Current mood: exhausted
Current tunes: Russell Allen and Jorn Lande - The Battle
Ethics are an important aspect of all professions including computer science. Because we work with machines so much, we may forget that our interactions with these machines can have a profound effect on millions of lives. Obviously, if one was to create a program that, after a certain amount of time, had a feature that caused harm to the machine it was on, the program would be unethical. However, this is an extreme example. Some programs and services created by computer scientists have not-so-explicit consequences. For example, social networking sites can have adverse effects on some of their users. They may become addicted or post information that harms others. Is it the programmer's fault for not preventing this harmful use? Clearly it is not since programmers cannot control human behavior. Creating a program which has a non-harmful purpose but can be misused to hurt others is vastly different than creating a program with the sole purpose is to cause damage.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center
Current mood: not eager
Current tunes: Epica - The Classical Conspiracy
Online video games are detrimental to society. Their very nature is contrary to positive behavior. Online games never end so there is no sense of accomplishment. Those who play online games transfer this attitude to real life. If they perform a task poorly or fail to complete it at all, they do not feel the negative emotions they should because they feel that they don't have to complete it or they can simply try again. Also, the continuous nature of online games makes it extremely easy to waste time. Many players spend more time that planned playing. The anonymity that online games bring is also detrimental to society. Good-natured and caring people in real life can easily become violent or ill-tempered online. Because they hide behind a screen name, they feel like their actions have no repercussions. Also, they loose a sense of reality because it is not simply another screen name they are yelling at or insulting but a real person. During high school, I played online games and I severely regret it, mostly for the time I wasted and cannot get back.
Current tunes: Epica - The Classical Conspiracy
Online video games are detrimental to society. Their very nature is contrary to positive behavior. Online games never end so there is no sense of accomplishment. Those who play online games transfer this attitude to real life. If they perform a task poorly or fail to complete it at all, they do not feel the negative emotions they should because they feel that they don't have to complete it or they can simply try again. Also, the continuous nature of online games makes it extremely easy to waste time. Many players spend more time that planned playing. The anonymity that online games bring is also detrimental to society. Good-natured and caring people in real life can easily become violent or ill-tempered online. Because they hide behind a screen name, they feel like their actions have no repercussions. Also, they loose a sense of reality because it is not simply another screen name they are yelling at or insulting but a real person. During high school, I played online games and I severely regret it, mostly for the time I wasted and cannot get back.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
I Don't Even Have to Leave My House Anymore
Current mood: slightly overwhelmed
Current tunes: SuidAkra - Dead Man's Reel
The Internet has drastically changed a variety of phenomena in our world. The primary metamorphosis that the Internet has caused in society is the reduction of the transaction cost of forming ties with other people. It was only twenty years ago that the most common manner that people formed groups, whether for leisure or political purposes, was by going out and recruiting people personally. If a group-former were wealthy enough and well-connected, he or she could broadcast a message out to a wider audience by television or radio. However, the message would be sent once and anyone who was not listening or watching would miss it and their opportunity would be lost forever. Now, with the advent of the Internet, people can post messages to very public places, some reaching wider audiences than radio and television. The message is also more permanent and can be read at any time.
The second-most significant change that the Internet has made to society is that we are now producers and consumers instead of primarily consumers. Before Web 2.0, the Internet was mostly used for accessing information published by relatively few entities. However, with social media and other interactive web services, all Internet users can now produce information and consume it. As mentioned above, it used to be the case that there were two distinct groups: broadcasters and consumers. Web 2.0 has made the consumer a producer. Many producers are still more trusted that most, such as news corporations, government websites, and other high-profile sources, but the common man has a more powerful voice thanks to the new way in which we use the Internet. It is no longer solely movie studios that create videos with millions of views. A teenager with a cellphone could film an event and rack up viewers. A political columnist is no longer the sole voice in politics. A blogger with an opinion has just as much say in matters of government.
Current tunes: SuidAkra - Dead Man's Reel
The Internet has drastically changed a variety of phenomena in our world. The primary metamorphosis that the Internet has caused in society is the reduction of the transaction cost of forming ties with other people. It was only twenty years ago that the most common manner that people formed groups, whether for leisure or political purposes, was by going out and recruiting people personally. If a group-former were wealthy enough and well-connected, he or she could broadcast a message out to a wider audience by television or radio. However, the message would be sent once and anyone who was not listening or watching would miss it and their opportunity would be lost forever. Now, with the advent of the Internet, people can post messages to very public places, some reaching wider audiences than radio and television. The message is also more permanent and can be read at any time.
The second-most significant change that the Internet has made to society is that we are now producers and consumers instead of primarily consumers. Before Web 2.0, the Internet was mostly used for accessing information published by relatively few entities. However, with social media and other interactive web services, all Internet users can now produce information and consume it. As mentioned above, it used to be the case that there were two distinct groups: broadcasters and consumers. Web 2.0 has made the consumer a producer. Many producers are still more trusted that most, such as news corporations, government websites, and other high-profile sources, but the common man has a more powerful voice thanks to the new way in which we use the Internet. It is no longer solely movie studios that create videos with millions of views. A teenager with a cellphone could film an event and rack up viewers. A political columnist is no longer the sole voice in politics. A blogger with an opinion has just as much say in matters of government.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Digital Faith
Current mood: pretty happy
Current tunes: Masterplan - Aeronautics
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has benefited greatly from computers and the Internet. First, members have access to an array of wonderful church tools thanks to computers. Family history, which used to take months or even years to prepare one name to take to the temple can now be done in a few weeks. Scheduling a church building for an activity is easily done online. Scriptures are now available in digital format to allow access from computers and cell phones. Missionary work is also being blessed by the advent of the Internet. Curious people who wish to investigate the Church can visit mormon.org to learn about beliefs and practices instead of waiting for missionaries to find them. Mormon.org's recent revamp has been an extremely beneficial move for the Church. Not only is the site more interactive and more informative than its previous version, it is able to connect with member's Facebook accounts, showing investigators how real members of the Church are.
Current tunes: Masterplan - Aeronautics
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has benefited greatly from computers and the Internet. First, members have access to an array of wonderful church tools thanks to computers. Family history, which used to take months or even years to prepare one name to take to the temple can now be done in a few weeks. Scheduling a church building for an activity is easily done online. Scriptures are now available in digital format to allow access from computers and cell phones. Missionary work is also being blessed by the advent of the Internet. Curious people who wish to investigate the Church can visit mormon.org to learn about beliefs and practices instead of waiting for missionaries to find them. Mormon.org's recent revamp has been an extremely beneficial move for the Church. Not only is the site more interactive and more informative than its previous version, it is able to connect with member's Facebook accounts, showing investigators how real members of the Church are.
Monday, March 18, 2013
The Priest and the Shopkeeper
Current mood: a little stressed
Current tunes: Wintersun - Starchild
Open-source software development is a wonderful method of developing programs. It pools the talents hundreds of developers around the world. However, open-source will never replace closed-source software development. The reason is that humans are primarily motivated by self-interest and open-source development does not encourage this behavior. In a perfect open-source world, programmers would contribute to many different projects, and all software would be free. Programmers would make money by donations to their projects by those who use them. Unfortunately, this model cannot work because when something is available for free, why would anyone pay money for it? How many programs, apps, and services have we used which ask for donations and we never contribute (sorry Jimmy Wales)? Programmers need a guaranteed source of income so they work for companies which must keep their software secret so they can gain revenue. Open-source software is a great ideal and has brought many innovations to the world, but it will never replace traditional closed-source software.
Current tunes: Wintersun - Starchild
Open-source software development is a wonderful method of developing programs. It pools the talents hundreds of developers around the world. However, open-source will never replace closed-source software development. The reason is that humans are primarily motivated by self-interest and open-source development does not encourage this behavior. In a perfect open-source world, programmers would contribute to many different projects, and all software would be free. Programmers would make money by donations to their projects by those who use them. Unfortunately, this model cannot work because when something is available for free, why would anyone pay money for it? How many programs, apps, and services have we used which ask for donations and we never contribute (sorry Jimmy Wales)? Programmers need a guaranteed source of income so they work for companies which must keep their software secret so they can gain revenue. Open-source software is a great ideal and has brought many innovations to the world, but it will never replace traditional closed-source software.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Great Aunt Lucy's Online
Current mood: happy
Current tunes: Fail Emotions - Speed of Light
Computers and the Internet have had an amazing impact on family history. In the days before the Internet, finding information was the most difficult step of connecting with ancestors. People interested in family had to look up where their predecessors lived and write to the nearest genealogical society, church, or government record library in order to request that microfilms or other records be sent. Now, FamilySearch contains billions of records that have been digitalized and indexed, making searching extremely fast. Finding new information can still be a challenge, but with the advent of the Internet, finding information that other people already have is almost instantaneous. With these wonderful tools in place, no one has any excuse not to do family history.
Current tunes: Fail Emotions - Speed of Light
Computers and the Internet have had an amazing impact on family history. In the days before the Internet, finding information was the most difficult step of connecting with ancestors. People interested in family had to look up where their predecessors lived and write to the nearest genealogical society, church, or government record library in order to request that microfilms or other records be sent. Now, FamilySearch contains billions of records that have been digitalized and indexed, making searching extremely fast. Finding new information can still be a challenge, but with the advent of the Internet, finding information that other people already have is almost instantaneous. With these wonderful tools in place, no one has any excuse not to do family history.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Listened to Anything Good Lately?
Current Mood: happy
Current Tunes - Stratovarius - Unbreakable
The current copyright laws pertaining to technology and modern media are ineffective at protecting the interests of artists, inventors, and the public. The Internet has facilitated music and software sharing. This sharing should be used to promote an artist's work, not restrict it. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to advertise: it's free to companies and customers trust friends more than advertisements. Customers are able to preview music before purchasing. People should not copy music blatantly and distribute it to their friends, but copying music so an acquaintance can decide if he wishes to purchase it should not be penalized. Under the current laws, however, this sharing is illegal. Unfortunately, there will always be opportunists. When Radiohead released their album In Rainbows, they first released it as a "pay-what-you-like" download. Most people chose to pay nothing (http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/40444). Is this evidence that file sharing must be regulated? As an aspiring intellectual property lawyer, I will have to help answer questions such as this.
Current Tunes - Stratovarius - Unbreakable
The current copyright laws pertaining to technology and modern media are ineffective at protecting the interests of artists, inventors, and the public. The Internet has facilitated music and software sharing. This sharing should be used to promote an artist's work, not restrict it. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to advertise: it's free to companies and customers trust friends more than advertisements. Customers are able to preview music before purchasing. People should not copy music blatantly and distribute it to their friends, but copying music so an acquaintance can decide if he wishes to purchase it should not be penalized. Under the current laws, however, this sharing is illegal. Unfortunately, there will always be opportunists. When Radiohead released their album In Rainbows, they first released it as a "pay-what-you-like" download. Most people chose to pay nothing (http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/40444). Is this evidence that file sharing must be regulated? As an aspiring intellectual property lawyer, I will have to help answer questions such as this.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
More WiFi, More Better
Current Mood: wistful
Current Tunes: Delain - We Are The Others
Increasing the range of the WiFi spectrum will be very beneficial to the United States. WiFi is becoming increasingly important each day through the use of phones, laptops, and other devices. Currently, many WiFi hot spots are extremely congested making service for everyone slow and causing major headaches. This expansion of the available spectrum will make working from a variety of places, such as an airport or a university, much more convenient. However, this transition must be made very carefully. Currently, some of the spectrum that has been planned to be made public is in use by private entities, such as the military. The FCC must make sure that the modification will not interfere with these entities or dire consequences could follow, such as weapon equipment malfunctions or plane crashes. Hopefully, all the government entities that currently use the new public frequencies have kept meticulous records of which frequencies they use and the devices that must be changed. If the government goes about this change correctly, everyone will benefit with faster wireless speed and greater convenience.
Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415667,00.asp
Current Tunes: Delain - We Are The Others
Increasing the range of the WiFi spectrum will be very beneficial to the United States. WiFi is becoming increasingly important each day through the use of phones, laptops, and other devices. Currently, many WiFi hot spots are extremely congested making service for everyone slow and causing major headaches. This expansion of the available spectrum will make working from a variety of places, such as an airport or a university, much more convenient. However, this transition must be made very carefully. Currently, some of the spectrum that has been planned to be made public is in use by private entities, such as the military. The FCC must make sure that the modification will not interfere with these entities or dire consequences could follow, such as weapon equipment malfunctions or plane crashes. Hopefully, all the government entities that currently use the new public frequencies have kept meticulous records of which frequencies they use and the devices that must be changed. If the government goes about this change correctly, everyone will benefit with faster wireless speed and greater convenience.
Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415667,00.asp
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Double Rainbow...tables
Current Mood: content
Current Tunes: Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
While reading The Cuckoo's Egg, two main points seemed to jut out in my mind. The first is that a government entity must exist whose sole purpose of existence is to track down hackers, especially foreign, and persecute them to the fullest extent of the law. In The Cuckoo's Egg, Stoll mainly pursued his mysterious visitor without government help. This is mainly due to the fact that the Internet was very new in 1986. It was unclear which government organization presided over it. Internet crime was almost non-existent in 1986, and the main culprits were college-age pranksters. The dramatic increase in Internet usage has shown the desperate need of a government entity to combat the malicious use of Internet services. Whether this entity be a branch of the CIA, the FBI, or the NSA, someone needs to take on the mission of investigating Internet crimes.
The second point that stuck with me from the book was the method of hacking used by Stoll's adversary. He did not use sophisticated tools or state-of-the-art programs to break into his victim's computers. Most of his access came from knowing the default accounts and passwords for various types of computers. This must have been extremely embarrassing for the military bases and universities since they were expected to have some of the highest security on the planet. While hackers today cannot prey as easily on systems using these methods, default passwords and guest accounts still present easy access to malicious users. System designers must carefully approach this issue in order to balance security and convenience.
Current Tunes: Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
While reading The Cuckoo's Egg, two main points seemed to jut out in my mind. The first is that a government entity must exist whose sole purpose of existence is to track down hackers, especially foreign, and persecute them to the fullest extent of the law. In The Cuckoo's Egg, Stoll mainly pursued his mysterious visitor without government help. This is mainly due to the fact that the Internet was very new in 1986. It was unclear which government organization presided over it. Internet crime was almost non-existent in 1986, and the main culprits were college-age pranksters. The dramatic increase in Internet usage has shown the desperate need of a government entity to combat the malicious use of Internet services. Whether this entity be a branch of the CIA, the FBI, or the NSA, someone needs to take on the mission of investigating Internet crimes.
The second point that stuck with me from the book was the method of hacking used by Stoll's adversary. He did not use sophisticated tools or state-of-the-art programs to break into his victim's computers. Most of his access came from knowing the default accounts and passwords for various types of computers. This must have been extremely embarrassing for the military bases and universities since they were expected to have some of the highest security on the planet. While hackers today cannot prey as easily on systems using these methods, default passwords and guest accounts still present easy access to malicious users. System designers must carefully approach this issue in order to balance security and convenience.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
404 - Women Not Found
Current Mood: It's going to be one of those weeks...
Current Tunes: Gojira - From Mars To Sirius
There is a severe deficiency of women in computer science. While some may regard this as a minor inconvenience or not even a problem, the lack of females in this field should greatly disturb everyone. Due to the minuscule amount of women involved, the field of computer science is overlooking untapped talent. Women think differently than men, and this difference is a great attribute that brings about wonderful innovations. One of the reasons that many women do not choose computer science as a major is that they do not know that they would be adept at programming. Every student should take at least one computer science course at some point during their university experience. This would accomplish two goals: it would give students a chance to appreciate computers and all the work that is invested into creating effective software. It would also find students, especially women, who are proficient at programming but would have not know this had they not taken a computer science course.
Current Tunes: Gojira - From Mars To Sirius
There is a severe deficiency of women in computer science. While some may regard this as a minor inconvenience or not even a problem, the lack of females in this field should greatly disturb everyone. Due to the minuscule amount of women involved, the field of computer science is overlooking untapped talent. Women think differently than men, and this difference is a great attribute that brings about wonderful innovations. One of the reasons that many women do not choose computer science as a major is that they do not know that they would be adept at programming. Every student should take at least one computer science course at some point during their university experience. This would accomplish two goals: it would give students a chance to appreciate computers and all the work that is invested into creating effective software. It would also find students, especially women, who are proficient at programming but would have not know this had they not taken a computer science course.
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Mandarin Word For DDOS is...
Current Mood: Tired, if that counts as a mood
Current Tunes: Kamelot - Silverthorn
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal claimed that attackers from China attempted to hack the news companies' computers in what seemed to be a state-sponsored attack. China denies these allegations. In a world where the Internet's importance is increasing dramatically, cyber-attacks are becoming more common. Soon, soldiers specializing in computer and Internet security will have the same importance as marines and artillery. The United States must invest more time and money in cyber-security training programs or it will be left behind and needlessly expose itself to future computer attacks. The government should invest in incentives for education in computer security with grants and scholarships. Recruitment for the NSA and similar agencies charged with keeping America's information highways safe should be invested in just as much as the navy or air force. This will keep the United States safe and allow more people to serve our country in ways they otherwise could not have. The soldiers of the future will not fight with bullets but with DOS attacks and rainbow tables.
Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1047269/china-peoples-daily-rejects-us-hacking-claims
Current Tunes: Kamelot - Silverthorn
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal claimed that attackers from China attempted to hack the news companies' computers in what seemed to be a state-sponsored attack. China denies these allegations. In a world where the Internet's importance is increasing dramatically, cyber-attacks are becoming more common. Soon, soldiers specializing in computer and Internet security will have the same importance as marines and artillery. The United States must invest more time and money in cyber-security training programs or it will be left behind and needlessly expose itself to future computer attacks. The government should invest in incentives for education in computer security with grants and scholarships. Recruitment for the NSA and similar agencies charged with keeping America's information highways safe should be invested in just as much as the navy or air force. This will keep the United States safe and allow more people to serve our country in ways they otherwise could not have. The soldiers of the future will not fight with bullets but with DOS attacks and rainbow tables.
Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1047269/china-peoples-daily-rejects-us-hacking-claims
Monday, January 28, 2013
Who Really Owns Your Phone?
Current Mood: Not too shabby
Current Tunes: Sabaton - Coat of Arms
Recently, James Hadley Billington, a congressional librarian, declared that unlocking cell phones in order to be used by different carriers is illegal. This has angered some people because they feel that they completely own their phones and can do whatsoever they want with them. The real issue is who owns what on a cell phone. According to Billington, the firmware on the phone is property of the company that created it, and, therefore, unlocking the phone via changing the firmware is violation of copyright. The answer to "Who owns what?" on a phone is simple: it works much the same as a computer and its software. A person may own their computer, but when they purchase software, they agree to a end-user license agreement. When a person buys a phone, they agree to use the phone according to the carrier's dictates. A carrier can put whatever they want in their agreement including a clause that the firmware cannot be changed. If a customer agrees to it, he or she must adhere to the agreement.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026236/phone-unlocking-ban-could-could-hit-you-in-the-wallet.html
Current Tunes: Sabaton - Coat of Arms
Recently, James Hadley Billington, a congressional librarian, declared that unlocking cell phones in order to be used by different carriers is illegal. This has angered some people because they feel that they completely own their phones and can do whatsoever they want with them. The real issue is who owns what on a cell phone. According to Billington, the firmware on the phone is property of the company that created it, and, therefore, unlocking the phone via changing the firmware is violation of copyright. The answer to "Who owns what?" on a phone is simple: it works much the same as a computer and its software. A person may own their computer, but when they purchase software, they agree to a end-user license agreement. When a person buys a phone, they agree to use the phone according to the carrier's dictates. A carrier can put whatever they want in their agreement including a clause that the firmware cannot be changed. If a customer agrees to it, he or she must adhere to the agreement.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026236/phone-unlocking-ban-could-could-hit-you-in-the-wallet.html
Thursday, January 17, 2013
From the Apple II to Nanobots
Mood: devoid
Current Tunes: Dragonforce - The Power Within
New technology is not simply appended onto society; technology completely changes society. Sixty years ago, there were only a handful (actually room-full) of computers. Today, computers are ubiquitous. We depend on them so much that if they were to disappear our society would be thrown into complete pandemonium. Technology has blessed our lives by facilitating the completion of tasks in a short amount of time. For many people, this has led to taking on too many tasks, each one completed poorly. People simultaneously update their Facebook profile, listen to music, do homework, converse on Skype, skim global news outlets, and perform many other activities as a result of technological advances. Left unchecked, society will focus on such a multitude of tasks that it will never complete a single task. Society will become like butter that has been spread over too much bread: adding a little flavor but not enough in one place to satisfy our appetite. We must learn to focus on what is truly important today and in the future.
Current Tunes: Dragonforce - The Power Within
New technology is not simply appended onto society; technology completely changes society. Sixty years ago, there were only a handful (actually room-full) of computers. Today, computers are ubiquitous. We depend on them so much that if they were to disappear our society would be thrown into complete pandemonium. Technology has blessed our lives by facilitating the completion of tasks in a short amount of time. For many people, this has led to taking on too many tasks, each one completed poorly. People simultaneously update their Facebook profile, listen to music, do homework, converse on Skype, skim global news outlets, and perform many other activities as a result of technological advances. Left unchecked, society will focus on such a multitude of tasks that it will never complete a single task. Society will become like butter that has been spread over too much bread: adding a little flavor but not enough in one place to satisfy our appetite. We must learn to focus on what is truly important today and in the future.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
First Post
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