Tech for Good

Technology is a tool. Like any other tool, it can be used for good or evil. Technology has many uses and it is up to the user of the tool to choose. God has provided a way for this technology to come to pass and uses it to further His kingdom here upon the earth. Following the law of opposition to all things, Satan uses technology to make men miserable like unto himself. People have both of these pulling forces in their life and it is their decision in how they use the tool that has been provided. People use technology for good in many ways. Specifically in building God's kingdom, family history has greatly benefited and grown because of the easy access to share information. Technology can be a blessing or a curse. Let us choose to use it as a blessing not only for ourselves but for others also.

Google is Everywhere

Google can be anywhere it pleases. They pick a new market and go for it. Google has a new tool, Google Web Designer. This tool allows ad makers to make interactive digital ads in html 5. Their product is free while other software is not. Google does not care if a market has been controlled by one company. They decide to go for something and do so with full force. They see a great opportunity and they jump on it.

The New Microsoft Tablet

Microsoft seems to do alright with its products. There is one recurring theme people should know about. Usually the first time Microsoft releases a product it needs one full revision to fix most problems. I have always been quite happy with the products I have bought. I try to bypass the newer releases until time has passed to see whether or not I should buy. To be fair, I have not had a Mac nor have I dabbled in Linux very often. Microsoft is ok. They need to reinvent themselves and make sure they have things right the first time.

Priority

Advances in technology change the way we look at priorities in our own lives. We no longer have to spend a whole day working the fields to have food for ourselves and our families. Technology has allowed many opportunities. These can be good or bad. As I look to what my priorities should be I know there are many good things I can be doing, and many more things that are not harmful to anyone. Technology is a great blessing and should be used as such to allow us to prioritize the most important aspects of life.

Many Hands Light Work

Whatever the area of work the principle is the same. More hands, more eyes, more minds equates to problems being solved. Looking more closely at open source programming, there are pros and cons. Pros outweighing the cons. Open source programming is a community coming together to solve a particular problem. The community is unlimited. Anyone in the world can contribute if they so desire. The con would be poor programming elements being mixed in from who know where. Solution is some level of organization that can mediate all the the code coming in. You can't check everything, but it wouldn't hurt.

Women and Computers

I am an undergraduate in the BYU Computer Science program and there are two or three girls in any high level cs course (junior or senior). There has been no outward discrimination. Everybody is different and has their own interests. Universities shouldn't worry about getting woman into a certain program, even if the numbers are low, they should brainstorm ways of getting more people into their program. Whether they be men or women it should not matter. Each person is different and has a different view to bring to the table.

Cuckoo and Hacking

I hate reading books for classes. The Cuckoo's Egg was an exception. I read it like a novel that I hand picked. It kept my attention even being somewhat repetitive in nature. Along with being interesting I learned some things that I can apply in my life. The subject of tracking a hacker is not to exciting a topic. Nothing really physical is happening to do so. The most was him biking to work if he got beeped at home. Its astounding how hard Cliff had to work to get any kind of support and help from the different agencies that were being directly affected. He kept on chugging along despite no help. A lot can be learned from Cliff's experience. Cliff was persistent at what he believed to be the right course of action even when those he directly worked with were not supportive. Also, he kept a log book. The book became essential to him being helped and then to publish what happened. There had been quite a few cases such as Cliff's but none had the same type of log. I know the importance of logging any aspect of life. Doesn't matter if it is personal, spiritual, work related, or a hobby. Logging what happens will be useful in whatever case it is applied. Another thing I learned was not to be obsessed. Cliff flirted with this line on occasion, but overall I think he did quite well in keeping balanced. He took time to spend with his partner and didn't obsess to the point of losing his job. While working to catch the hacker and putting that as a high priority he did not put it as his only priority. Life needs to be balanced no matter what is involved. I loved this book and would recommend it to any one else.