Cheesy But True

For some software engineers the impact of their creations is a main drive in creating them. They take pride in their product and hope it will change the world for the better. Others, concerned only about money or other incentives, care little about that impact and leave the responsibility upon users to determine whether that creation will have a positive or negative affect. May all of us, not even just those in the computer industry, strive to be like the former. For me at least, the knowledge that the time you've spent is actually helping other people is much more valuable than a few extra dollars in your wallet.

Position Vlog

The Difference of a Smile

Everyone wants to make a difference, to be remembered, perhaps even leave a legacy. In the world of technology we think that in order to do that we need to think of some fancy new invention rrevolutionary use of one. An inventor is definitely to be respected, but one doesn't have to prove P equals NP to be remembered. Your legacy is measured by the life you live, the way you treat others, and how you use your abilities to serve those around you. Perhaps my abilities will lead to some invention that can serve mankind, but if not I will be more than content being remembered as the person who smiled at someone when they had a bad day.

Open source is not for me

Open Source is an extremely powerful development model with many key advantages over its counterparts. It is also a development model in which I cannot ever see myself participating. I love the quote, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life." I took that to heart; I love programming but I still view it as what it is... a job. I'm thankful for those people who also view it as a hobby and contribute to such innovative models as open source, but frankly, I have things I would much rather do with my free time.

My Right to Liberty is My Right to Invent

Words similar to, "you must adjust or you are going to be left behind," are often uttered, especially in my computer science world. This makes it seem as though invention and innovation are essential to our existence, but being left behind might not be so bad. Nothing we have today that we didn't have a hundred years ago is a life saving necessity. Some shy away from new innovation pushed by fear or doubt. Others ask that it simply slow down. But for the inventors and innovators this is impossible; for them it truly is a necessity. Once you've adjusted to using a computer or a phone it's hard to imagine going without them, and inventors have already seen the technology of the future. That can't be taken from them simply on basis of fear and doubt.
While I empathize with naysayers I need the change brought by new technology. No technology or invention is inherently evil; their existence is brought about through inspiration. There use can be inappropriate, but it takes experience and perspective to learn appropriate use. Perspective is the key to balance. Sometimes new innovation is only possible through those with a different view. Similarly, the greatest use of new technology is inspired to those with a new fresh perspective.

Balancing Selfishness

The music artist who makes one hit song certainly hasn't paid there debt to society, but they may certainly have made enough money that they never have to work again. Is this right? Of course, the efforts on the part of the maker needs to be respected, but at some point it moves from protecting to coddling. Copyright is meant to allow individuals to be rewarded for their efforts and push for further creativity and progress. But when the creator uses copyright selfishly, to squeeze every last penny out of their creation, it prevents the progress copyright is supposed to allow. This selfishness needs to be hindered just as much as the selfishness of the person who would steal their creation in the first place.

Google Spies

http://www.sltrib.com/technology/ci_14472239

It can leave you a little uneasy to think that someone, strike that, anyone can look up your address on Google and several seconds later be staring at a picture of your house. Anyone can look at your house from the street, and the view of your house isn't something that you own. Perhaps Google feels that they are just using technology to give people already-available-information in a faster way, but that extra effort of having to drive to your house in order to see it is what gave a sense of privacy, a sense of privacy that Google has stripped away. The EU, in an attempt to protect this privacy, has asked Google to notify residents before sending cameras into their neighborhoods. This takes the responsibility of knowing where Google is taking pictures off of the people and puts it where it belongs, on Google itself.

Virtual Millionaire => Real Millionaire ??

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/the-world-s-most-expensive-island-online/1389891

A 27-year-old grad student from Australia paid over $26,000 for an island in the game Entropia. It sounds crazy, but by cashing in the money he makes from taxing game users who visit his island, he claims to make over $100,000 a year in real money. This is the ultimate realization of my childhood dream of cashing in my Monopoly money, but it was only realized through what must have been thousands of other game players so engrained in this virtual reality that they are willing to pay real money to use his virtual island. Who knows what it will take for people like this to realize they are wasting away their life. Perhaps one day when their avatar gets so addicted to some video game that he does nothing but stare at a screen all day they will wake up and realize that it's just a game.

Internet education

The Internet, and the computer in general, is something that almost everyone uses in their daily life. While most have the basic knowledge essential to using these great resources of our time, few have the knowledge needed to ensure the security they so desperately want when using them. There is the idea that this security can only be achieved through the loss of privacy, but I disagree. I think this idea is dangerous; if we are to give up our privacy, we are in fact giving away a small part of our freedom. To avoid this loss of privacy that many are rightfully reluctant of, education about this magical web needs to be acquired.

On the other side of the coin, there are many who find the mystery of the Internet as a wall they can hide behind. Assuming a virtual identity on the internet, their morals change from those that they had in "real life." A person who would not steal in real life has no problem stealing music or some type of software that is otherwise expensive, and those who would shy away from making an offensive comment in real life have no problem doing so on the Internet. Education on the Internet would not only allow more security for all that use it, it could very well improve the integrity of those that use it inappropriately. Once they realize that they are the same person in private as they are in public and that the Internet is real life, perhaps their sense of right and wrong will return and the Internet can be safer for everyone.

Legends in their Own Right

We all have been blessed with unique talents and abilities, and the opportunities to use those blessings are all around us. One of the most significant ways is in our careers. I see a special opportunity to do this in my chosen field of computer science. While I am getting a job with the priority of providing for my future family, I hope that I might also look to use my profession to make a positive influence in the life of others. May we all look to do the same, whatever our specific talents.

Proud to Be a Member of the Lazy Generation

According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, an average child age 8 to 18 spends more than 7 hours a day engaged in some form of media. Even scarier is that only 3 out of 10 children studied had parents that set limits on this activity. That means that almost one third of each day of their childhood will be spent wasting time in this manner, and their parents aren't doing a thing about it. That time could be spent exercising, working, or doing the homework kids claim takes so much time. All I have to say to these kids is, "Put your phone away, get off your butt, stop playing WOW, and go do something worthwhile with your life. I'll think of you the next time I'm feeling lazy."

http://www.sltrib.com/popculturetech/ci_14255768

cs404

Women in Math and Science

I must be a special case when it comes to dealing with bias in academics. My mother has a masters degree in mathematics and as a result I really don't have a stigma against women being in math and science. Further, the majority of my math and science teachers have been women so I haven't seen the mentality that women don't belong in these fields. I completely support the idea that women should be able to choose any career. If there are biases and stigmas, I think they should be dealt with as long as that effort doesn't go to the extremes- extremes similar to Title IX and affirmative action, that, though intended well, have been implemented in a way that allows reverse discrimination.
cs404

Slave to Technology

http://www.sltrib.com/technology/ci_14193158

Thanks to Microsoft, Americans can now be even lazier. There was a day and age when you actually had to stand up and walk over to the TV and change the channel, then came the TV remote. But who wants to carry around a big old clunky remote that always gets lost in the couch when you can have a TV that will recognize your hand gestures? The technology seems very intriguing, but is it really necessary? If we continue to make technology that makes life so easy that we become dependent on it, one day we won't be able to do anything without the help of a computer or whatever new thing comes around. That's not a place I or anyone should want to end up.

Life is full of decisions, and with every decision there is a consequence. Whether that consequence is desired or not, it is unavoidably attached to that choice. The problem with today's technologies is that those consequences are much less apparent. Being so connected to the world and being able to do everything so quickly can leave us with exaggerated consequences, with even less time to think about them. For instance, it used to be that a spiteful comment ,in most cases, would die out after reaching the person towards whom it was directed. Today, if you leave a comment on someone's wall on Facebook, it is available to the world, and if you send someone a text you didn't mean, there is no way to get that information back. We have all heard the various stories of sexting that evidence this same problem.

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