Hype Survivor SHH Survivor 30: Big Brother (Week 6) - A Redneck's Point of View

[enterthemadness]

I hope Iron Fist team, which surely consists of Kal and Cmill loses, and Iron Fist gets voted out via eviction.

 

[Byrd Man]

The deadline for this is around 1:30 correct? You said thirty hours from the time the PM was sent out and that was at about 7:30 yesterday.

 

[Matt]

After the 1:30 deadline, can we like, break the 12 hour until 8:00 am or something? That way we won't have to have our rebuttals in in the middle of the day.

 

[Spider-Fan]

It's 12 hours from when I post the arguments you must make rebuttals. I won't post them until tomorrow morning.

 

[Matt]

Wait, time out. In the PM you said we need to post our arguments. Now we PM them to you?

 

[Byrd Man]

PM has been sent to SF and Hobbitstein.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Wait, time out. In the PM you said we need to post our arguments. Now we PM them to you?

I decided you'd get more time that way. Posting them momentarily.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Here is the 1st submission:

The Internet. Its creation has shaped and defined the last twenty years of the world. In no other time period or age has information been so readily available and open. Everyone with access to a computer and internet connection can have a voice and opinion. Ever since the first email was swapped, a social network has existed between computers and the users behind them.

But is the constant stream of information and 24/7 connection a good thing? I say no.

Privacy issues

This topic can actually be broken up into two different types of issues. The first is corporate. Facebook has become a prime cause for concern with this issue. Facebook and its administrators have access to everything you "like" and everything of which you become a "fan." That in turn can be passed on to someone else. Let's say I liked the works of James Ellroy, which I do, and I became a fan of James Ellroy's Facebook page. Suddenly, I'm bombarded with emails from his fan club and letters in the mail about how I can join his fan club. That's something I didn't ask for, but Facebook has access to my email adress and possibly my home address so they take matters into their own hands. I know Facebook claimed they were in the process of tightening security on their sight, but it doesn't prevent Facebook themselves for taking your information and selling it off to a sponsor. It's a win-win for them.

Another aspect to social networks and the internet in general is criminal. Some of the most common security passwords on banking sites are question like what school you attended, mother's maiden name, dog's name, et cetera. On a site like Facebook that kind of material is protected, but what about a site like the Hype? Someone can post in a thread about their high school, mother, and animals; and any lurker can view it and write it down. If someone can figure out simple things like this by stalking you online, then it's bye-bye bank account.

The breakdown of socialization with human contact and internet addiction

Some people don't do well when talking to people face to face and on the phone, myself included. Why call someone when you can send a text? Why go out there and meet a nice girl or guy when you can go online and talk to a guy or "girl" who can suffice your needs for companionship? And there's nothing wrong with that, when done in moderation. Through the internet and cellphones, human interaction can be whittled down into texts, IMs, and board posts.

There was a story of a girl who, in a month, sent out over ten thousand texts. That averaged to close to one text a minute. She was so obsessed with it, she would sit next to a friend on a couch and they would text back and forth with each other, holding a conversation without once opening their mouth.

I once had a boss who would rarely talk to you face to face. He hated taking phone calls and people coming into his office. His way of doing things was to email him. I'd like to state that our company had five full-time employees in a small office. He literally worked ten feet away from me and I would have to email him. In addition to being my boss, he was a salesman who refused to take phone calls from clients and opted to talk to them, you guessed it, via email. Now, most of these people weren't email savvy and he lost more than a few accounts due to his attitude. Not only did it turn most of his employees against him, it also nearly lost his job until someone higher up on the ladder had to thump on him about it. Now that is a very extreme, but very true case of how email and texts can make us shun real human contact.

This might sound overly dramatic to some, but the internet is addictive. I'm an addict myself; look at my post count, for God's sake. Whether it's on the Hype, Facebook, or online gaming, we'd rather do it than something else. Why go outside for a game of pick-up basketball when you and your buddies can play NBA 2K11 on the internet? Have as much fun without all the sweating. You can get all the information of what's going on in the world with your fingertips. You can debate anything on any message board, so what's the point of discussing it with someone face to face?

It's because of things like this, not to mention how widely available they are, that the internet has spawned a generation of shut-ins. People in America talk about the "childhood obesity epidemic" and, along with elements like parenting and diet, the internet and games play a big part into this problem for all the above-stated reasons.

Predatory issues

I spoke about online stalking earlier, and the advent of Facebook and Twitter make it way too easy to find out where someone lives and even their phone number. I myself am guilty of looking at my ex-girlfriend's Facebook page to see if she's still single. People add friends on sites like that left and right, sometimes not fully checking if they even know them. The site suggests you add friends of your friends, even if you haven't met them. You don't know who these people are or what they're like. The defriend button is there, but why would you defriend someone who never makes contact with you online? They read through your profile, figure out everything there is to know about you, then figure out your schedule based on your Tweets. They can know where you are and where you'll be at any given moment.

Then there's cyber-bullying. As if it's not enough to victimize someone in person, cyber-bullying now ups the ante. Cyber-bullying can range anywhere from posting offensive things on someone's Facebook wall, to the flaming and trolling that takes place on message boards. People, mostly through no fault of their own, are being followed and harassed both online and in real life. With nowhere to turn, the victims sometimes end up doing something rash to end the bullying. It's a sad story that can have an even sadder ending.


False sense of self and internet lives

The internet gives everyone a voice, whether they have anything worth saying or not. Facebook and especially Twitter are guilty of this: people constantly post what they're doing at any given moment. These two sites have made people into celebrities in their own minds. You may care about the runny nose you got from the cold weather, or the fact that you're excited for the weekend, but I don't. You're out there broadcasting your movements to an audience who may not be there. It doesn't matter if anyone is following, as long as you're putting yourself out there to be noticed. That is vanity personified to me.

Coupled with the false sense of self are the largely fictional internet lives that can be a major part of the internet addiction. Anyone can be anybody on the internet. I'm a 22 year old dude, but you wouldn't know that if I didn't tell you. Hell, I might not even be 22. Who knows but me? This is the flipside of the over-exposure on Facebook. People create falsehoods about their lives, to the point of pretending to be someone they're not. That false life can be just as addictive as anything else on the net. Look at the hype: anyone who has been around has a reputation. You may be a hot girl, a rational voice of reason, or even a hothead. And it's entirely possible that you're nothing like that in real life.

Look at Aunt Petunia; sometimes the thrill of lying and leading everyone on can be exciting and addictive. That hot girl you know on Facebook could be a 40 year old overweight dude who found somebody's picture on the internet and subbed it for his own. When that happens, you start getting in deep, almost to the point to where the line between what's real and what isn't begins to blur.


Spelling, grammar and education

"Where R u? WTF?! ****,N00B! LOLZ!!!"

That right there is evidence enough for me to show what the internet has done to spelling and grammar, but I'll go an extra step forward. A few years ago, college professors were reporting that students were writing papers in the internet "chat speak," complete with abbreviations like "LOL" and "R U." Bear in mind, and these are college students, not middle school or even high school. People always talk about the next great American writer. He or she is out there somewhere, and I pray to God they're not tweeting.

Twitter limits you to 180 characters. 180 characters. What kind of deep, thought provoking message can you send out in under 180 characters and have it be fully thought out and grammatically correct? And I realize hardly anybody uses Twitter for such things; see my above item about the self.

What celebrity at one time had the most followers on Twitter? Ashton Kutcher. Let me repeat that: Ashton Kutcher. Not President Obama, the leader of the Free World the last time I checked, although Obama had the top Twitter spot at one time, and they're not following Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, or any other world leader. Ashton Kutcher, an actor who doesn't really even act anymore. His message is getting out there to millions of people, but what has he done to deserve that type of following? In my eyes, nothing.

So, to wrap all that I've said in a nutshell: the internet and social networking have many positives, but in my eyes the negatives and the potential future of these cons escalating would far outweigh any of the positives.

 

[Spider-Fan]

2nd Submission:

I admittedly do not have a Facebook page. I know that is shocking in the times we live in, but it is something I am not interested in. That said, one cannot deny the advantages of such a site. Nor can one deny the advantage of social networking. It has created a world of constant, instant communication between friends and strangers alike. It has created a situation where, with a few strokes of keys and clicks of a mouse, you can change the world. Social networking is not a simple trend. It is a revolution. And despite what my opponents may say, social networking is not a revolution that takes away our personal connections and our very humanity. It is a revolution that has revitalized our humanity and given us countless new avenues in which to connect to one another.

Now my opponents will likely claim that I am overstating the point, but look at the very medium in which we are having our debate. Superhero Hype is a social network. It has given us the ability to share our opinions on movies, and even, affect their development (Mark Steven Johnson was once an active poster on SHH while developing Daredevil, for example). The internet, through social networking has created a place where a free exchange of ideas and opinions can take place.

But it is not limited to simply tearing apart movies on message boards. The blogosphere, which is a form of social networking, has changed the way news is covered. Countless stories are broken through websites. The Drudge Report was the first site to report on President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Blogs have become credible news sources. Like local newspapers in the time of our founding fathers, the blogosphere has recreated the way that information is dispersed. No longer must we rely on Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch to provide us with their corporate agenda-driven spin on news. The blogosphere has given everyone a voice in the current events of their times. It has allowed free information to flow once again.

And the beauty of social networking is that you need not only use it to follow current world shaping events. It can be used for silly, fun things as well. I can now use Twitter to see the first set pictures of Jeffery Donovan and Burt Reynolds on the set of Burn Notice. We can use social networking to follow the works of our favorite filmmakers and musicians. We can observe their projects as they are made. Beyond that, social networking has given us a role in the development. How many of us followed the viral marketing that went along with the development of films such as The Dark Knight and Cloverfield? Paranormal Activity, one of the biggest horror films of all time, used social networking and Facebook as a way to convince the studio to give a wide distribution. Even the premiere of Community was proceeded by an hour long “Tweetquel,” on Twitter in which the characters “tweeted,” during the hour leading up to the premiere. It gave the audience insight into the minds of the characters and led right into the opening events of the season. Social networking is the next step of entertainment. Through social networking we can follow our favorite sports teams, our favorite musicians, our favorite entertainers.

But let’s take it a step further. Have you ever played Call of Duty online? What about Halo? Then you’ve been part of a social network. Every time you kick a 14 year old’s pimply ass at Madden online, you are taking part in a social network. Fantasy football, Farmville, even the very game in which we are having this debate for is a form of social networking. Social networking has connected us to each other in ways never thought possible. Through it we can change the world, shake up the political power structure, or simply kick each other’s asses at Street Fighter. Social Networking has made this all possible by connecting us.

And connection is the key word. Due to social networking, I can know what is on my best friend’s mind through their twitter account or Facebook status. I can be there for them when their down, or enjoy their happiness when they are up. All through the click of a mouse. And beyond that, I can expand my horizons, to create more bonds than ever before. And make no mistake about it; through social networking we have all created bonds. Some of my closest friends are through the Hype. Through the Hype I have formed a close bond with a snarky English pervert and a born and bred Southern gentleman. These are connections I would have never found in my normal life, yet due to social networking I have made them without ever leaving a computer desk. I have created bonds with these men who were there for me during the hardest time of my life, with people whom I can rely on and trust through the click of a button. I am sure you all have stories like that. And that is the beauty of social networking, the ability to connect, to build, create, and maintain bonds and friendships. Facebook can be used to stay in touch with your friends and relatives from afar. Message boards can be used to make new ones. Social networking connects us.

Now you’re saying that is silly, surely real bonds and friendships cannot be nurtured over the internet. I beg to differ. According to a 2007 study, nearly 30% of new marriages, started out on sites like match.com or EHarmony, which are just another form of social networking. While I am not on Facebook, I know for a fact that my mother is and she uses it to keep in touch with her sister who lives in Texas.

Through social networking, we are connected to one another. And isn’t that what life is all about, connections and bonds? Social networking has given us the ability to maintain and expanded these bonds. Social networking creates and maintains the most valuable thing of all, love.

 

[Spider-Fan]

12 hours from 10am...hop to it!

 

[KALEL114]

Is there anyway we can make it 24 hours instead of 12? If not then I will not be able to complete it in time. I will be out all day and won't have time to complete it.

 

[Byrd Man]

Just to make sure I read the PM right, we would PM the opening statments but then post our rebuttals here?

 

[Spider-Fan]

Rebuttals are to be posted here, but I'll take them if you PM'ed them to me.

I think I'll give you guys the full 24 hours for this. It's the weekend anyway.

So, DEADLINE IS NOW 10AM!!!

 

[Hunter Rider]

REBUTTAL

I admittedly do not have a Facebook page. I know that is shocking in the times we live in, but it is something I am not interested in. That said, one cannot deny the advantages of such a site. Nor can one deny the advantage of social networking. It has created a world of constant, instant communication between friends and strangers alike. It has created a situation where, with a few strokes of keys and clicks of a mouse, you can change the world. Social networking is not a simple trend. It is a revolution. And despite what my opponents may say, social networking is not a revolution that takes away our personal connections and our very humanity. It is a revolution that has revitalized our humanity and given us countless new avenues in which to connect to one another.


Now my opponents will likely claim that I am overstating the point, but look at the very medium in which we are having our debate. Superhero Hype is a social network. It has given us the ability to share our opinions on movies, and even, affect their development (Mark Steven Johnson was once an active poster on SHH while developing Daredevil, for example). The internet, through social networking has created a place where a free exchange of ideas and opinions can take place.

But it is not limited to simply tearing apart movies on message boards. The blogosphere, which is a form of social networking, has changed the way news is covered. Countless stories are broken through websites. The Drudge Report was the first site to report on President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Blogs have become credible news sources. Like local newspapers in the time of our founding fathers, the blogosphere has recreated the way that information is dispersed. No longer must we rely on Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch to provide us with their corporate agenda-driven spin on news. The blogosphere has given everyone a voice in the current events of their times. It has allowed free information to flow once again.

And the beauty of social networking is that you need not only use it to follow current world shaping events. It can be used for silly, fun things as well. I can now use Twitter to see the first set pictures of Jeffery Donovan and Burt Reynolds on the set of Burn Notice. We can use social networking to follow the works of our favorite filmmakers and musicians. We can observe their projects as they are made. Beyond that, social networking has given us a role in the development. How many of us followed the viral marketing that went along with the development of films such as The Dark Knight and Cloverfield? Paranormal Activity, one of the biggest horror films of all time, used social networking and Facebook as a way to convince the studio to give a wide distribution. Even the premiere of Community was proceeded by an hour long “Tweetquel,” on Twitter in which the characters “tweeted,” during the hour leading up to the premiere. It gave the audience insight into the minds of the characters and led right into the opening events of the season. Social networking is the next step of entertainment. Through social networking we can follow our favorite sports teams, our favorite musicians, our favorite entertainers.

But let’s take it a step further. Have you ever played Call of Duty online? What about Halo? Then you’ve been part of a social network. Every time you kick a 14 year old’s pimply ass at Madden online, you are taking part in a social network. Fantasy football, Farmville, even the very game in which we are having this debate for is a form of social networking. Social networking has connected us to each other in ways never thought possible. Through it we can change the world, shake up the political power structure, or simply kick each other’s asses at Street Fighter. Social Networking has made this all possible by connecting us.

And connection is the key word. Due to social networking, I can know what is on my best friend’s mind through their twitter account or Facebook status. I can be there for them when their down, or enjoy their happiness when they are up. All through the click of a mouse. And beyond that, I can expand my horizons, to create more bonds than ever before. And make no mistake about it; through social networking we have all created bonds. Some of my closest friends are through the Hype. Through the Hype I have formed a close bond with a snarky English pervert and a born and bred Southern gentleman. These are connections I would have never found in my normal life, yet due to social networking I have made them without ever leaving a computer desk. I have created bonds with these men who were there for me during the hardest time of my life, with people whom I can rely on and trust through the click of a button. I am sure you all have stories like that. And that is the beauty of social networking, the ability to connect, to build, create, and maintain bonds and friendships. Facebook can be used to stay in touch with your friends and relatives from afar. Message boards can be used to make new ones. Social networking connects us.

Now you’re saying that is silly, surely real bonds and friendships cannot be nurtured over the internet. I beg to differ. According to a 2007 study, nearly 30% of new marriages, started out on sites like match.com or EHarmony, which are just another form of social networking. While I am not on Facebook, I know for a fact that my mother is and she uses it to keep in touch with her sister who lives in Texas.

Through social networking, we are connected to one another. And isn’t that what life is all about, connections and bonds? Social networking has given us the ability to maintain and expanded these bonds. Social networking creates and maintains the most valuable thing of all, love.

On the surface this presents a rosy view of Social Networking and no one would deny it has created some fantastic opportunities, however scratch beneath the surface and you find it has opened the door to many more problems.

The idea that loved ones can keep in touch easier due to it doesn't really hold water, E Mails, texts and of course the phone all offer the same ability to contact a loved one who is out of state or even in another country, people were managing to stay in touch long before Myspace reared it's head.

The concept of making friends online is quaint but in truth the advent of social networking has created the chance to make far more enemies, from the pedos and predators that stalk our children who give up all of their information online, to the bullies who use it to extend the torment of their victims beyond the school walls, to the fraudsters and identity thieves who use it to steal people's money and leave them desolate.

Rather than being long winded I have a simple question to ask, is the fact some make a few buddies who they'll never meet really worth the massive risk it puts so many people at? Social networking has created so many new crime avenues that the FBI have an entire division devoted to fighting cyber crime and I think I'm far from alone in saying we had enough crime to begin with without offering up fresh ways for people to commit it. So to answer my own question, no, it's not worth it.

 

[Byrd Man]

Rebuttal

I admittedly do not have a Facebook page. I know that is shocking in the times we live in, but it is something I am not interested in. That said, one cannot deny the advantages of such a site. Nor can one deny the advantage of social networking. It has created a world of constant, instant communication between friends and strangers alike. It has created a situation where, with a few strokes of keys and clicks of a mouse, you can change the world. Social networking is not a simple trend. It is a revolution. And despite what my opponents may say, social networking is not a revolution that takes away our personal connections and our very humanity. It is a revolution that has revitalized our humanity and given us countless new avenues in which to connect to one another.

Now my opponents will likely claim that I am overstating the point, but look at the very medium in which we are having our debate. Superhero Hype is a social network. It has given us the ability to share our opinions on movies, and even, affect their development (Mark Steven Johnson was once an active poster on SHH while developing Daredevil, for example). The internet, through social networking has created a place where a free exchange of ideas and opinions can take place.

But it is not limited to simply tearing apart movies on message boards. The blogosphere, which is a form of social networking, has changed the way news is covered. Countless stories are broken through websites. The Drudge Report was the first site to report on President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Blogs have become credible news sources. Like local newspapers in the time of our founding fathers, the blogosphere has recreated the way that information is dispersed. No longer must we rely on Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch to provide us with their corporate agenda-driven spin on news. The blogosphere has given everyone a voice in the current events of their times. It has allowed free information to flow once again.

And the beauty of social networking is that you need not only use it to follow current world shaping events. It can be used for silly, fun things as well. I can now use Twitter to see the first set pictures of Jeffery Donovan and Burt Reynolds on the set of Burn Notice. We can use social networking to follow the works of our favorite filmmakers and musicians. We can observe their projects as they are made. Beyond that, social networking has given us a role in the development. How many of us followed the viral marketing that went along with the development of films such as The Dark Knight and Cloverfield? Paranormal Activity, one of the biggest horror films of all time, used social networking and Facebook as a way to convince the studio to give a wide distribution. Even the premiere of Community was proceeded by an hour long “Tweetquel,” on Twitter in which the characters “tweeted,” during the hour leading up to the premiere. It gave the audience insight into the minds of the characters and led right into the opening events of the season. Social networking is the next step of entertainment. Through social networking we can follow our favorite sports teams, our favorite musicians, our favorite entertainers.

But let’s take it a step further. Have you ever played Call of Duty online? What about Halo? Then you’ve been part of a social network. Every time you kick a 14 year old’s pimply ass at Madden online, you are taking part in a social network. Fantasy football, Farmville, even the very game in which we are having this debate for is a form of social networking. Social networking has connected us to each other in ways never thought possible. Through it we can change the world, shake up the political power structure, or simply kick each other’s asses at Street Fighter. Social Networking has made this all possible by connecting us.

And connection is the key word. Due to social networking, I can know what is on my best friend’s mind through their twitter account or Facebook status. I can be there for them when their down, or enjoy their happiness when they are up. All through the click of a mouse. And beyond that, I can expand my horizons, to create more bonds than ever before. And make no mistake about it; through social networking we have all created bonds. Some of my closest friends are through the Hype. Through the Hype I have formed a close bond with a snarky English pervert and a born and bred Southern gentleman. These are connections I would have never found in my normal life, yet due to social networking I have made them without ever leaving a computer desk. I have created bonds with these men who were there for me during the hardest time of my life, with people whom I can rely on and trust through the click of a button. I am sure you all have stories like that. And that is the beauty of social networking, the ability to connect, to build, create, and maintain bonds and friendships. Facebook can be used to stay in touch with your friends and relatives from afar. Message boards can be used to make new ones. Social networking connects us.

Now you’re saying that is silly, surely real bonds and friendships cannot be nurtured over the internet. I beg to differ. According to a 2007 study, nearly 30% of new marriages, started out on sites like match.com or EHarmony, which are just another form of social networking. While I am not on Facebook, I know for a fact that my mother is and she uses it to keep in touch with her sister who lives in Texas.

Through social networking, we are connected to one another. And isn’t that what life is all about, connections and bonds? Social networking has given us the ability to maintain and expanded these bonds. Social networking creates and maintains the most valuable thing of all, love.

This was a very good argument, and it makes very good points. I agree with HR that it takes a slightly idealistic approach to the argument. Not that there's anything wrong with it. I will say this much.

In the argument, sites like eHarmony are mentioned. eHarmony, the internet dating site that has put people together based on personality matches. That seems to work on paper, but it's taking your identity and putting it in a grid to be compared with others. I, for one don't care for a site that tells me who to like. But I understand the purpose of these sites and some of the people on them don't really have much in the way of choices.

And eHarmony has the same problem with Facebook: How do you know the person you're talking to is all they're cracked up to be? Anyone can take those personality tests and lie their ass off in order to get a favorable match. The guy you're talking to who claims to be a single father barely making ends meet could be a single virgin still living in his parent's basement. You just don't know, and that's the problem with these sites. Remember the number one rule on the internet: Everyone lies.

I want to bring up another sort of social network in my rebuttal: Craigslist. It's an online classified website that can be a hundred times more effective than a newspaper or internet listing. But up until recently the site had become a haven for prostitutes and escorts. I won't comment on prostitution and what consenting adults do, but the fact is it's illegal. Illegal activities were taking place on the site. Things were even worse when a young man used the site to prey on escorts and robbing two women and murdering a third.

The internet and social networks are the great connector....but do we really know who we're connecting to?

 

[Spider-Fan]

Matt sent me his rebuttal, so I will post it here

My opponent presents an interesting argument. However they seem to forget one very important factor, personal responsibility.

They begin their argument by discussing privacy issues, namely the fact that Facebook has the ability to sell what you like and do not like to corporate sponsors. Firstly, Facebook is but one site in a vast array of social networking. It can hardly be used as an argument against ALL social networking. But regardless, let’s assume for a moment that Facebook would sell their customer’s information to corporate sponsors (which would be a ridiculous business move that would lose them countless customers and make them liable to a class action lawsuit), there is still the matter that Facebook only has the information in which you provide them! If you do not want something known, do not put it on your site.

They also use the argument that the information you put can put you at a security risk for bank codes, passwords, etc. Again, there is a very simple solution this. Do not put this information on there. You have the choice to put your dog’s name or elementary school on Facebook. If you do not do this, there is no security risk. And therein lies the crux of my opponent’s entire argument. They would like you to believe that you are not capable of protecting yourself and making responsible decisions, and therefore you need Big Brother to tell you what you can and cannot use. I am of the belief that adults are capable of determining their own actions while being accountable and responsible for these actions.

My opponent would also have you believe that social networking is responsible for the breakdown of social interaction. Why must it be one or another? Can’t social networking simply be an extension of social interaction? After all, as I said in my opening argument, nearly 30 % of all marriages begin through online dating. This is hardly a break down in socialization, it is simply a new extension of it, with viable results that the numbers prove to work.

Beyond that, my opponent points out a few examples of excess as supposed proof that social networking is a virtual orgy of sloth and laziness. Just because a few people abuse something and do it in excess does not mean there are not benefits to this. After all, are the obese a testament against sugar? Are alcoholics living proof that prohibition should be reinstated? Of course not. With social networking, moderation is the key, as is the case in any aspect of life. Again, just because a few abuse it, does not mean the majority should be deprived from healthy usage. It once again all ties into personal responsibility. A concept my opponent seems to know nothing about.

My opponent cites predatory issues. All of the social networking sites which I researched institute extensive privacy issues that allow you to dictate who can see what on your profile. Again, personal responsibility is key. In regards to children, the responsibility of parents is crucial. I would never allow my daughter to use a social networking site without the closest of supervision and when she is old enough to do so on her own, I will hope that I have done my job and raised her well enough that she is capable of using it responsibly.

Responsibility can be applied to cyber bullying as well. Why crucify social networking sites for the actions of a jerk? These monsters are the ones who should be criticized, not the tool in which they use. Is the gun industry responsible for gang shootings? Of course not. The epidemic of social bullying needs to be curbed, but to do so we must target those who are responsible, the bullies. Not the sites they use to bully. And force the record, those being bullied can always simply use the block feature.

The blur of reality all traces back to the idea of moderation. Once again, why allow a few bad eggs to ruin something for the countless other users who do so in moderation and with responsibility?

As for bad grammar, this is at best extreme hyperbole on my opponent’s part. Just because people use abbreviations and “text-speak,” for their twitter accounts does not mean that we are witnessing the downfall of the English language. The English language, like all languages are constantly evolving. Text-speak is simply a new way to communicate in shorthand. It is not the beginning of the end of the English language, nor is the fact that teenage girls following Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter account a sign of the degradation of all American education. Celebrities have always had fans that follow them devoutly, be it Elvis and John Lennon or the Ashton Kutcher and Justin Beiber. These trends come and go. Again, it is not the sign of the downfall of our education system or culture. Extreme hyperbole on my opponent’s part is all that it is.

Just as connection was the key word in my opening argument, the keyword here is responsibility. My opponent does not seem to think that you are intelligent enough to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. I do. Social networking is only what people make of it. And the choice and responsibility that comes with it is yours and yours alone. You should never sacrifice your responsibility in the name of protection, because to do so also means to sacrifice your freedom to those who would lord over you, like my opponent.

 

[KALEL114]

Rebuttal
My opposition has made a very interesting argument. Unfortunately for them, it is littered with half truths and lack of actual facts. Also notice that they state most of their case using the internet as the culprit. We are here to debate social networking and not the Internet in general. I will break it down point for point.

The Internet. Its creation has shaped and defined the last twenty years of the world. In no other time period or age has information been so readily available and open. Everyone with access to a computer and internet connection can have a voice and opinion. Ever since the first email was swapped, a social network has existed between computers and the users behind them.
But is the constant stream of information and 24/7 connection a good thing? I say no.Privacy issues
This topic can actually be broken up into two different types of issues. The first is corporate. Facebook has become a prime cause for concern with this issue. Facebook and its administrators have access to everything you "like" and everything of which you become a "fan." That in turn can be passed on to someone else. Let's say I liked the works of James Ellroy, which I do, and I became a fan of James Ellroy's Facebook page. Suddenly, I'm bombarded with emails from his fan club and letters in the mail about how I can join his fan club. That's something I didn't ask for, but Facebook has access to my email address and possibly my home address so they take matters into their own hands. I know Facebook claimed they were in the process of tightening security on their sight, but it doesn't prevent Facebook themselves for taking your information and selling it off to a sponsor. It's a win-win for them.

First, Facebook is only a small cog in social networking as a whole. My opposition chose to single them out, so I will address it. No personal info is ever given out.
Per Facebook:We never share your personal information with our advertisers. Facebook's ad targeting is done entirely anonymously. If advertisers select demographic targeting for their ads, Facebook automatically matches those ads to the appropriate audience. Advertisers only receive anonymous data reports.
So begins the half truths. Info is anonymously sent, but not personal info.

Another aspect to social networks and the internet in general is criminal. Some of the most common security passwords on banking sites are question like what school you attended, mother's maiden name, dog's name, et cetera. On a site like Facebook that kind of material is protected, but what about a site like the Hype? Someone can post in a thread about their high school, mother, and animals; and any lurker can view it and write it down. If someone can figure out simple things like this by stalking you online, then it's bye-bye bank account.

Their idea that a criminal would gain access to your bank account by using the Hype is questionable at best. Security questions are only asked if someone has a bank account and selects that they have forgotten their password. A new password is then e-mailed to the account holder. So they are proposing that a hacker would go to all the trouble of finding someone’s bank account number, scour the Hype to find the answer to their security question, somehow find and hack their e-mail account, and then access their bank account. My opposition is simply stretching to fit social networking in to their example.

The breakdown of socialization with human contact and internet addiction, Some people don't do well when talking to people face to face and on the phone, myself included. Why call someone when you can send a text? Why go out there and meet a nice girl or guy when you can go online and talk to a guy or "girl" who can suffice your needs for companionship? And there's nothing wrong with that, when done in moderation. Through the internet and cellphones, human interaction can be whittled down into texts, IMs, and board posts.
There was a story of a girl who, in a month, sent out over ten thousand texts. That averaged to close to one text a minute. She was so obsessed with it, she would sit next to a friend on a couch and they would text back and forth with each other, holding a conversation without once opening their mouth.
I once had a boss who would rarely talk to you face to face. He hated taking phone calls and people coming into his office. His way of doing things was to email him. I'd like to state that our company had five full-time employees in a small office. He literally worked ten feet away from me and I would have to email him. In addition to being my boss, he was a salesman who refused to take phone calls from clients and opted to talk to them, you guessed it, via email. Now, most of these people weren't email savvy and he lost more than a few accounts due to his attitude. Not only did it turn most of his employees against him, it also nearly lost his job until someone higher up on the ladder had to thump on him about it. Now that is a very extreme, but very true case of how email and texts can make us shun real human contact.
This might sound overly dramatic to some, but the internet is addictive. I'm an addict myself; look at my post count, for God's sake. Whether it's on the Hype, Facebook, or online gaming, we'd rather do it than something else. Why go outside for a game of pick-up basketball when you and your buddies can play NBA 2K11 on the internet? Have as much fun without all the sweating. You can get all the information of what's going on in the world with your fingertips. You can debate anything on any message board, so what's the point of discussing it with someone face to face?
It's because of things like this, not to mention how widely available they are, that the internet has spawned a generation of shut-ins. People in America talk about the "childhood obesity epidemic" and, along with elements like parenting and diet, the internet and games play a big part into this problem for all the above-stated reasons.

I will not try to counter the "stories" (underlined) that my opposition has presented, simply because I have no idea if they are true since no tangible evidence was given to support them. I will say that internet and gaming addiction are very real, but it is not limited to social networking. It is much more broad than that and my opposition once again took something and twisted it to meet their needs. Internet addiction is a mental illness. Sex, extreme need for news consumption, and gambling are the most notable triggers for it. Gaming addiction is based on the "rush" one gets while playing. Again it is a mental illness and social networking plays little to no role in the grand scheme.

Predatory issues I spoke about online stalking earlier, and the advent of Facebook and Twitter make it way too easy to find out where someone lives and even their phone number. I myself am guilty of looking at my ex-girlfriend's Facebook page to see if she's still single. People add friends on sites like that left and right, sometimes not fully checking if they even know them. The site suggests you add friends of your friends, even if you haven't met them. You don't know who these people are or what they're like. The defriend button is there, but why would you defriend someone who never makes contact with you online? They read through your profile, figure out everything there is to know about you, then figure out your schedule based on your Tweets. They can know where you are and where you'll be at any given moment.
Then there's cyber-bullying. As if it's not enough to victimize someone in person, cyber-bullying now ups the ante. Cyber-bullying can range anywhere from posting offensive things on someone's Facebook wall, to the flaming and trolling that takes place on message boards. People, mostly through no fault of their own, are being followed and harassed both online and in real life. With nowhere to turn, the victims sometimes end up doing something rash to end the bullying. It's a sad story that can have an even sadder ending.

Once again they focus on Facebook and now Twitter. These sites are not the lawless Old West. You have complete control over who see your info and what info you want to put out there. Facebook itself has just increased there security and made it even easier to protect yourself.

False sense of self and internet lives
The internet gives everyone a voice, whether they have anything worth saying or not. Facebook and especially Twitter are guilty of this: people constantly post what they're doing at any given moment. These two sites have made people into celebrities in their own minds. You may care about the runny nose you got from the cold weather, or the fact that you're excited for the weekend, but I don't. You're out there broadcasting your movements to an audience who may not be there. It doesn't matter if anyone is following, as long as you're putting yourself out there to be noticed. That is vanity personified to me.

People have the right to post what they want and who see it. Whether that is vain or not, is not the topic of this debate and is very subjective in the first place.

Coupled with the false sense of self are the largely fictional internet lives that can be a major part of the internet addiction. Anyone can be anybody on the internet. I'm a 22 year old dude, but you wouldn't know that if I didn't tell you. Hell, I might not even be 22. Who knows but me? This is the flipside of the over-exposure on Facebook. People create falsehoods about their lives, to the point of pretending to be someone they're not. That false life can be just as addictive as anything else on the net. Look at the hype: anyone who has been around has a reputation. You may be a hot girl, a rational voice of reason, or even a hothead. And it's entirely possible that you're nothing like that in real life.
Look at Aunt Petunia; sometimes the thrill of lying and leading everyone on can be exciting and addictive. That hot girl you know on Facebook could be a 40 year old overweight dude who found somebody's picture on the internet and subbed it for his own. When that happens, you start getting in deep, almost to the point to where the line between what's real and what isn't begins to blur.

You first argue that too much info is out there, but now to be anonymous is bad as well. Anonymity is a very important safeguard that we all cherish. If you decide to post personal info, that is of your own discretion. It is not the site's fault and not the fault of social networking.

Spelling, grammar and education"Where R u? WTF?! ****,N00B! LOLZ!!!"
That right there is evidence enough for me to show what the internet has done to spelling and grammar, but I'll go an extra step forward. A few years ago, college professors were reporting that students were writing papers in the internet "chat speak," complete with abbreviations like "LOL" and "R U." Bear in mind, and these are college students, not middle school or even high school. People always talk about the next great American writer. He or she is out there somewhere, and I pray to God they're not tweeting.
Twitter limits you to 180 characters. 180 characters. What kind of deep, thought provoking message can you send out in under 180 characters and have it be fully thought out and grammatically correct? And I realize hardly anybody uses Twitter for such things; see my above item about the self.
What celebrity at one time had the most followers on Twitter? Ashton Kutcher. Let me repeat that: Ashton Kutcher. Not President Obama, the leader of the Free World the last time I checked, although Obama had the top Twitter spot at one time, and they're not following Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, or any other world leader. Ashton Kutcher, an actor who doesn't really even act anymore. His message is getting out there to millions of people, but what has he done to deserve that type of following? In my eyes, nothing.
So, to wrap all that I've said in a nutshell: the internet and social networking have many positives, but in my eyes the negatives and the potential future of these cons escalating would far outweigh any of the positives.

Much of this last part is opinion and another "story". The abbreviations or "leet" that is used in texts and other messages are equal to short hand in modern writing. They each have their place in their perspective writing areas.
Twitter is used to let people know what you are doing at the moment or what interests you at that time. It is not a personal blog or a place to write a novel.
In conclusion, my opposition seems to take issue with the internet as a whole. No solid argument was made focusing solely on social networking. Social networking makes our world a better place and brings us closer to those we care about.

 

[Spider-Fan]

No rebuttals from several of our players. Looks like we have Byrd Man, Kal, Hunter, and Matt prob winning, as the others failed to rebuttal

 

[KALEL114]

Fine with me.

 

[Specter313]

Goddammit. I don't know if it was just because I was so tired and got home so late last night, but for some reason I read it as having until 10 tonight. I got pulled into work this morning and was going to work on it after a nap which I just got up from a lil while ago. Figures.

 

[Spider-Fan]

24 hours from the time I sent it to you

 

[ComicChick]

nice arguments and rebuttals everyone. i enjoyed reading the different perspectives.

there were some typos which i found slightly ironic, but they didn't detract from anyone's arguments.

 

[Specter313]

24 hours from the time I sent it to you

Again, completely out of it when I read it.

 

[Byrd Man]

Fine with me.

Easy for you to say, going my opening statement like a knife through hout butter.

 

[Matt]

Sooo....results?