. The Committee on Climate Change hopes these changes will come in the UK. They expect that the market for electric vehicles will increase from a current 1% to a 16% in 2020.

Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 May 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/may/15/ferrari-launches-first-hybrid-enzo?intcmp=122

Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari (1898 - 1988) poses with his cars at the Ferrari factory, Manarello, Italy, 1956. Photograph: Thomas D. McAvoy/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

Opinion.

Lately there has been a lot of talk about hybrid cars and that they should improve the environment. Many car manufacturers are working on new car types. There are even electrical cars nowadays. According to this article even Ferrari now launches a new type of car. I think this is a good development. Ferraris is always seen as a cool car which is very appealing. Actually Ferrari is in a certain way exumpted from the greenhouse gas emission rules, but the fact they are also trying to work on a green car shows that they are not only concerned about creating a cool car, but that they are also thinking about the environment.

Ladies, don't go living in London

London: the worst place in the UK to be a woman

Women in London are having problems. According to research, comparing London to the rest of the UK, women in London are less likely to work, get paid less than their male colleagues and have a high risk of getting sexually assaulted. Unemployment rates among women are rising and several cuts have been made which damage the financial situation of women. Experts fear the chance of women falling below the poverty line. The fact that women earn a lot less money than men is explained by the fact that men just have higher jobs and also work fulltime. A petition has been filed to raise awareness of the inequality between women and men.

Jane Martinson, 19 april 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2012/apr/19/london-worst-place-women

                

Opinion.

This is an important article! It is a shame that there is so  much inequality between men and women in London! I am not aware of how these rates are in the Netherlands. This is the 21st century, it is possible to walk on the moon but it is not possible to make arrangements for women to go to work? It is important for women to be able to work, since more and more women are single or single-mothers, so they need to be able to provide for themselves and maybe their children.

To Shave or Not To Shave

Ladies: why you should stop shaving

Now that summer is coming closer women are  preparing to start shaving their legs, armpits and bikini lines. The advice is not to shave anymore. There has been done an experiment and it gives al the answers to your doubts. First of all, most men do not really mind and are proud of their girlfriend not shaving. Secondly it doesn't make you smell bad. Unfortunately some people do laugh at your legs and armpits. Going to the swimming pool is a bit strange at first, but you get used to it. According to this article you should stop shaving your armpits, since it is important work against 'gendered bullshit'.

Emer O'Toole guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 May 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/02/ladies-why-you-should-stop-shaving

                    

Opinion.

I really liked this article because shaving my legs, armpits and bikiniline is something I truly hate, despite the fact that it can be done within minutes. Still it is annoying to do, not to mention the stubbles growing back. So I like the idea of not shaving anymore, but on the other hand letting my armpithair grow does not sound very hygienic, neither does not shaving your bikini line. Also both things do not sound very attractive either. So I must admit that I am not won over by the enthusiastic arguments of this article.

To the Gym!

Are no-contract gyms the future of fitness

The gyms are having a hard time, they have been in the news in a negative way and because of the crisis people to not have money to spend on the gym. So nowadays there are gyms that offer contracts that you only have to pay when you actually do a work out at the gym.

This gives a lot of advantage to the customers but there are downsides to it. Gyms are very busy because it is easier to enter and there are less extra's.

Still people like this new concept. They can use a gym without being stuck to it, so if they do not live up to their plans to exercise they did not lose a lot of money. People travelling a lot can get easier access to a gym as well. So for the future there will be 2 kinds of gyms.

Rachel Platt, guardian.co.uk, 2 May 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/may/02/no-contract-gyms-future-of-fitness

Opinion.

I go to the gym twice a week. I like going there and I like it the way it is. I can understand that there a people who would like the gym without a contract so they are not wasting their money if they don't go. Everything has to do with the fact that they gym have to live up to the expectations of the customer. That is why there are so many different options possible nowadays. I don't really know whether all these options are a good thing, but as along as they are getting people to go to the gym more often it is a good thing, so far.

What to Facebook?

So you're an organ donor on Facebook – but at what cost?

Facebook is encouraging people to share on their facebookpage whether or not they are organdonors. This seems like a good plan, but they are some opionions against this plan. I might ensure more organs, but maybe someone will track, via facebook, the people down and kill them to sell their organs.

Many people are sharing their personal life and information online, that makes it possible for several brands to find out all kinds of stuff about us. Still people are adding more and more information on their pages. Despite this phenomenon, research shows that we are not that eager to share personal information with all kinds of brands. So, considering this, it is important to think about what you post online. Everything you post comes with a price, although we do not exactly know what price...

Arwa Mahdawi guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 May 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/02/organ-donor-facebook-cost


Opinion.
When writing about is acticle I had never heard about putting on your facebookpage whether or not you are an organdonor. I do not think it's wise to put this online for everyone to see. I cannot understand why people want to make this kind of information avaible for the rest of the world to see.
I think, this accounts for all the social media, that it is important that you really think about what you post online. Once you have put it online, it's there and can't never be removed again. It will always be in internetspace, for everyone to find. So the dilemma discussed in this article would be an easy one for me; I would never write that kind of information on my facebook.

Pink Stinks!

Why girls aren't pretty in pink by Susanna Rustin

Summary:

Two twin sister disliked the thought that certain toys are meant for boys and that certain stuff is meant for girls. The category which toys belong is easy to recognize, since everything is in pink or blue. The sisters set up a campaign to raise awareness of gender stereotyping of children. Their campaign struck a cord and very soon they were invited for television shows.

Firstly their main focus were toys, but now they are also focusing on make up products meant for young girls. The sisters find that giving make up and other beauty product to girls in primary school gives off a wrong sign to what is supposed to be important. They fear that girls are going to believe that everything evolves about looking hot and this trend, they fear, will also have a bad influence on boys.

The Guardian, Saturday 21 April 2012

Opinion:

I can totally agree with the thoughts of these two sisters. They discuss gender stereotyping happening concerning toys and beauty product. This is something that is done since the dawn of time. Boys are supposed to be adventurous and girls are supposed to be homey and domestical. Well, I do believe that boys and girls have different preferences in toys and other things concerning behavior and choices, but this does not mean that it is a good thing to emphasize these thoughts. The more these stereotypes are 'forced' on children, the more they will behave to it...

Drought Troubles

Heavy April rain 'not enough to end drought' by Fiona Harvey

Summary:

England suffers severe drought problems. Despite that, when there was heavy rain fall in the latest weeks, several flood alerts were issued. Although this enormous amount of rain that even threatened to cause floods, the problem of the drought throughout London is not solved yet. The rain was not enough to recharge reservoirs. 

England has had two exceptionally dry winters which cause drought in summer, since rain in summer is mostly absorbed by vegetation. It will probably have to rain for more than two weeks to restore the damage done.

Unfortunately the weather forecast does not predict a lot of rain. This way England´s water levels will be dependent on the rainfall in the winter of 2012/2013.

guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 April 2012 16.01 BST

Opinion:

This sounds like a serious problem. Certainly when considering that there have been exeptionally dry winters for two years on end now. What will happen if next winter is going to be dry as well? What will be the consequences for the environment, farmers and the people of England? If this kind of weather keeps up, water will be rationed? Crops will wither and die?

When talking about the weather I always think about my grandmother. She always says that all that talk about evironmental changes is just stupid, because concerning nature everything will be compensated. My grandmother would say to us to just sit still and wait for the floods to come, nature will always compensate....

A little Self Restraint

We're eating too much meat - any chance of a portion of self restraint?

Lately the meat industry has gotten out of hand. Eric Davidson of the Woods Hole Research Centre advised that we must cut back on portion size and the quantity of meat we eat.

Not only to improve our own health and to keep our weight within normal standards, but mostly to reduce the amount of fertilizers that is used nowadays. These fertilizers release nitrous oxide that causes climate change. All the crops that need to be grown to feed all the animals, produce so much greenhouse gases that it has become very damaging for the environment.

To get a good view on how much our meat intake has grown, we can take a look at the burgers from McDonalds. In 1955 the first hamburger weighed 1.6 ounces, now the largest burger weighs eight ounces!

Because of eating a lot more meat, we damage the environment, more and more people become overweight, this mean a need for bigger clothes, cars, airplane seats, a drain on health services so on and so on. In the end our enormous intake of meat has even more enormous damaging results.

We really should take this in consideration and change our lifestyle. Unfortunately, nobody likes to be told what they can or cannot eat...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Friday 13 April 2012

I think this article should a very interesting look on the way we are consuming nowadays. Most articles are talking about the fact that people are getting unhealthier and fatter,but indeed, how about the effects on the environment? It shows that the environment suffers from our enormous intakes as well. If you ask me, I think someting should be done, and fast! The only problem is; it's all about the money". As long as money can be earned by producing more and more food, it will stay this way and people will keep on consuming it...

Bird Population Threatened by Windfarms?

Windfarms do not cause long-term damage to bird population, study finds.

For many years it was believed that windfarms cause long term damage to bird populations. A study has been done by conservationists into the impact of windfarms to ten of the key species of Britain. The conclusion is that these bird populations are not harmed, but that they can co exists or even thrive with windfarms once operating. So this goes against the widespread allegations that windfarms would be "bird blenders".

What did come out to be negative in this research is the fact that constructing the windfarms does have a negative effect on birdpopulations. So it is very important that in future constructing of windfarms, constructers choose a suitable site so the damage to birdlife is reduced to a minimum.

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 April 2012

Many years it has been thought that windfarms inflict a lot of damage while operational, but now studies show that this is not the case. Windfarms are only damaging to birdlife while being constructed. Still the damage caused is irreversible.
This is a difficult dilemma. Windfarms are built to help the environment. Windfarms are supposed to produce "green energy", which supposed to be better than the traditional ways of producing energy. So maybe they do, but on the other hand while constructing these windfarms, a lot of damage is done to the birdlife. Considering this fact, do windfarms still produce "green energy"?