Freedom of Speech on the Internet Essay

The advent of internet technology has revolutionized how people interact with each other. Internet has converted the world into a global village, transforming how we communicate with each other. The effectiveness of internet as a means of communication being experienced today could not have been thought of some decades ago. The rapid development in communication technology has created new opportunities through which people pass information on different issues relating to governance. This technology has renewed the ability of citizens to play a role in economic development and extending their labor interests. Moreover, different societies in the world can freely exchange ideas that affect the society in the cyberspace. However, as internet become part of everyday life, the issue of freedom of speech is becoming increasingly important (Freeman, 2000). The need for litigation programs that are aimed at protecting the freedom of speech in the cyber space and protecting the common man from the powerful players in the internet has become necessary in the new technology. The internet has become an important tool in the promotion of freedom of expression. Information can flow freely and unconditionally in the cyberspace which has helped in the promotion of democracy in different parts of the world. The increased popularity of the internet combined with the design of the cyberspace has made it difficult for the government to limit the freedom of expression in the internet. Different government around the world have made attempts of controlling the information available in the internet but without much success. However, there is no doubt that the internet has introduced universal freedom of expression due to it ability pass information instantaneously and at very low cost across the borders. For this reason, free flow of information through this revolutionary technology has attracted moral, political and legal controversies. In the same way it is used to promote freedom of speech, it can also be used to propagate serious crimes such as hate speeches and fraud. The content of information on the internet has always been a contentious issue. For example there have been issues of child pornography in the internet which pushed the United States government to enact laws against such practices. Moreover, materials up loaded in one country where they are legal may be downloaded in another where they are prohibited on the bases of being politically or socially subversive. This raises the big question of whether freedom of expression in the internet should be regulated and whether it is practically possible due to the design of the World Wide Web. Freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of all citizens in a country. Freedom of speech is essential in any country that upholds the principles and core values of democracy. It is also essential in promoting respect for human dignity in the society. Moreover, it is considered to be one of the most dangerous freedoms granted by the state to it citizens because it is a means through which they can express their dissatisfaction with the current situation in the governance and demand a change. For this reason, autocratic regimes have always denied their citizens this fundamental right of expression. As such, in all aspects of the society the freedom of expression is the most threatened, with both the state and civil rights organizations in all societies of the world being limited by this fundamental right (Sanders, 2003). Many countries in the world recognize the importance of the freedom of speech to sustain democracy and social development in the country. In the United States, this fundamental right is guaranteed by the 1st amendment of the United States constitution. There are other federal and states statutes that protect the united states citizens against violation of freedom of speech. This freedom permits criticism and advocacy of the activities in the government that they find distasteful. However, this freedom is not absolute and there are cases where the freedom of speech is restricted. For examples, individuals can not be allowed to promote sexual immorality such as child pornography, hate speeches or incite the public in the name of freedom of speech (Bingham, 2007). The government is also obliged to protect the citizens from false advertisement in commercial speeches as well as protecting the property rights of individuals. The rapid development in information technology has brought about various challenges in the regulation of freedom of speech. The congress has made various attempts to enact laws that govern the freedom of speech in the internet most notably the Communication Decency Act of 1996 and the introduction of web filtering software in public schools as a federal funding precondition (Godwin, 2003). Freedom of Speech in the Internet In the modern world, the internet is becoming increasingly important. This is because of its effectiveness in disseminating information in a society that increasingly requires faster and effective communication channels. Basically the circulation of information need to be free and the internet technology extends the freedom of expression at the global level. The internet has created the largest global common area when individual can say anything they wish. This information in this revolutionary public space can be access by anybody around the world with an access to the internet technology. The internet has created a global village where people can exchange ideas, spread gossips and spread general information. It is there not practical for moral and constitutional standards in the flow of information and governance of what speech is permitted to be applied in the internet. When the cyberspace is considered in relation to the United States constitution and it guarantee of freedom of speech, the first amendment for example can be considered to be a local ordinance (Weber, 2010). At the very basic level, the freedom of speech is inherent in the architecture of cyberspace. The structures of the internet ensure that the information reaches that recipient as it was intended by the sender. This is because the internet interprets any form of censorship on the message as an error or damage. Moreover, because if the robust architecture of the cyberspace it is intrinsically impossible to block an individual from accessing any information in the internet. However, there are very limited circumstances under which access can be blocked such as a specific site in an office computer in workplaces or in home computers. This indicates the level to which internet technology has promoted freedom of speech at the global level. Many people believe that the ability of the society to progress socially and economically is dependent on how effectively they can be able to express and share thoughts especially unpopular thoughts. In other word, freedom of speech is the most important value that any community or nation that seeks to be more civilized should embrace. The ability of the internet to promote free expression without fear of intimidation has made it the most important phenomenon in the modern world. In addition to the internet providing an access to universal free speech, it has promoted the principle concepts behind the right of freedom of expression. There is no doubt that all human being are familiar with the intrinsic value of truth which only exist in a free space of ideas provided by the cyberspace (Viktor & Foster, 1997). There are many evidences that have been proposed to be a clear indication of the cyberspace to promote freedom of speech. The internet has been used in many cases as the only means of free speech in situations where autocratic leadership has paralyzed other means of communication. For example, in 1996, after the dictatorial government in Yugoslavia paralyzed all normal broadcasting in the country, the media continued to exercise their freedom of expression through the internet. This is because the dictatorial government did not have the ability to shut down the cyberspace. The same was observed in China in during the Tiananmen Square in the early 1990s where the internet was essential in keeping the world informed on what was happening on the ground because the government could not censor emails and news transmitted through the internet from the universities. The power of internet to promote the freedom of speech was also evident during the Russian Coup where Relcom, a computer network in the Soviet Union was able to circumvent the blackout as a result of the coup and pass information to the rest of the world the accounts of what was happening in Russia. Internet chat was also used in the Kuwait invasion with many internet users casing network traffic due to the large number who logged in to get live updates on the invasion. Weeks after all other communication networks were blocked, the internet stayed operational conveying up to date information. These markets the first wave of internet relay chat in the world of technology. In the United States, there is evidence of the ability of the internet to bypass any limitation to the freedom of speech. A very good example is the event that followed after the enactment of the Communication Decency Act of 1996. This law banned the distribution of pornographic materials in the web. The enactment of the law received a lot of criticism with many arguing that it was not only unconstitutional but also impossible to implement because of the robust design of the cyberspace. The legislation also brought forth the public support for freedom of expression in the cyberspace. After the enacted of the new law, black background was placed on the pages awaiting the ruling of the court. Following lawsuits filed by civil rights groups, the court issued an injunction against the legislation which was later declared unconstitutional (Godwin, 2003). There are also some notable unsuccessful attempts in many countries in the late 1990s to limit the freedom of speech in the internet. Some of the countries that were frightened by the increase freedom of speech promoted by the internet include China, Germany, Singapore, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia among others. In the late 1990s, all internet users in China were required to register with the law enforcement agencies while access to some cites was banned in Germany. Saudi Arabia restricted internet use to hospitals and learning institutions, Singapore restricted religious information in the web while in New Zealand, all publications in the computers was subject to censoring. However, these attempts among others in the recent past have shown that there is no doubt that internet promotes universal freedom of speech. It is also important to note that due to the ability of the internet to bypass limitations to freedom of speech, it has been subjected to misuse in spreading hate speeches and in activities that put national and international security at stake (Godwin, 2003). Censorship and Freedom of Speech Whenever the issue of freedom of speech in the interne t comes into question, the issue of censorship becomes important. For many reasons, the authorities have acted as censors where they suppress the freedom of expression mainly be deleting some information from a speech which they consider sensitive or harmful to the society. There are some government censorships that are recommended for the common interests of the nation such moral and military censorship. However, there is no doubt that autocratic regimes have employed censorship to promote dictatorship by suppressing the freedom of speech. Censorship in the internet involves all attempts by the government or the authority to control the information that can be access or published in the internet. The legal issues that have been raised concerning freedom of speech and censorship in the internet are very similar to offline censorship issues (Weber, 2010). Due to internet censorship, the cyberspace may not be able to provide the freedom of speech it promises. It is however important to note that the robust design of the cyber space gives it an advantage over offline means of dissemination information. This is basically because of cross border permeability of the internet technology. Therefore, despite various governments around the world attempting to ban publication of certain communicative materials on the internet, residents of the countries can access similar information from websites published outside the host country. Although some governments have made several attempt to restrict access to some foreign websites, it is not possible for them to have control over the sites. Due to the distributive design of cyberspace, it has become very difficult or even impossible to control the information flow in computers connected through the internet (Figliola et al, 2010). These failed attempts have been observed in North Korea. Some software in the in the internet provides unconditional freedom of speech which makes censorship at any level practically impossible. Moreover, this technology ensures that the information can not be removed from the cyberspace nor the identity of the author be traced. The freedom of speech that is being increasingly guaranteed by the internet has it own positive and negative consequences. Anybody will agree with the fact that some information censorship by the authority is understandable and warranted for. For example, no one in his right mind can agree with the government that allows child pornography in the internet. It is the moral responsibility of the authorities to guard the society from such practices in the global space. However, the ultimate solution to such bad information in the internet is providing the right information rather than censorship. Providing better information to the audience will divert the attention away from the bad information. This will eliminate the need for censorship which has the ability of taking away the freedom of expression guaranteed by the cyberspace. This is likely to happen if for example the censorship is extended behold the national borders. It is also important to note that there is no software that can be effectively used to filter to differentiate truth and fiction. This does not only apply in information found in the internet but also other channels of communication (RWB, 2003). Hate Speech in the Internet According to Sitman (1997), with the freedom of speech that in the cyberspace, hate mongers have found an excellent and powerful tool. This has made hate speech to be an important issue related to freedom of expression in the internet. Today due to the effectiveness of internet communication, hate speech can spread easily than ever before. Hate speech can not be compared to other unwarranted messages in the internet such as pornography because it is very obvious. While individual can ignore other messages in the internet, a hate message can not be ignored. Hate messages incite people to violence or fraud and amounts to speech crimes. According to Alexander (2009), there is no doubt the internet is an important tool of promoting democracy by providing one of the most fundamental rights, the freedom of speech. However, if there is no protection against hate speech in the internet, there are no human rights guaranteed. As the debate on the existence of hate speech in the internet gain momentum, there is no doubt that hate speech in other forms of communicative material can not compared to hate speech in the internet. It is a new beast in communication and not an old threat in a new form. This is due to its ability to reach a very large number of audiences worldwide before it can be detected by the relevant authority (Tiffany, 2002). It has the ability to reach the marginalized and disconnected societies of the world which is not possible with other channels of communication. It has increased the individuals accessible to hate mongers from thousands to millions at low cost and within a very short time. It is very unfortunate that the increase accessibility to internet technology all over the world has conceded with the advent of speech crimes. The results have been a legal and political battle between those advocating for free speech in the internet and those concerned with hate speeches. The most important this about hate speech in the internet is that it is a global problem and all solutions to the emerging problems should be deal with at a global scale (Matas, 2007). Conclusion The emergence of internet communication has reminded the world that the freedom of speech is universal fundamental rights. The role of internet in promoting democracy by promoting unconditional flow of information in different parts of the world is not in doubt. However, issues such as censorship of information in the internet and increased cases of hate messages being posted in the internet have threatened this promise of unconditional flow of information. References Alexander T. , (2009). â€Å"Dignity and Speech: The Regulation of Hate Speech in a Democracy,† 44 Wake Forest Law Review 497, pp 502. Bingham, J. (2007). Internet Freedom: Where Is the Limit? ISBN 1403488339, Heinemann Library Figliola, P. M. , Nakamura, K. H. & Lum, T. (2010). U. S. Initiatives to Promote Global Internet Freedom: Issues, Policy, and Technology, retrieved on July 16, 2010 from http://www. fas. org/sgp/crs/misc/R41120. pdf. Freeman, E. H. (2000), â€Å"Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace: Intel v. Hamidi† Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, Volume 9, Issue 2, pp 1-5 Godwin, M. (2003). Cyber rights: defending free speech in the digital age, ISBN 0262571684, MIT Press Goldsmith, J. (2000). Unilateral Regulation of the Internet: A Modest Defense, in â€Å"EJIL†, vol. 11, no. 1, (p. 135-148) Howard, R. (1995). â€Å"Why Censoring Cyberspace Is Futile,† Computer Under- ground Digest 6. 40 (1995). Kretzmer, D. & Hazan, F. K. (2000). Freedom of speech and incitement against democracy, ISBN 904111341X, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers Matas, D. (1997). Countering Hate on the Internet: Recommendations for Action, retrieved on July 16, 2010 from http://www. media-awareness. ca/english/resources/articles/online_hate/countering_hate. cfm. Reporters Without Borders, (2003). The Internet under

Malcolm X Essay

1.What details of the events has each writer selected to focus on? Each writer selected to focus on the person that Malcolm X was overall. I believe that they put so much emphasis on the events that took place up until his assassination to show how important he was. Each person meant what his purpose was in the ballroom that day. Each writer also mentioned how many people were there to show his importance also. One crucial detail was that Malcolm X was shot by a member of his own race. 2.How has each writer organized the details that have been selected? Each writer organized the details as if they were watching a television show. They presented the end result first. Then they explained what led to that outcome. Afterwards they explained the reaction the assassination. I can relate to the way they organized the details. When I witness or find something out, I normally say what happened. For example, â€Å"Amber, the car is broken.† Of course the next question would be, how? 3.How does each writer interpret Malcolm X, his followers, the gunmen, and the significance of the assassination? Each writer perceived Malcolm X to be a leader, respected by many. They showed how relaxed he was when the argument began. His followers were in shock because he showed them how to be calm and control themselves through hard times. The gunmen were perceived as someone Malcolm X had problems with in the past. The assassination was shocking because he was killed by a black man when he focused on the mistreatment of the whites. 4.How has each writer used language to express his or her perspectives and to influence the thinking of the reader? Each writer used language by explaining the emotions of everyone when the assassination occurred. The writers wrote in a way to show how important Malcolm X life was. I think that expressing how you felt on a situation is the best way to connect to writers. Your feelings can help others relate.

Environmental Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Environmental Problems - Essay Example The main reason behind this problem is the lack of knowledge about pesticides and there never used to be any effective regulations or administrative measures. The peasants are unaware as to which pesticide is suitable for their crops or exactly how to use it. There are also some inappropriate practices of pesticides application that result in harmful residues on the crops. For example, when pests are not controlled by the pesticide at the recommended dosage, farmers arbitrarily increase the amount applied. Similar increased applications are made to counter rain after the dosage of pesticide. Cross-pollution of different Farmers' pesticide applications in adjacent fields also increase the actual amount of pesticide applied to an area. Often, the farmers also use pesticides shortly before harvesting the rice if the pest problems are very serious again leading to undesirable residue levels. (Adeel, 2003, p. 45) The inappropriate use of pesticides has led to a number of problems like air, soil and water pollution. In this context, governmental institutions and other organizations have done a lot of work at national, provincial, and municipal levels to solve these problems. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also been established to facilitate collaboration between ministries, institutes, and industries. Specific legislation leading to regulations and rules has been enacted to establish standards for production, marketing, and use of pesticides. Similarly, many technical standards and practical methods were set up to stipulate the quality, evaluation, maximum residue limits, and detection of pesticides. This has been matched by an information system to disseminate technical information for new crop varieties, feedback of application conditions, and pollution data. (Adeel, 2003, p. 45) Following are two major root causes: Limited Development of Pesticide Industry The pesticide manufacturing industry in most of the East Asian countries were never well developed. China is an example of such Industry, yielding 60% of rice. The capabilities of production units and the types of pesticides produced are limited. Distribution of locally produced pesticides is also uneven. There are few factories, which are equipped to make chemical and biological pesticides. Low-efficiency pesticides, including some non-prohibited chloropesticides, are used on a large scale. Cost effectiveness might be one reason of using some low efficiency pesticides. This situation has resulted in increasing imports of unfamiliar pesticides that may have the potential for misuse, over dosage, and new environmental problems. Poor control and Lack of monitoring over imported Pesticides Imported pesticides are expensive and requires extensive care and well controlled process to be adopted, however the quality of foreign pesticides are also not always consistent and guaranteed to produce better results every time. On a national scale, pesticides are imported without a coordinated plan, which indirectly affects the plans for production, delivery, and use of domestic pesticides.

Organizational communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Organizational communication - Research Paper Example Some are of the opinion that it is not as simple as the definition suggest where several multidimensional psychological responses to an individual’s job are involved. Other scholars have noted that measures of employee’s job satisfaction varies in the extent to which feelings concerning job satisfaction are measured (Goodyear Roger et al 1996). Conflict management, on the other hand, conflict management within an organization is a process where the negative aspects are limited while enhancing the positive aspects of the organization. The primary aim of managing conflict within the organization is to improve learning and group performance in the organization. A properly managed conflict enhances group outcomes. As far as communication within Waco Police Department is concerned, communication plays a critical role in the organization since the managers can execute the basic functions of management, i.e. planning, organizing, controlling and leading. Communication assist m anagers to carry out their duties and responsibilities. Communication acts as pillar for planning. All the crucial information have to be communicated to the managers who in turn should communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing needs effective communication with others pertaining their jobs. Career development offers opportunities that can mutually benefit both the employees and employers. According to Van, (2000), eemployees who participate in job training, continuing education, and other professional development can acquire and refine new set of skills hence leading to career advancement. In addition, more educated workforce leads to various advantages to the employer. Creating a well-rounded workforce by preparing them to handle the tasks successfully in their roles helps the organization to be more efficient and effective. For instance, cross-training of

LP Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LP - Assignment Example It should be noted that at the beginning of learning, correct answers are most enabling. Therefore, it is recommended that the teacher at first call on able students to avoid incorrect answers, which can "pollute" the learning that results from this approach. A great example of this can be found in Toms  Math Maps. Math Maps  are Google Maps on which Tom and others have created place marks which when clicked reveal mathematics questions for students to answer based on the maps. There are questions available for every elementary school grade level. The place marks are color-coded to indicate the level of the questions. Blue = Kindergarten, Red = 1st grade, Green = 2nd grade, Light Blue = 3rd grade, Yellow = 4th grade, Purple = 5th grade. Math Maps  is a great way for students to see examples of mathematics in the real world.  Math Maps   have a fun scavenger hunt feel. For students older than elementary school, you might want to consider having them create their own Math Maps as a way to demonstrate their knowledge of mathematics in the real world Group Choral Response; the teacher presents a question to the total group and gives thinking time, the strength of a choral response indicates the general degree of student accuracy and comfort with the learning. Individual Private Response; A brief written or whispered-to-teacher response (when the teacher is moving about the room from desk to desk, table to table) makes students accountable for demonstrating possession of, or progress toward, achievement of the needed information or skill The students can then be given a simple 30 minutes math’s quiz to act as a formative assessment which will help the teacher identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work and recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately

American History - 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American History - 7 - Essay Example The United States in World War 1 The Great War began in August 1914 Both Allies and Central powers expected quick victory Weapons had changed drastically from the Napoleonic war But the tactics remained largely the same Combat on the Western Front evolved into trench warfare Casualties in a single battle often numbered into hundreds of thousands President Wilson tried to maintain a policy of neutrality The war transformed the American society as the government grew Wartime labor shortage increased opportunities for everyone 3. Wartime propaganda Posters were used to spread war propaganda They propagandized the war for a number of purposes The purposes were both general and specific They were used mainly To rebut opposition messages To encourage the purchase of government bonds To ensure compliance with various wartime programs The programs also included food conservation To create support for the warfront They were put in public places 4. The Wartime Industries Board Was central to m anagement of industries during war time Curtailment plans were carried out by agreement Conservation schedules were made by the board Savings in the agricultural implement industry were the most affected Motor vehicles and textile industries were also affected The practices were later seen as costing the consumer more without enriching the producers Lessons were learnt that could be applied to peace time The problem was mainly bringing adjustment of the industrial process Demand was made for vigorous enforcement of all proper measures for suppression of unfair competition Policies for curbing vicious practices were to be supplemented with positive programs 5. Woman Suffrage Brought forward the concept that it was politics that made America the cradle of democracy Also shows the slow nature that women took to assume equal rights Men believed what they wanted to believe that women did not desire votes In 1916, 38000 women signed petitions to the electors asking for votes There were mo re women who wanted to vote than there were men willing to grant them the privilege Lax election laws and methods often opened doors for corruption The alleged rejection of suffrage became an indication of an adverse public sentiment Party suffrage endorsement was won after forty eight years of unceasing effort Women fought one of the bravest, strongest battles for the purpose of enfranchisement The inaction of the public gave a mandate for further political evasion of the question Part Two: Essays After reading the chapters, write three essay/discussion questions: 1. Explain the course of World War one 2. What was to be the basis of a German-Mexican alliance? 3. What lessons for postwar America did Baruch play in the operations of the WIB? From the above list, respond to one of the above questions: 1. Explain the course of World War one The First World War began in August 1914, both the Allies and the Central Powers expected Victory within a matter of weeks, but the war would go on for four years, claiming 10 million lives. In the Napoleonic Wars a century before, opposing armies had fired at one another with muskets across an open field.

Field Reports to Crane Mountain Sanitary Landfill Assignment

Field Reports to Crane Mountain Sanitary Landfill - Assignment Example As a function of this negative reality, waste within the recent past and current era has typically been disposed of by burying it in the ground and concentrating it in key areas; oftentimes referred to as landfills. As function of this particular understanding in reality, the following analysis was to perform an observational discussion with helping to understand the actual means by which such a facility operates and the core fundamentals that constrain the way in which waste management takes place within the current environment. Likewise, the following analysis will seek to answer who, what, where, when and how with regards to the Crane Mountain Waste Management Facility. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, it must be noted that the observation that was engaged noted a market level of sorting and technological advancement with regards to the ways in which the waste was disposed of. This was noted with regards to the means by which computer tracking systems and key levels of elect ronic and database systems were utilized as to keep abreast of the incoming and total levels of waste, respective of different types that were being accumulated. Such a realization was enlightening due to the fact that the student was able to realize the potential and ultimate purpose of such record-keeping with regard to the means by which such waste could be utilized in the future (Rushbrook, 2006). Although it is true that much of the waste that is currently generated is merely thrown away within the landfill and collected for a period of years, oftentimes hundreds of years, it is possible with the growing rate of technology and expansion of industry that these differentiated forms of waste could be leveraged as a potential resource in the future. At such a time, it will be necessary to have na clear and definitive means of tracking the waste that is thus far accumulated within the landfill (Sangeeta & Samta, 2013). In such a way, by having definitive GPS coordinates and key reco rds with regards to what specific resource exists in which specific area, it will be increasingly possible to leverage likely technological advancement as a means of furthering the process of recycling well into the future. The "who" question necessarily relates to the staff and personnel that were integrated with during the particular visit in question. The author found these individuals to be highly helpful and passionate about the role that they played in seeking to reduce the overall level of waste. Similarly, the â€Å"how† question was briefly elaborated upon in the above section with regards to the means by which technology and current waste management practices have come together to seek to ameliorate the damaging impacts that consumer culture and humanity has had upon the environment. Likewise, as denoted above, the â€Å"why† question necessarily relates to the fact that current rates of consumption has so far outpaced the levels to which the extent environme nt is able to accommodate them that it is necessary for stakeholders, such as the ones which are being analyzed within this brief essay, to seek out imaginative and futuristic means by which current waste could potentially be utilized within future models. Although it may be seen as something of a futuristic fairytale, the fact of the matter is that even within the current time, many resources which previously had held little if any value are being utilized by industry and technology as a