Gender and Chat Forums

Author(s):  
Janet Armentor-Cota

Within the last decade, the Internet has become one of the fastest growing technologies. According to research conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, nearly 60% of the United States (U.S.) population is now online, with variation based on race, age, education, region and income (Spooner, 2003). Despite the persistent discrepancies in access, Internet usage among the U.S. population is steadily increasing, up by 9% since 2000. Throughout the 1990s, well-educated white men primarily populated the Internet; however, this situation has changed in the last 5 years. As of 2000, women made up 50% of Internet users and “Hispanics [were] just as likely to be online as whites, and African Americans are coming online at accelerating rates” (Horrigan, 2000, p. 2). Overall, the Pew study found that activities such as e-mail (and other online communication forums); online shopping; Web surfing; connectivity with family and friends; hobbies; news; and information are popular online uses. Through the Pew Institute’s many studies, it is clear the Internet is a key aspect of social life in U.S. culture.

Author(s):  
Timothy Matovina

Most histories of Catholicism in the United States focus on the experience of Euro-American Catholics, whose views on social issues have dominated public debates. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Latino Catholic experience in America from the sixteenth century to today, and offers the most in-depth examination to date of the important ways the U.S. Catholic Church, its evolving Latino majority, and American culture are mutually transforming one another. This book highlights the vital contributions of Latinos to American religious and social life, demonstrating in particular how their engagement with the U.S. cultural milieu is the most significant factor behind their ecclesial and societal impact.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gursukhman Sidhu ◽  
Charisse J Ward ◽  
Keith Ferdinand

Introduction: Despite a recent gradually slowing and perhaps recent increase in the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) related hospitalization in the United States population with diabetes, it is unclear whether the prior downward trend was uniform or there was an unbalanced division amongst sex and race. Methods: Adults aged ≥40 years old with comorbid diabetes as a secondary diagnosis were identified using the U.S. 2005-2015 National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. The prevalence of other modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking/substance abuse, obesity, and renal failure), procedures like major amputations in the secondary diagnosis field and their association with ASCVD (acute coronary syndrome (ACS), coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD)) as the first-listed diagnosis were determined. Complex samples multivariate regression was used to determine the odds ratio (O.D.) with 95% confidence limits (C.L.s). Sex and race risk-adjusted ASCVD related in-hospital mortality rates were estimated. Results: The rate of total ASCVD hospitalizations adjusted to the U.S. census population increased by 5.7% for black men compared to 4% for black women cumulatively compared to a stable downtrend in white men and white women. There was a higher odd of an ASCVD hospitalizations if there was comorbid hypertension (Odds Ratio (OR 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 95% 1.28 - 1.31), dyslipidemia (OR 2.03; 95% CI 2.01 - 2.05), renal failure (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.82 - 1.86), and smoking/substance use disorder (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.29 - 1.33). When compared to white men, black men (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.3 - 1.57) and black women (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.04 - 1.27) had a higher likelihood of undergoing a major limb amputation during an ASCVD hospitalization. Conclusions: Blacks with diabetes continue to have a higher hospitalizations burden with a concomitant disparity in procedures and outcomes.


Temida ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-36
Author(s):  
Rajko Macura ◽  
Slavoljub Vujovic ◽  
Djuro Mikic

The emergence and spread of Internet communication has led to changes in social relationships, abuse of the Internet and maladaptive behavior. Among the authors who have studied the impact of these changes there is no consensus, and the results of their research are often contradictory. Some authors conclude that Internet communication strengthens networks of its users, while others believe that such communication leads to reduced participation in real social life. In a number of people, excessive use of the Internet adversely affects the mental health and social life and can lead to obsession at the expense of other aspects of life and creating addiction. The greatest risk of negative impacts of online communication is among children and young people. This paper is meant to indicate, the good sides as well as the negative consequences of excessive and non-functional Internet use


There has been a neglect on the part of Western governments with focus on the U.S. to take seriously the internet campaign that ISIS has been waging since 2014 and the affective response that still draws citizens from across the world into their promise of a civilized, united nation for Muslims. It is possible that the West, even with a severely increased commitment to fighting the Islamic State, may be too late. This chapter will explore responses by Western governments including the United States to fight internet-enabled terrorism.


2010 ◽  
pp. 1771-1779
Author(s):  
Karen S. Nantz ◽  
Norman A. Garrett

Education over the Internet is going to be so big it is going to make e-mail usage look like a rounding error. John Chambers, Cisco Systems, New York Times, November 17, 1990 Web-based courses (Mesher, 1999) are defined as those where the entire course is taken on the Internet. In some courses, there may be an initial meeting for orientation. Proctored exams may also be given, either from the source of the Web-based course or off-site at a testing facility. The Internet-based course becomes a virtual classroom with a syllabus, course materials, chat space, discussion list, and e-mail services (Resmer, 1999). Navarro (2000) provides a further definition: a fully interactive, multimedia approach. Current figures indicate that 12% of Internet users in the United States use the Internet to take an online course for credit toward a degree of some kind (Horrigan, 2006). That number is indicative of the rapid proliferation of online courses over the past several years. The Web-enhanced course is a blend with the components of the traditional class while making some course materials available on a Web site, such as course syllabi, assignments, data files, and test reviews. Additional elements of a Web-enhanced course can include online testing, a course listserver, instructor-student e-mail, collaborative activities using RSS feeds and related technologies, and other activities on the Internet. One of the biggest concerns about Web-based courses is that users will become socially isolated. The Pew Internet and America Life Project found that online communities provide a vibrant social community (Horrigan, Rainie, & Fox, 2001). Clearly, students are not concerned or feel that other benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks. According to government research (Waits and Lewis, 2003), during the 2000-2001 academic year alone, an estimated 118,100 different credit courses were offered via distance education (with the bulk of that using Internet-based methods) by 2- and 4-year institutions in the United States. Over 3 million students were registered in these courses. Navarro (2000) suggests that faculty members are far more likely to start by incorporating Internet components into a traditional course rather than directly offering Web-based courses. These Web-enhanced courses might be considered the transition phase to the new paradigm of Internet-based courses. Rich learning environments are being created, with a shift from single tools to the use of multiple online tools, both to enhance traditional courses and to better facilitate online courses (Teles, 2002).


Author(s):  
Thomas M. Chen ◽  
Greg W. Tally

Internet users are currently plagued by an assortment of malicious software (malware). The Internet provides not only connectivity for network services such as e-mail and Web browsing, but also an environment for the spread of malware between computers. Users can be affected even if their computers are not vulnerable to malware. For example, fast-spreading worms can cause widespread congestion that will bring down network services. Worms and viruses are both common types of self-replicating malware but differ in their method of replication (Grimes, 2001; Harley, Slade, & Gattiker, 2001; Szor, 2005). A computer virus depends on hijacking control of another (host) program to attach a copy of its virus code to more files or programs. When the newly infected program is executed, the virus code is also executed. In contrast, a worm is a standalone program that does not depend on other programs (Nazario, 2004). It replicates by searching for vulnerable targets through the network, and attempts to transfer a copy of itself. Worms are dependent on the network environment to spread. Over the years, the Internet has become a fertile environment for worms to thrive. The constant exposure of computer users to worm threats from the Internet is a major concern. Another concern is the possible rate of infection. Because worms are automated programs, they can spread without any human action. The fastest time needed to infect a majority of Internet users is a matter of speculation, but some worry that a new worm outbreak could spread through the Internet much faster than defenses could detect and block it. The most reliable defenses are based on attack signatures. If a new worm does not have an existing signature, it could have some time to spread unhindered and complete its damage before a signature can be devised for it. Perhaps a greater concern about worms is their role as vehicles for delivery of other malware in their payload. Once a worm has compromised a host victim, it can execute any payload. Historical examples of worms have included: • Trojan horses: Software with a hidden malicious function, for example, to steal confidential data or open a backdoor; • Droppers: Designed to facilitate downloading of other malware; • Bots: Software to listen covertly for and execute remote commands, for example, to send spam or carry out a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. These types of malware are not able to spread by themselves, and therefore take advantage of the self-replication characteristic of worms to spread. This article presents a review of the historical development of worms, and an overview of worm anatomy from a functional perspective.


Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Walsh

Norwel Equipment Co. Limited Partnership (L.P.) is a Louisiana business retailer of construction equipment specializing in John Deere heavy-equipment and has secured exclusive John Deere rights for most of the State of Louisiana. Founded in 1972, Norwel is the sixth largest John Deere construction equipment dealer in the United States. This case illustrates business and technology issues facing Norwel. In mid-1999, the October 1st deadline for John Deeres requirement to communicate by e-mail was approaching and the response time of the Norwels primary computers system, an AS/400, was increasing to the point where users were not satisfied with performance. Also users were requesting new computing services such as e-mail, document sharing, and Internet access. For example, the Parts Operations Manger suggested selling parts online and the Manager of the Used Equipment Division suggest supporting the sales staff through Internet connections. Managing Partner, Richard Hevey decided an upgrade to the networks and a connection to the Internet were needed. He is faced with both short-term and long-term decisions about Norwels infrastructure.


Author(s):  
Jack Goldsmith ◽  
Tim Wu

If you had met Jon Postel in 1998, you might have been surprised to learn that you were in the presence of one of the Internet’s greatest living authorities. He had a rambling, ragged look, living in sandals and a large, unkempt beard. He lived like a modern-day Obi-Wan Kenobi, an academic hermit who favored solitary walks on the Southern California beach. When told once by a reporter that readers were interested in learning more about his personal life, he answered: “If we tell them, they won’t be interested anymore.” Yet this man was, and had been for as long as anyone could remember, the ultimate authority for assignment of the all-important Internet Protocol (IP) numbers that are the essential feature of Internet membership. Like the medallions assigned to New York City taxicabs, each globally unique number identifies a computer on the Net, determining who belongs and who doesn’t. “If the Net does have a God,” wrote the Economist in 1997, “he is probably Jon Postel.” Jon Postel was a quiet man who kept strong opinions and sometimes acted in surprising ways. The day of January 28, 1998, provided the best example. On that day Postel wrote an e-mail to the human operators of eight of the twelve “name servers” around the globe. Name servers are the critical computers that are ultimately responsible for making sure that when you type a name like google.com you reach the right address (123.23.83.0). On that day Postel asked the eight operators, all personally loyal to Postel, to recognize his computer as the “root,” or, in essence, the master computer for the whole Internet. The operators complied, pointing their servers to Postel’s computer instead of the authoritative root controlled by the United States government. The order made the operators nervous—Paul Vixie, one of the eight, quietly arranged to have someone look after his kids in case he was arrested. Postel was playing with fire. His act could have divided the Internet’s critical naming system into two gigantic networks, one headed by himself, the other headed by the United States. He engineered things so that the Internet continued to run smoothly. But had he wanted to during this critical time, he might have created chaos.


Stalking ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham D. Glancy ◽  
Alan W. Newman

Cyberstalking involves the use of the Internet or other electronic communication to stalk another person. Already common, it is likely to become more common as the use of the Internet continues to grow. The characteristics of online stalkers and their victims have some differences from those of the offline stalker. Mullen, Pathé, Purcell, and Stuart’s (1999) classification may apply to cyberstalkers except for the apparently common phenomenon of child luring that may be a new category. The methods of cyberstalking, as described in this chapter, are particularly ingenious. We know little about the effect on victims, but postulate that it is similar to offline stalking. We make some suggestions that may prevent cyberstalking, as well as offer some steps to bear in mind once cyberstalking occurs. The proliferation of personal computers with Internet access in the last decade has raised concerns about a new phenomenon known as cyberstalking. The Internet can be used to annoy and harass large numbers of victims in a generic manner by disseminating computer viruses, Internet scams, and “spamming” people with unsolicited e-mail. In 1999 Janet Reno, the attorney general of the United States, defined cyberstalking as the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person (Reno, 1999). Barak (2005) looked at the issue of sexual harassment on the Internet. He characterizes cyberstalking as one type of sexual coercion. He notes that online behavior is characterized by disinhibition, openness, venture, and bravado—an atmosphere characterized by typical masculine attitudes. He argues that the lack of legal boundaries or enforcement vehicles encourage people to do what they would not have done in offline situations. He notes the near impossibility of implementation of legal procedures on a large scale. In this chapter we will discuss what is known about the prevalence of this phenomenon, the types of cyberstalking, and what is known about the perpetrators. In addition, we will generate some hypotheses about the comparison between online and offline stalkers. We will also discuss the effects on victims and current thoughts and resources for dealing with cyberstalking.


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