Description: The boundless promise of the Internet come three challenges to nationhood and country: to our common culture, because the Internet has little regard for content restrictions.
Source: Globe and Mail
Date: Nov 24, 2010
Culture: Canadians are creating great art and inventing new forms of communication inspired by and adapted for the Internet: artful videos like Arcade Fire’s We Used To Wait; comedy, like Quebec’sTêtes à claques; or The Globe and Mail’s own Emmy-winning online reports, Talking To The Taliban, and Behind The Veil.
But it will only get harder for Canadian cultural producers to get by and get noticed. There is so much choice online already, and much of the content can be consumed freely. The Internet is penetrating already existing regulated media, such as TV and radio.
Questions for discussion:
- What challenges does the internet present to Canada?
- Do we share too much information on the Internet?
- Should Canada police The amount of Canadian content through policy making and penalties?
Jerica Filanti
I do not think there is too much information being shared on the Internet. To me, the Internet is just another medium of communication like the newspaper and television. No one is making anybody use the Internet or put information on there. People have a right to free speech and if they want to post information on the Internet, they are more than able to. However, I do think that some of the content needs to be regulated or harder to find. There are times when I have put an innocent search keyword into Google and received inappropriate results. Even with a parental blocker on, some of this inappopriate content that has been shared on the internet still makes it through. I also think that regulations should be in place regarding information shared by those around you. If you randomly search someones name, you can find old school photos taken from a class picture when you were in elementary school. This to me was never meant to be put onto the internet and it when it comes to children’s information being shared without consent, it is crossing a line in my opinion. It’s a fine line and it is hard to tell if that line has been crossed. Overall, information is free for anyone to post or find, and if they use the internet as the medium to do this, I do not see a problem.
Krystle Hurley
To Canada as a whole, or any other nation operating on the Internet, there is always the issue of national security. The most private and confidential information can be stolen and used by terrorists and others wishing to do harm. The Internet also gives consumers an advantage over organizations because they can likely find what they need somewhere else if they are not satisfied with that organization. This can lead to decreased spending in the Canadian economy as Internet users find what they need at a cheaper price from another nation.
I don’t think there is an issue of sharing too much information on the Internet, rather a lack of secure means to do so. Somebody should be able to do things like make purchases, do online banking and communicate with friends and family without the fear that somebody is monitoring their activity and possibly stealing information such as credit card numbers from them. Yes, there are times when I’ve read something and thought that it was ridiculous that somebody posted that on the Internet, however there are also things that I’ve read that have helped me in some way or another. Discussion boards help me with creative ideas, friends blogs make me feel connected to them because they are sharing the same problems that I have.
If we limit the amount of Canadian content through policy making and penalties, I think alot of the positives of the Internet will disappear. Some people post things on the Internet simply because they’ve had a bad day and need to vent. If this is restricted by imposing penalties, this creates the issue of what people will do when they don’t have the Internet as an outlet to vent their frustration.
Breann L
The internet presents many challenges to Canada and all other countries in the world for that matter. The internet has been growing and expanding to become a big part of Canadian culture and our everyday lives. As the article said the internet places three challenges on Canada (1)to our common culture because our content is not secure (2) Global Security and(3)to our prosperity. Our culture is threatened through the unsecure aspects of the internet, meaning our cultural content is not secure. Global security is also a challenge because of the security issues that the internet has. Finally the prosperity of our country is challenged through the ability of others the find our ideas as well as the ability for a better choice to consumers through the internet and globalization.
We share a lot of information on the internet. I dont thin how much we share is the issue. I think that what we share and how secure it is should be the focus. There are certain things that should not be shared if the threat of losing them or having them being discovered outways the benefit of sharing them. If security tactics are enabled then transfering information will not be as risky.
I think that the governement should create policies and penalties for the use of the internet. Technology is changing and has changed and we as a country need to keep ourselves secure and acknowledge the changing aspects of our world.
Marcel Ter Denge
I think that the internet is all about the information that it contains and that there is never enough information to have at your disposal. When we share information on the internet we do have to keep security and privacy in our minds, and be aware of the information that we share can be seen by many people all over the world. If Canada were to police the amount of Canadian content through policy making and penalties, I think will cause people to lessen the amount of material that they put on the internet. Which I think will negatively affect how people see Canadian culture as it restricts their insight to Canadian culture.
Debbie C.
The collecting of digital evidence is a relatively new science much like in the early days of fingerprint and DNA analysis. While these types of evidence are fairly commonplace today and have acceptance thanks to CIS and Law and Order type shows, in the early days people were suspicious of this new science because they didn’t understand it. They were ultimately legitimized by the government and accepted by the general public. Now it would be hard to find someone who doesn’t understand the basics of these concepts. Many people believe that the internet makes them anonymous and they fail to realize that every time they access the internet, they leave behind digital “fingerprints and DNA” unique to them and their computer. As usual the law is still playing catch up with the technology. Many people are still unable to understand the concept of privacy and the internet. Their dependence on smart phones, e-mail and social networking sites makes them vulnerable. Hitting delete is not the same as wiping your fingerprints off of something or using chemicals to alter DNA evidence.
Debbie C.
Should Canada police the amount of Canadian content through policy making and penalties? This is a scary idea that sounds a lot like censorship. The editors at the Globe and mail state that the internet is a threat to our “common culture” and must be stopped. The want the government to provide funding for Canadians who want to put their art on the internet. Taxpayers are already on the hook for billions of dollars to the CBC, to film makers, artists, authors, songwriters and musicians all in the name of protecting our culture. Often the only thing about the art that makes it Canadian is that the person who created it is Canadian, which begs the question, what is Canadian culture anyway. A lot of this stuff has no market and is often questionable as to whether it is art (the meat sculpture comes to mind). I agree with rules protecting intellectual property but do not want any more tax dollars going to support projects I do not agree with.
Dustin Lehmann
I believe that we as canadians need to keep pushing for more money to be invested in making sure that every canadian has the ability to have access to hi-speed internet. If we don’t continue to spend money on upgrading and increasing our hi-speed internet we will start to fall behind the rest of the world. As the internet is becoming the most important tool for education we will see a slide in Canadians placing in the world most educated nations if we don’t address this quickly. As for the Canadian content on the internet it would be usefull maybe if we were able to come up with some sort of watermark or trademark that we could stamp on canadian content on the internet so we will be able to take credit for it, or at least it would be known to internet users that what they were using or viewing was created by a canadian.
Carlos.Z
I personally believe the challenges about internet present to Canada might still the security issues about the Information leakage or share in different industries. Even though internet and the web technologies today has given rise to a worldwide platform where companies from across the world can effectively compete for their customers and gain access to markets easily, yet more and more difficulties for information management will be emerged.
On the other hand, due to the fact that online programs are being widely utilized currently, I think Canada’s Culture will not be influenced only but also other counties all over the world.
I don’t think we had already share too much information on the Internet. As we already lived in an information age today, share information sometimes is reasonable for some legal and ethics purpose. Moreover, because internet is actually playing a growing role for providing information timely, it is much efficient than our traditional way to deliver or release the information. However, we just need to pay attention about what kind of information we willing to ‘share’ or not suppose to be share. And we also need pay more attention to the security problem in this contemporary society.
Richard Beaupre
I am happy to hear that the Canadian Federal government has taken steps in the direction to fund the merger of TV and new media under a single banner. The fund should enable Canadian artists to regain some ground in the area of entertainment. It also comes with a proposed copyright regime, this should also protect the intellectual property of Canadian artists. It is essential, as access is so easily attained for any user on the internet to freely obtain any of the music that they desire and not let the artist reap the reward of their intellectual input. Canadians have used the internet in order to spread our Canadian opinions as well as art many times in order to gain a profit, yet some of the issues that plague Canada when it comes to the internet are those of money and spending. Canada simply cant seem to get ahead of the game so we need to focus our efforts on tax cuts for internet advertising as well as creating the resources or capital to start up a large company that will be able to make an impact in the world of the internet; enhancing Canada’s cultural presence on the net.
Alfonso
The challenges that canadians face with regards to the internet is the sharing of newly created media. It is a very good idea that there is a mergere of tv an new media so the entertainment can gain some more grounds and grow. The challeneges of the internet in out society is global security,common culture and prosperity due to having all data over the internet which is also a huge concern, leaving it available to anyone at anytime. I do think that we share to omuch information about outselves on the internet but is also the onyl way to get yourself known as an artist. I do agree in some sort of way that canada should police the amound of canadian content through policies and penalties but should be more limited to new artists. the problem with this is that canada cant just simply get ahead on this because it would be very costly.
Brett
The Internet is often viewed in a positive way, allowing for more information to be accessed and shared then ever before. But with each technology there are always challenges and downsides. The internet has a few major challenges that it poses to Canada as well as every other country. The content is not fully secure so it challenges our culture, is it truly Globally secure? It is also an issue directed at our prosperity. The major challenge in my mind is security. Being a secure user of the Internet, you have to be informed and know what type of information should be shared and what information could cause harm if released on the internet. Yes many people share too much on the internet which can get them into unwanted situations but I feel policing the internet would be a waste of tax payers money.
kathy
I personally think that we do share too much information but at the same time we don’t. I think that people can control what they let the public see. Facebook is a perfect example. For myself I am careful with what I share with everyone. Facebook allows people to control how much people can see. On Facebook you can control if you want your birthday to be published, further controlling who can see your pictures. Also you can make your profile public or private. What’s more the internet is really beneficial to us like mention in the article it helps us stay in touch. However some people are not aware of what is being shared. Some people are unsure on how to control how much information is being shared to the public. As the internet is changing constantly, I think that police should monitor content being shared. If this does not happen then there should be ways to let the public know what not share. I think we need to do something about it and not sit around and let public not know what the risks are. For me I know how to control what people can and can’t see but I think that people should learn what needs to be protected.
Tracy
Whether or not we share too much on the internet is an interesting question. I think the main problem is the places / companies we provide information to. It is not possible to make an online purchase without giving your name, address, credit card number, etc. It is not possible to visit most websites without your actions being tracked. So often it is not MY choice how much information I am sharing, it’s either required or being (essentially) stolen from me. I don’t believe it’s an invasion of my privacy for Amazon.ca to suggest another book I may like based on past purchases, but I am glad it’s illegal for them to sell my e-mail addresss. This is unique to Canadian websites though. American websites can still sell my e-mail and this is how I get loads of spam everyday.
I think companies on the web need to gain my trust before I will use them. I only purchase from secure sites, like eBay.ca. And even though they send me countless e-mails everyday, they are not allowed to sell my e-mail address under Canadian law. I have facebook, but they allow me to set my privacy standards so high that people can’t even search my name. This way I can control who sees what I disclose. So if ecommerce sites want more of my business, they have to make me feel safe and secure in giving away my information. It’s not how much information Canadians are putting out there, it’s to whom that makes it an issue.
Cory
The internet is becoming a very profitable place, and just like television, everything from movies to tv shows will have to be made almost free and available to everyone using it. Canadian businesses will have to use advertisement and other measures to make its content profitable. This may become a challenge for producers as change is not always easy. There are signs of this happening however, Funimation, an american company is beginning to put most of its content on a website where they advertise many of the other products they have to offer. I hope Canada and its many companies follow this example, for i believe it is the best way to please the consumer and the businesses.
As for information, I would say many people share too much information. Users should be aware of the risks involved with sharing any information, and use caution when doing so.
Celest-
The internet acts as a media through which people have had the chance to say and do whatever they want, whenever they want to. After all, the internet is open 24/7. Although a good thing, the internet presents three main challenges to Canada i.e. to culture, security, and to prosperity. Cultural challenge in that the invention of the internet has changed people’s way of life, online security due to privacy issues, and prosperity because over-reliance on the internet and its technologies can cause havoc as many people still tend to think the internet is perfect thereby failing to organise for proper back-up plans.
Since the internet has provided so much freedom to people, the government of Canada should have a say as to how much is too much. I mean, there has to be some guidance as to what should be good and what would be harmful for a people. Such is the protection a giant country like Canada would offer her citizens rather than censorship as done by many asian countries. I mean, just enough guidence to enjoy this technology that has become so useful during the digital era.
Meghan
The internet is a good thing for buying and selling online but there are challenges for the sellers, since there is so much competition online. I think if the right advertising is done they will get the recognition they diserve. Canadians should be inerested in it because it is to do with our Country. They will have to many steps to be noticed and to be productive.
Kayley F
1. What challenges does the Internet present to Canada?
The internet can be a fascinating place to explore creativity, access vast amounts of information and products where in real life you wouldn’t be able to access, and to speak your mind freely. Unfortunately, the problem with the Internet is that since there are no borders, content, either Canadian or non-Canadian is more difficult to govern. When Canadians are browsing the web, the biggest challenge is the safety of their information and their privacy. So easily can someone become susceptible to credit card fraud after an online purchase, as this has been the case for myself previously while online shopping. Also, identities can be stolen and used for illegal activities by criminals in foreign nations. Canadians must be mindful and cautious about all activities they proceed in online.
Teresa S
The Internet is an incredible invention that has changed many things in today’s world. The amount of information that it contains is vast and sometimes dangerous. I believe individuals may share too much information on the Internet that could potentially lead to harmful events (ex: identity theft). Although there are security measures in place, such as the show content option of Facebook, there are many groups of people in society that work everyday to bypass security. Even safe websites have the potential to be hacked making individual information at risk to unauthorized users. As the Internet progresses and will continue to do so, Canada should prioritize investing in Internet security and technologies to stay ahead of the game which can benefit all Canadians.
a.martinez
I think that the internet can be used in a productive way such as researching for a project. We all at some point also use the internet to communicate with friends, family, classmates, etc. Others maybe use it for other things such as looking at videos, using itunes for music, posting our work for others to view. I think that whatever you decide to post on the internet is the information that others could see. To the question if we are sharing too much information? It all depends what you put out there for people to see. It’s a personal choice how much information you are willing to let other people on the internet see. Trying to police the amount of Canadian content through policy making and penalties would be very difficult because there are many people using the internet.