Study Journal 6

Social Issues in Computing

3/17
Male or Female, harassment has no place in any setting and is a sure sign of a lack of respect.

It is important to make promotion decisions based on merit, not cronyism; we cheat our business and our friends if we do so.

As a parent or educator we need to do our best to inspire children to broaden their horizons and not limit their goals or options.

3/19
How we present ourselves impacts who will want to join us, or who will feel welcome; we should put our best self on display.

If we judge others based on superficial factors, we may offend some and lose out on good idea input or growth overall.

Speaking badly about coworkers or people online does nothing constructive and may cause lasting harm and loss of trust.

3/24
Our time on earth is limited, sowe must use it wisely and efficiently to maximize what we are able to accomplish.

We should be careful as we generate code or programs to ensure they will benefit others and not hinder or harm them.

Discretion is vital when we comment online, without it we can endanger our personal information or unwittingly insult or impact others.

3/26
Assuming we know the best or only approach can limit our ability to help others develop their own skills or ideas.

We should be willing to engage others in new forms of media, but still realize the world is not just a digital one, and that real human interaction is vital.

Any media can be used for good or evil, but it is our responsibility to conduct ourselves properly online and help others do so as well.

Post 3

We live in an era of instant gratification. Via cars, microwaves, or the internet, if you want it, it can be yours almost immediately. This is great for the pursuit of worthy endeavours, but can be a liability for those with an addictive personality. The internet is awash with information, but much of it is of an entirely useless or destructive nature. The opportunities to waste time in virtual pursuits are also a potential trap for many. It is all too easy to spend an entire evening boredly browsing, following friends, engaged in games, or surfing salacious sites. Yet we are trading valuable time for something of little or negative worth. It is important that society at large learns moderation and responsibility in regard to the use of internet and computers. It may be hard for those trapped by these addictions, but they can be overcome. As the computer becomes a larger feature of our daily lives, we must act responsibly in teaching future generations, and ourselves, how to seek the best things so we are both gratified, and edified.

Study Journal 5

Technology Business, Finance, & Capital

3/5
Falsely presenting yourself or your business is a clear ethics violation.

Banks have a responsibility to the public as well as their investors.

It may not be illegal to quickly flip a stock, but creating a situation that allows such actions should be heavily regulated.

3/10
It is important to think above the problem at hand to abstract it to a general solution.

There are chains of authority we should follow to help those around us rather than just be self serving.

It may be difficult, but if we properly utilize our resources, we can find solutions that may have eluded us otherwise.

3/12
We are blessed with a divine ability that we must use responsibly.

It is impossible or improbable we will avoid all forms of temptation online, we must learn how to respond properly.

Part of what makes our mortal experience so important is learning to correct our shortcomings and improve our view of right and wrong.

Current Event Post 3

http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/10/tv-technology-of-ces-2015/

My dog is bigger than your dog. This common adage is one that drives the industry and perhaps no better example is the existence of 4K TV. Realistically, humans can't even perceive the added definition 4K provides, except when unusually close to the monitor they are using. Yet this technology is showing up in smaller screens every few months. It is easy to produce for companies despite the lack of demand, so they are ruthlessly pushing it into the public consciousness. Content is so scarce most ignore the technology, but this year at CES there was a major push. The sad part is people see the number of dots is higher and they "have to get one." But I think this trend will be just like the old Pentium processor marketing campaign and, once the number of megapixels or lines hits the next iteration, we will stop seeing more needlessly well-defined screens. Advertisers can only push the number on the box so high before people realize there is no benefit and that they are being duped. 16K, 64K, wherever it stops, I'm sure they will find another number to over-hype and slap on their marketing materials. Maybe 3D will even come back. Or 4D. Or maybe smellovision perhaps?

Study Journal 4

Cybersecurity & Espionage

2/19
We often mature in our views as we work in our fields.

Diligence in finding problems in code is a sign of good work ethic.

Some people won't practice ethics because it is inconvenient or "not worth their time."

2/24
Many times it takes a group of people to ensure one person's ethical behavior.

Do not discredit your own ability to inspire good ethics in others.

Often those with the largest moral failings are unwilling to see them in themselves.

2/26
The government is not the most ethical party in all situations.

Do not assume that your ethical failings will not be noticed by others, especially the Lord.

Internet security is a personal responsibility, as well as one held by service providers.

3/3
It is sometimes ethical to do that which brings the most good, but is wrong in some eyes.

Honoring the laws of the land you live in is crucial to ethics.

Preying on others weaknesses is a clear lack of moral fiber.

Post 2

Online security is a large issue facing the world today. Most of our modern world relies on some internet activity, and it is critical that activity is safe. Sadly this also means it must be monitored at times. While I think most would prefer true anonymity online, there are invariably times when such freedom would mean there were opportunities for abuse. Just as a bank puts up cameras to observe the comings and goings of customers by day or night, having a record of online interactions and traffic is invaluable in protecting those who follow the law from those who don't. Systems need to be in place so it is harder, if not impossible, for illegal activities to occur, but surveillance, with proper checks and restrictions in place, is the last resort we need when abuse does occur. I will always do my best in the industry to put in the safeguards to prevent a problem, but I am not so unrealistic as to not put in the monitoring systems to enable prosecution of those who infringe. It would be nice to live in a world of pure ideology, but it is a sad truth that we have to be realistic and pragmatic.