Responses to Ch. 10 Readings

1. "If you run a red light, will everyone know?"
   

I found this article to be extremely interesting, and I wholeheartedly agree that all American citizens' rights to privacy are not being fulfilled.  If a criminal has been convicted, gone to jail, and served his sentence, why should his record follow him around like a scarlet letter?  Why should the past have to haunt him and mark him as a monster for the rest of his life?  Subsequently, "non-criminal" offenses such as running a red light, speeding, or other various traffic violations are also personal matters that should not necessarily be allowed to be common public record for the world to see.  The internet is a powerful tool that has a multitude of benefits and rewards, but it seems that it is often pushed past the limit.  Stone's essay is clearly researched and he has generous amounts of data and evidence to back up his points, so it is easy to be swayed by his arguments.  He does a good job of pulling his reader in both emotionally and rationally. 

1. "Chicken Soup Chronicles" 
   

Nora Ephron's New York Times essay is witty, catchy, and it caught my attention immediately.  The topic was interesting, and it makes a true statement about the world today and people's increasing dependence on believing everything they hear.  The internet is changing the way people live, eat, sleep, and, as Ephron points out, even the way people converse with one another.  The bulk of her essay is filled with interesting anecdotes, stories, and examples that ultimately result in the final statement that Google is damaging the existence of crucial human interaction.  The text keeps the reader interested until the very end, and she has a strong closing to summarize her overall message.  The essay is non-biased, and it could relate to practically anyone regardless of their age group, gender, or religion.