Final Blog Post

As this class comes to and end I can only look back at fond memories and the knowledge I have gained from Info3pt0. Coming into my freshman year of college I was very nervous about what to expect, specifically what my professors would be like. I can honestly say that Professor Yaros was a great professor to have my first semester of college. This class really changed my view on the world, mostly because of the tech-saviness that Professor Yaros displayed. He was able to show me a lot of things that I never knew were possible. For instance, the privacy lecture where we viewed public records and were able to see certain documents such as mortgage papers etc was fascinating to me. I was able to see the papers my Dad used to buy his first ever house back in 1984. It was scary that the information was so easily accessible, and it wasn't just me who could see it, anyone could see it. That made me think about my privacy. The fact that stalkers, random people, or criminals could do research about me.

The deed to the first house my father bought. I was able to find this using county public records. Scary?

Positive opinions of the digital world that I have gained are general coolness of things in our info3pt0 world. In class we were able to view a lot of cool things. For instance the use of Wimba and Pronto was really cool in my opinion. My sister is a Senior at the University of Michigan, over Thanksgiving I showed her these devices and she was extremely impressed. I am fortunate to have these capabilities as a freshman. Wimba is especially cool because Professor Yaros can video chat with specific students, students can talk via the microphone, the links that can be brought up on a students screen, the polls etc. I view the digital world in a new light because I always new the technologies we discussed in class were out there, it was just a matter of me finding them. My view has not really changed. I am still a little scared about my privacy, but at the same time fascinated by the capabilities of the digital world. I hope several of my classes in the future utilize both Wimba and Pronto.

I would say that they should utilize the technologies that we discussed in class, because they are very useful, both in education and in the real world. How they can utilize the devices is dependent on what the technology is.

In terms of information, colleagues who did not experience this semester can make use of information by learning from it. The internet has released an endless spectrum of information that no one can grasp in one lifetime. People can utilize the information to help them with whatever their profession is. For instance, in this class people were able to relate information and technology to a wide variety of topics. From food, to STD prevention, to sports, all of these can have information and devices in our world related to them as we saw in our class this year.

A Few Food Apps That Are Worth It

The Apple App Store which has been around ever since the creation of the I-Touch and I-Phone has brought several different hobbies to the palm of mobile phone users hands. Sport's Apps, entertainment apps, and games have been the most popular thus far. However, food Apps have found a place in the App Store and enthusiasts are taking notice.

The Chipotle App is probably my favorite app, it makes me feel like a celebrity. Imagine being able to skip the entire line when it reaches around the store, walk right up the register, tell the cashier your name, grab a bag with your favorite burrito, and walk out. With the Chipotle App this is possible. I particularly like this app for the reason I just mentioned, I can show up to Chipotle and get my favorite meal with out any waiting. Other cool features include being able to save your credit card number with them so you can pay via your I-Phone or I-Touch. Whatever it is you order you can save to your favorites so whenever you want to show up again you don't have to go through the process of virtually making the burrito again. Let's say you work with other people who like Chipotle, you can save their favorites too so ordering is just a matter of clicking the screen on your phone. A confirmation email is always sent to you to ensure that you know your order has been received. The app is easy to navigate and read, the layout is appealing to the eye. Chipotle doesn't deliver, but this is the next best thing.

Next, Open Table is an app that I have noticed gaining popularity among restaurant goers. I have noticed a number of people who have this app on their phone. This app makes it easy to make a reservation at a restaurant. It is very simple to use. You simply select the metro or city you want to make a reservation in. The Open Table network is huge, you can make reservations using this app from Beirut to Jackson Hole. Before picking the restaurant you pick the time and date, and then a list of restaurants that have reservations open will pop up and you choose one. In addition to the reservation making capability, it also serves as a kind of Zagat sort of app. The restaurant you click on has reviews, price range, cuisine, and a short summary of the restaurant. I would definitely recommend this app for someone who travels a lot, or is a restaurant aficionado and dines a lot.

EveryScape's series of Eats! apps is an interesting concept. This app takes advantage of technologies such as Google Street View and applies to restaurants. In my opinion this app is very young and still developing, I do not feel it has reached it's full potential. It is no different from the Yelp, Zagat, or CitySearch apps except this app gives the user a screen shot of the interior of the restaurant, and using Google Street View the opportunity to view the exterior of the restaurant and it's surroundings. I can think of times this app could be useful from a personal standpoint. Several times when my family goes on vacations my father does all the planning and makes reservations at restaurants that appeal to him, have gotten good reviews, or are famous in the area. However, sometimes when we get to these restaurants my mother disapproves and is not flattered by the restaurant. If my father used this app he could show my mother a picture of the restaurant's interior and exterior to get her seal of approval. To go off on a little tangent this app would've been very helpful when I was with my family in Vancouver Canada. My dad got a reservation at the best chinese restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown. However, my father was not aware that this chinatown was not the safest neighborhood and the restaurant was in the heart of this neighborhood. It was a very interesting day to say the least.

Middle East Journalists Panel Extra Credit

I thoroughly enjoyed the panel that was in class this past thursday that talked about what it is like to be like a journalist in the Middle East. It was enjoyable to hear their opinions on our questions, their response to our questions, and the way they operated in their country. The thing that stood out to me the most is how when one of us asked a question and the panelists heard just a bit of the question from the translator all of their hands shot up almost immediately. To me it seemed to me like these journalists came here wanting to learn about us as American college students, but more I feel like they wanted to teach us something. They wanted to let us know what it was really like to be in the Middle East. What it was really like to be on the frontline of what we see on the news everyday. In my opinion they saw this as an opportunity to filter out the American media where we get our news from and to let us know what it was really like. I appreciated that and thought it was interesting to hear their opinion. 

Out of all of the panelists the one that intrigued me the most was the reporter from Palestine. It was clear to me that he was the most into the panel and was having the most fun. I previously spoke about how they had a message they wanted to get across, the Palestinian journalist had the most to say. At the end it was so interesting to see them all campaigning to get their final points across. The journalist from Palestine was by far the most outspoken. I am not surprised about the argument that he made about American journalism at the end of the panel. In America we do make a much bigger deal about a suicide bombing by someone from Palestine, than we do make a big deal about innocent Palestinians dying at the hand of the Israeli army. However, recently American media has been portraying Israel in a poor light with their naval blockade. 

Finally, I found it interesting when a student asked if they felt women had the same opportunities   and one of the female reporters responded by saying that female journalists in her country was becoming a trend. This diminishes the stereotype that Middle Eastern countries do not give women an equal opportunity to succeed. That is an example of how I learned that the media really is not that different or far behind as the media here.  

Photo Assignment

First Photo: For my first photo I took a picture of my television while it was on the Food Network. This photo describes my topic because throughout much of my blog I have discussed the Food Network and how it has contributed to the digitalization of the Food Industry. The Food Network is a prototype for examples of visualizations of the Food Network, their entire channel is based around visualizing food.

Second Photo: I took tis Photo While I was pulling an all-nighter and writing a paper. I was hoping to show how the Food Industry has entered the world of college students. Ideally I would've like to have a giant energy drink to show how big the energy drink business within the Food Industry is. However, I don't drink energy drinks and a Diet Coke had to suffice (the Diet Coke keeps me awake just as long as an energy drink would). Visualization is the main way that energy drinks try to target their potential clients. They do this through illustrious graphic designs on their cans and commercials with clear exaggeration.

Final Report

Christine Carson and Juan Carlos Noble
Ronald Yaros
Final Report
10/13/10

Social Behavioral Advertising on the Internet


Everyday we view countless web pages, surfing the internet for information, from recipes to facts for a research paper. In our constant search for knowledge we create an online personality for ourselves that says a lot about our sex, race, ethnicity and so on. Marketers and advertisers use this data to send targeted advertisements to consumers, which is called “behavioral advertising.” Although behavioral advertising may help consumers learn of services and products they were not aware of, behavioral advertising does present privacy concerns. Many internet users are unaware that their information is tracked. Should companies like AOL and Google be allowed to collect their users information, and sell it to a third party? Does behavioral advertising infringe upon a person’s rights to not have their information collected? The issue over behavioral advertising suggests clearer regulations need to be created to separate our online actions from our private lives.


Behavioral advertising uses tracking technology that follows consumers’ every click, using this data to make assumptions about you. According to Yahoo! Behavioral Advertising policy, modeling technology gathers “…searches, page views and ad interactions. With these models, Yahoo! Identifies what consumers are interested in and predicts where in the Awareness-Consideration-Purchase funnel they are. (Yahoo!)” This presents a privacy concern because potentially sensitive information such as social security numbers and health information could get to the wrong people.


Social behavioral advertising is one of the biggest driving forces of the Internet. In any business, career field, or industry the straw that stirs the drink is money. Because of this social behavioral advertising is the reason the Internet is seen as such an opportunity to make money for so many companies. The general idea of social behavioral advertising is that companies can pay advertising firms or other companies to post their advertisements where they know their demographic will be on the Internet. For instance, the third party company is able to scan a users computer and see his favorite websites, his history, and other information. Based off of that they can make assumptions now whether he is a male or female, what his hobbies are, where he spends most of his time, and what he is most likely to spend money on. Some people see this as an invasion of privacy but there is no one ruler of the Internet, and their is no governing force of the Internet so it is completely legal. Most people don't understand that the advertisements they see having to do with their likes and interests are not a coincidence.


Websites such as Google, Facebook, and You Tube are three of the most successful Internet companies because of this. Using the likes and interests section on a persons profile on Facebook, advertisers are able to market their product to people they know have a preexisting interest in that topic. Google and YouTube too both keep a history of all the searches a user performs and based on those results, they are able to see what someone is most likely to buy. If you are watching clips of scary movies there is no coincidence that the advertisement next to you says, see what you look like in "scary form.” Its an advertisement marketing to you because chances are if you like scary movies, you would be interested in seeing yourself in "scary form". If you watch a lot of sports highlight tapes there might be an advertisement that says "test you’re sports IQ" or "win super bowl tickets". Social behavioral advertising are these companies bread and butter, their main source of income.


Companies that rely on behavioral advertising often hope to reach a new audience using this specific marketing scheme. Marketers use the information gathered from an individuals search engine to learn more about that person and their interests. For example, last night I went on T-Mobile’s website hoping to upgrade my cell phone. This morning I noticed several advertisements from T-Mobile promoting their new “Kids are free” campaign for customers. T-Mobile’s privacy policy states “we may use cookies…or similar technologies to identify the computer or device and record your preferences and other data so that our websites can personalize your visit. (T-Mobile) This policy notes that when you “visit” T-Mobile, they may customize the page, however nothing was mentioned about when you are not visiting the website. Under this policy, advertisements on non-T-Mobile web pages are still acceptable.


Behavioral advertising presents a privacy concern because it creates a profile of who you are, and prejudges a customer before they have the opportunity to make a purchase online. A Wall Street Journal article discussed how some of the tracking software used by companies, could potentially lead to price changes depending on who they think the consumer is (Steel & Angwin). For example, a wealthy, single, 30-year-old male may see a different price for a Honda Civic versus a 25-year-old mother. This practice could lead to some individuals being barred from viewing certain websites. At Carnegie Mellon University researchers studied interviewed and surveyed more than 300 people to learn about individuals’ attitudes to behavioral advertising. Using a Likert measurement scale, 64 percent believed that following someone’s online habits is “invasive.” (McDonald & Crannor) This suggests that many consumers are potentially uncomfortable with having their information monitored.


Amid all of the controversy one thing is for certain; targeting potential clients via behavioral advertising a major source of income for websites that want profit off of Internet ads. In today’s wireless world and web 2.0 advertisements are not just something to put on you’re website to make it a money machine. Behavioral advertisement has changed the way people think when they create a website. The mindset of “what website can I create so people visit it” in today’s world is not nearly as popular as “what website can i create where people can view, display, share their likes and interests, and then advertise to them based on their activity”. This is how Facebook and Youtube are both so successful. It may be controversial, but if you read the fine print at the bottom you realize it’s completely legal, and that it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.  




Sources
T-Mobile. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from   HYPERLINK "http://www.t-mobile.com/company/website/privacypolicy.aspx?WT.z_unav=ftr__privacypolicy \\ otherprivacyinfo"http://www.tmobile.com/company/website/privacypolicy.aspx?WT.z_unav=ftr__pr ivacypolicy#otherprivacyinfo 

Steel, E., & Angwin, J. (2010, August 4). On the Web's Cutting Edge, Anonymity in name  only. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 13, 2010 from   HYPERLINK "http://online.wsj.com/article/"http://online.wsj.com/article/  SB10001424052748703294904575385532109190198.html?mod=googlenews_ws
McDonald, A., & Crannor, L. (n.d.). American's Attitudes About Internet Behavioral  Advertising Policies. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from   HYPERLINK "http://www.aleecia.com/authors-drafts/"http://www.aleecia.com/authors-drafts/wpes-behav-AV.pdf
Yahoo!. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from   HYPERLINK "http://advertising.stltoday.com/content/behavioral_FAQ.pdf"http://advertising.stltoday.com/content/behavioral_FAQ.pdf

How has the advent of technology effected the food industry?

I'm not going to lie, this was probably the most difficult blog post to relate to my topic which is why I am writing this at two o'clock in the morning. However, after lots of deep thought I thought of ways that the food industry is being effected by the lack of security and privacy brought on by technology. The first one that came to mind is that with websites, video/picture sharing, and other resources that restaurants no longer have the privacy that they used to. Reviews of restaurants are now constant, as is the image of the restaurant. Unlike in the past where you would base your opinion off of a newspapers review which could be a year old, now people base whether they go back to a restaurant on the latest Yelp review. Another way to look at it is people now have the capability to share their dining experiences with picture messaging. One party can discreetly take a picture using their cell phone and send it to another party. This photo could drastically alter the second parties opinion of the restaurant. If a chef is not wearing a hat, not wearing gloves, blowing his nose, this is all open to not just the people in the restaurant anymore. 

When restaurants fail health inspections now it is recorded on the internet for everyone to see, rather than just a simple hard to see letter in the window like in past times.  This is similar to the public records that we went over in class. We were able to see any information we wanted to see about someone with the exception of medical records. This is the same for restaurants as we can now see any documentation having to do with a restaurant. Liquor licenses, health inspection grades, the loan documents used to purchase the restaurant, and several other pieces of information are all public now. 

One way to utilize this information is if you are wanting to go to a restaurant but don't know the DL on it. You could find out who the owner is, and then searching public records see his history. Is this is first restaurant? Has he had bad grades at other restaurants? And several other questions. Despite the possibilities of using public records to find out information about a restaurant, it is still far more likely to use a website like Yelp or Yellowpages.com to get information on a restaurant. 

You could also relate this topic to the celebrities that have been created due to the breakthrough of food into the mainstream media due to technology. For instance celebrity chefs such as Rachel Ray now suffer the same harshness from paparazzi that other movie stars or singers have to endure. The secrets of their life are exposed, for instance their religion, where they live, and other facts that one would hope to remain private.

Good Sources and Bad Sources

The website that I get most of my news from is the Huffington Post. the Huffington Post is a great website because it has front pages for almost anything you can think of, and that includes food. I get most of my sources for my blog about food and technology from the big news page on the Huffington Post entitled food. In terms of being a reliable new's source the Huffington Post is a very reliable source for my blog in my opinion. Most of their original content is editorials written by people who work for the website or freelance for the website. However, most of the content on the website that I view is material that they have adapted or summarized for the reader. This is the case with their food portion of the website. One of the most common features on the website are the slide shows. For instance, in regard to food they recently produced a slide show highlighting foods at state fairs. Like all the other slide shows the one I just linked too has a source, in this case it is the website Endless Simmer. I consider both the Huffington Post and Endless Simmer to be credible and reliable sources.

Next out of all of my blogs and websites that I look to for food and technology news, this website relates food to technology more than any other. In my opinion it is not as reliable as the two I mentioned in the first paragraph, and I only say this because of the appearance of the website. The general layout of the website is not as friendly or official looking as other websites, which leads me to think how much of a difference does the design of a website have to do with the reliability that the reader  associates with that website? The reason I don't trust the gadget website as much is because of the clutter of advertisements surrounding the main page, and all the gadgets they advertise have a buy button that is part of the article where you can go to the shop and buy the food gadget. This makes it seem as if it is more of a market or shop for manufacturers to sell their product. Finally, the advertisements that are on the page do not appear to be legitimate, they are clearly spam or some other type of internet hoax.

I feel that it is much easier to find reliable websites for my topic as opposed to unreliable web sites. I was not able to find a website that had terrible information, just ones that weren't as organized as the other ones which provided good information.