Blog Post #1: Data Privacy, Consent, and Open Copyright

1. Why We Are Using Blogs

This week I read about data privacy, consent, and open copyright. I’ve been using Traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Brightspace for entire college courses. They are efficient in the sense that students can study what instructors provide. However, they are not very effective in terms of helping students develop digital literacy and a sense of community. In this course, we are encouraged to use blogs to our learning networks. The goal is not only to learn knowledge but also to share it with others and connect through that process, rather than just taking a course and listening to an instructor in class.

2. The Importance of Consent

What stood out to me most was the importance of consent. Until now, I only thought about whether something was legally allowed, but I realized that the ethical side is also very important. For example, just because someone’s blog is public does not mean I can freely spread it to a large audience. When I use or share other people’s information, I need to respect their intentions.

3. Copyright and Creative Commons

In the past, I often used free images from the internet without much thought. If something looked copyrighted, I usually avoided it. On the other hand, I sometimes thought that if I just added a citation, I could use blog posts or articles without any problem.

From this week’s learning, I discovered the system of Creative Commons (CC). A CC license allows creators to keep their copyright but clearly show how others can reuse or remix their work. For example, on the Creative Commons, you can choose conditions such as BY (attribution), NC (non-commercial), SA (share alike), or ND (no derivatives).

From now on, I want to pay more attention to licenses when I use other people’s work. I also plan to add a CC license to my own blog posts so that others can reuse them safely and with proper credit.