IST 1100 Module 13

I have thoroughly enjoyed this class, it has been informative and enlightening. I never thought I would be a blogger, and honestly never even knew how to go about being one, it is nice to be stretched and accomplish something you wouldn’t normally do otherwise.

I enjoyed the reading “The World Is Flat” I learned a lot about the mechanics of business operations and why so much business is sent over seas. It was interesting to hear his outlook and the ever evolving and ever flattening world 10 years ago before smartphones became such a staple of life. So much of what he said was true, but I wonder how he would have reacted to be able to see 10 years into the future when everyone carries a mini computer around in their pocket with access to the world's collective knowledge at any given moment, that is truly a world flattener.

I definitely enjoyed reading about companies like Amazon and eBay and his take on them ten years ago. I enjoyed learning about their origins and how the technology that was available at that time contributed to their growth. It was fascinating to hear what he had to say about them then with what we know about them now and how much things have continued to evolve.

This class has really given me a new appreciation for the technological advances we have seen in this world and for how they simplify our lives. I guess you could argue that they don’t always make our lives more simple but they give us abilities to do things we

could never do otherwise. Thomas Friedman always stressed how the world was flattened out due to several technological things that have happened over the past few decades. I always felt it was more of a shrinking than a flattening but I guess that’s all in the way you look at things. I find it absolutely amazing that I can visit China and send a picture to all of my friends from a device I have on me all of the time. 200 years ago it took people 6 months to get from London to Salt Lake City. Now we can be there in hours and send media in seconds. It is an amazing time we live in, I feel like the technology has made the world so small and has connected in ways we never could have before.

I really don’t have any suggestions for improvements for the class. I thought it was great and very educational. I would maybe say that I thought the book felt a little dated. Although the information is relevant, the author regularly talked about events in the present tense that were very old. He talked about iPods as this new and amazing thing where iPods now are almost non existent, Apple doesn’t even do regular updates on them anymore. iPhones were never mentioned and neither was Android. The only smartphones he mentioned were Blackberries and Palm Pilots. Both of which are more or less relics. Other than the book being dated I thought the class was great, I enjoyed being a “blogger” for a semester. I enjoyed telling people I had to go post to my blog as opposed to do an assignment, it made me feel cool for some reason.

I enjoyed “A Logic Named Joe” it is pretty cool that it was written so long ago and so accurately depicted the future and our ability to talk to our phones and our computers and ask direct questions. I found the part where the husband ask hows to kill his wife especially interesting because I watch crime reality shows and so often questions like that are asked to the computer and later found by investigators.

All in all I have enjoyed the class and I will suggest it to other students!

IST 1100 Module 12

I wasn’t familiar with the acronym GNR. I have of course heard of its three components: genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics, but I was not aware of their specific ties. There have been large strides made in each of these areas over the past several decades. Artificial intelligence, automation, biotechnology, and genetic manipulation and understanding has all seen large strides made. This specific article was written 15 years ago so we have had a chance to see how things have developed since then. To summarize the author’s feelings about GNR and its potentially negative effect on the future, Joy discusses some of his colleagues opinions and predictions about the future, many of which he thought only existed in science fiction. Joy’s colleagues Ray and John had both been on a panel discussing robotics and certain human elements that they thought with time would begin to merge. The ideas they put forth were startling to Joy. They painted a picture of a future society ran by machines, machines that could think for themselves and do anything a human could do better and more efficiently. The machines would become so advanced that no human effort would be needed or wanted. 

 There were two schools of thought, one was where there were a few “Elites,” people who controlled the robots and they worked for them. In this scenario the non elites would either be treated almost like cattle, basically having little purpose, or they would be exterminated, seeing that their existence was superfluous. The second scenario put the computers in charge, they had become so intelligent that decisions necessary to keep the complex system running would be so difficult to solve that only the computers could do it.  This is the basis of many science fiction films, to see the rise of machines and the oppression of the human race at the hands of artificial intelligence, but is it realistic? 

 Another element of the talk that Joy had with his colleagues that made him uncomfortable was the idea of nanotechnology and robotics being used to make humans nearly immortal. Being able to replace worn out biological aspects of human beings with artificial ones. I presume that what you believe is really what would dictate one's feelings on the subject. Perhaps Joy felt that tampering with life in such a manner is unethical or not intended by a higher power. If one's beliefs are more along the lines of survival of the fittest and darwinism, using mechanics to extend one's life is only another form of evolution. We evolved to the intelligent state we are in, used that intelligence to invent ways to improve our lifespan, and integrated those things with our own physical bodies. Sounds like we just moved evolution along a little bit. 

 So now for my thoughts, what do I think about these predictions? And are they realistic or justified? My feeling is no, this dystopian scenario is not something I ever see being a reality. Computers can get faster and more capable every day, but that jump to one being self aware and making decisions on its own is one I am confidant will never happen. The question was posed: “What should we do?” I don’t feel it’s something that we even need to worry about. Life is unique and I believe by design, intelligence and awareness are, in my opinion, not created. Matter can be manipulated and formed but the core component that makes us human, intelligent humans, is something that cannot be artificial. I admit that I could be wrong, maybe one day we will see robots like c3po on star wars. An artificially intelligent robot that can respond like a human being to questions asked and even feel and think for itself. But until that day I will hold to what I think our future holds and that is faster better more powerful computers but not humanoids like the terminator.

IST 1100 Module 11

This was a fun assignment to do because The Matrix just happens to be one of my favorite movies! The premise behind the Matrix is pretty ridiculous but I love it anyway. The computer related part of The Matrix isn’t ridiculous but more why the Matrix was created. So the movie takes place sometime in the future where a war has broken out and humans have become enslaved to machines. The machines have rounded up all but a few humans and have put them in incubator type cocoons they have created. The Cocoons are stacked in large towers where their combined heat and electromechanical energy is used to power the machines and their cities, they are basically used like batteries. The machines created an artificial world that all of these bodies are connected into, it makes them feel like they are still living in the world before the war and that everything is ok. Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo is a computer hacker that is contacted by another hacker named Morpheus in The Matrix who wants to show Neo the real world. The only world that Neo knows is the fabricated computer The Matrix, the real world is the one where humans are enslaved and used as batteries. Morpheus shows Neo that because the Matrix isn’t real it can be manipulated. Neo is able to move faster, be stronger and bend and reshape matter within the computer world.

Ok so that is the basic plot of the Matrix, the dumb party is why the machines would ever create the Matrix in the first place, they could have just sedated the humans, plus humans aren't good batteries. But as far as all of the computer stuff and the Matrix itself it is really cool. So the Matrix is this big interactive virtual world. The characters in the movie like Neo and Morpheus can plug into the Matrix or unplug, so they can come and go as they please. There are programs built to hunt down people like this and kill them. If you die in the Matrix, you die in real life, your mind believes you are dead so it shuts down. The question I was asked to answer is if the way computers are used in the Matrix are realistic or ridiculous. Of course technology like this does not exist, but I wouldn’t call it ridiculous. Technology is always evolving and it could be that one day virtual reality will be so good that we could be sedated and plugged into a completely fabricated world. We would be able to feel and think and experience things in that world like it was real. I don’t know if we'll ever get to this point but it seems more viable now than it did ten years ago, that’s for sure. In the Matrix, the world was all connected into one big network, that concept is definitely true, it is just like the internet. We are so connected now it’s almost scary, luckily there are a lot of security protocols that keep us safe.

In the Matrix the characters were able to plug into the matrix and have information uploaded to them, this way they could learn how to fly a military helicopter in just seconds, or learn a martial arts style just by the information by uploaded to their brain. This is a very cool concept for the movie but definitely not something that is based in reality.

We were also asked to address any social or cultural issues raised by the film. That is a difficult question to answer. One thing I would say is that the movie is a bit violent, it features a lot of gunfights and killing of law enforcement. The only thing is that in the movie, the people were just computer programs, but it may have had a negative effect on some younger people that saw that as glamorizing violence and because it was in a virtual world, perhaps it desensitized younger people to it. I feel like this would be a very small group though. The other thing that maybe I might say is if technology does advance enough, lines between virtual worlds and reality may blur. There is already issues in the world with people being sucked into games and virtual environments to the point where it consumes their lives.

IST 1100 Module 10

To think this was written almost 70 years ago is crazy and a little spooky. The idea of a logic, or a computer. that can answer questions, connect individuals, and give advice is exactly the world we live in today. Things like Siri and Google now have made the story even more like our modern lives where we are able to just speak to our electronic devices like they are intelligent, self aware beings.

Certain aspects of the story seemed particularly prophetic. One of my favorite shows is Forensic Files, it is a crime investigation show where forensics are used to convict killers and solve mysteries. I have seen most of the episodes and many of them are about husbands or wives killing their spouses. Many of the investigators used forensics involved with computers and analyzing people's hard drives and internet searches. The detectives were able to pull things off of computers even after they had been erased and what they found would be used to convict the criminals or tie the crime to him or her. Very often what they would find would be internet searches about how to kill your spouse, exactly like what happened in Joe The Logic. When twisted individuals decide they want to do something like commit a murder they know they can turn to the internet for anonymous and detailed answers. Just like in the story people everyday use the world's collective knowledge that is the internet to try and hatch schemes with the intent of hurting or terrorizing others.

Another interesting correlation between the story and reality is the personal connection between people that Joe created. The ability to search for someone and potentially violate someone's privacy. Things are so similar today, if we hear something about someone what do we do? We immediately go to the internet. If it’s someone famous we just Google them and there seems to always be a wealth of information available. If it’s someone not famous we can typically still find stuff out on Facebook or twitter. With everyone being connected it is hard to keep things as private as people used to be able to.

Another correlation was the sexual advice that Joe was able to give out to kids. The internet is an amazing tool and very useful, but it is also full of material that isn’t for all ages and from some perspectives for any age. Young kids are often exposed to pornographic material at a young age because of how accessible it is. Adult material used to only be available in magazines or special movies, now you can access literally millions of pornographic or sexually explicit sites from your phone while sitting in the park. That is to say it’s always available, literally from anywhere. This idea in A Logic Named Joe was very prophetic. Children are curious by nature and when there is suddenly accessibility to what seems like an infinite amount of information it is very difficult to protect or stop children from accessing harmful material.

It’s interesting that the author of the story has Ducky ultimately shut Joe off to “save the civilization.” With all of his foresight when he wrote this it is very intriguing that that is the conclusion he came to. Most of us live and die by the internet and the devices we use to connect to it and our world probably couldn’t function without them. We would at least have to relearn how to function because of how big of a part they play in our lives. So that’s the question, is our amazing ability to access information and stay connected damaging? I think that is very debateable, with the good comes the bad. I see technology as a positive thing, but it has rotten portions. If we can avoid these the “Joe” world isn’t a bad one, but people will always use powerful tools like the internet to promote terrorism, sexual exploitation, violence, and debased human behavior.

IST 1100 Module 9

It is amazing to me how big international companies run and how they are able to orchestrate their constant supply demands and order fulfillments. Thomas Friendman’s experience of buying a Dell laptop and tracking where all of the parts came from is astounding. There are a few key elements to Dell’s order fulfillment symphony that allows it to work. It really is alike a big clock with many different gears and cogs all working together in harmony. First Dell has a workflow system in place that partners with Visa, and I’m sure many other major credit card companies. Once the order is finalized and payment is received, it is released to Dell’s production system. One of six major Dell factories that are located all over the world receives the order. An amazing fact I never would have know is that each of Dell’s factories is surrounded by what are called supplier logistics centers. These centers are owned by the various suppliers of Dell parts. If you are a supplier for Dell, your job is to keep these Logistic centers full so that when the factories need your part you can truck it over within minutes. That is so amazing to me, what an awesome and impressive system! Dell sells on average 140,000 to 150,000 computers a day, as of 2004, I wonder what that number is today. Part of this process as a side note is the constant evolution of the parts as to stay up to date. That is a huge process in itself, Dell has designers that are constantly working on new models for their computer lines, each new model will use new state of the art components. Each component in each computer can come from various suppliers, that way if something goes wrong with a part Dell can still fill the order. There are multiple companies they use for each part in their PC’s. All in all the process involves many different hands and an order could come from many locations all over the world.

We live in a great world with amazing opportunities and technologies that we can utilize. we also however live in a scary world full of extremists and radical diluted idealists. Thomas Friedman talks about Al-Qaeda and their use of the flattened world. He says that instead of using the tools to create products and profits, they create mayhem and murder. He says,”The flat world-unfortunately-is a friend of both infosys and Al-Qaeda.” Terrorist groups do have supply chains, they are used for destruction not profit. instead of investors they use donors and recruits and ultimately victims. These groups use all of the tools offered by the flat world, they use uploading to recruit followers and raise money. They use digitally distributed propaganda through social media and the internet to stimulate and raise interest in their cause. They use outsourcing to train recruits, and supply chaining to distribute the tools and the martyrs needed to accomplish terroristic missions. The flat world is as much a friend to them as it is to the honest and civil. Like so many things, it is a two edged sword.

It’s very interesting to think of oil as a curse, I mean we use it every day to fuel our cars so we can drive to work, visit friends, go shopping, and take vacations. We use it in planes so we can travel all over the world! Companies use it so they can have something we ordered from them arrive at our door in only a few days. It powers machinery that creates the items that we use on a regular basis. Our world runs on oil. The truth is though that for every person out there using oil and its’ byproducts are leaving a footprint, a footprint that negatively affects our planet. How is this tied to the flattening of the world? Well, a big aspect of the flattened world is the widespread access of information from virtually anywhere on the planet, the ability for countries to progress quicker and “catch up” to more advanced countries like America. As countries advance and more and more individuals are able to start participating in a global economy, it creates greater wealth, and with wealth the individual’s want what American’s have, refrigerators, cars, microwaves, toasters etc. So more and more people begin using more and more oil and a bigger carbon footprint is left on the world. Oil is a curse because we need it, but at the same time it is hurting our planet.

IST 1100 Module 8

I decided to go back to school at the end of 2011 after an extensive period of indecisiveness and confusion about my future. I had gone to a few semesters of school several years before this time and had taken all of my classes on campus. When I decided to go back things had changed quite a bit and more and more classes were offered online. I purchased a very nice computer with the intention of using it for school. Over the past several years I have gotten more use out of it than I ever thought I would, it is definitely one of the best purchases I ever made.

Since then I have extensively implanted myself in the Google way of life. They offer just about everything I would ever need, in regards to school and personal productivity and entertainment, as a cloud service. I write every paper for school on Google Docs, I have google spreadsheets I use for various things, and it is all accessible from any computer I pull up my account Google on. It really is quite amazing.

Taking courses online is really a dream come true for me. I love the ability I have to be able to sit in the comfort of my own house and watch a lecture online. If I need to get up for something I can pause it, or if I miss something I can rewind it. I can read and re read everything that is given to me by a professor and I feel like I am in more control. Plus I don’t have to make the long and expensive commute to school several times a week and park half a mile away from the building where my class is.

So in a nutshell, my entire education, at least since I have taken it very seriously, has been on my personal computer, and as an extension my iPad and my phone. Without a powerful computer and high speed internet, my educational life would be much different than it currently is.

Another very important role that computers have played in my education is the ability to access the world's resources by means of the internet. I think even as a kid how we would have a giant stack of encyclopedias and look up a specific topic to write a report. They would become outdated so quickly, and they weren’t cheap. Now with online dictionaries and the constant flow of updated information, the world is so different. Everyone is so connected, everyone can be as smart as they want to be, or learn as much as they want to learn. I can look up any topic on anything and read about it for days, I have the worlds information literally at my fingertips. It almost seems like magic, if we explained this concept to someone from several hundred years ago they would probably think that witchcraft was involved.

We have been reading The World Is Flat, I can’t help but think that it’s more like the world is tiny. I could take a trip to China and post everything I do on Facebook, it’s like all of my friends and family are there with me. Two hundred years ago a trip from Utah to China could have taken half a year.

I am very grateful to live in such a technological age and have the tools I have to further my education and improve my life. I don’t know how I ever got by without my computer, Google, and the internet

IST 1100 Module 7

Part of the Flattening process in the world economy was for individual countries to find their comparative advantage and exploit it.  Perhaps some countries didn't actively look for it, maybe they just fell into it.  Either way there are several factors that can give one country an edge in certain areas of international commerce over another.  Without this comparative advantage, or competitive edge, there wouldn't be a need for international trade, outsourcing, or offshoring.  The whole reason for these things is because one country can offer something that no other, or few other countries can.  So the question is "Why are some countries or regions better at doing some things than other countries or regions?"  A big reason for this that Friedman mentions is a countries, or cultures, openness and willingness to change and evolve.  This gives them an advantage and can make them better than the competition.  He uses the example of generations adapting to getting higher levels of education.  There are geographical advantages, certain crops can only be grown in some places of the world, so that gives them an unprecedented advantage in that area.  Culture can make a difference, what are individuals expectations for monetary compensation?  If a country will do the same work for less money, that gives them an advantage.  Government regulations and taxes can hurt or help countries in their thrive to compete.  If the country doesn't accommodate small business growth and innovation, it doesn't matter how smart the residents of that specific country are, talent and brain power will be wasted because of foolish politics. Some advantages will come naturally, others must be worked for, this is the nature of comparative advantage.

The idea of the self-directed consumer is really wear commerce is going, at least e-commerce and large portions of every day sales interactions.  A self-directed consumer is in essence an employee of the company, at least a temporary employee that does some of the work for the company.  With electronic payments and internet browsing a company can just list all available products on a website, kind of like a big buffet of goods set before us.  Instead of needing a waiter to come and be the middle man we choose what wee want, how we want it and pay for it, all without ever having to interact with a single soul.  Things were very different before the flattened world came around.  things are much more efficient and slick, on both the part of the seller and the buyer.

The last question was if globalization meant Americanization?  That is an interesting question, I think the simple answer is no.  I mentioned comparative advantage, if countries became American clones, there wouldn't be the diversification needed to create a healthy international economy.  However, America is the greatest Country on earth with the most opportunity, so as countries develop and enter the flattened world they are becoming more like America in many ways.  So I don't think this is a cut and dry question, it can be looked at in a few ways.  I think the more "Americanized" the world becomes, the better off all of earth's inhabitants will be.  I still feel that unique cultures and strengths is what makes a powerful world trade system.