Blog Post #4: Netflix's History

 Before Netflix became the premier streaming service it has become today, it was a small company that started with 30 employees and only 925 titles available at launch. Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph and they came up with the idea while carpooling home from work together. Originally Netflix was a DVD rental site and when a customer ordered a DVD they would send it in the mail to the customers door instead of them having to drive to go pick it up from a store.

In 1999 Netflix would begin to offer a subscription service to its customers for $15.95, which allowed customers to pick the DVD's they wanted and there was no late fee or due dates for the return of the DVD's. At the turn of the century in 2000 Netflix would introduce a movie recommendation system on their website which allowed Netflix to recommend movies to its customers through their past selections. Another form of technology which made Netflix stand out from the competition due to the connivance of it. Fast forward three years and in 2003 Netflix would cross over one million subscribers.

2007 Netflix would introduce streaming which allowed customers to watch movies and TV shows instantly online instead of having to wait for Netflix to mail it to them. At launch however Netflix had very limited choices for streaming compared to their DVD library. In 2008 Netflix began to partner with electronic companies like Playstation and Xbox so that customers could stream Netflix through gaming devices then allowing customers to be able to watch streamed movie and TV shows on television instead of the computer. Following that in 2010 Netflix would launch streaming on mobile devices so customers could now take their shows on the go with them. 

Starting in 2011 Netflix would start to expand out of the U.S. first by going to Latin American countries and the Caribbean. In 2012 Netflix would make its way to Europe for the first time by becoming available in the UK and Ireland. In 2016 Netflix would expand into 130 countries with the exceptions of China, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. Netflix would also now be available in 21 languages. This would directly lead to Netflix's subscriber count to jump from 60 million to almost 100 million in 2016 alone. 

Netflix has been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to streaming sites around the world. After Netflix you have started to see many other streaming sites gain popularity such as Max, Peacock, or ESPN+. Because of Netflix and other companies now getting into live streaming, it has directly led to the downfall of cable as more streaming companies are picking up events people want to see like sports. Netflix and World Wrestling Entertainment just recently announced a 10 year $5 billion deal to have WWE Monday Night Raw exclusively stream on Netflix starting in January 2025. This will be the first time in the over 30 year history of the show that it will not be on cable. Also Netflix by releasing their own successful original programming it opened the door to other streaming services to copy them and do the same thing.

Blog Post #3: Eight Values of Free Expression

 When reading about the Eight Values of Free Expression the one that sticks with me the most to me and is most important is Promote Tolerance. In society today it seems that people have the approach of my way or it is wrong that should not be the way humans interact with one another. People are never going to see eye to eye on everything because everyone has a different view point and we're all raised in different ways. It doesn't mean that one person is right and the other person is 100% wrong. If people could learn to listen to others and try to understand their view point on an issue the world without wanting to attack them (physically or verbally) would be a much safer and inclusive place for everyone. 

Another value of expression that I see in action all the time today and is important due to the rise in social media is Marketplace of Ideas. This idea has to do with allowing people to freely publish or print without requiring a license. Without this value I would not be able to do what I am doing right now which is telling you how I feel and interrupt our government and its policies. This value allows us to go on social media to post and say whatever we want about anything we want. Whether it's people criticizing our government or sports teams people will always have something to say on social media.

Another important one that is effecting us here in America right now is Participation in Self Government which says that citizens will not make wise and informed choices in elections if the candidates and proponents of certain policies are restricted in their ability to communicate positions. Right now in America we are gearing up for the 2024 Presidential Election and all the candidates are running in their primaries to see who will get their parties bid to become president. The Republican Party has been hosting debates in different cities which is exactly what should happen so that when it becomes time to vote the U.S citizens can make an informed decision on who they think is the best candidate.

The last value I want to talk about is the Individual Self-Fulfillment value. In America we are blessed to have freedom of speech and be able to showcase our individuality. In many countries that is not allowed and to me that would make a place much more boring if everyone was forced to believe and act in the same way. In America there are so many different ways to express your individuality through clothes, hair, or tattoos. It is important in America that people follow this rule because the first step to making the world a better place is to be comfortable and happy with who you are as a person. Thankfully you do not have to conform or be like anyone else in America because you have a human right to be you and not have someone tell you who or what you should be.

Blog Post #2: My Reflection on the Supreme Court

 

Growing up I was never a fan of politics or government because of the divide I felt and still feel it causes in our society today. So because of that I did not know too much about the Supreme Court but, I always thought about it as the parent of all the branches of government. I knew that the Supreme Court had the most power and the only people that could overturn a Supreme Court Case decision was the Supreme Court.

Before reading the History Channel article on the Supreme Court I did not know that the president nominated the Supreme Court justices. So when I read that Thurgood Marshall was the first African American to be a Supreme Court justice I was shocked he received the votes to be able to do so. Receiving the nomination and being voted into the Supreme Court by the U.S Senators (69-11) in 1967 during the height of the civil rights movement.

Along with the topic of the justices having to be nominated by the president it leads me to wonder if that is why none of the three presidents that have been impeached have never been convicted? Is it really because they were innocent or did the Supreme Court justices let their political party loyalty influence their decision one if the presidents were guilty or not.

To me the biggest takeaway from this article is realizing how much of an effect that Supreme Court decisions have had in America. Things that I thought would be basic rights in America like same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges), presidents abusing their power (U.S v. Nixon), or the government being able to use evidence it found illegally in the court of law (Mapp v. Ohio) had to go to court and be fought over. 

Blog Post #1: Top 5 Sources of News and Information

In today's world people can get their news and information in a variety of ways. With the advent of technology and social media in particular it has made it both easier and harder for people to receive accurate news information. At the tap of a finger anyone can spread any kind of "news" they want online whether it is accurate or not. Also another thing when it comes to news is for the most part everyone reads to hear about the bad stuff that happens, I try to find news that is positive sometimes because there is good in the world.

1. Instagram

For me Instagram is one of the main sites that I find a lot of news on because it is the social media that I am on the most. Almost all the big companies and news organizations have instagram accounts that they post any type of news on just because they know a lot of people will see it this way. When it comes to Instagram you have to be very careful because people post false news stories all the time just to start problems, so I tend to only take it serious when I see it come from verified accounts. 

2. Bleacher Report

As a sports media major sports is a huge part of my daily news. Every day I am looking through articles about the games from the night before along with the behind the scenes news that comes out about all of the teams and leagues. Sports is the news that I care about the most and Bleacher Report does a very good job of reporting and getting articles up of all the sports news as soon as the information becomes available.

3. YouTube

I watch plenty of Youtube videos a day for my personal entertainment. But every day I click on the news tab and I watch a video on something going on in the world. When I look at these videos I try to learn something about the world around me and to always be curious. 

4. TikTok

Tik Tok is starting to become very similar to a social media platform like Instagram for example. Companies have realized that they can reach a wide range of people on the app so now they along with everyday people will post news in short video clips about what is going on in the world.

5. My Dad

My dad sends me news articles multiple times a week. He tells me to "be aware of the world around me" consistently and he feels the best way he can do so is to text me articles to read. He sends me news articles along with a message about how it could affect me or how to avoid being in a situation like someone in the article may be in.