Does Private REALLY mean Private?

      

In todays age, it seems that everyone always has a phone or other communication device in their hands.  Our generation is always on social media, texting each other, or always on the go in our vehicles. You may read that statement and agree. Shopping online, texting, and completing daily tasks is the norm. However, there is always a catch when it comes to technology- a deep underlying issue that has the capability to snowball into incivility and puts us at risk as Americans. 

    The American government has begun implementing surveillance technology into local police departments to track civilians movements- even if you are not specifically being targeted.

License plate tracking has begun to become an awaited issue as it is an invasion of privacy to civilians. For example, this harmful police surveillance can be heavily abused. It is able to track attendees at a mosque, peaceful protest, LGBTQ areas, and more spaces that are minority inclusive, or stereotyped against. Another example of police surveillance is the use of the "Stingray"; which uses phone tracking signals to see who is inside of a home, and where at. This is extremely invasive to Americans in many different aspects. 

   
Along with the use of police surveillance, invasive technology does not end there. Wire tapping has heavily affected the stance around how private our technology is and how safe we are while using our texting apps and phone calls. While Apple products are not as susceptible to wire-tapping, it is still possible and concerning to the average American- the feeling of never being secure in your privacy is extremely concerning. It could affect myself and my friends at any point in our lives. Protecting ourselves from an invasion of privacy within our technology would be becoming aware of online safety and becoming educated on how it happens, what to do if it does happen, and how to prevent a wire tap or any type of hack that would gain our information. With the issue of the government invading civilian privacy, local police departments governed by city officials can have cuts to decrease these new forms of surveillance equipment, as more and more people raise civil liberty threats. To resolve this issue also, internet companies need to be held accountable for their information leaks, illegal sites, and information payouts- we need clear and strict enforcement to back up civilians and their rights to privacy.  

The Printing Press

     Imagine, it is the 1400's, any book or manuscript was handwritten, and most of the population is unable to read or obtain a piece of literature. This was all a reality until a piece of machinery created by Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the way books and literature were created and distributed. In this era, books were extremely expensive and inaccessible, and as a the gaining literacy levels in Europe increased- the need for a cheaper and quicker process of producing literature work was due.

Gutenberg, a poor metalsmith, was looking for ways to make an income using his work. He needed a fast and efficient technique to mass produce works while being able to cut costs of books. Taking inspiration from eastern wood-blocking technique, Gutenberg decided to twist the craft, creating metal individual letters working together under a larger piece of equipment to print sentences all together at once- repeatedly, giving a substantial alternative to book making and the manufacture of books. After some time, collaboration, and a loan, Gutenberg was able to produce two-hundred copies of the Gutenberg Bible, printed in Latin. The use of the printing press turned into an assembly-line type of work while printing, making it effective and quicker than the hand scribes were able to create books, while producing them for the masses. 

    The invention of the printing press revolutionized Europe. It facilitated the spreading and preservation of knowledge in the standardized form, crucial to the advancement of science, technologies, religion, education, and much more throughout nations.

This eliminated risks of text altercation within hand writing texts, creating stability among all subject matters. The immediate change coming from the printing press was in fact cutting the costs of books, being able to fill library's shelves at a lower cost rate, and the quickening gain of knowledge through Europe. This sent the mass movement of spreading information and ideas between others into play. During this era, the printing press is credited for initiating the "information revolution"  and its mass spread of ideas and self exploration between individuals. This was extremely crucial to the development into the Renaissance Era; and Martin Luther's spreading of religious information. With the newly released printing press, those who were unable to read, would gather to listen to readers list off news, stories, and information from the papers- building a stronger sense of community. 

   

Given the time period that the printing press was invented in, there were various negatives seen by those of higher power, or those unwilling to confide to change. Misinformation spread was a big concern, along with the individual's power to challenge the norm or authoritative power at the time. Although challenging was dangerous at the time, individuals remained in control of their words and continued to print- further revolutionizing Europe and other nations. 

    I learned a lot from researching the printing press. We are incredibly lucky in today's society to have words and information at our fingertips; our society often forgets about how it started and what our technology has built from. The printing press was able to educate thousands of individuals while making the process more affordable and accessible to those who were interested. The printing press was able to aid in many aspects and subjects across the globe, whether it be politics, religion, science, or community news sources.