Why does Adblock exist

In an age where the internet could be debated as the main source of information, a lot of people are constantly checking the news, or getting updated on their friends through social media. All these services we're using, are not free to run.  For smaller sites, the fee for running the server and the payment are often softened with the use of an ad or two.  Sites that experience heavy traffic usually have plenty of funding from other sources, but still want to make a profit will put many ads into their website. Youtubers who live off of youtube do so because of ad revenue generated by their thousands of views watching an ad before watching the video. Twitch streamers often play an ad before views are allowed to watch the stream, and during breaks of the stream. Ads are basically everywhere on the internet these days. They're often designed to catch your attention by means of bright colors, animations, sound, or even a video. They're often placed on top of the content of the website, prompting you to wait till you can close the ad. Other times, you might be redirected to an ad you must watch or look at for so long before you can continue to the page you were originally wanting to go to. Ads placed within a website often push around content on the page, making a website look horrible because of their incredibly large size compared to the content on the page.

Many people find these kinds of ads intrusive and annoying, and that's a reason why they use adblockers. They'd rather not put up with these poorly designed ads because it wrecks their experience of the website. AdBlock and AdBlockPlus are two of the most popular Chrome web browser ad blocking extensions. The reason they are so attractive to people is because they are simply free. Why would someone put up with annoying ads when they can just click a button to never see ads again?

IOS9.3 Troubles

A few days ago IOS 9.3 was released. Already, a crowd of angry Apple product users have surfaced on the internet complaining about issues with their newly updated devices. This is interesting for Apple, but it's something that is becoming a trend. In previous versions, there have been a bunch of bugs that have affected a large crowd. Apple have in the past released versions to patch those bugs, but they've usually include a bunch of their own bugs. IOS 9.3 is apparently not an exception to this.

According to a lot of angry post, blogs, and tweets, It seems like the new updated has prevented most hyperlinks from being opened in browser apps such as Safari or Chrome. This is a fairly devastating bug. For someone like me, I use my phone all the time to browse all over the internet. Additionally, some people also report that not only are they unable to click most links, but also they report that Safari crashes often.

Some other things that I've noticed the mob of angry people reporting, but not as significantly as the browser problems include their device running extremely slower, problems with the iMessage app, charging problems, and significantly less battery life to name a few. I can't guarantee that theses reports are true at this time, but it seems like at least there are significant problems affecting all devices, and potentially more affecting older devices.

Concerning Drones

Ever heard of drones? Chances are that you have. According to Dictionary.com, a drone is a unmanned aircraft that is either guided by a human operator, or can navigate autonomously.  What kind of drone first comes to mind?  Does a recreational drone come to mind, or does a military drone carrying a payload come to mind?  A lot of people when they hear drones associate them as something that bad and deadly. This is possibly caused by the media giving drones a bad reputation after the military successfully takes out a target with a drone. UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), as the military calls their drones, are a useful tool not only for relatively risk free strikes, but also for scouting.  Instead of sending in a unit to scout out a location, the military can fly a drone over the location.  Yes they’re often used to destroy a target, but it is often a much safer solution instead of sending in a squad to take out the target.

The word Drone is a very broad word.  A more correct definition of drone would be any unmanned vehicle. The word has somewhat evolved though to mean any unmanned flying vehicles. Many people refer to quadcopters as drones, as it fits the description. Many civilians enjoy driving or flying drones recreationally. There are also competitions held for racing quadcopters, which has pushed the development for longer lasting batteries, more powerful motors, lighters and cheaper materials, and design of quadcopters.

Drones are not just military weapons, or recreational toys, they’re also very useful and practical tools.  A few years back, the company Amazon announced their plan to ship their products that were under 5 pounds, by drones.  An idea back then that sounded impossible, but really could become the future of shiping.  Imagine having your package ship into your town. Instead of waiting for the delivery truck to go through it’s route, through traffic, till it gets to your house.  With a drone, it could fly straight to your house, avoiding all traffic, and drop off your package.

One example of current day use of drones is for search and rescue. During natural disasters, cities can be turned into as pile of rubble, trapping people, and making it hard to traverse and rescue these people.  Often helicopters were used to fly over the ruins looking for any signs of life. This was commonly a problem though, because it often took a few day, depending on the location, for helicopters to fly in to assist in the search. Now, drones equipped with heat sensing cameras are flown above the ruins like helicopters to search for trapped people. Though not a complete replacement for helicopters, it’s another tool that is a lot cheaper.

To summarize, drones are not just a deadly weapon that could be a threat to us.  They are used strategically by the military instead of risking soldiers’ lives, are also used recreationally and flown for fun or for sport, and used as a tool for saving people’s lives.

Importance of Education with Technology

Electronics and education, not a mix that is typical some students might say. Most of the time, the closest experience of both is when their teacher tells students to put their cell phones away.  Many schools have invested in updated computer labs, but this isn't enough. School Districts should continue to invest in mobile labs and computers, but teachers should also include the use of computers in their plans.

There are many online websites and tools that are available to teachers for little to no cost. Kahoot is a website that allows teachers to design a quiz, and give it to the students in class. Students can connect to the quiz with a phone, tablet, or computer to answer the quiz that is displayed on the teachers Smartboard or projector.

• Kahoot's Website

Quizlet is a website that allows teacher to create a classroom and have online flashcards for students to study from. I’ve found it very helpful while learning another language.  Instead of making flashcards while many foreign language teachers make their students do, students can spend more time studying words and terms. Quizlet also offers other study techniques instead of just digital flashcards, that try to reinforce what you know, and single off exactly what you’re not confident on. They created an app that allows you to take quizlet with you on the go. There are also some fun little games that you can play with your terms and definitions.

• Quizlet's Website

These are just two websites out of many that are available for free.  There are so many other websites, and there are even videos from Khan Academy and many YouTube creators that teach or help students study a subject. There are just so many resources that can be used in class to supplement learning that teachers and students don’t use to their advantage.  Teachers should implement time into their lessons to show and use these tools. Students should also take advantage of the growing number of computers that school districts are offering.

• Khan Academy
• Crash Course

The Growing Concerns of Cyber Bullying

A growing concern recently in schools isn't what is has been in the past. A big problem use to be bullying, but now, along with the growing amount of technology, bullying has evolved into a cyber setting. With bullying, often it was able to be prevented with the use of adult supervision. But now, people are able to hide behind the facade of the internet. Bullying has become even easier because it's no longer just about physical strength, but is possible for everyone. For people being bullied, it often seems like there is no other option, but that's not the case. Social media developers have created means where you don't have to take the bullying.


One thing you can simply do is just quit your social media. It's an extreme option, but there are very reasons you need to take for it. Social media isn't exactly a need, and if you need, just delete your profile. Another option is just to unfollow or to just unfriend the person bullying you. If someone is truly being that hateful to you, you don't need to stand for looking at all their content. Additionally, a lot of social media sites have features where you can remove someone's post from your feed, or block

Power of Video Games

Sometimes, video games can lead to powerful messages. Recently, I've watched a pair of people play though a game live, streaming their playthrough, and their reactions through the internet. In the game, Life is Strange, you get to control the main character, Max, and go through a crazy week where she learns she has the power to rewind time, and uses it to try to "fix" what is going on. You make choices throughout the playthrough that can have a butterfly effect, leading to many different results, but at the same time, ultimately leading down the same story.  At the end, the two streamers faced a choice that had a big impact on the final results of the game. The choice they made, caused them, and their audience, including myself, to end up in tears.  The connection you have with Max. and the relationships she develops, you're able to relate to all of it thanks to the game designers. You developed an emotional status, you actually care for her and her friends like she was a real person.

It's sometime a little weird, but this game is but one example that shows how powerful a simple video game can be. Even without actually playing the game myself, but simply watching this duo play through live, I connected with the fictional "hero" of the game and her fictional life.  Video games can be used simply as entertainment, but that's not their only function.  Video games can also tell a story, just like a book or a movie. If you get a good team together, you get games like Life is Strange or Undertale, that can be so powerful that you relate and feel emotions for the choices or decisions that the character takes or goes through.

It's not just games that tell a story that have a big impact...

Through video games, I found a common ground that formed some of my lasting friendships today...

Video games are beginning to be used as tools for education (minecraft)....

Some might look at video games as pointless things, but I see it as a power tool, a new form of media, that is evolving into a useful instrument with multiple uses and purposes. Next time you....

Internet Over Daylight

In a recent study done by a British company, they concluded that the next generations of adults would rather have internet over daylight.

The company asked people between the ages of 18 and 25 to identify five things which they felt were important to maintain their quality of life.

Freedom of speech topped the list, picked by 81% of the 2,465 surveyed. Nearly seven seven out of 10 (69%) chose internet connect, followed by 64% saying daylight and 57% hot water.

It's funny at first, but I'd have to agree with the importance of the internet. It's something in my life that I truly could not live without. I look at my daily tasks and my education, all basically revolve around the use of the internet. I wake up and check the weather online. I use the internet to research for my school projects. My teacher uses online resources to teach their lessons.  This is a major part of my life that revolves around the use of the internet.

Something more interesting would be to see a larger group of young adults and from different countries. It would also be interesting to see how they compare to the older generations.