Portfolio Essay One
Ma, Zhaodong
Professor
Klepper
English
113B
September
23, 2013
The Battle Between Internet and
Copyright
Since Internet was created, it became
the most effective and fast way to work and study. Internet changes the way
that people used to live, while
at the same time people give internet more features to help people share their
life. You can find anything you want on the Internet in few seconds and enjoy
the convenience and speedy. However, you may receive an indictment from
someone or some company saying that you are not legal to read or listen some
materials because they have the copyright. Thus people have to pay thousands of
dollars penalty without knowing what exactly happened. There are many cases
like that. People search and downloaded some things without being stopped and
they have to pay for their “fault”. Since Internet is a huge free platform
people should be more careful of their property, which is uploaded on the
Internet, and consider their products as a lower price, thus people are more
willing to pay their products instead downloaded illegally.
Internet
considered as a free platform where people can share and find something
important or necessary to their life. If someone posts anything on the Internet,
people automatically think that they are willing to share with them. If not why
post on Internet rather than save them in the flash or other place. More over,
I don’t think people share within a little group should be treated as copyright
infringement even though on the Internet. For example, a single mom whose name
is Jammie Thomas was accused by record company because downloaded music
illegally and have to pay as much as twenty two thousands dollars in 2006. The
website which she downloaded music from named KASA. People sign in and uploaded
music that they were willing to share, and download music that other people
shared. It was like a big house where family members can share their music. If
it is legal that people share in their house then why it is illegal on the Internet?
On the other hand, in order to protect
people’s property it is better not to post or upload something that important. According
to Canyon “
Identity theft statistics are shocking! In the past five years, 1 in 4 Americans was a victim of identity
theft making it America's fastest growing crime. Identity theft
statistics indicate that this crime costs the government, businesses, and
citizens of America billions of dollars
each year”(Canyon
1). As modern technology developing, Internet was not the safe place anymore.
People trying to dig out information from others and use that information to
achieve their goal. “According to the Sunday Times, the hackers used stolen login details for a
Postbank teller and a call center agent to transfer about $6.7 million into
multiple bank accounts that were opened across the country late last year” (Purewal
1). Thus from the person who are trying
to post something involved copyright or other important information’s view, it
is better idea to keep your property away from internet.
Well no one can deny the
fact that Internet is a super huge platform that can help individual and companies
achieve their commercial goal. Even though it is very hard to protect their
products from being stolen, they are willing to try to sell those products
online. Because Internet is so flexible and visional, it is very hard to trace
the person who steel or downloaded illegally. According to Adkins “The RIAA reports that music
sales in the United States have dropped 47 percent since Napster first debuted
in 1999. The availability of free music has cost the music industry $12.5
billion in economic losses”(Adkins
1). Since Internet is so complex and huge, avoiding being hake or stolen
is impossible. Benefits always go with risk.
As
I mentioned before, compare to download things illegally, people prefer to buy
them with lower price. They don’t want to get risk to be sued for downloading
illegally, however they also don’t want to pay twenty dollars for one song
which just allowed to be downloaded few times. There are many solutions, one of
them is to use modern price model. According to Tsai and Peng “Theoretically, households will consider the
relative cost of owning versus renting when making housing tenure choices. For
example, Coulson and Fisher (2002) find that the relative cost of buying versus
renting is an important factor affecting household tenure choices. Sinai and
Souleles (2005) find that when rent variance is high, housing demand increases.
Himmelberg et al. (2005) compare the costs of house ownership in
different cities in the USA. Their study reveals that the costs of ownership in
cities constrained by inelastic supply are relatively higher than the costs of
renting. One representative paper is that of Capone (1995), which builds a
theoretical model to compare the cost of owning versus that of renting to
describe how households make housing tenure choices” (Tsai and Peng 379). Actually house like other online products
lower price can bring much advantage of quantity and much quantity can bring
much benefit. Like people compare rental cost and house price, people always
consider online products price and downloading illegally, if they can get lower
price product then they don’t want to download illegally with much high risk.
However,
in some extent, piracy behavior sometimes helps companies or individual gain
benefit indirectly. “Finally,
we could try to excuse this piracy with the argument that the piracy actually
helps the copyright owner. When the Chinese “steal” Windows that makes the
Chinese dependent on Microsoft. Microsoft loses the value of the software that
was taken. But it gains users who are used to life in the Microsoft world. Over
time, as the nation grows more wealthy, more and more people will buy software
rather than steal it” (Lawrence
65).
In
conclusion, I think copyright is very difficult to protect people’s property on
Internet. Where there is someone sharing, there is someone downloading. People always like free things. If you want
to connect Internet with your products then make sure the price of your
products are accepted by people. However, like I mentioned above, companies may
also benefit indirectly and if price become lower, it also can benefit
companies and people at the same time.
Works Cited
Lessig, Lawrence.
Free
culture: how big media uses technology and the law to lock down culture and
control creativity. Piracy I pp.65
Tsai, I-C. And C-W. Peng, 2011,
Bubbles in the Taiwan housing market: The determinants and effects. Habitat
International, 35, pp. 379–90.
Portfolio Essay Two
Ma, Zhaodong
Professor Jeff Klepper
English 113 B
November 8, 13
Griffith
Observatory
One of the main man-made attractions
that Los Angeles, California has to offer is the Griffith Observatory which is
available to the public. It sits on the south while facing the slope of Mount
Hollywood. From the Griffith Observatory, people are able to view throughout
the LA basin, including downtown LA to the southeast, the Hollywood sign to the
south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The Griffith Observatory became
a popular place not only because of its unique location, but because of its wonderful
science display. Moreover, the architecture design here is another reason why people
visit. Griffith Observatory looks like a beautiful museum since every building
shows visitors different things and gives them completely different
experiments. Griffith Observatory is a place that is full of social value,
offers beautiful architecture design, and its use of space is impressive and makes
people want to visit
again.
According
to The Herald, the Griffith Observatory is an important part of Southern
California. “It has been
one of the top attractions in Southern California for more than 60 years. It is
visited by nearly two million people a year” (The Herald 1). The social value behind the
Griffith Observatory that makes many people want to visit is its rich history. Griffith
Observatory emerged as a dream of a man whose name was Griffith J. Griffith.
Though Griffith was born in Wales and came to America as a teenager, he
considered Los Angeles as his hometown.
After a visit abroad, he had discovered the great public parks of Europe
and thought that his home, Los Angeles, also needed a great park in order to
become an even greater city. His vision was to create a great park that was
accessible to everyone. He purchased the area where Griffith Park is now
located and had people construct the observatory. Griffith Park became the largest
city park in the U.S. with wilderness areas.
Griffith J. Griffith was introduced to astronomy through the
Astronomical section of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. After
Griffith looked through the largest telescope of his time at Mount Wilson, John
Anson Ford claimed this experience moved him profoundly. He quotes Griffith as
saying “man’s sense of values ought to be revised. If all mankind could look
through that telescope, it would change the world!” That is another reason why
Griffith decided to have this observatory built and why so many people want to
peak at the universe.
Most
people go to the Griffith Observatory not only to enjoy the beauty of Los
Angeles but also in hopes of catching the beauty of the universe. “The site you
choose will affect the quality and quantity of viewing, imaging, and science
that can be performed”(Hudson and Simstad
2). Therefore, a good location, which allows people to enjoy both
quality and quantity, is very important for an observatory. There are many factors that should be considered
before choosing a location such as weather condition, sky transparency,
darkness of the sky, and so on. Even though the Griffith Observatory is located
in Los Angeles, California it has a rather Mediterranean climate. The wet winter and dry summer seasonality
of precipitation are the defining characteristics of this climate. Los
Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35
days with measurable precipitation annually.
As a result, the weather and sky conditions are very good for observation.
People are able to visit the Griffith Observatory most days of the year and can
enjoy the clean sky more frequently. Since the Griffith Observatory is 1134 feet
above sea level, people can see most parts of the Los Angeles basin. Combined
with manmade view and nature beauty, people will have a wonderful experience.
Observatories have been built for
thousands of years. At first, the observatory was used for practical purpose
such as guiding ship along the coast, observing the enemy, and so on. Nowadays,
observation decks allow people to view nature from unique vantage points
or look skywards towards the constellations. Those
building can be tall towers or tiny edifices which have their own function. The architecture of Griffith Observatory also gives
people good impressions. The whole building looks like a big castle and it also
has many similarities with Muslim mosques. For example, it is fashioned
in the Art Deco style of its day; there
are two sky dome building beside the main structure and one big one behind it.
Before people reach the main building, there is a giant square where people can
walk around in front of the structure which gives them a feeling of openness
and tranquility.
In addition, the main color of the
architecture is white and can also affect people in many ways. “The use of
color in visualization is most effective, and easiest for the novice to utilize,
as color has a very strong radiating effect on the whole body. Every other form
of color therapy is fundamentally symbolic” (Campbell
L. 1). The color white is associated with many
symbolic ideas such as purity, virginity, innocence, goodness, heaven, and safety.
Griffith Observatory can be considered the gate that connects the sky to the
people and its white color makes people feel clean and pure. At night, the
yellow color resembles a lighthouse which can make people easily find the
observatory. “Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and
energy, as well as spark creative thoughts” (Smith
1). Combined with the dark skies, the yellow
light makes people reflect on life and the universe. That’s another reason why
people want to visit Griffith Park, especially during the night.
As previously mentioned, the Griffith
Observatory is also like a big museum. According to Socha “ it is designed to
appeal to the masses, and in operating the Observatory we shall strive to
maintain the popular appeal and make it interesting and instructive, while the
scientist and student of research will also be fascinated by the opportunities
offered” (Socha 157). Its smart spacing allows as much material as possible to
be showed to people so they can learn the visit. There are several halls that
allow people to peak the universe in different ways, they are: Wilder Hall of
the Eye, Ahmanson Hall of the Sky, W.M. Keck Foundation Central Rotunda, Cosmic
Connection, Depths of Space, and Edge of Space Mezzanine.
The
Hall of the Eye exhibit’s main focus is how people previously observed the sky
and its impact on society. On the other hand, the Hall of the Sky shows how
people are connected to the sky and its two main objects, the moon and the sun.
There is also one of the U.S.’s largest public telescopes at the end of this
hall.
The Central Rotunda shows the connection between science and mythology
and also how Griffith’s vision of the Observatory came to life. The Cosmic
Connection’s main feature is a 150-foot timeline of the universe. The Depths of
Space exhibit shows how people were able to travel into space through the use
of telescopes.
Finally, the Edge of Space gives people the
experience through a cosmic perspective to connect the earth toward the
universe. By visiting each exhibit, people will feel as though they are
traveling in the universe. Visitors experience a wonderful view while studying
much about universe.
As a public place, Griffith Observatory is
famous for its beautiful view and its historical significance. The social value
of this place involves giving people unique experiences while at the same time
educating people about the universe. The design and color are important for
viewing and its scientific content is what distinguishes the Observatory. The
use of smart space gives people a feeling of comfort and encourages thinking
about the universe. Those are the reasons why people visit the Griffith
Observatory and why it became so famous.
Works cited
"Briefing: Griffith
Observatory." The Herald: 17. Jan 03 2002. ProQuest. Web. 31
Oct. 2013 .
“The Share Astronomy Guide to Observatory Site
Selection” Ken Hudson and Tom Simstad. Version
1.0 - October 2010 introduction page 2.
All About The
Color YELLOW, Kate smith,
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow-4297#.
Un2iTr-KDlI
ADDRESS AT THE FORMAL OPENING OF THE GRIFFITH
OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM, MAY 14, 1935Mabel V. Socha
Publications of the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific, Vol. 47, No. 277 (June, 1935), pp. 157-159
Portfolio Essay Three
Ma , Zhaodong
Professor Klepper
English 113B
December 3, 13
Evey
The movie “V for
Vendetta” was based on the 1982 graphic novel written by Alan Moore. The story depicts a future United Kingdom which is
controlled by a fascist leader named Norsefire in 1990s. Norsefire has exterminated his opponents in
concentration caps and rues the whole country as a polic state. He was trying
to control people through government-controlled social media, such as newspaper
and television network. According to Del, “language was used as a political
tactic for changing public consciousness suddenly becomes a tool for radical
social change. Human beings think in language and if you change the language,
then you change how people think.” (Del
120). Evey, the second main character in both film and graphic novel, is a
young girl who helps V, the main character, finish his dream which is breakdown
the fascist government and give freedom back to people. Compared with the
character Evey in the movie I personally prefer the character in the graphic
novel because in the comic book Evey has greater depth in its material. It depicts
a dirty, corrupt society with fully-developed character.
With the
exception of V, Evey played the most important role in both the movie and comic
book. She was the person who carried on
V’s duty in the graphic novel and helped V finish his dream in the movie, which
is to inspire people to do something rather than knowing something wrong and
still do nothing. Instead of V, Evey went through everything and witnessed victory.
Therefore Evey , in some extent, was the clue of the whole story.
Even though
in both movie and comic book Evey experienced the same transformation from
normal person to V’s inspiration person and join the battle, there are many
differences between both. First, in the movie Evey was a runner for the British
Television Network. However in book, Evey was a young teenager who was
suffering from poverty and resorted to prostitution to survive. Although they
both were caught and nearly raped by Fingermen during the city curfew and being
rescued by V later, they have different reactions because of their age. By portraying
Evey as a frightened teenager in the beginning, Moore had the opportunity to
show us the transition in her character into eventually becoming V. Second, After
being saved by V, the young teen wanted to repay V, so she help him kill
Anthony James Lilliman who is a peadophile bishop. After that, little Evey
discovered that V is far more sinister than she suspect. Compared to the novel,
Evey in the movie has much independent ideas about killing people. She was trying
to tell the bishop the truth so that he can escape V. She experiences mercy and guilt before V
kills the bishop. After that, young Evey was abandoned by V alone in the
street. In contrast, Evey in the movie was trying to escape from V. therefore,
age makes the most difference between the two Eveys.
Moreover, their
family background is also different. As the comic book says, as a child Evey
grew up on Shooter Hill in southeast London. Her mom died following an unclear
war in early 1980s and her father was arrested and executed by the Norsefire.
She was sent to a youth hostel and was forced to work at a factory. In the
movie she has an older brother who is killed by a virus that was secretly
developed by the government and first tested on V's fellow inmates at Larkhill.
Therefore that is one more reason that would make Evey want to help V. Her parents
then became political activists and participated in anti-government protests.
She was sent to television network to work several years after re-education.
At the end of
the story, rather than helping V finish his dream, Evey in the book decided to
pick up the mask and become the other V. She carried on the duty of helping
people out of the fascist government. In some extent they both win the battle
though in different ways. In the movie, V finally woke up people and broke down
the government. However in the book, V just woke up Evey and made Evey carry on
his mission which according to Williams “represents a key quality essential for any revolution attempting to
change the "order of things" rather than repeating the political
mistakes of the past”(Williams 16).
This movie seems like an action movie, but it was full of brilliance.
The story was filled with darkness, love and hope. As Wong says “It embraces
living without fear. What V has taught her causes Evey to throw her arms up to
the rain, like Tim Robbins' character in "The Shawshank Redemption” (Wang
1). Both movie and graphic novel gave
people wonderful story and made people fall into a deep thinking. However, according
to Rjurik “ Formally
speaking, the graphic novel
is closer to a TV series than a film. Usually they
are composed of chapters that are published monthly, which each tell a 'short
story' while maintaining a broader story arc that develops over time. This
causes a great deal of difficulty for adaptations to film”(Rjurik 161), I personally like graphic novel so much
because it has more complete and link up story and detail background.
Works cited
Del Gandio, Jason.
Rhetoric for Radicals : A Handbook for 21st Century Activists.
Beverly Hills, CA,
USA: Pomegranate Press, 2008. p 120.
Williams, Tony. "Assessing V for
Vendetta." CineAction 70 (2006): 16+. Expanded Academic ASAP.
Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
COSETTE
WONG, SENIOR, RIO RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL For,the Journal. "'Vendetta' Puts
Ideas into Action." Albuquerque Journal: 0. Mar 21 2006. ProQuest.
Web. 3 Dec. 2013 .
