Lesson 5: Governing the Freedom Economy

An interesting kick off for this week seminar, my team was the first to be called upon for the presentation of our team's Elevator Pitch. Yes, all groups presented their Elevator Pitch for the day's opening.

I guess we were all quite excited to see what have our friends each had came out with their Elevator Pitch. Not suprisingly, many of us came out with really different version of our own Elevator Pitch. And some were really interesting and caught my attention during the seminar. I would have to say, A+ team's Elevator pitch was rather interactive with the help of some flash animations and description. But the last Team Visionaries's Elevator Pitch, I thought was really creative and entertaining to watch. As I felt is really more attention drawing to have it captured live with actors acting it out like a short movie clip.

Seriously speaking, I really felt the rest of the teams did much better than what my team have done in terms of creativity and ability to caption audiences attention. However, with the discussion after every team had presented for the class, no one method is the best but a combination of some together will bring out the best. Hence, all of us have to go back and improve on our Elevator Pitch before we submit again into YouTude for our little competition Prof Gilbert have suggested.

Okay back to the lesson proper for this week. The disccussion topic for the week was Governing the Freedom Economy: do we need new rules? It actually means how our daily norms, rules, laws, technology and everything else interacts over time and changes.

How have the norms become rules with the changes in technologies, or rather how have the technologies changes our daily norms into rules and laws. And as I was browsing the internet for my daily updates in the telecomunication news in Telecoms.com . This article chain my thoughts of what we had discussed yestheday in class.


Here is the News: Cellphone Fines for Pedestrians

New York State Senator Carl Kruger has proposed controversial legislation which could see mobile phone users slapped with a $100 fine for crossing a street whilst using their device.

Kruger's bill would also apply to any other kind of personal electronic device that the user could find themselves immersed in using such as portable gaming systems and iPods.

Cellphone users would have to take a break for a few seconds whilst they cross the street to avoid a fine.

Some have called the proposal excessive. A number of US states have already introduced bans on using cellphones whilst driving but not all.

From the end of this month, UK drivers caught chatting on their mobile phone will face bigger fines as tougher fixed penalties come into play.

Culprits found guilty could receive three points on their licence as well as a £60 fine.

Truly reflects the discussion we had, the change in technology, the advance in technology changes our daily norms. Where once these behaviour was thought as norms was now pass down with Rules and Laws to governise our freedom in technologies usage.

We gained something but yet have to lose something in the end... That's so Sad to say... I hope this "Fine" city i am living in will not have to go to this extend in the above mention "News" one day in the near future.