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Kim T

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Is that cellphone kosher? - 1 views

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    The Haredi community limits their access and use of the phone and internet to protect themselves. However, this causes a separation between those who have different views on what extent the limitation should be put up to.
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    This article meets the requirements for ITGS because it mentions the three strands related to the ITGS triangle. The social and ethical significance includes the digital divide and equality of access, policies, people and machines and digital citizenship. In this article, members of the Haredi community in parts of Israel were restrained to usages of the internet and cellphones. There are a few people who do use what we consider all the normal features of the internet and cellphone but many others use "kosher" cellphones that do not allow texting, internet usage or even calling numbers that are of non-kosher cellphones. For those who use the government's internet, they have to follow the policies set up by the government's filtered internet service provider and are unable to go on many websites. Because of their limited access as well as for many youths who are given restrictions, they are on one end of the digital divide. Once they may actually have control to use the internet freely as some people may choose to do in their area, they will have to learn self control and stay within the boundaries of digital citizenship because they were not familiar to the use of IT growing up. Furthermore, the use of internet raises concern in the Haredic community and some members look down on others for using it because the internet may interfere or give them "unsafe" images against their religion, therefore relating to people and machines. All these are related to the interference for those who do business online and need access to certain websites and the government's censorship on the internet.
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    It really makes me wonder about the things that people do because of their devotion to God and religion. However, people who need it for business should be able to surf the net without having the "urge" to do anything else but do research. Filter or no filter, it's up the person to make those smart decisions and not look up anything inappropiate other than what their top priorities are for even going online. Even if filters are installed, some people who are a whiz at computers could easily use proxies or unblock any material they want. But it's all up to the person and how strong their values and beliefs are.
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    Dear Kim, All I have to say about this article is...WOW. I think that this article is very interesting . I didn't know that in order to sign up a child for school you would have to have a certain cell phone number in order to call the school or for the school to call you. The school also requires a certain cell phone. I think this is a little extreme to allow your child just attend the school. I also find it a little crazy to constrict the internet as well. If a child has a school assignment based on something not found in that service package, they would have to go to very far lengths to do the assignment.
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    Wow this is amazing. I have never heard of such a thing, and it intrigues me that there is such a thing as phone's influenced by RELIGION. It's new and strange to me because I can't believe a religion would take it as far as making phones with such restrictions. It intrigues me though, and it makes me very curious as to how the restrictions so many things have on childrens lives will affect them. Will they grow up like any other child or will they come out different and strange?
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    Wow, this is simply the most fascinating article I have ever read. It's interesting how the Haredi community isolates themselves from the use of technology. But of course, as times modernize, it's important to be in contact for safety reasons. This kosher cellphone is quite unique, only for the kosher stamp found in foods as well, because it's basically a smaller cellphone version of the ones that first came out. But this community surprisingly reminds me of the Amish, how they choose not to use any technology, the only difference being that Amish don't use electricity at all, where the people of the Haredi community do. But I don't think it's easy living without technology these days, now that everything is going to involve technology in the future. Like the Shift Happens Video: Did You Know 3.0 "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist...using technologies that haven't been invented...in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet."
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    This is a very interesting article, I am still shock how religion still influences some people today. It is even more shocking because in the article that I picked, the situation was exactly opposite. People and governments were demanding equality of access. I am shocked at this people are voluntarily limiting themselves from the rest of the world. I wonder in this ever evolving digital age will these traditions last for much longer?
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    This article exemplifies the impact that technological integration has had on the preservation of traditional customs and morality from the Jewish perspective. Interestingly technology in this case also defines a person for the strength of his or her religious commitment, for example: if one does not have a "kosher phone", then he is not to be admitted into Jewish society because he is ultimately characterized as being immodest and immoral. Restraining one's self from the magnetism of the internet and the dangers it also possesses is illustrated once one takes certain measures to signify the act of taking a stand to secure the sacredness of religion and customs. But once I began thinking about this concept, I started to change my mind gradually. I believe that yes, technology is a potential threat to one's "beliefs", but it only becomes a problem once the user allows such practices to get out of hand. We come back to the same idea: technology has become a label, something that defines us superficially in the minds of others. Just because one may not have a kosher phone, does not have to mean that that person is sending inappropriate texts to another cell phone user. Our bond of trust and reliability upon others is destroyed once we enter the position of forming inconclusive judgements based on the type of technology used and the limitations it draws.
Mariam B

In Haiti, Practicing Medicine From Afar - 0 views

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    This article deals with how telemedicine was used following the earthquake that occurred in Haiti in order to provide medical care to patents and individuals. The stakeholders in this scenario include the patients and doctors in Haiti and the doctors/hospitals in the U.S. They are able to use satellite technology and wireless internet, in order to bridge the gap between both areas and provide people with access to medical care. Satellite technology is used to communicate between doctors in the U.S with clinics in Haiti. This provides real time service to patients, where the doctor is providing a consultation and diagnosis immediately to the patient. This technology also allows doctors in the U.S to perform surgeries since the satellite technology is able to support telemedicine because it provides a high amount of bandwidth. Additionally, in Haiti they are using high speed wireless internet throughout certain regions. The radio system is used in extreme cases where more advanced technology is not available, but still allows doctors from two areas to communicate with one another. Images and messages during consultations are sent through a secured network, so the data of the patients is kept private. Obvious benefits of using this technology include that people are able to get access to medical care and this decreases the digital divide and globalization. This is because people are able to get more care and consultation through using this IT technology, which would not have been available without telemedicine. However, some issues still arise despite these benefits in medical care. This includes the security of information and privacy of the patients. In this case, the article states that the internet messages are secured so that there is not privacy breach. This must be done using encryption technology so that people are not discouraged from using telemedicine and so that no private patient information is leaked or seen by unwanted users.
Noreen C

New Toolkit for Disaster Response: Social Media, Mobile Tools & Telehealth - Features -... - 1 views

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    According to Alexander Vo, an associate professor in preventive medicine and community health, telemedicine is a helpful measure to be taken in order to help patients from a remote location. However, he says that problems have arose when telemedicine was used in relation to diaster relief. One example given is the earthquake in Haiti, when many technologies were donated by companies in order to promote the use of telemedicine for immediate disaster relief. Vo says that this technology was not used, especially within the first few weeks, because the locations were staffed with enough doctors. Further, even if the technology could be used, the doctors were not trained to use it, and there was no time to train them at that moment.Only after the voluntary doctors went back to their home towns could they be of any use in regard to telemedicine. The patients in need of special care could then connect with the doctors in the remote areas, however, there could be problems if the internet was down, or if the necessary hardware was destroyed due to the diaster. Even though the egagement in telemedicine was not the best for Haiti, it was seen to be of great help for a hurricane in Texas recently. Vo explains that telemedicine was successful because it was already established within the communities. The technology was available throughout the affected areas, and could be put to use immediately. The use of cell phones was also crucial, because many of the patients had pre-established access to doctors who could help diagnose and alleviate the problems of the patients in affected areas. Because the protocols were established prior to the disasters, the care was planed out to be available to the most amount of patients. Plans in advance can also taken into account the problem of damaged internet service, cables, and networks, and determine what the best plan of action is given the situation. Thus, the relief would allow the affected area to be back on track quickly, and efficientl
Kim T

Study: EMRs not always linked to better health care | Health Tech - CNET News - 0 views

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    Medical researchers have found that the use of EMRs have not really been helping the patients. The patients who are stakeholders, who may be spending a lot of time and money giving detailed information to the hospitals may not be benefiting from it but rather are having a negative effect. EMRs are electronic medical records which were intended to benefit patients by processing information taken from the patient to find a possible solution. The information in advanced is not particularly useful, even compared to more basic EMRs. These patients are also giving personal medical information out and are putting it in danger of being seen if there is a breach of security from someone who may find access to the records. 
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