Tag: internet

Top motivational quotes to awaken the beast hiding in you

Motivation is something that helps you grow. Not only from inside but also from all aspects, all ups and downs in your life, whenever you feel low why do you need motivation? Have you ever thought about it. Here, is the answer because motivation is something that helps you to grow, that helps you to be you, that makes you. It has the power to awaken the beast hiding inside you.

” Your perspective with either become prison or your passport.“

-Steven Furtick

” Realise deeply that the present moment is all that you ever have. “

– Eckhart Tolle

” How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.“

– Rupil Kaur

” The Secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.“

– John C. Maxwell

” Burn the past, Turn the page, Move on.”

– Safura Arsh

” Act as what you do makes a difference, IT DOES.”

– William James

” Excessive fear is always powerless.”

– Aeschylus

” A good Education is the foundation of better future.”

– Elizabeth Warren

” Between thinking and seeing there is a place called knowing.”

– Carolyn Myss

” You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.”

– Henry Ford

” Believe you can and you are halfway there.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

” Take care of your body, It is the only place you have to live.”

– Jim Rohn

” If you hear a voice within you say ‘ you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

– Vincent Van Gogh

” Ofcourse motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing: but it is something you should do on a regular basis.”

– Zig Ziglar

” The only way to do a great work is to love what you do.”

– Steve Jobs

” It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”

– Lou Haltz

” Nothing will work unless you do.”

– Mayo Angelo

” Do one thing everyday that scares you.”

– Anonymous

” If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

– Jim Rohn

” When I hear somebody sigh, ‘ Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’

– Sydney Harris

” Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

– Winston Churchill

” All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.”

– Michael John Bobak

” The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

– Vidal Sassoon

Here are some of the motivational quotes that if you implement in your lives will be successful for sure. Motivation will help you to achieve all your goals and so are these quotes.

The invention that change the world!

INTERNET (1969):

In 1963, the Advanced Research project Agency (APRA) unit, set up by the the US defence department began to build a computer network. Driven by fear of the Soviet nuclear threat, it aimed to link computers at different locations, so researchers could share data electronically without having fixit routes between them, making the system less vulnerable to attacks- even nuclear ones.

Data was converted into telephone signal using a modem (modulator- demodulator), developed at AT&T in the late 1950 s. In the 1960s, key advances where made, including “packet switching” – the system of packaging, labelling and routing data that enables it to be delivered across the network between machines. Paul Baran (b. 1926) proposed this system, which broke each message down into tiny chunks. This would be fired into the network which would then route switch the various pieces to the desired destination.

“Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant”.

Mitchell Kapoor, software designer

So, if chunks of a message where travelling from Seattle to New York via Dallas, but Dallas suddenly went offline, the network would automatically route via Denver instead. Different Parts or packets of a message would go by different routes, before being reassembled back into the original message at their destination, even if they arrived in  the wrong order. Baran published his concept in 1964, and five years later the new network- called APRANET – went live.

As the threat of nuclear war receded in the early 1970s, APRANET was renamed the Internet and effectively opened to all users. Since then, the development of e-mail, the creation of the World Wide Web ( WWW) , and browser technology has enabled the Internet to become a rich communications facility.

ETHERNET ( 1973):

In 1973, Bob Metcalfe Xerox Palo Alto Research centre (PARC) faced a problem. Increasing numbers of computers were bringing up around him all of which needed to be connected to each other. Just down the hallway the world’s first laser printer invented at PARC in 1971 was hungry for documents. Computer networking was in its infancy. The hardware was expensive and wiring at PARC looked like an explosion in a spaghetti factory. Any glitch in the computers or the cabling would bring down the whole system.

Today, Ethernet stands as the dominant networking technology…

The Economist (2003)

Metcalfe was given the job of building a simpler more reliable computer network. Desperate for inspiration from any source he stumbled across the university of Hawaii’s ALOHAnet radio network. Unlike most computer networks which were carefully regulated so only one computer could talk to another at any given moment, ALOHAnet was a free for all. If several computers tried to talk at the same time each computer would back off for a little while before trying again. Constantly developed ever since, Ethernet is now the most popular standard for local networks, if you send a document to your officer printer today, it is likely to travel down the wires of an Ethernet based network, directly descended from Metcalfe’s work.

CONCEPT OF INTERNET

As the internet turns 50, experts weigh future advances and emerging issues | Network World

The INTERNET is a ‘network of networks’ that links computer systems around the world . It allows communication across networks , i.e., communication can take place between one network and another . This allow people to have access to information from different Web sites , locations and machines . It virtually makes accessible a sea of information and a nearly worldwide audience at the click of a button.

It was the Sputnik’s launch and the subsequent cold war , space race and the development of ARPANET (Advance Research Projects Agency NETwork ) in 1950 , that led to the establishment of the internet. However , it actually gained momentum in the 1980s when ARPANET was used by the National Science Foundation to connect the five supercomputers at its regional centres . Thus emerged a high speed Internet service that enabled access to many universities , networks , bulletin board systems , commercial online services and institutions . The decade closed with the introduction of the World Wide Web or WWW , which proclaimed the emergence of an independent platform of communication that was further augmented by a relatively easy-to-use and pleasant graphical interface .

Important Features

Some of the facilities that are available on the Internet are as follows :

  • World Wide Web : The Internet application that is currently drawing maximum attention is the WWW . It has dramatically influenced the online world and continues to grow in popularity .
  • Direct Communication : Through e-mail , messages can be sent to or received from any part of the world within a few minutes.
  • Round-the-Clock Availability : Information on the Internet is available to users 24 hours a day .
  • Wide Area Networks : Using the Internet , organizations can collect and compile information from offices spread over large geographical areas .

Internet For Students And Children

We live in the age of the internet. Also, it has become an important part of our life that we can’t live without it. Besides, the internet is an invention of high-end science and modern technology. Apart from that, we are connected to internet 24×7. Also, we can send big and small messages and information faster than ever. In this essay on the Internet, we are going to discuss various things related to the internet.

Reach of Internet

It is very difficult to estimate the area that the internet cover. Also, every second million people remain connected to it with any problem or issue. Apart from that, just like all the things the internet also has some good and bad effect on the life of people. So the first thing which we have to do is learn about the good and bad effect of the internet.

Good effects of the internet mean all those things that the internet make possible. Also, these things make our life easier and safer.

Bad effects of the internet mean all those things that we can no longer do because of the internet. Also, these things cause trouble for oneself and others too.

You can access in any corner of the world. Also, it is very easy to use and manage. In today’s world, we cannot imagine our life without it.

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Uses Of InternetFrom the time it first came into existence until now the internet has completed a long journey. Also, during this journey, the internet has adopted many things and became more user-friendly and interactive. Besides, every big and small things are available on internet and article or material that you require can be obtainable from internet.

Tim Berners-Lee can be called one of the main father of internet as he invented/discovered the WWW (World Wide Web) which is used on every website. Also, there are millions of pages and website on the internet that it will take you years to go through all of them.The Internet can be used to do different things like you can learn, teach, research, write, share, receive, e-mail, explore, and surf the internet.

Convenience Due To Internet

Because of internet, our lives have become more convenient as compared to the times when we don’t have internet. Earlier, we have to stand in queues to send mails (letters), for withdrawing or depositing money, to book tickets, etc. but after the dawn of the internet, all these things become quite easy. Also, we do not have to waste our precious time standing in queues.Also, the internet has contributed a lot to the environment as much of the offices (government and private), school and colleges have become digital that saves countless paper.Although, there is no doubt that the internet had made our life easier and convenient but we can’t leave the fact that it has caused many bigger problems in the past. And with the speed, we are becoming addict to it a day in will come when it will become our basic necessity.

The Internet boom and its effects on our environment

On the fifteenth of August 1995, the internet was made available to the public in our country. Today we have billions of active users. The Internet has now become a mere necessity rather than the comfort of luxury. Back then in 1995, internet speeds were just in a couple of kilobytes, but today we are blazing past the net at speeds almost at gigabytes. The cost of the internet has also drastically changed for a speed of 9Kb/s for 250 hours it was charged at almost 2500 rupees!! Now we can suffice all our internet needs at amazing speeds for almost months at the same price. The irony is since then prices of land, water, fuels, precious stones have skyrocketed; but that of communication and the internet have decreased exponentially.

In the year 2015 India had over 300 million users, thanks to the severe competition between network providers and the ever-competitive network battle. Now India has over 9 billion users, not only the network rage has caused this; the pandemic also is a major reason for this. Everyone was forced into their house with no other option but to adapt to this new technology. According to Nasscom since the pandemic hit our nation the network traffic has increased by almost ten manifolds. Companies had to install several servers and network infrastructure to support this erratic change in the consumer market. Although the prices have reduced, connectivity is now at home, comfort at the tips of your hands. We are unaware of the harms of what this could cause.  

We are seriously obsessed with the speed provided by network companies, we frequently complain and crib about the services offered. Forcing companies to either increase their spectrum range or increase their frequency at existing cell towers or construct new towers. This causes serious damage to small birds and insects, sparrows, pigeons all small birds are adversely affected by these rays. We must ensure that these birds must not be affected due to our comforts. We must give them their place on our planet. I agree we need the internet to survive in our daily lives, but we also need to think of the harm we are doing to our environment.

Mass Media

The present age is the age of information & Communication Technology. And mass media is the powerful and the most effective instrument of spreading or sharing information. With the advancement of digital technology, mass media have become a powerful and quick means of communication, broadcasting news and views, disseminating ideas and massages, and making information available anywhere in the world. The means of communicating news and views is termed as mass media. Mass media is classified into two categories print media and electronic media. Print media include newspapers, magazines, journals, and other printed materials. Electronic media includes radio, internet, television, satellite channels, cinema, etc.

In today’s world, mass media embraces internet, cell phones, electronic mail, computers, pagers and satellites. All these new additions function as transmitting information from a single source to multiple receivers.In other words, they are interactive and work on the person to person formula. Thus, it revolves around the masses i.e. the people. It is true that radio, television, press and cinema are in the spotlight when we talk about mass media.Nonetheless, the role of pamphlets, books, magazines, posters, billboards, and more also have equal importance if not less. Moreover, the reach of these tools extends to a huge amount of masses living all over the country.Television, cinema, radio and press are comparatively expensive forms of media which private financial institutions or the Government runs. These tools centre on the idea of mass production and mass distribution.Therefore, newspapers, television and radio cater to the needs of the mass audience and accommodates their taste. As a result, it will not always be refined or sophisticated. In other words, it displays popular culture.

The Function of Mass MediaThe main function of mass media is to reach out to the masses and provide them with information. In addition to that, it also operates to analyze and observe our surroundings and provide information in the form of news accordingly.As a result, the masses get constantly updated about not just their own surroundings but also around the world. This way mass media spreads and interprets information. For instance, weather forecasts equip people and farmers to plan ahead.Similarly, fishermen get updates about the tidal activities from the news. In addition to this, mass media also strives to keep the fabric of our social heritage intact which showcasing our customs, myths and civilization.Another major product of mass media is advertising. This way people learn about the goods and services in the market. It also spreads social awareness. For instance, anti-smoking campaign, women empowerment, green earth clean earth and more.Most importantly, with the numerous mediums available in multiple languages, the masses get entertainment in their own language easily. Millions of people get to access a cheap source of relaxation and pass their time. In fact, it also helps to transport momentarily from our ordinary lives to a dream world. Thus, it remains the undisputed leader in reaching out to the masses.Conclusion of Essay on Mass MediaAll in all, while it is an effective tool, we must also keep a check on its consumption. In other words, it has the power to create and destroy. Nonetheless, it is a medium which can bring about a change in the masses. Thus, everyone must utilize and consume it properly.

The impact of Social Media Influencers on Sales

The way social media influencers directly or indirectly influence publicity and promotion somehow also influence the sales of a brand. Some of the ways in which social media influencers impact sales are:

1. Help in Consumer Research Phase:

Nowadays, market is mostly “consumer-oriented”. Consumers search and research, read reviews about a brand and hence they want someone trusted and experts who will voice their opinions, concerns and recommendations. Influencers play a vital role in spreading the word of mouth and recommendations thereby increasing sales.

2.Help in increasing Return on Investment:

Social Media Influencers help in achieving a relatively high Return on Investments than other factors. It is because of low capital investment. Other forms of advertisement or marketing tools require huge capital whereas dealings with Social media Influencer can be fixed just on a simple phone call.

3.Content Creation helps in increased Sales:

Influencers create meaningful and exciting content that sometimes evoke interest in the viewer to buy the product. Apart from this, Influencers also work on multiple social media accounts and this helps them to reach wide and diverse audience. This is also very helpful for increasing sales in a business.

In a recent survey by Mediakix, a famous influencer marketing agency, about 89% of respondents say Return on Investment from Social Media Influencers is better than other channels.

In another survey by Tint, 71% of respondents told that they rely on social media referrals for purchase decisions.

Some Examples:

1) Glossier, USA.

The USA based beauty brand has built its brand image by entirely relying on Social Media Influencers and other forms of digital marketing. They rely heavily on influencers as they send new products to influencers before the products are even launched so that influencers identify the flaws and suggest improvements (if they require) and thereafter the brand makes the changes accordingly.

2)Daniel Wellington, Sweden

This company was able to tap the “business opportunity” and it proved out to be quite fruitful for them. They broke into the Indian market by solely relying on Social Media Influencers. It is a watch brand company sends its new products to big social media influencers in India and enjoys extreme profits and sales. They were able to see India as a good market due to the country’s vast population.

Conclusion:

Social Media Influencer marketing or the Influencer marketing has become the fastest growing trend in communication in last few years. The key factors involved to be a good influencer are trust and credibility in the message. Latest studies and research have proved that social media influencers contribute to a business’s growth in a very positive manner in terms of promotion, publicity, sales and ROI. Many assume this marketing tool is temporary and will extinct in few years, however only time can say it.

The Pegasus Project – democracy and need for internet laws.

In a shocking revelation, the minister of Telecommunication, Government of India faced questions on the Project Pegasus report – a research on the pegasus spyware that has been developed by the Israeli NSO for “vetted government clients” only. It can breach all Windows, Mac, Android and iOS security checks upto iOS 14.6.

The Forbidden Stories group and the Amnesty International with the Wire and the Washington Post revealed that governments, politicians and journalists all over the world have been targeted with more than 300 people in India alone been tracked regularly using the spyware. Allegedly, only 10 out of these 300 people had mobiles with conclusive or clear presence of the software. These 300 people however include journalists, politicians, cabinet ministers and a sitting Supreme Court judge. These numbers and cases are similar in countries like Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Rwanda, Azerbaijan and Hungary.

Ultimate spyware' — How Pegasus is used for surveillance
The Pagasus is developed by Israeli NSO.

The first and foremost question ought to be raised against Israel and all governments that are using the spyware, for a spyware is not how a democracy should work in theory. After all, little is left of “democracy” in most nations in the last decade. The second question is why there is an absence of data protection laws in most countries including India, Pakistan and south Asian nations – that house a large part of humanity. The third question is to be raised against the government in India where an official allegedly replied to a question about the spyware by stating that all monitoring, interception and decryption is or shall be carried out as per a “due process of law” which is ironic because there are no such laws in India.

Now, back to the questions that Mr Ashwini Vaishnav, Minister of Telecommunication, India had to answer in the Parliament several hours ago. The minister out right refused any spyware quoting the Binoy Viswam vs RBI case in the supreme court where the WhatsApp Counsel refused any spyware involvement. However, this might actaully be true because the NSO has quite clearly used the term – “vetted governments”. So, speaking per se, no private contractor is involved. However, this conclusion is only one way of seeing things. The author recommends personal discretion and further research as the press conference against Pegasus took place only on the 18th of July 2021. The Minister also pointed out that the NSO uses data and using data should not be equated to surveillance. He also added that surveillance is not possible in a country like India with so many checks and balances.

The author has no opinion that supports or opposes the answers Mr Vaishnav presented today. However, just as a note – surveillance is always illegal in any democracy. It is illegal in the US and yet about 5 years ago, news of massive US surveillance across the globe was made public by leaked documents. Surveillance is almost always carried out by the Executive without intimating the legislature or the public. Many-a-times, even the ruling party is unaware of the realities of the state. What we as a democracy can do is to establish stronger laws against the process and establishing a more transparent mechanism to keep the executive in check.

Finally, this article is based only on the events that unfolded on the 18th of July 2021 and the immediate aftermath on the 19th of the same month. Let us await further investigations and reports to build any conclusive opinion about any institution. However, the need for stronger privacy laws is important anyways, irrespective of the type of state one lives in – especially in a democracy.

Internet- Boon or Bane

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INTERNET stands for Interconnected Network that is a network system that connects millions of web servers. . Let us simply know its definition first. Internet is a hug network that connects computers all over the world. It has become the most significant medium for sharing information and communication from anywhere in the world.

Internet got introduced in India in 1986 but it took a decade to make it available for the public. VSNL first launched the internet in India on August 15, 1995. Today it has taken such a place in our life that a person can manage anything but they can’t survive without internet.

Recently, a study reported that the number of IP addresses has crossed the total limit, with the increase in the number of internet users across the world. With this huge development in this field one question also remains whether Internet is a boon or bane? For this we can have different opinions because some people consider it as a boon as they are just seeing the advantages and entertainment they are being provided by the internet while the rest will have some other arguments.

Everything has some pros and cons so as the internet. We can get alot of opportunities through the internet we can carry our business at a global level ,we can entertain ourself and also education can be provided by the internet and many more else . But on the other hand we are aware of various incidents that take place regularly of cyber crimes which is a big threat amd virus can also enter in our system which will also disturb our information and harm our privacy.

Internet is one the biggest tool that is making our life very easy. Just think if in this COVID-19 there will be no internet how will you get yourself updated? And attend your online classes? So its basically important that the reason and the time period for which internet is used must be the priority concern and it must be used with all the necessary precautions to keep it as a problem solver instead of a problem creator.

I sometimes wonder how we spent leisure time before satellite television and Internet came along…and then I realise that I have spent more than half of my life in the ‘dark ages’!
— Arthur C. Clarke

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Is the internet software or hardware ?

To come to some conclusion first we need to know about how the internet originally came into the existence, how it works, how we people are evolved with it, and then we are able to decide/answer the very question – is internet software hardware or what??

ARPANET ‘s initial logical map

The need…

Way Before the internet we know today there was a precursor ARPANET. ARPANET was funded by the US defence department to connect all research institutions and colleges through a big wire. by using this they can transfer or interact with each of these institutions very easily and fast. it was a really big breakthrough in computer or world history! later this tech was shared with many big companies later this network becomes so big that we now call it the internet! but in 1990 ARPANET stopped and the internet was unaffected by it ( tells how big internet became).
With time we have seen many advancements in tech too with lay down the path to normal users and made all this infrastructure so feasible that even a normal household can have a connection with the network, thanks to the introduction of WIFI and win98 in the 90s.

we and our peripherals all connected with internet today

Internet and us: today

When we entered the 21st-century internet started becoming a big deal started using in many sectors and helped professionals even students! with tech it impacted on our lifestyle too, from space exploration department to personal AI in our phones …all this developed with help of the internet! millions of developers/contributors around the world contributed to making it in reach of every human! In the 2000s nearly 6.5 % of earth’s population was using the internet ( which is HUGE ngl) but this number became 50.8%! in 2018 and still growing at a faster rate than before too! when we talk about the internet and its working we think of few things like phone or pc which connected with WIFI/broadband network then that WIFI connected with some wire (ex.- fibre wire) coming from ISP(in case of broadband, it connected with some tower initially then ISP) …yeah that’s it, until which we able to visualize .. let us see this and understand in more detail.

world shares one big network

It’s all connected …

Internet is very much the same as it was in ARPANET days. different system(ex- computer) connected with one common server which acts as a message counter aka help connect each other . back then all this connection used to happen only through wires but now we have wireless modems/routers which help us connect with the same network at on close range ( so no need to connect each of them with different wire !) . so communicate with others we need to identify each other by something unique name to all here comes IP addresses and make it happen some rules introduced called TCP. When ARPANET decommissioned and the internet growing rapidly to different nations connected through the big wire ( all way from oceans ) WorldWideWeb was introduced at the same time. through the browser, we can connect with all these IP addresses and request for things ( like this blog itself!) but as you noticed IP address look very different and numeric but what we use is are in more readable. this is because of DNS protocol all IP addresses have some word associated with them like http://www.facebook.com is associated with 69.63. 181.15 IP  address


From the user side( called client ) when we enter some URL / website our HTTP request for that website goes to ISP(Internet Service Provider) then DNS servers identify the IP address and where that website is stored, yes you heard it right! websites are files just like your word or excel ones and similarly, it stored somewhere someplace ( called data centers ) . so this HTTP request rhea there and all this info comes to you all the way from there in packets and tada! Each and every website works like these even video ones where the same packets come… in the case of live interaction it comes continuously. These data centres/web servers are a bit different they are not connected with the internet as your client one is through isp but they are connected with the internet network directly!

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SO… is it ?..

Now the big answer time! The answer is as you already figured out reading all this.. Internet is a mix of both!

The Internet consists of many interconnected networks. Those networks are composed of hardware and software. The systems connected to the network must have hardware network interfaces, which are either wired or wireless. Software is required to regulate those interfaces, to compose, send, receive, and decode packets of knowledge using several standard protocols. Routers, switches, firewalls, and other devices are required to attach systems and networks together. a number of these devices are purely hardware, but many perform some level of processing, which needs that they contain an embedded computer running software. The systems connected to the network also typically have some type of package running on them, and a software system is a software. Web servers, management systems, web browsers, web-enabled applications, etc. are all required likewise, and people are all samples of software.

So, the net consists of both hardware and software

Pls, comment down below tell me if you want me to cover something techy ! or have some suggestions! until then 🙂 sayonara!

Why should we care about our privacy?

Privacy in general terms is the right to be left alone or freedom from interference or intrusion. In terms of the internet, privacy is the right to have some control over how your personal information is collected and used.

More technical innovation gives way to more efficient and advanced technologies. In recent years the information has become the most important component to cultivate this innovation. As many new people are coming on the internet and the amount of information being shared is increased manifold. Every organization or individual is entering the realm of the digital world and data is the entity of this world. Data is also very essential to understand a user or a customer or a client but sometimes there is no limit to the amount of data that an internet corporation is willing to extract. Somewhere there has to be a line that needs to be drawn. In recent years there have been many issues regarding the privacy policy of many tech corporations. Facebook has been in controversy much time. Recently Whatsapp’s privacy policy also raised many questions, then in an ironic move Whatsapp raised the question of privacy by suing the government regarding the new Information technology rules. But this is just the tip of the iceberg and numerous other aspects get overlooked. First, we will need to understand what this privacy means for us as individuals. Only then we can clearly determine the relevance of these rapidly changing developments in this subject.  

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

-Edward Snowden

It’s not that privacy means that there is something to hide; rather privacy is having things you don’t want to show. For instance, people would not like to post their Bank account online or Bank statements. People would also not like to have a public camera inside their homes. Similarly, there are some things that an individual would not like to share online. Privacy can provide secrecy, but there is more to it. Privacy also provides autonomy and therefore freedom to an individual. Well, there is even more to privacy than the freedom that many people do not realize which is that when we think we’re being watched, we make behavior choices that we believe other people want us to make.  Humans intrinsically like to avoid societal condemnation and perception of whether or not we are in private changes the way we behave. This indicates the benefit that a state can have with surveillance and can lead to a conformist population.

As it is stated by many that data is the oil and for many tech organizations it truly is. We can witness this with the various technological corporations that rely upon user data including Facebook, Google, Amazon etc. But Even Smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi have realized the lucrative benefits of collecting and selling user data. For these companies, our data is money and they earn billions of dollars with this data. Both the private tech giants have clauses in their privacy policy that allows government agencies and third parties to access the data. The data that gets uploaded on the internet never gets deleted and stays there forever. What we have to realize is that even if the information seems futile today, it may have an importance tomorrow. In conclusion, privacy is not a trivial issue and people will have to understand its importance until it’s too late.

References:

National Security & The New Web

China on 10th July announced new internet rules adding to the already massive set of norms the Great Firewall is all about. The new rules require any internet company working in China and with more than a million registered users to undergo an additional cyber security review if offering an IPO in a foreign country. As per the Cyberspace Administration of China, companies listed in foreign countries can have their data “affected, controlled, and maliciously exploited by foreign governments”. Well, this is clearly a clever way by the CCP to control financial resources in China. Most companies will now prefer to list themselves in Hong Kong and not other large stock exchanges like the New York Exchange. This would mean that the companies will not have large foreign assets and yet have large foreign investments.

China - Wikipedia
Chinese government announced new regulations for the companies trying to list in other countries

But there is a greater observation associated with this the pace at which countries all over the world have initiated security protocols regarding big tech giants. In May, the government of India, the largest internet demographic in the world open to foreign investments – initiated a set of very strong rules changing the way in which many important aspects of the companies’ services functioned. Many internet freedom groups and NGOs accused the government of creating an authoritarian IT policy where the government has over-ridden the Right to Privacy. And the government has defended the same citing social and national interests at helm. The US and the EU with its GDPR – have themselves been torn between privacy activists and an age of increasing control of tech giants over the information of people from their connections to their interests.

All this drama can be understood in two chief points – one, the data privacy myth no longer exists. Most users are not even aware of the privacy policies in place. The Cambridge Analytica scam that rocked the US and created considerable difficulties for Facebook is a classic example where people themselves gave away their data. Even if one is aware of the privacy laws, the scandals involving Google tracking Incognito data on Chrome has led to serious questions about regulations and policies. Two, Countries have governments that are increasingly being assertive in not only ensuring that the globalisation of the data of its nationals is contained, but also that the tech enterprises respect the sovereignty and authority of the state in its matters. This is both good and bad. Good being that there is indeed an increasing trend of exploitation of data and social engineering attacks that can undermine the functioning of the state. Bad, because the states are also moving along and often on the other end of the boundary between a healthy interference and politically motivated censorships and extra judicial control.

Cambridge Analytica - Wikipedia
Cambridge Analytica was probably one of the most publicised cases of social engineering fraud

Who is responsible? Who is accountable? It’s the internet. Everyone is supposed to be responsible for everything here. And that is the new age of internet we are into. Right from ordering groceries and talking to friends to alleged recruitments into extra state organisations like the ISIS, every thing can happen here. The process of social engineering attacks led to large scale government interventions which in turn has led to growth of more private technologies like VPNs and secret or peer reviewed social networks like the Mastodon network. But, the tussle continues. And this is the web we shall live with for long now.

A Discussion About Our Mobile Phones

A mobile phone, also known as a cell phone, is something that all of us are familiar with and own. When the mobile phone was initially introduced, it was used primarily for phone calls and messaging. Today, phones have a computing speed greater than even some larger technological devices like a computer or television, and are so technologically advanced that we do not have to bother with most physical actions that take up time and effort. All of it can be done through the phone and the internet available on it, whether it be banking, paying bills, ordering something, etc. Furthermore, we can stay connected through phones with friends and family on the other side of the globe, through means such as video calling and multimedia messaging. A world of social media has opened through the phone that helps us connect with people all over the planet. However, like every other device, the mobile phone also has its own disadvantages.

The Good and the Bad

Possibly the biggest advantage of the mobile phone is that it has helped us stay connected to the people in our lives. This has occurred not only in the form of voice calling, but now also through video calling and social media contacts. It makes day-to-day life so easy and efficient, and has a range of tools that are accessible to us. For example, we can check the weather, the route to our destination, and use a calculator; all on our phones. Furthermore, it is perhaps the biggest source of entertainment in today’s day and age, with a multitude of games and mass media all available on it. Apart from these, the access of internet through our phones has meant that we can perform all our functions and meet all our life’s requirements through this simple device. It acts as a source of a large amount of information about the world, access to things like YouTube and Twitter, and allows to conduct monetary transactions all through the touch of a finger. In this sense, it is an amazing multipurpose, all-in-one device which is a necessary in our lives.

However, the mobile phone can also be the source of distress and disadvantage in one’s life. People are prone to addiction to their mobile phones, and end up using them for hours on end. This means that there is a lack of real-life communication and interaction, as people get sucked into the online world of their phones. Perhaps the most pressing concern today, especially among teenagers, is social media addiction. People get addicted to social media which has wide-ranging effects on their personal health, both mental and physical. Mobile phones also may cause health hazards, as they emit blue light and radiation which can damage brain cells. Furthermore, the mobile phone has also been the primary cause for lack of privacy in today’s world, as all our personal information is available for everyone to see. It is easy to get pulled into the world inside our phones and waste countless hours of our time on it. The phones almost become our lives, and this means that losing our phones is almost equal to losing our lives.

Conclusion

The mobile phone is a fantastic and necessary invention, but we must keep in mind that it comes with its own curses. How the mobile phone affects our lives depends on how much importance we give to it and how much we use it. It is all about finding a middle-ground in such a case, where you are not addicted or living in in your phone, but also not completely neglecting it and how it can enrich your life and make it more convenient. Regardless of its shortcomings, it is impressive to see how far our society has come through the invention of the mobile phone. Now we have everything within the reach of our hands, and the mobile phone has brought about a revolution in the lives of people in this century.

Short and Long form content: Their relevance

The terms short and long-form content gets thrown around a lot in the realm of the internet but if we were to clearly define and differentiate both type of content. Then it becomes much harder to discern between the two.

For instance, if we were to describe, how many word counts define long-form content. Then we will notice that there is no particular amount of words that will fulfill those criteria. For some content creators, 1000 words might be long and for some, it may be short. This same principle can be applied to the viewers as well. Due to these many experts consider long-form and short-form as more of beliefs rather than any specific word count. The word count can also vary according to the type of content and subject.

Now let us transition into the social media platforms instead to understand this phenomenon better. In a nutshell, the rise of short-form of content and marketing sounds likes a great deal but we have to look at the underlying challenges and opportunities that come with it. Tik-Tok, Instagram, and many other platforms have become quite popular but somehow YouTube still manages to be relevant. Why is that?

One of the biggest strengths of YouTube and its encouragement of long-form of content is the higher level of engagement. Long-form of content is easier to monetize, instead of one ad banner in a one-minute video a creator can add multiple advertisement banners in a 20-minute video. Advertisers prefer that and so does the platform, this also incentivizes the content creator to make long-form content. In the advent of the pandemic, many platforms that focused on short-form content have suffered. An example of this is ‘Quibi’, which started as a Netflix alternative on the go, and many people were not traveling and restricted to their homes due to the restriction and lockdowns. The relevance of Quibi shifted to a very volatile situation. Because when a person is at home, he/she prefer to watch a full episode instead of a brief version of that content. We cannot determine the exact failure of Quibi but it’s certainly one of the major contributors to this.

When does short content Work?

This is not to say that short-form content does not work, because the popularity of platforms that cater to short-form content is thriving especially when it comes to images and short videos. This means that it’s very crucial to determine the target audience. Although Tik-Tok and Instagram might not have the original content and monetization possibilities as compared to YouTube. They are still the go-to platforms for many new creators and numerous advertisers.

But things are a little different when the content is in written form. It’s also essential to understand when the short-form content works and when it does not. For instance, Buzzfeed focuses on large volumes of shorter content. Another thing to keep in mind is that multimedia is an integral part of Buzzfeed content and sometimes the content only acts as a supplementary shell for their multimodal content.

Due to a busy work-life balance, people tend to have less time to spare, and short-form content seems like the right choice. It also works well on mobile application platforms. Applications like ‘inshorts’ and ‘dailyhunt’ have perfected the short-form content delivery. While working on short-form content, there are a few more prerequisites that are necessary. For example, the content needs to be on point and needs to convey the whole story succinctly. To keep the engagement the need for multimedia inputs also becomes more important. Due to the digital transformation of the news, the time cycle of news has become compressed, readers demand any kind of news instantly and news is now consumed in binges.

Things to keep in mind and is it good or bad?

Short-form content also requires short-form marketing. This is a challenging area where advertisers are trying to keep the users engaged but they also have to ensure to not annoy them with on the face and bombastic ads. This is one area that is still not well received by the consumers.

There is no particular answer to the question if the rise of short-form content is good or bad. This all depends on the context of the problem. While designing and creating the content, the writer will have to determine the target audience. This essentially solves half the problem. There is a demand for short-form content but this is more relevant concerning video and photo content sharing. Written short-form content needs to be accompanied by multimedia to make it enticing. While the heading needs to be attractive but overly clickbaity headings should be avoided. The epidemic of fake news in instant messaging platforms like Whatsapp has left a sour taste in people’s mouths.

Many predicted that desktops will be wiped out as smartphones arrive but desktops are still relevant and even though a mobile-first strategy is preferential, almost every major website still offers a desktop equivalent to their mobile counterparts. The reason is simple, less bounce and significantly higher average time on the site.

The same can be applied to the long-form content, with long-form content there are more possibilities compared to short-form content. There can be additional content and features like good or bad, or pros and cons, just like I’m doing here! Various examples, references, graphs, etc can be complimented to the content. It also becomes easier to organize content with numerous subheadings to make content much more intelligible. This is not to say that the longer the content is necessarily better because sometimes long-form content results in a point of diminishing returns. In many cases, the topic and subject are much more important than the form of content. Content relevance, internal linking structure, User Experience design, pictures, videos, and the quality of a website or application are very important as well.

In conclusion, we can say that both short-form and long-form of content are relevant, the only catch is to determine which type of content applicable in that particular situation. Short-form content platforms have seen a huge surge of popularity but on the contrary, marketing and monetizing of short-form has their own sets of problems that are needed to be addressed.