Avoiding Addictions

Through today's technology, addictions can emerge in many different forms. Anything that you spend a disproportionate amount of time doing that begins to replace the important things in life can be considered an addiction. Common addictions today include activities such as video gaming, social media sites and role-playing games. Sometimes I may plan on spending only two minutes on Facebook and ten minutes later I'm completely unaware of how much time has past and how it happened. I know many of us face this challenge and not just with Facebook. I have heard that game producers actually try to make their games as addictive as possible. A sign of an addiction is indulging yourself in a certain activity rather than spending time with family or friends, sleeping at night, participating in social activities, gaining a better education, or nurturing your spiritual needs. When a specific activity takes over your life, you are in danger. Satan will try anything to get you to skew your priorities causing you to waste time on the wrong tasks. When this happens you lose sight of the eternal perspective drawing you farther from the eternal goal. It is crucial that we all stay focused on seeing things as they really are  and not become distracted by the things of the world

With Great Power Comes Great Possibilities

     Wikipedia has become a surprisingly successful development. Because anyone can post anything they would like regarding any subject, it is astonishing that we do not find as much garbage or false information as we would think. Although there are some people who want to ruin this valuable resource for us all, there are many more that want to prevent this from happening. This is easily handled because it takes much longer to create and post false facts than it does to delete that false information. Regular users are looking out for everyone, helping prevent trouble makers from abusing Wikipedia's open access.
     I have never added anything on Wikipedia, nor do I personally know anyone that has. However, because Wikipedia is able to be edited by anyone, with only a small percentage of people each contributing a little bit of what they know, Wikipedia now contains a surplus of information. This is just one example of how people as a group can make a big difference. No one knows everything, but everyone know a little about something. If everyone pitches in, a massive amount of knowledge can be accumulated. When we all work together we can accomplish anything we desire whether it be good or bad.
    People working together in a large enough group can become unstoppable. Large groups have been known to stand up to companies, and make them do what the people want. We have all had an experience when it just took that one extra person to get you to listen and take the advice. The more people there are the more influential they can be. This can be dangerous when the group's goal is unethical. For this reason, the government will always try to step in to prevent possible negative effects when they see people gathering with a common cause. The more people there are, the more difficult they are to manage. When you get a group together they have great power and there are unlimited possibilities.

Computer Science: A Feminine Discipline

   All throughout my life I have enjoyed and excelled in math and problem solving. This was the reason I initially considered mathematics and electrical engineering majors when I began college. I knew these were perceived as masculine subjects and that few of my female peers had similar passions, but these factors only encouraged me to pursue my goals. People thought I was really smart just because I was a math nerd and wanted to be a mathematician when I grew up. I enjoyed the attention and this only boosted my confidence. Because I was a minority regarding my fascination with mathematics, ever since grade school all of my teachers have encouraged me to persevere and fulfill my dreams. As a minority, I do enjoy the many benefits from being a woman in computer science.
   From what I have experienced, girls are intimidated by computer science and look up to women that are brave enough to go into this field. Because there are many other challenging majors which women are not afraid to take part in, we can agree that it is not the factor of computer science being difficult that scares women away. Computer science is misunderstood by many which makes it a scary subject to approach. Trying to get girls into gaming is not the solution. I have never been interested in video games or anything of the sort. It is the problem solving that I enjoy. Finding ways to get girls to become familiar with simple programming early on is a better solution for getting more women into the computer science field.

http://archive.cra.org/CRN/issues/0304.pdf
http://cpms-old.byu.edu/speeches/family-education-careers
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/business/16digi.html?_r=1
http://eusesconsortium.org/gender/
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CCsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fciteseerx.ist.psu.edu%2Fviewdoc%2Fdownload%3Fdoi%3D10.1.1.95.812%26rep%3Drep1%26type%3Dpdf&rct=j&q=DePalma%2C%20%22Why%20Women%20Avoid%20Computer%20Science%22&ei=TZuzTLreKoeisQOx37yzCA&usg=AFQjCNHmZ1QHV0_ugH64A2qDh7o3oEwoSg&sig2=WP8JIFLGG5yDnhz9vgn_4w&cad=rja

Technology and the Gospel

  The Lord has inspired the development of technology to help spread the gospel throughout all nations. I often share my beliefs with friends, including those that may live far away, by posting links to conference talks or Mormon messages on my Facebook or blog. This way, people are exposed to what I believe and can find out more if they would like to. Mormon.org is another way people can ask questions if they are interested and find answers from real people like them instead of calling a random number on the back of a pass-a-long card. These resources are great improvements in the spreading of the gospel.
   Computers have simplified temple work, the building of church structures, the transferring of church finances, the viewing of church messages, and long distance missionary work. Through whatever methods the gospel is growing, Satan is finding ways to impede this work. Although technology has benefited the church in many ways, we need to be careful in how we use it. When using social media we must be sure that it is in ways that are uplifting, while having a positive influence on others. There is so much good we can accomplish through technology if we continue using it the way the Lord intended.

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/06/the-church-and-computers-using-tools-the-lord-has-provided?lang=eng
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/05/thou-shalt-give-heed-unto-all-his-words?lang=eng
http://www.lds.org/church/news/mormonorgs-redesign-connects-members-and-investigators?lang=eng
http://www.lds.org/church/news/using-social-media-for-gospel-purposes?lang=eng

Copyright Control Freaks

Imagine a world where you could never listen to music that you did not own. The odds are slim of you stumbling upon a purchase of an album you like without someone sharing it with you first. If our society never shared music with each other, the recognition of great singers would be a much slower process. In the entertainment world, the most effective way for something to become popular is by word of mouth. Similarly, if my friends could not show me trailers of movies they were excited to go see, I might never discover those movies either. Preventing people from sharing entertainment with each other would hurt the entertainment industry much more than the current situation already is.

   Honestly, there is not much incentive for me to pay for my own copy of all the songs that I like. I will either hear them for free on the radio, on Pandora, or on YouTube. Whether I end up with my own copy through a friend, or not, I would not have spent the money on it anyway. The difference is that I would get to listen to songs I like whenever I want and this may even allow more of my friends to discover that they like the songs also. This would cause a ripple effect involving more people going to a singer's concert or purchasing their products. Not enough people illegally create or copy products to keep performers from profiting. If people really care about having their own copy, then they know that the originally manufactured items have the best quality anyway. Those that are willing to buy their own copy of products will do so, and those that are not cannot be forced to.

http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2003-09-07-1.html
http://arantxa.ii.uam.es/~ssantini/work/papers/recent/s428_proof.pdf
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1197470&isnumber=26946
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1197471&isnumber=26946
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_control_of_ideas
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/when-patents-attack

Linux Development

Before I became a computer science major, I had never heard of the Linux operating system.  Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Linux has developed into an excellent source of good software.  Linus, the creator of Linux, had a unique way of optimizing the development of the Linux operating system.  While it is true that the more people you have working on a system the more flaws will be discovered in a shorter amount of time, it is also risky.  Using this approach puts the developer at risk for having unsatisfied users.  However, the more people you have working on a problem, the more likely that someone will have the capability to fix it.  This dramatically decreases the time it takes to solve an issue and make the new and improved version available for use.  A theory of Linus's that I do agree with is that people should not have to work on a project that they aren't intrigued by.  Someone is more likely to be successful and productive while working on a task that they find pleasure in.  This decreases the time it takes an assignment to be completed.  All of these components of Linus's style of development contributed to the successfulness of Linux operating systems today. 

http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar/index.html

Hidden Weaknesses

From reading "The Cuckoo's Egg" I have learned how vulnerable computer systems around the world really are.  It is scary to think that there are so many holes in our computer programs through which hackers can sneak in to get our private information.  We are putting our society in danger by being so unaware of the damage that could be done if our computers are unprotected.  We are vulnerable to computer hackers out there that have discovered the flaws of various computer systems that we have yet to learn about.  They are ruining the trust that computer users need to have in order to be able to collaborate to benefit from the profitable resources that computers can be.  Those we call hackers need to stop playing games and pulling pranks, and realize how destructive they are being.  They are creating more work for innocent people.  Their pranks put people behind schedule in projects, in development plans, in schoolwork, and in jobs.  I have had many friends at school whose computers have crashed causing them to lose everything, including important papers or projects they had been working on.  When this happens, it is not just inconvenient, but it is completely vexing to have to either restore the information they had, or redo all the work they had lost.  Think of all the pictures, programs, and information that can be stored on one computer.  If all that is lost, it is like a chunk of data that has been documenting your life just disappears.  Flaws in computer programs need to be made known to the users and fixed.  There should be better ways of informing computer users of how to protect their private personal information.  We should be able to trust the creators when we buy their products, but we can't if they are holding back information regarding defects that could potential harm us.  Once users are made aware of weaknesses in their computers and of ways to repair them, they are responsible if problems that they could have prevented arise.  However, we cannot be expected to prevent problems if we do not know that they exist. 

This is Our Mission

As our generation becomes more and more familiar with computers and technology we are gaining more responsibility to do the genealogy work of our ancestors.  Gathering facts regarding the history of one's family is becoming easier and more efficient.  Through internet websites people can search for details about their relatives and combine their efforts with others to track down accurate information.  Resources such as FamilySearch enable people to document the temple work that has been done and that needs to be done for their family members.  Because youth today are so accustomed to using computers, using them to discover ways they can contribute to family history work should come naturally.  Elder Bednar encouraged youth in the last General Conference when he said, "Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work of the Lord—not just to communicate quickly with your friends. The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation."  Beneficial developments have been made in these last days for the purpose of saving souls.  It is necessary that we take advantage of our resources so that we may fulfill our obligations to do the work for the dead.

They're Watching You

As social networking sites become more and more popular, producers are finding better ways to encourage users to share their personal lives with the world.  This enables authorities to more easily watch our every move.  It is as though we have given them the password to all of our personal information.  If someone were interested enough, they could discover information regarding someone's gender, birthday, religion, age, family relationships, education, hobbies, friends, location, and ethnicity just by reading someone's past tweets on twitter.  This could be turned into either a good or a bad situation.  Most people would think this would be an invasion of personal privacy, but that is if it weren't for the fact that people voluntarily post this information for the world to see.  However, people need to be aware that if they don't want their personal life being open to the public, they shouldn't post it online. On the other hand, free access to unlimited information like this can benefit society under the circumstances that this information is used for research.  Public information can be collected and studied, to find patterns that may help in finding solutions to problems.  An example of this would be to watch people that show signs of abusing drugs and find out what may cause this or find correlations to prevent it in the future.  It is not necessarily a bad thing for people to post information online or for others to be able to see it, as long as they are mindful of who could access it or what may come of it.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/tech/social-media/web-1984-orwell-cashmore/index.html

Diminishing the Digital Divide

As technology advances, new devices are becoming cheaper, more efficient, and more easily accessible to anybody and everybody. This is an incredible improvement considering how expensive early technology use to be. At first, only those who were wealthy or had personal connections were able to benefit from new technology. Nowadays, almost everyone who wants it can have internet access, if not at home, then through the phones in their pocket at all times. The internet has become an amazing source of information and way of connecting to people. We are able to gain knowledge on any subject that exists, keep up to date with the latest news and game scores, and communicate with friends and family around the world. It is only fair that no one be deprived of the advantages of technology regardless of their financial budget or location. Everyone can benefit from the use of technology. The day is growing nearer where the gap between those who do and do not have high speed internet access will cease to exist.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/tech/mobile/ibm-digital-divide-gahran/index.html

Changing the Ways of Education Through Technology

Education has changed dramatically since our parents' generation was in school. Where our parents used encyclopedias for research papers, we now use "Google Search". Our parents had typewriting lessons on typewriters, which could only print text, whereas we now have typewriting lessons for computer keyboards with which our options are limitless. Classroom resources for demonstrations have transformed from chalkboards, to overhead projectors, to smart boards. They have become easier to use and more effective in student's learning. By using the resources we have, we are able to enhance the way in which students learn. We should use our knowledge of various strengths and weaknesses that children have in learning to create ways in which all students can obtain a better education. It is great that with the advancement of technology, businesses are finding ways to increase the use of interactive learning processes.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/tech/mobile/apple-ibooks-2/index.html#

Advancing in Technology: For better or for worse?

Technology has come a long way in the past fifty years, but the question is, has it been a positive or a negative influence in the world?  I believe that technology can be of both assistance and hindrance in our lives depending on how we use it.  If you are one of those people that can lose track of time for hours on social networking sites, playing video games, chatting, or doing meaningless activities, then technology appears to be holding you back.  On the other hand, if technology is used for good, such as family history work, or research, it can help us solve problems more efficiently. So many factors of life have been made simpler by the advancement of technology like spreading the gospel, staying connected with family and friends, and providing unlimited resources of information. In my opinion, the answer to whether or not technology has improved the world we live in all depends on how we use it.
http://www.mat.upm.es/~jcm/neil-postman--five-things.html
http://lds.org/ensign/2001/05/focus-and-priorities?lang=eng

First Three-day weekend of the New Year!

Although the semester only began two weeks ago, our first day off of the semester was gladly welcomed.  Having long breaks like Christmas vacation makes me realize how much I really enjoy just relaxing and letting my brain be stress free for a little while.  This weekend included lots of family fun, my first experience in my new calling, and of course some relaxing on the side!  Yesterday, was my first week as a primary Sunday school teacher which, in my ward, really means nursery teacher/baby-sitter.  Since Daniel and I are in a married student ward, of the few babies that there are, there is only one child old enough for nursery.  As nursery teachers, two of us team up to take care of one cute little girl for two hours and it's so much fun!  Sunday afternoon, during my usual Sunday phone call to my family, my brother had been practicing his French horn and decided he was going to play to me over the phone for twenty whole minutes!  I actually really enjoyed it and was glad to hear that he practices, probably more than I use to.  From sixth through twelfth grade I played the French horn in school and when my brother started middle school this last year he decided to take after me and do the same.  I'm very impressed with how well he plays already!  Sunday evening was spent with some of Daniel's family including Nanny and Papa and cousins all that came down from Idaho for the weekend.  It was a late night of watching "Dolphin Tale" while pigging-out eating popcorn, Goobers, and brownies, and then playing several rounds of 'canasta', the card game.  Today we all went out for lunch to Pizza Pie Cafe of course, since Daniel and his uncle work there.  And even though we went there for lunch and we have four boxes of pizza from there in our fridge at home, I still haven't had a single slice of pizza all day.  And boy, is that rare! However, I did devour half of a large cookie monster while we were there, but that's just typical me.  I tend to have a major sweet tooth problem when exposed to a large amount of treats and sweets! And of course there's nothing like spending a few hours reminiscing with your best friend!  Well I'd say it was definitely an enjoyable weekend and there's nothing better than family time!

I have a BLOG!!!

Guess What! I have a blog!  I suppose I've been meaning to create one for a while, but now I'm required to have one due to one of my CS classes.  Because of this, most of my posts in the beginning will probably be required assignments and not posts written on topics of my choosing.  I know this post does seem rather dull, but I didn't want my first post to be a homework assignment and I thought I should give an explanation before I began.  I guess that's all for now.  Oh and I would like to wish anyone out there a Happy New Year and good luck on the new semester!