Anonymous Speech & Reading LaRue Pierce Brenda Jorcilien Lucas Schafer Jordan McCall

What is Anonymity?

The condition of being anonymous

First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution What does it say?

Freedom of Speech (Caveman style)

Internet Troll

Does free speech give us the right to anonymously troll strangers?

Anonymity on the Internet

Benjamin Franklin a.k.a. “Silence DoGood” Mrs. Silence Dogood was a pen name used by Ben Franklin to get his worked published in the New England Courant, which was a newspaper founded and published by his brother, James Franklin. He wrote around 14 letters and it was all in disguised handwriting that way no one ever had the chance of figuring out what he was up to.

Ben Franklin cont. Ben Franklin created an entire made up background of his character that was seen in his first letter submitted to the paper. Why do you think it was necessary for him to create a whole new identity rather than just using a different name?

Ben Franklin cont.

Voting

Secret Ballots Basically, it means that a voter’s choices in an election are private. Secret ballots are included in many treaties and international agreements. Many ways to do secret ballots Writing on a piece of paper Bubbling in the candidate on a ballot Checking a box next to the candidate’s name on a ballot Voting booths help ensure privacy

History of Secret Ballots In ancient Greece, secrets ballots would be used when voting on if someone is a threat to the city or country. If found to be a threat, they would be banished from Athens for ten years. Secret ballots were also used in ancient Rome. Secret ballots in the United States first started using secret ballots after the 1884 presidential election. The first city to use the secret ballot was Louisville. However, the last state to completely adopt the secret ballot was Kentucky. They did so in 1891. The first president to be elected completely under the secret ballot was Grover Cleveland. He was elected in 1892.

Importance of Secret Ballots Are secret ballots important? Why or why not?

Social Media

Do you know who you’re talking to? Maybe not

Anonymous Social Media Ask.fm Yik Yak Twitter Whisper Secret Wut Popcorn Messaging Rumr Social Number Confide Sneeky Reddit Spring.me Truth

Examples of non-anonymous sites Facebook – collects and sells user information to third parties, informs users about friend activities such as likes, shares, comments, and posts, and prohibits you from creating fake accounts. Netflix – keeps track of everything that you watch and groups it into a category entitled “Recently Watched.” Spotify – music software that informs users what their friends are listening to. Amazon Kindle – reading software that keeps track of everything you’ve read.

Wikipedia (what a headache!) Anyone, members and non- members, can change information which causes Wikipedia to lose it’s credibility.

Social Media Questions Do you really need to be known while using social media? What’s the purpose of a username? What effect does social media have on social interactions? Is there really such a thing as being completely anonymous on social media? Does being anonymous on social media really make a person feel free? What causes us to have to be anonymous on social media? Is there value in reading content anonymously?

Edward Snowden Hero or traitor?

Edward Snowden He blew the whistle on the NSA’s spying and the PRISM program. He revealed to journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras in Hong Kong that the NSA has been spying on US citizens and also people around the world. Many people consider Snowden to be a hero, but others call him a traitor. A petition was made on whitehouse.gov calling for him to be pardoned. It met the 100,000 signature requirement for a response but the government never responded to the petition.

PRISM Began in 2007 NSA program that collects internet communications of foreign nationals. Internet companies have to give up any data that matches court-approved search terms. It is the number one source of intelligence for the NSA Do you think this program is good or bad? Why?

“I am Spartacus!”