A Step Above Gaming

I wholeheartedly agree that video games can be dangerous and addictive; however, we should consider this issue from a gamer's point of view. Video games are typically played to escape stress, pass the time, or just for entertainment. In my opinion, and own experience, they can provide an excellent outlet in this chaotic world. The problem emerges when gamers fail to recognize an excess need to play. There is a fine line between gaming to relieve stress and gaming just to play. In order to overcome such an addiction, individuals need to step back and take a look at how video games effect their lives. However, the task of helping people recognize an over-indulgence in video games might even be bigger than the task of informing people of the addictive nature of gaming.

Procrastination Made Easy

The Internet has become one of the easiest and quickest ways to find both information and entertainment. However, it is also a huge contributor to the ever-present issue of procrastination. Of course there are vulgar things to avoid, but, at least for me, the amount of time wasted surfing the web is just as dangerous. In today's world, especially with college life, time is a valuable resource—a resource that is being consumed by the Internet. The Internet itself is not inherently evil, yet its accessibility allows for an easy way to avoid work. Rather than blame the Internet for being destructive, perhaps we should look inward and conquer ourselves first.

Chaos out of Order

As society has become more and more focused on the Internet, social lives have changed, for the better and perhaps also for the worse. Intricate networks are popping up everywhere as people become connected to each other via cyberspace. However, even though these provide excellent opportunities for many, it's possible that they can magnify some harmful practices as well. Although justified at times, social pressures also exist online.

Shirky used an example of a stolen phone that was recovered through many people collaborating on the Internet. The masses in this situation were able to sway even the police to take action. But is this alright? And what about the invasion of privacy and less than appropriate comments made on a public domain? Perhaps this cyber-mob overstepped its bounds; wrong-doings deserve repercussion, but human rights also deserve protection.

Society has taken immense leaps and bounds due to the Internet. Many righteous endeavors have emerged as a result, but I think we must be careful. Maybe it is true that the system (i.e. government) is broken and the Internet is the perfect remedy, but I don't think it's always our place to take action. This could lead to utter confusion. The Internet is a double-edged sword in a new sense; the social implications of this phenomenon could result in more order or even more chaos.

Triumphant Light

An Epic Journey from Dark to Light

Building a Better Copyright

Copyright laws supposedly exist to protect the individual in a capitalist society; however, perhaps these good intentions have been twisted to bleed people of their money. Most products today can be found with a copyright attached to it, but of course these are necessary to provide income for the creators. Where do we draw the line? Trying to gain complete control of a product isn't possible where there are competitors. In the case of unique works--such as music--the copyright provides income for the artist. Making it illegal to copy songs, however, prevents the spread of popularity. By redefining which products even require a copyright, maybe we can create a better situation for both parties.

Women in or out of Computing

As a computer science major, I have become accustomed to only a few female classmates. However, I don't think it's worthy enough to fuss about. I don't profess understand girls by any means, but perhaps they just don't have the disposition towards computer science that males do. Of course, this might be due to cultural norms, but the fact still remains that interest in such fields lie mostly with men. In general, these stereotypes are what help us to function as a society, especially since it's important that we actually enjoy what we do. While many are pushing to have more women in computer science and engineering, maybe it shouldn't be forced. The way culture is right now might actually be what's best for society.

Righteous Technology

The daunting task of family history seems impossible because of its sheer volume. However, recent advances in computing provide efficient methods with which to accomplish this undertaking. I think the Lord reserved this particular work for this dispensation partially for this reason. The number of tools and their user-friendly nature allow many to contribute to this mammoth project. The Internet, despite all its negative uses, is one such tool that is now necessary for efficient genealogy work. Furthermore, the popularity of computers and the satisfaction of finding one's ancestors attracts more people to the cause. With different influences of advancing technology, it is comforting to know that righteous goals and endeavors also exist.

The Integration of Technology

The LDS church has grown substantially large in recent years and therefore new technological advances are required to manage its membership. Important church operations, such as financial bookkeeping and even proselyting, have become more efficient due to computers and the Internet. However, even though technological advances are necessary, it is important to remember their role as a tool. One shouldn't become swept away by technology and lose sight of the important spiritual aspects of life. I have often thought that spiritual matters don't mix well with worldly things like technology, but if we keep the right perspective, it seems merging the two is exactly what the church needs.

Building a Bigger Fire

Commercial software development is based on a closed and private environment; however, open source development changes this dynamic to combine the efforts of everyone. Security issues might arise with the distribution of code and software, but the pros seem to outweigh the cons. The successful creation of a program sparks pride and self-esteem in an individual. However, the combination of efforts can lead to a more successful program because it draws from the flames of others to create an even stronger fire. Despite the prideful feelings that reward an individual, the result of collaboration, among other benefits, can help the development of the project.

Knowledge is Power, Wield it Well

In a technical field especially, we are taught to know as much as possible about computing and various other sub-fields.  The more of this knowledge we gain, the more equipped we are to go into the world and make a difference.  However, as we learn from Uncle Ben in Spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility."  And ultimately, this "great power" obtained by expertise in a field can lead down different paths.  You can either be the villain, acting for personal gain, or you can be the hero, acting to help others.  In The Cuckoo's Egg, we encounter both of these.  Or do we?


I generally think of hackers as annoyances that invade our privacy and sometimes destroy our information.  People that track down and catch these individuals are recognized as heroes.  Using their "power", they can thwart the evil plans of the villains.  But let's look at this from a different point of view.  Suppose a person has gained these skills and "power" and wants to help their country in, say, a time of war.  Using one's expertise to uncover secrets will also earn a person the title of hero.  This presents a dilemma; which of these two is the hero, and which is the villain?  When thought of in terms of war and espionage, the answer is turned into a matter of perspective. 

However, even if a hacker is performing a supposedly heroic act, we should still shut him down in order to save our own skins.  In our minds, he is still a villain.  But the "power" gained from knowledge should be used in the best known way.  For the "villain", that might mean hacking into an enemy network to save a country from attack.  The moral implications of hacking are still a little hazy, though.  What might be considered a noble act can still be illegal.  Therefore, the skills and "powers" that one possesses should always be responsibly considered before being used. 

Crossing the Borders of Internet Laws

In addition to internal turmoil, political unrest in Egypt has given rise to questions concerning internet ethics, specifically surrounding international politics.  America currently possesses the technology to supply or deny internet to certain regions and even sabotage enemy networks.  However, with great power, comes great responsibility.  The need to address internet warfare has not been an issue before now.  International law does not extend far enough to cover the proper use of the world wide web in politically taxing situations such as civil unrest or even war. This issue is then brought to the question of what is right or wrong in an ethical sense.  The acts of hacking or messing with the internet are quite illegal.  However, I believe that in situations that can benefit the good of a people, these laws and/or decrees should be bypassed.  The allowing or disallowing of internet should be dictated by the needs of the people. 

U.S. has secret tools to force internet on dictators

Future

Soon, the future that has dominated literature and imaginations for decades might actually become a reality.  Apps now exist to facilitate the apparent need of caffeine by the masses.  With the touch of a screen, anyone can order from Starbucks; and ultimately, this reflects the general shift in recent society.  However, while this denotes the increase of technological advances, it also correlates the use of technology to the need of coffee and other temporary energy boosts.  This in turn seems to imply that as technology advances, it saps more and more energy from individuals.  Of course these new conveniences serve to make our lives easier, but maybe it is also causing us to spiral downwards into a never-ending pit of lethargy.  If this is the future that is so desired by today's world, then by all means continue on this path.  However, following the current path, the future might actually be a little bleaker than usually considered. 
Starbucks starts accepting mobile payments nationwide

Retro Books

In this ever-changing world of technology, new advances have prevailed in surprising me again, but this time in an unexpected way.  When the iPad came out, my occasional Luddite opinions surfaced and I was skeptical of the need of such a device.  However, if it really is true that iPad users are using them more during prime time for the purpose of reading, I might have to change my opinion.  The tides of the world may be experiencing a retroactive swell that might replace sitting in front of the TV with reading more books.  And according to my father, even Elder Perry--an apostle of the Lord--is utilizing the iPad in order to read his scriptures. Hopefully, this new technology will draw us away from the tube and more into our imaginations. 

iPad reading could cut into TV's time

Day of Information

This age marks the bright dawn of a new day of information brought about by diverse forms of media.  However, with the influx of mass media, how much time is spent in front of the television or computer screen?  In my experience, most of this is wasted on fruitless information.  The time exhausted on media has become detrimental for important social skills and the majority of this information is not actually being applied to our lives in a manner that brings about improvements.  Useful knowledge and technologies do exist, but the benefits of this information age might not actually outweigh the costs.  The clouds through which the rays of light had shone start to look darker and it begins to rain.  The proceeding rainbow is a mere facade for the ensuing flood that we are doomed to be caught in if we don't climb to higher ground and efficiently use this information.

First Blog Post

I plan on using this blog for the purposes of my CS 404 class.  Despite this fact, I still intend on making it as awesome as possible.