Webibliography:
Security vs. Access and Branding
Isaac Pettway
Liberty University
Webibliography: Security vs. Access
Summary
Due to the
increase in technology and online learning in all facets, the need for
increased Internet access security is paramount. The book entitled Security vs. Access starts
out with a shared story of how a teacher was being monitored for inappropriate
Internet usage and how CD drives were made inoperable to perhaps prohibit copyright
violations. Tom was a good teacher and
very effective in his teaching style.
Then the question was raised; could concerns over Internet security be
generating a fear that is now hindering the integration of technology?
The purpose
of this book is to get educators to take a closer look at the integration of
technology in the classroom and evaluate the effectiveness of increased
security in Internet access rather than viewing it as a deterrent to the
overall learning process (Brown, Green, & Robinson, 2010, p. 17). The book goes on to examine eight security
threats that can be avoided with increased security in Internet access. These threats are as follows: Inappropriate content, predators or ensnarement,
misuse of mobile communication devices, cyber bullying, network security,
inappropriate network use, copyright infringement, and data and identity theft
(Brown, Green, Robinson, 2010, p. 21). It
was also found that 87% of young people use the Internet and of which,
two-thirds of them use the Internet at school and the number is steadily
increasing. Finally, with increased
security in Internet access and filtering, concerns of fear from teachers for
possibly using the Internet inappropriately raises concerns for putting their
jobs in jeopardy and in turn, perhaps causes teachers to not use the Internet
to the fullest extent in educating students and contributing to the overall
learning process.
Critique
I have two
comments on this book. My first comment
is, when it comes to Internet access in a k-12 institution, the need for access
security is a must. Additionally, access
security helps to filter inappropriateness from pop ups that appear even if you
don’t go to the site. Viewing Internet
access security as a hindrance in education is a mistake because there are still
unlimited resources readily available even when filters are applied. Due
diligence is necessary when it comes to finding reliable resources that are not
filtered.
There are
also options in place when it comes to Internet access security. For example, teachers can send in a request
to have a certain site unblocked or evaluated to be unblocked to the district
network administrator rather than assuming the resource is just not
available. As far as fear of using the
Internet inappropriately, teachers should perhaps realize that filters can be a
protection mechanism which protects the user from going to sites that may be
inappropriate.
Ongoing
training is necessary to help teachers understand the need for Internet
security. The use of Internet security
has resulted in the blocking of hackers who could have otherwise hacked into
networks, stole student data, and breeched the security of the entire school
district. When it comes to Internet
access and security, the good definitely outweighs the bad.
Disabling CD
drives and USB drives on computers is perhaps possibly a little extreme because
ultimately, the user of that computer is responsible for the content that is
input into his or her computer. Internet
access is different because inappropriate content can appear through pop ups
without actually visiting the inappropriate site. With that being said, users can view Internet
access filtering as a mechanism to help protect the user of that computer. The overall goal is to keep inappropriate out
of the eyes of innocent students and educate them on things like cyber
bullying, hackers, inappropriate websites and the like. The Internet has to be made as safe as
possible through filtering and limiting access to certain sites. Although all Internet content cannot be
filtered, the main goal is to do what can be done in ensuring a safe
educational browsing environment.
Place Branding
The purpose
of this article is to discuss place branding in the culture of design and gain
a better understanding of branded place structures. According to (Homadovski, 2010, p. 195) place
branding applies branding of commercial products to the majority of the
criteria of geographic locations, and it is related to their restructuring,
identity development, advertising promotion and marketing. This
article goes on to talk about the role of design which in turn increases
productivity.
This article
also discuss how back in the 1990s we saw a plethora of branding which was
instrumental then in increasing productivity of goods and services and branding
is a technique that is pretty much still strong to present day. Branding is a way to not necessarily
re-invent the wheel but rather use the wheel as a marketing tool.
Critique
In
critiquing this article, place branding was used strategically in certain areas
which in turn increased productivity. Place
branding was a wide spread practice in the 1990s which proved to be the vehicle
that drove the economy. Companies were
able to save money by simply branding existing products. The irony in this is that branding is a
technique that allows anyone to brand a product and create a competitive
identity when that individual goes through the proper channels.
However,
according to (Homadovski, 2010, p. 195), place branding cannot fulfill its
purpose only through the communicational methods used in marketing procedures
since the perceptions of identity of nations, regions and cities are resistant
to changes in longer temporal intervals.
It doesn’t matter how good or bad a product may be it is the willingness
to change that has to be considered. As
long as branding is done and communicated strategically, success is
inevitable. Choosing the right brand is
also critical when it comes to making a brand for a particular product. Careful consideration perhaps has to be paid
to brand option to ensure it is instrumental in what is to be conveyed in terms
of usage and productivity.
Identity-based View of Place Branding
This article
starts out by painting the picture of a perhaps struggling economy where
budgets are tight and pressure to produce or use the most efficient resource. While concerned with image management, organizations
in the public, private and non-profit sector want to control their images to
create brand equity and loyalty (Zavattaro, 2013, p. 511).
The article
goes on to discuss how place branding has its origins in a long-term strategic vision
and careful attention must be adhered to in not taking brand meaning lightly
which can prove to be very detrimental to the brand itself. Avoidance of unintended consequences is
paramount when it comes to place branding.
Critique
In critiquing
this article I will start with a question.
Do companies solely rely on place branding as an only means of increasing
productivity? I raised this question
because as I read this article, I am reminded of Ronald McDonald which has the
golden arches and promises quality, service, and cleanliness. Then you have Burger King which is high on
corporate responsibility. Branding is
indeed a good strategy but when it comes down to it, people simply want to be
treated right and fairly.
I may opt to
go to a restaurant that is courteous and fair rather than a restaurant that may
have better food and rude employees. McDonald’s
promises good customer service and they secretly send people to their
restaurant as a secret shopper to ensure quality of service. That is a brand promise that is sure to be
successful. Having a long term strategic
vision is great as long as everyone buy in to that strategy and work together
to make it successful.
Brand-based approach: Opportunity and Risk
This article
talks about the risk for companies to use a brand-based approach to
productivity. As with any business
venture, choosing the right brand is critical to the success of that
brand. This article goes on to talk
about how the relationship between brands and sustainability can lead to
promising alliances between business and consumers and make consumption more sustainability
(Lehner & Halliday, 2014, p. 14).
As I read
more of this article, it begins to talk about how brands are relied upon to
create a solid foundation in the market place and expected to be the beacon
that drives the market itself. As with
any investment, this type of branding does not come cheap; in other words’ “there
is no free lunch.”
Critique
To critique
this article I will start by mentioning the cost of creating a brand-based
approach and the cost associated with the risk.
As with any business venture you are going to have risks. It is unclear to me that a company would
solely rely on a brand-based approach to present to the markets. On the other hand, if the brand-based approach
works then success is very rewarding. However,
the investment of a brand-based approach can be huge.
This article
discusses how sustainability is inevitable when brands are used as a mechanism
to attract a certain type of market. In addition
to having a brand-based approach strategy, markets can perhaps create a
contingency brand that simply rewards and speak to customers by delivering what
customers want in a way that is satisfactory and fair. Having a unique brand sends a tone that says
hey; follow my brand because nobody can deliver like we can.
Branding Privacy
This article
talks about how branding privacy tends to create what you call a privacy
lurch. It goes on to explain how Google
back in 2010, launched what you call Google Buzz, they then enrolled all Gmail
users into Google Buzz and publically revealed each user’s most frequent Gmail
information. This was an action that was
detrimental to the privacy of Gmail users. The article goes on to discuss how Face
Book back in 2007 launched Face Book ads which caused users to become
spokespeople for companies products (Ohm, 2014, p. 218).
Critique
When it
comes to protecting the privacy of users, companies like Google and face book
have the corporate responsibility to do whatever is necessary to protect the
privacy of its users. Branding a product
has the potential to attract snoopers. As such, when it comes to protecting
privacy, we should consider using the law to tie privacy promises to trademarks
and brands, and approach called branded privacy (Ohm, 2014, p. 943).
Branding privacy
should go beyond just simple warnings; there should be tight security in what
is allowed by the brand strategy. The unfortunate thing is that several companies
share information all the time. I have
gotten several letters in the mail informing me that my information has been
shared with different companies in order to give me a better rate on a service
or good. At the end of the day, your
information is shared from company to company whether you like it or not. So how do you combat that? Well, leaving that company and going with
another company may be an option but what about the brand privacy of the
company you’re moving to? The key here
is to research companies before hand and gather as much information about
company policy as possible. To that end,
brand privacy is necessary to ensure user privacy.
References
Brown, A.H.,
Green, T.D., & Robinson, L.K. (2010). Security vs. access balancing safety
and productivity in the digital school. Eugene, Or. International Society
for Technology in Education.
Homadovski, A. (2010). Place branding in the culture of
design. Prostor, 18(1),
190-203.
Lehner, M., & Halliday, S. V. (2014). Branding
sustainability: Opportunity and risk behind a
brand-based
approach to sustainable markets. Ephemera: Theory & Politics In
Organization,
14(1), 13-34.
Ohm, P. (2013). Branding Privacy. Minnesota Law Review,
97(3), 907-989
Zavattaro, S. M. (2013). Expanding Goffman's Theater
Metaphor to an Identity-Based View of
Place
Branding. Administrative Theory & Praxis (M.E. Sharpe), 35(4),
510-528.
doi:10.2753/ATP1084-1806350403
