Post #4 EOTO Com Tech Timeline

     Nowadays it is hard to imagine a world where entertainment isn’t a click away. Today we are spoiled with more entertainment than we can handle. This new norm is thanks to the first streaming service “success story”, Netflix. 

    Netflix was created by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in 1997.  Most of the credit for making the company what it is today is given to Hastings as Randolph left in 2003. He wanted to do only things with his life and didn’t want to be away from his family. This made Reed the CEO from 1998 to 2020. Now Reed is the executive chairman.
  

    Before streaming was the leader in entertainment, movie rental businesses were the only place to get your favorite movies. One day Reed went to his local Blockbuster to return this copy of Apollo 13. When he returned to the movie he owed $40 in late fees from the one movie. This made Reed think about creating a new way to rent movies. After mailing DVDs to Marc Randolph, the idea for Netfixes was born.

    Netflix started a website where people could pick out movies and then Netflix mailed
the DVD to them. This way people didn’t have to leave their houses to rent movies. In 2000 they created a system where customers could pay a flat fee to rent 4 movies at a time for as long as they wanted. The idea of subscription services was created. Instead of paying for each movie you just pay one fee monthly. 

    This new way of renting movies would lead to the popularization of streaming services. Netflix reinvented itself as a streaming platform in 2007. From placing orders online, people can now play their movies online. Netflix teamed up with video game console brands and other video streaming devices to make it accessible to a larger audience. In 2016, Netflix expanded to 190 countries.

    Netflix changed the world by creating the subscription model. Now people don’t have to pay for everything individually. Instead for one fee, you can have access to a whole library of content. This model has become so big that it is replacing cable. Netflix paved the way for many other streaming platforms such as Hulu, Peacock, and Disney+. 

    Another innovation created by Netflix was using algorithms to create personal movie recommendations. It is said that 80% of people who use Netflix rely on the suggestions made by the algorithm. 

    Netflix has changed the way we think about entertainment. We now don’t have to leave the comfort of our homes to watch our favorite shows and movies. It has created a culture of binge-watching. Now people around the world can watch the same shows. These shows can connect others from around the world. 

    

    One of the negative consequences of the rise of Netflix is the amount of streaming services that are now available. Now 50 major streaming services are competing for our attention. It is not a reason to pay for all the streaming services which defects the main idea of watching everything you want for one price.  

    Streaming was meant to be a cheaper alternative than cable TV. Now it can cost the same amount to pay for multiple streaming services as to just pay for cable TV. 

  
 Streaming is also killing the movie theatre business. Companies can put their movie directly into their streaming service cutting out the middle man of the movie theater. 

    Netflix changed the way we all watch. People around the world can watch the same shows from their homes. Netflix has pushed us into a new age of entertainment using streaming.

Blog post #3: Eight values of Freedom Expression

     The Eight Values of Free Expression show why the freedoms of the First Amendment are so important in our lives. These theories are the backbone of our country’s values. Each of the eight values helps create a place of growth, creativity, and progress. 

    All of the eight values are vital to our way of life but the one that stood out to me was the seventh, “Promoting Innovation”. In America, we love to share our ideas. When we are free to show off our ideas to others we can inspire and learn from each other. This creative atmosphere has led to numerous inventions and other modernization. 

    Jack Balkin is a professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School. He has
written many books, one of which was Living Originalism. The title is based on two ways to interpret the US Constitution. Living Constitution is based on the idea that we should “...do what is best for society, regardless of what the actual document itself says”(American Cornerstone Institute). Originalism is defined as “a legal philosophy that the words in documents and especially the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted as they were understood at the time they were written” by Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The book explains how both theories can be used to get the best of both worlds. 

    In part of this book, Balkin talks about the idea that the First Amendment is important as it lets the people be a part of the conversation in their government. He believed that practicing the freedoms laid out in the First Amendment promotes democratic culture. By sharing our thoughts others can take those ideas and expand on them. This growth by sharing our thoughts can lead to better ways of living and thinking. 

    Today social media and the internet make connecting and sharing ideas with people worldwide effortless. Whether you want to market your large business or show off your art to your friends it is earlier than ever to share. With the protection of the First Amendment, people can feel free to share all of their thoughts through speech, writing, or on the internet. When people feel comfortable sharing opinions they can create anything. 

    Companies that make similar products tend to be competitors leading them to fight against each other. This is not the case with Mazda and Toyota. These giants of the car production industry teamed up in 2018 to create a joint manufacturing plant named Mazda Toyota Manufacturing. Toyota shares its information on
quick manufacturing while Maza helps with the engineering. By exciting their right to promote innovation both have benefited from each other. The plant can make up to 300,000 cars in just a year and has created 4,000 jobs in Alabama. 

    The Eight Values of Free Expression are crucial to our freedom as Americans. By following this idea we can have a flourishing democracy. Not only is the freedom to speak out but we have to exercise these freedoms to better society as a whole. 

Blog Post #2 The Founding Era

 

The Supreme Court

    By watching these videos I learned the Constitution doesn’t outline the Supreme Court as much as the other branches. The other branches have their responsibilities defined in detail. That is not the case for the Supreme Court so the first court members, especially Chief Justice John Marshal, had to create the Supreme Court without guidelines. In class, we learned about the creation of Judicial review which is where the Supreme Court gets its power. While the other parts of the government were laid out in the Constitution, the Supreme Court had to find their place on their own.  

An important takeaway was learning how important and powerful the Supreme Court is in our system. It is the key to the system of Checks and Balances. The Supreme Court has the power to decide how to interpret the Constitution and hold the other branches to their interpretation. They are responsible for creating the rules that the rest of the country has to follow. 

I was surprised that someone was tried for impeached by the Supreme Court. The only person to be trailed for impeachment was Samuel Chase in 1805. After more research, I found he was tried for impeachment because he was accused of "letting his partisan leanings affect his court decisions". One of the most important traits of a Supreme Court Justice is not letting politics and personal opinions get in the way of their decisions. After the trial, he was acquitted as the two-thirds votes required for conviction were unmet. 

    
    These videos showed me the importance of the Supreme Court. This is unlike other courts in that they just solve legal issues. They are the backbone of the country as they make the decisions that impact the lives of every American. They ensure that the government protects and upholds all of our rights.

Blog post 1: TOP 5 Sources of News and Information

    

TOP 5 Sources of News and Information

Since taking my AP Government and Politics class in high school, I have become more conscious of the things happening around me. This class showed me the power of understanding current events and why I should care about them. These are some sources I use to help me stay updated with the news. 

Instagram 

    Social media is something that most of us use every day to stay connected to our friends. Why not use it to connect to the news? From news about your artists to politics, Instagram has it all. You can access many different points of view on the same app. Only some of the news on Instagram is true, so do your own research into important topics. 

CNN

    CNN is a national news source. I started watching CNN in school and I continue to use it to this day. They are not just a website but also have TV and streaming access. With all the ways to connect with CNN, it is easy to be updated. 

Media bias fact check 

    In a world where it is hard to tell what is fact or fiction this website helps eliminate the bias of current events. They have a staff that fact-checks statements made by news sources and politicians. 

Spectrum News 1

    News 1 is my local town news. On top of learning about the weather for the week, they cover events in the area and local elections. Though I don’t spend as much time in my hometown of Lumberton, I still like to see what has happened since I left. 

Apple News

    Apple News is a news aggregator app run by Apple. This app is automatically available on all Apple devices, meaning many people have access to the app. This is not a news source but more of a collection of stories. By using this app I see many diverse stories in one place.