Personal and Public Communication
After a restful mid-semester vacation, we returned to the thick of things in ITGS Class with our new topic - Personal and Public Communications. Nowadays, all the latest gadgets and gizmos offer people the ability to communicate anywhere, any place at any time. These widely accessible services are frankly quite relevant in the eyes of an ITGS student, who would, without a doubt, think about its notable social issues on society. Is my privacy secure? Can someone tamper with my data? Is my security strong enough? These are just a few questions that us, as ITGS students, would ask ourselves in the place of the user.
Personal and public communications are significant in most of our lives. It gives one the opportunity to converse with people thousands of kilometres away from us, blurring geographical boundaries. It even helps people in finding their way in the huge jungle of the city, through the use of a GPS. Put simply, personal and public communications hold significance in the eyes of many computer users. From South Africa to Germany to Russia, you are bound to see someone using a device for either personal or public communication.
However, with such great benefits come the inevitable cons. We could easily come up with social and ethical issues associated with these two kinds of communication, especially those linked with privacy, security and reliability. In the case of using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System, often referred to as GPS), there is a possibility of the satellite signals being obstructed, hindering the overall reliability of the system. Security can also be called into question with the use of smartphones in personal communication, as even a slightly weak security could give a hacker the entrance to users' precious details.
In spite of this, the charms of such systems appear irresistible. Smartphones, a medium for both communications, are widely used in several sectors, including that of education, health and even business. There are risks associated with the usage of these services yet there are also several benefits that they all offer. Without smartphones, laptops and GPS, how can one telework? How can we remotely access data? Would sharing even be possible?
The answer to all these troubling questions lies in the media of personal and public communications. Closing the digital divide between all groups of people is key to spreading the impact of both personal and public communications. It will, in the end, provide all with benefits that are bound to assist them in one way or another.
Personal and public communications are significant in most of our lives. It gives one the opportunity to converse with people thousands of kilometres away from us, blurring geographical boundaries. It even helps people in finding their way in the huge jungle of the city, through the use of a GPS. Put simply, personal and public communications hold significance in the eyes of many computer users. From South Africa to Germany to Russia, you are bound to see someone using a device for either personal or public communication.
However, with such great benefits come the inevitable cons. We could easily come up with social and ethical issues associated with these two kinds of communication, especially those linked with privacy, security and reliability. In the case of using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System, often referred to as GPS), there is a possibility of the satellite signals being obstructed, hindering the overall reliability of the system. Security can also be called into question with the use of smartphones in personal communication, as even a slightly weak security could give a hacker the entrance to users' precious details.
In spite of this, the charms of such systems appear irresistible. Smartphones, a medium for both communications, are widely used in several sectors, including that of education, health and even business. There are risks associated with the usage of these services yet there are also several benefits that they all offer. Without smartphones, laptops and GPS, how can one telework? How can we remotely access data? Would sharing even be possible?
The answer to all these troubling questions lies in the media of personal and public communications. Closing the digital divide between all groups of people is key to spreading the impact of both personal and public communications. It will, in the end, provide all with benefits that are bound to assist them in one way or another.
Gianna T.
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