Module 13

This semester has just flown by for me! Now it is time to assess what I have learned.  The biggest thing I have learned, (although I’m sure I have a full understanding of it because it seems endless) is how connected we all are through technology.  Which I also learned how it is everywhere, and I use it for almost everything.  Many younger people, like myself were sort of born into this high-tech world, and it is interesting to learn how it all came about and is constantly developing.  How could it not? I am not proud to admit it, but I always have my smart phone with me and I would guess I’m not the only one.  So of course people are always connected and trying to make our lives easier and technology better!  

Throughout the readings of The World is Flat by Friedman, I learned just a few of the ways we are all connected and can work with one another for a better economy and future.  Different countries even work together in ways they can both benefit! I have only really ever put thought into America, and Japan as developing countries because thats mostly what we hear about.  It was interesting to read about other countries also becoming more advanced in their own ways, such as the example about India.

One thing I enjoyed most was the articles.  It made it so we weren’t learning this course threw only one author and his opinions.  Instead we got to read a few others which helped me to have a better understanding of our world developing, and carry that on with me.  If we read from only one text book this would have felt more like “a class I took one time”.  A Logic Named Joe was my favorite article to read, because it was at the start technology in a sense and the accents the characters had made it fun to read.  

I’m so glad this class is online and assignments are submitted over a blog because thats what this class is all about!  Learning how to make a blog will surely help me in the future.  Reading what others blog posts had to say about the assignment was fun and a learning experience of its own.  Some people have strong opinions and some take the assignment even further by sharing their own knowledge while answering the questions asked.  Those were my favorite to read.

Overall I think this was a very beneficial class and very eye opening.  I have already recommended it to a few friends.  The course guidelines were very clear from the very beginning.  There isn’t anything I would change in this course.  Instructor Jensen was very helpful and easy to communicate with over email.  The readings were never overwhelmingly long like they are in some courses. I think I’ll keep the book.

Module 12

We all have fear in us. Some people fear spiders, some fear never finding love, but most people fear the future because we don’t know what it holds.  The author, Joy is also afraid so it seems.  Technology has helped us to overcome that fear a bit because we can now predict the future more accurately.  Because we are trying to make our lives much easier, it isn’t surprising that it might include robots.  A real concern with robots  is that they could possibly take over the human race.  They can’t die, because they aren't alive.  With technology so advanced they could possibly develop their own thoughts and personalities. When I think of robots taking over the world it always makes me think of the 2004 movie with Will Smith, I, Robot.  I think that movie is a good representation of what could happen.  GNR is a new technology that is helping to improve us. Stands for genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robots.

GNR has three components, the first being its genetics.  We use genetic engineering all the time!  We use it in agriculture for better crops, in medicine to help fight viruses, and even to choose what gene’s your baby will receive, such as green eyes and curly hair.  In my opinion genetic engineering is a good and helpful thing as long as we don’t over use it.  I would never genetically engineer a human, or what will become a human.  I think things could take a turn for the worst in something we don’t already fully understand.  We still get birth defects, disease, ect. that we have no idea where they come from or how to treat them.  Crops, such as corn we have a better understanding of the science behind it and it isn’t someones life on the line. 

Nanotechnology is similar to genetic engineering.  It is the second of the three GNR components.  Nanotechnology helps protect us from viruses that could make us sick. It can cause great good for us, but also great devastation. The military use it in their nuclear technology.  Using it as a weapon which could potentially harm a lot of people.

Robots is the third component.  We use robots for everything, if you count robots as any advance piece of technology such as a cell phone.  Id like to say robots are aids for the human race, like a robot nanny or something.  Robots are improving more and more because they are a part of technology.  It is just scary if we make them to advanced and they start having human like tendency’s.  We like robots to make our jobs easier, but doesn’t that make us lazy?  I think there is or will be a limit to how we use robots in our daily lives.  We still want to live and do things that make us human! If robots do everything for us then we are not living our lives to the fullest, as we should be.

Bill Joy is a little bit dramatic in my opinion, but I do agree with his underline understanding of it all.  GNR is good, but we could absolutely over use it or use it in a wrong way.  There are two sides to everything.

Module 11

The 2008 action thriller Eagle Eye has computer use through and through the entire movie, it is also a fun movie to watch in my opinion.  Actors Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, and Billy Bob Thornton star in the film, written by Dan McDermott and directed by D.J. Caruso. Both Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan start off in the story as strangers and are quickly brought together for a mission, threw the technology around them. In the city of Chicago it seemed to be pretty easy to do, considering they both had cell phones, traffic cameras and business cameras on the street, televisions, and any other type of technology.  

The people targeting the man and woman were able to use computers to tap into anything that uses a computer, including a lifting magnetic mobile crane. They were constantly one step ahead of LaBeouf and Monaghan.  Whenever the two would try and escape from the torturous game they were driven right back into it threw the technology around them.  They were basically just like puppets that had a mind of their own. The only time Shia LaBeouf was able to out smart the use of computers was at the very end on the movie, when he preformed a terrorist attack to make himself a target as everyone else escaped. 

Module 10

A Logic Named Joe was a very interesting and incisive read. A lot of the terms used in the short story are different from what we use now, so I do admit it took me awhile to understand what was going on.  For example the term “logics” and the Logics Company.  I did not find it surprising that everyone had a computer; but I was very surprised that everyone had one before they even knew what they were capable of!  It was a good thing everyone could have one though because I’am sure it helped advance the computers by working together, seeing that everyone could get their hands on one.

In the present day it is very clear to us that computers are just objects. It seems silly thinking or treating them as a human.  Reading this short story they almost treated the Logic they had as a human, they even gave it a name and talked about it’s emotions.  They made it seem as if the computer/logic had its own mind and thoughts which was interesting.  The computer would hum, and instead of saying it is making noise they would say things like “Joe is humming happily” or “Joe is flickering meditatively.” 

Having sensor blocks so early on in the computer world was very surprising.  I would have thought that feature would come later down the line, because it doesn’t seem like it is the that important.  Well at least compared to other features such as email, or a clock on the device seems more necessary.  Anyways, they did invent it early on and I’m sure it helped control what a lot of people searched.  I like that we can now put on “parental locks” on certain sights, not that I have children to worry about I’d just imagine it comes in handy as a parent. 

"If you want to do something and don't know how to do it—ask your logic!" The very repetitive line throughout the text.  It seemed as if that’s almost all they used logics for. Now days we use computers for everything you can think of!  There were a few funny examples of people asking a logic how to do something.  For example the drunk asking how to hide his intoxication from his wife, that was pretty comical. 

The logics are all connected by a tank that each of them have.  Just like we are all connected when we get “online”.  We connect a lot threw social media, and the wife in the story is a good example of how most people act today on social media.  She didn’t really want anyone to know things about her, except for the good things.  She just wanted to know everything about everyone else.  People still do that today.  Sometimes they might add a photo to their Facebook in which they look good in but all the other people in the photo do not look their best. It’s pretty silly if you ask me.

Module 8

The first time I laid eyes on a huge beige electronic box (also known as a computer), I was about five years old.  It was my dad’s computer he would use for work purposes, although it would run extremely slow and very loudly.  Basically I was born into this crazy technologically advanced world, but I do remember my first interactions with computers.  Once I reached fourth grade my classmates and I were allowed to play a game on the computers, after finishing our math. The game consisted of a purple rectangle space ship that you would have to move using the arrow keys on the keyboard to avoid the small green squares “astroids”.  I think it was interesting how as the years added on each classroom would have an increasing amount of computers for the students to use.  Now you walk into almost any school and their are computer labs.  A room filled with enough computers that thirty or so students can use all at once.  Also the changes in the computers were drastic.  Starting has huge blocky machines with little pixilated screens, to 20” high definition flat screens.

From sixth grade, to my junior year of high school I had a computer class.  Even a few in my first years of college.  We learned how to type on the keyboard most of these years.  Learning our hand, wrist, and posture positions; and figuring out which finger was supposed to push each letter and number key.  Then we moved on to learning Windows software, such as MS Word, Power Point, Windows Live Mail, Photo Gallery, MS Excel, and for fun we would use MS Paint.  A lot of the software have improved over time, making them more user friendly. These basic learning tools helped me advance my knowledge in other ways as well.  Almost every book report, essay, thesis and other assignments I had to turn in would have to be typed. When you use a computer to write your assignment, most programs offer spell check, proofreading and so on. This was an eventful way to help me and others in learning grammar, punctuation, and even the English language it’s self using the “define in dictionary” tab.  Even the use of computers that were not hands on were educational.  Teachers could project something for the entire class to see using their computer.  Emails, grades, academic calendars and assignment updates can all be checked online.

If I had never learned how to use a computer many of the things I do today would be much different!  Personally I use a computer based device for almost everything I do. From checking the weather, to figuring out a crazy math problem.  I’m very grateful that the computer classes I’ve had were mandatory, because a few of them were very boring to me at the time. Looking back at it now I am very glad I learned such technology at the age that I did.  Now that I am older and putting this technology to use, it makes it much easier to learn new things when you already know the basics.  My entire educational experience would have been different without the use of computers.

Module 7

Friedman begins this section of the reading with of the different countries work. He discusses how it is beneficial for some businesses to be run from different countries, and how this can help influence globalization because of us having to work together.  Different countries do things differently, and that is usually what gives them the extra push to be more globalized and efficient. Such as America, a lot of individuals have their own or free access to a computer, where some countries that may be very rare.  Friedman also mentioned everyone becoming more like America.  I don’t think that can happen completely thought, because every country has their own assets and advantages that they should play on, rather than becoming like America in the same way. I don’t think it could ever work completely because we are all different, but I do agree that some countries might become more like the U.S.. 

Different countries have different resources ready to access. They are able to obtain this material more easily than some other countries. This is part of why some countries regions do things better than other countries regions. If that is the supply in “demand and supply”, then the demand would be for work. Some countries might need more work for their economy and might accept a lower pay wage. Also education plays a role. India has more students studying engineering then other countries, so you are able to pay less then other competitors just because there are so many.  If you were in need of a engineer and they were rare, you would need to pay more for one to work for you.  Countries have taken what they can offer and use it to their advantage in globalizing, to not only make it in this world but to thrive.

Once reading about self-directed consumers i’ve realized most of us are one! I am because I know there is no better way to get what I want then to do it myself. Company’s offer great variety of selections, and the ones that offer the most becomes the best. This makes me think of Wal-mart. They have almost all the basics you can think of and their stores are easy to navigate and its all basically self-serve, like a buffet. “They are actually making their customers their employees and having them pay the company for the pleasure at the same time!” It seems so crazy but when you think about it, it really is efficient. You walk in a store looking for an apple, you have signs showing you where the produce section is, everything is labeled so you can pick the one you like, and then you can even use self check out! We can now navigate entire stores and get everything we need without speaking one word to an actual employee.

Globalization does mean Americanization, in my opinion.  America has advanced so much that we can create anything we want anytime we want it.  We spoil ourselves because it is so easy.  For the most part America doesn’t need to work with other countries as much as other countries need to work together, because we don’t need as much because we can do it ourselves. This is good and bad.  Good because we don’t need to relay on anyone, but bad because we don’t necessarily have to work together with the other countries.  If every country is Americanizing then eventually we wont need each other, and that can be scary.

Module 6

As the world becomes more “flat” the more we are working together as a human race to better ourselves.  Free trade is a great example of how we can work together for improvement. Free trade is where we can buy and exchange items or services.  Of course in some countries there is tax so not all profit will always go to the traders.  Free trade helps us expand our relationship with the rest of the world and can help economies.  Free trade can help us improve  ourselves and our products/services because we want more in return.  It opens up the world and increases demand.  With increasing demand to make ends meet that usually means more employment, which is good for our country.  In order to make a fair trade you have to be worth as much as what you receive in return.  There have been countries that do not allowed free trade policies and more then often the affect of that is disastrous.  With proof that it does improve our world immensely I believe it is very important. Countries that still do not allow this policy might not be hurting, but they are not improving either.

As we improve we must be more competitive if we want to come out on top.  To do so we must learn new skills to make our selves useful enough that we can’t be replaced by machines.  These generation of people have to make themselves more valuable then machine, this class of people is know as the “new middles”.  From my understanding of the book, new middlers are people from the middle class that need to adapt and sometimes go above and beyond, in order to be stable in their work environment.  If not, they will loose their jobs.  As I mentioned before, working together is a big part of improvement in this modern age.  Being able to collaborate and work together is a necessary skill new middlers must learn.

CQ+PQ>IQ is a formula that refers to even more great tools to navigate this flat new world.  Curiosity, passion, and motivation are very great assets, more valuable then common knowledge.  There is no limit to how intelligent and even valued you can be, if you are curious, passionate, and motivated.  Technology gives us limitless possibilities!  If you are passionate about something, why not learn all the information you can from it, it will only better yourself. Well, in most situations.  In todays standards, its almost necessary that you always go beyond what is expected.  Technology makes it easy for us to access this in the click of a button.