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.