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.

Module 5

Friedman explains the idea of triple convergence in three areas of this section of The World Is Flat.  This starts with the previous ten flatteners coming together and working together.  Many companies will change and adapt to these new changes to keep up to date with the new flatteners.  The first convergence is described as work flow software and hardware connected to make machines that can do many things at once.  All though the flatteners have been around for years, as they start to come together to help businesses, it is known as the second convergence.  With more competition it is helpful for businesses to use the flatteners.  Lastly is the third convergence, so many people have their own ideas and tools to add to flattening the world.  The third convergence shaped global economics and politics in the beginning of the twenty-first century. 

Just because you have tools doe not mean it will increase your productivity.  This is why the triple convergence is so important.  I enjoyed the example Friedman gave, when they first introduced computers to the work force, they though it would have a huge effect.  Of course it wasn’t right away, workers had to learn what to do and how to do it using a computer.  It would change the way most jobs are by using software and such to the best of their abilities rather then how they worked before.

You all know the story about India and Indiana, and the question is who is the exploiter and who is the exploited party.  In my opinion it really all depends on your own position in the world, as in location, occupation, and even who you know.  I’d guess both parties feel like the are the exploited ones and the exploiters.  Either way I can understand how both India and Indiana are both the exploiters.  Each wants to do what is best for themselves first, as they should.  Although I don’t have much opinion on who is the victim here I do have an opinion on what Indiana should do.  I think it would be smart for them to use outsourcing with India, because in the end they will be saving a lot more money, and they need to commit to it.  It’s not a matter of public opinion, it’s a matter of doing what is best for yourself, and Indiana should do just that. 

Intellectual property was made from creativity, software, applications, your Youtube channel ext.  It is important for people to share their ideas so we can work together and make progress as humans.  It is also important that we are able to protect our original ideas, such as a trademark.  It is so easy for people to go online and copy someones idea and not give credit to the creator without anyone knowing.  This I think makes people feel more timid to sharing their ideas because they don’t want them to get stolen.  As a society it is important that we feel open and trusting to share ideas, because who knows what the next great invention is unless we speak up.  The worst part is, is that their are many selfish and un-thoughtful people out there who will steal or copy creations.  Music and photographs and painting are creative ideas that many people want for themselves, and are very easily acquired.  Even more easily obtained are ideas, and those are fairly difficult to trademark.  My advice would be to share your great ideas with the right people.

Module 4

Growing up I have alway been very artistic and surrounded myself with artsy friends. At seventeen a friend named Jack and I came up with the idea to make a blog and put all of our friends art on it to share it with each other.  After a while Jack thought to make it a webpage and we could continually add art to it, it felt like a journal the seven of us shared.  Jack likes to talk, so soon after the first few posts other people at our high school knew about our webpage. We received many compliments and a few rude remarks, but what was most surprising was that other people wanted to share their creations also!

We thought to turn this journal into an online magazine with issues coming out once every two months. This way we would have time to design the layouts, and gather the submissions. We came up with the name Blown, because a friend Kaden was saying how a lot of the art is really “mind blowing” and every time you read threw an issue your mind will be blown. To better define what we are now, this is our mission statement- “Blown Magazine is an online publication based in Ogden, Utah that strives to publish artistic and literary content of all kinds in an effort to sponsor creativity. We feature a very diverse assortment of content. Our goal is to promote art and literature and to create a medium for artists and writers to gain exposure. We strive to publicize individual expression. Blown was established in opposition to the cultural lack of individuality. Blown is an adversary of conformity, and an advocate of creativity.”

After the second issue our audience wasn’t just our classmates anymore it started to spread, and by a lot.  You may have heard of the group Only In Ogden. The founder of Only In Ogden, Brian Smith wanted to sponsor us in trade for a bit of advertising.  He was even so generous he gave us an office space in the Only In Ogden building on Washington Blvd.  Although by this time we were all back in school. A few of us moved away to college and the rest were still in high school, so it turned out to be easier working from our homes and communicating over Skype.

To help build our audience we made a Facebook page under the name Blown Magazine.  This helped a lot and it is very user friendly! Easily I can log on and see the page views of each article or post, I can promote posts and view what content is getting the least attention.  This is important to me because I am the Executive Creative Director.  I am in charge of the look and feel our website gives the viewers, and that involves making submissions look their best, advertising what we are looking for, the design and layout of the webpage, logo and anything made to physically promote Blown such as business cards and stickers.  For now the website is a steady flow of content rather then magazine issues, but we are hoping to soon be able to print issues soon! The money we receive comes from advertisers and sponsors.

Blown Magazine has been in business for about two years now.  A few of the original group of seven have left Blown because the passion wasn’t there or they simply didn’t have enough time.  Three of us have been able to take charge with differing roles. Jack is now the Executive Content Director, Noah (whom has been part of the foundation) is the CEO, mostly handling the legal and financial side of things, and my title as said before. With an audience and submitters from various countries, we have also expanded the social aspect by also using Twitter, Gmail, Pintrest, Tumblr, Vine, Youtube and Instagram. If I have interested you at all please check us out on any of these applications, or best yet our web page Blown-Magazine.com