Blog Topic #6

One basic tenet of a democracy is the freedom to obtain and share information.  Since globalization is partly driven by increasing access to media, denying access is a serious concern.  The "Jasmine Revolution" taking place across the Middle East and North Africa has spread because of people's ability to communicate via cellphones and the Internet.

Since the Peoples Republic of China is a communist country it does not have freedom of the press and it does not allow unfiltered access to the Internet. For example, when you or I Google the Three T's -Tiananmen Square, Taiwan, or Tibet - from Link Library we get different results than if you Google that same term while sitting in an Internet cafe' in Beijing.  This systematic filtering is sometimes called the Great Firewall of China.

The Chinese government filters or blocks certain content it deems inappropriate for its citizens, including YouTube videos, Facebook, and Twitter. It also requires domestic video sharing websites to be state-owned.

This week the government shut down LinkedIn, a business oriented social networking site, for a short time since people were calling for a "Jasmine Revolution" in China.

I want you to find a news link specifically about the Great Firewall.  Provide a link to the article and write a paragraph expounding on the topic.

Blog Topic #5

A cartogram is a type of map where another variable, such as population, is substituted in place of area when drawing a country. One of the best websites to examine a variety of cartograms is World Mapper - http://www.worldmapper.org/.  For example, the map below shows Malaria Death in 2003 and makes one realize how devastating this parasite is to Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of East Asia.

Go to World Mapper and select the A-Z Map Index to view all the maps available. Paste one of these maps into your blog and write about how it relates to globalization.

Blog Topic #4

During class this week we are "unpacking" the movie Slumdog Millionaire from a geographic perspective.  The goal is to learn about the geography of South Asia by expanding on events and images from the movie.

In this blog I want you to select something from the movie and research it further and then blog about it.  Include one or more of the following to strengthen you post: images, maps, video embeds, or links to articles/websites.  Remember - I want to see thought and originallity in your posts.

So much to learn and so little time!