My World is Flat...and why that's good.

As I read Friedman’s The World Is Flat, I was impressed with the originality of his idea that as a result of the many technological and related advancements in the last couple of decades, the world is much more accessible to each of us. It is flat. Although I had never thought of this idea before, it struck me as remarkably true and as I continued reading on, I thought about how this flattening of the world has affected (and is affecting) me in my own personal life, here as a student at Brigham Young University in little Happy Valley. I have come to the conclusion that it is hard to figure out how it is affecting me because so much of my life has actually revolved around these things – I don’t really know life without most of them. And yet, there are a few specifics that I can point out that are a result of this flattening. Namely, I have found that the outlook of careers in technology has improved, my schooling and learning have been greatly magnified, and a standard in education and skill has been raised.

As a student studying computer science, I find the focus on technology a really positive consequence of a flattened world. Technology has an increasingly important role to play in society, and as a result, the job outlook for my field is good. Because software and technology are infiltrating every field, I can work in any area that I find interesting. I will have many opportunities to work in fields that can really make a difference in peoples’ lives--something that I personally am looking forward to. These opportunities also bring job security and flexibility. This is possible because of the demand for knowledgeable and skilled engineers as the technology world takes off.

I have also found that the flattening of the world has greatly enhanced my schooling. I am lucky; I grew up in a generation that didn’t start with computers but still had full access at an early enough age to learn the benefits they could bring to life. Through the internet and the worldwide web I have had ready access to many resources from a collaboration of scholars. Research has been made easier and more substantial. Even simple things such as wikipedia or dictionary.com have made studying and learning more accessible. The flattening of the world has allowed my formal education to expand and will also allow for life-long learning as long as there is access to the internet.

As the ability to learn has increased, so too, has the standard of education. Because more people (especially those outside of America) now have access to solid, competitive education, I must work harder as a student. Competition for jobs now comes from all over the world, from people with all types of backgrounds, various experience, and different levels of excellence. No longer is it a given that students graduating from college automatically get a job. We must study, learn, work hard and gain experience so that we can compete for those job positions that are needed. This can, as Friedman mentioned, be a deterrent to many, but in reality it gives us a good reason to push the boundaries of our mind. It gives us a reason to excel and succeed.

Finally, another positive result of the flat world on my own life is better products and better prices. Because people from all over the world are able to work on the products and things that I use, they are better able to create satisfactory results for less. I am a believer that diversity in the workforce can lead to better products (although it doesn’t necessarily ensure that) and I think that this flattening has allowed us not only to have less-expensive services and products, but has made them more accessible and more applicable. Because the technology world is no longer run solely by middle-aged white men sitting in a stuffy office dressed in suits and ties, products come out more directed toward the average population. The general population is then more satisfied and this makes for a happier world. For example, I’ve noticed easier-to-understand user interfaces, web companies targeting certain groups, and lower prices for many services. This comes because of the flattening of the world, and thus, diversity in the workplace.

In conclusion, I agree with Friedman. The world is flat. And in the process of understanding that, I’ve also come to the conclusion that my world is flat. That flattening has led to good experiences that have allowed me to push myself and learn more than I otherwise would have. I admit that there are some negative side-effects of this flattening, as there are with many good things in life, but for me, on the whole, despite those negatives, the positives of a bright job outlook, increased education, and increased diversity make it a pleasant experience.

Copyrights

The ambiguity that surrounds the controversy of digital violation of copyright is a topic that has spawned many argumentative discussions throughout the world. It seems that each side of the argument is based on rights. The question becomes, “whose rights are more controlling than the others?” Orson Scott Card made a solid argument when he mentioned that the record companies who fight against digital copying may not even have the best interest of their artists in mind. Who benefits most from these copyright laws? Card also pointed out several effective arguments about how beneficial music sharing can be. It can lead to increased advertising, and thus purchasing. He also mentions that if the record companies really want their music to be fully paid for, they are focusing on the wrong group. Rather than targeting young people who don’t have real salaries, they should focus on those who do--those who can afford music and who feel comfortable paying for it. I agreed with many of Card’s arguments, but I still believe it is important to follow the law until the changes are made. It is obvious that this topic needs to be thought about, talked through, and laid out so that the laws are enforceable and protect the right principles. However, until that happens, each of us is still under obligation to live the law. Just because times change we cannot ignore the current rules. The Constitution is successful, in part, because people don’t just ignore it when something in society changes. Laws are what protect us, but they are also adaptable and flexible to the world in which we live. Adjustments to the law must be instituted officially before we are free to live them, however. Our job is to respect and follow the laws while acting to inspire change until the laws are in line with the desires of the people.
http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2003-09-07-1.html

Digital Natives

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/10/26/teens.internet/index.html

This article talks about the generation of children that are growing up as "digital natives" and far surpassing their parents in the internet-savvy world. I actually know how the parents feel! I came home from my mission and was immediately bombarded with friends begging, pleading, and demanding me to join Facebook. I heard myriads of explanations (justification, perhaps?) about how good it is at helping people keep in touch, how much cleaner and better than MySpace it is, and how everyone is doing it. I resisted, because along with those positive reinforcements I heard stories from my father, who is a Bishop. He is worried about the youth in my ward because they spend so much time on the internet. Several of the young women have lost their focus on the weightier matters of life because of their ill-perceived necessity to be socially networked with all the right people. I agree that the number of parents who worry about online predators is out of proportion to the number of actual abductions, but there's a reason. Not only are the children at risk of being taken advantage of, they may miss some classic human developmental opportunities. People may argue that children learn self-expression online, but I think that good old rough-and-tumble play on the street, in the yard, at the park is essential. The General Authorities of the Church seem to agree with that much, at least, as The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained upon principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." Wholesome recreational activities are important for strengthened families and the development of positive social skills. I find it alarming how much time children (dare I say people in general?) waste as part of these social networks online. I think the internet is a wonderful and inspired resource, but that does not go to say that it should not have limits. I appreciated Goodstein's tips for parents in dealing with their teens and internet usage. The most important thing, as is often the case in parenting and life in general, is communication.

Women in Computing

You would think that since I am a woman and I am a computer scientist I would know what makes it so difficult for many women to enter the same field. To be honest, I often feel clueless about it--even my own obstacles. I’ve been an officer of the Society of Women Engineers, a member of the Women in Computer Science Club, I even won an award from Google in memory of a famous activist for women in computing, Anita Borg, and yet as I have pondered on the phenomenon of the low percentage of women in the field, I often come up answerless. I thoroughly enjoyed Paul de Palma’s article about why women do not go into computing. He brought up several points that had never occurred to me and yet seemed to accurately identify some of my feelings. To add one hindrance that he did not mention, I think the pressure to succeed can deter potential women engineers. In computer science I often feel that there is much more on my shoulders than simply my own learning or my own grade. I feel that if I don’t succeed, a generation of women behind me may potentially fail. It sounds cliché and hyperbolic , but when I fail I often wonder if people think it’s because I am a woman and, as a result of my failure, I’m ruining the odds that women in the field will receive support in the future. I do not know if this is a common problem for other women in the field, or even minorities in other fields, but I think it is a psychological matter and one that will be overcome with time rather than percentage requirements or curriculum changes.

As a side note, I do want to mention that I feel wonderfully supported and encouraged as a minority in my field. While there are drawbacks that may discourage women, I have received assistance and encouragement that has provided just as much, if not more, reinforcement from the positive side.

Security and The Cuckoo's Egg

The other day a friend of mine was playing on my laptop. He tried to log onto a networking website in my name. "What's your password?" he said. "Yeah right!" I retorted. I'm not dumb. I don't go around telling everyone my password. He turned to my roommate and said, "What's your password for this?" "I'm not telling you" she said in a flippant voice as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah," I thought, "she knows, too. Surely no one just goes around telling people their passwords. Ha." He laughed at our replies and said, "Actually in one of my classes we talked about how that was one of the easiest ways to crack into a system--to call someone and say, 'Hi it's the system administrators downstairs. We just wanted to install an update of this program on your computer. What's your password?' and amazingly, most people play into the facade." We laughed about it, thinking we were cognitively miles ahead of those people who tell anyone their passwords. Are we?

I'll admit, I'm one of those people who often ignore warnings until something big happens. I used to hate those automated messages telling me, "You must change your password during your next login. The 90 day limit is up." Or the denials to a new password, "Please choose a password that is longer than 8 characters and includes numbers, letters, and characters." I was annoyed that I had to remember bizarre and meaningless passwords and change them all the time. Then I took a computer security class. My eyes were opened, and I realized how easy it can be to crack into a system. In reading The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll I was shocked again at how little about programming the hacker actually had to know in order to break into the "most secure networks in America."

Stoll’s book makes the point, as Crystal Ferraro, a security website editor, puts it, that, “In the realm of IT security, ignorance isn't bliss.” (http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/topics/0,295493,sid14_tax281934,00.html). In Stoll’s experience crackers often got in because of little glitches, such as people forgetting (or deliberately choosing not) to reset the default password, using guest logins, or even reading e-mails with the passwords saved within them. After finishing the book, I have pondered on how to approach this problem of ignorance in the common user and what to do to change this security problem. I believe that the best ways to address these problems are to have a dedicated, knowledgeable system administrator and to educate the system users.

Quite often as Stoll updated and informed other systems involved in the hacking problem, he had to deal with system administrators who weren’t concerned about security, didn’t care about seemingly insignificant hackers, or were just too lazy to change their systems. “…how many other computers are just as wide open? If the Space Division screws up like that, even after we warn them, then how are we ever going to get the word out?” complains Jim Christy, the Air Force OSI, after realizing that despite many warnings system administrators still do not protect their systems against easy invasions. The system administrators have the responsibility to be well-informed and to keep an eye on the comings and goings of those using the system. They should be concerned with security and have a desire to do the best they can to serve the system and keep it secure. Stoll is a good example of a dedicated and motivated system administrator – he did not let even a $.75 accounting error slip past his view. (I’m not suggesting, however, that all system administrators need to sleep under their desks to be dedicated.)

After reading about Stoll’s experiences, however, I also realize that even with the best system administrators in the world, people still have faults. I grew frustrated as Cliff explained how often people made stupid mistakes. I felt his disbelief when I read about the people that were too lazy to change their systems or just did not understand the magnitude of the problem. I now have much more sympathy for system administrators who, despite doing the best work they can to putty up the holes in the system, look down the hall only to realize that those for whom they work have left the front door wide open. System administrators may be technical geniuses and care loyally for their systems, but they cannot always compete with the ignorance or apathy of the users they secure.

Because of the role that the users play in the security of the environment, it is important that they understand their responsibilities. One Internet attorney said, “The best answer…is simply to educate your users. Even if you're already locking down your users' computers and restricting the flow of data via hardware and software controls, education is still worthwhile.” (http://www.ddj.com/mobile/184414530) He also points out that “education is not only effective, it's inexpensive.” Often kind reminders and friendly warnings are not enough--they do not force users to change passwords or create more secure ones. And when password changes or suggestions are mandatory, users usually create files or write the passwords down in accessible places (as Stoll also mentioned in his book). This problem can be overcome through basic education in the realm of security; however, there is a risk that people will sit and listen during a mandatory meeting and then walk away and do exactly what they were doing before. A good way to avoid this is to make sure people understand the consequences of their actions. Security issues become more meaningful when people realize the risks they run with their simple, thoughtless habits. When people truly understand the power they may accidentally give to others, bad habits will more likely change.

Although Stoll’s experience happened several decades ago, the issues are still amazingly prevalent today. Most of us will not have to deal with a hacker trying to siphon military documents from our computers, but we are all faced each day with the issues of computer and network security as we log into sites, send information, and share our passwords. If we make conscious efforts to maintain security and educate those around us, we will be much more successful in that endeavor.

Technology and Family History

Each year, thousands of seminary students diligently memorize Nephi's words, "...I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them to accomplish the thing which he commandeth them," (1 Nephi 3:7). The principle in this testimony is bold and clear, instilling in us a faith that if we do what's right, things will work out. Time and time again the scriptures illustrate this profound principle in familiar stories such as Moses and the parting of the Red Sea, Nephi's own retrieval of the brass plates, even the early Saints building a temple in Nauvoo despite crippling poverty and persecution. Sometimes, however, in our zealousness to learn the principle and identify it in our scriptural records, we neglect to realize the same support that we receive in our own lives.

The great Plan of Happiness is eternal. It revolves around eternal principles and laws. Central to this plan is the family, which by nature is meant to be eternal, as well. Heavenly Father has given us direct and specific instructions on how to achieve this eternal family unit: through temple work and family history. As our access to temples has increased during the past twenty years, God has also improved our ability to research and record our family history. Now we are able to do more temple work than ever before. We are more able to accomplish His purpose of binding our families together forever. This is a modern day application of God's promise to us that He will provide a way for us to be obedient. Heavenly Father has inspired men to expand their minds and create technology that now allows a world-wide collaboration among humans searching for those who have gone before. As each new phase of technology increases the amount of family history work we can do, we become one step closer to fulfilling God's commandment to seal our families on earth so that they may be sealed in heaven. Just as God is the same yesterday, today and forever, His promises to us remain sure--with each commandment comes the ability to be obedient.

Data Mining vs. Privacy Issues

Data Mining is a powerful emerging tool in the field of technology and knowledge retrieval. Data Mining allows humans to acquire much more knowledge than previously available from the data they have. As the Data Mining field continues to grow and expands to more broadly influence the consumer world, the issue of privacy rears its head in response.


The joust between privacy and knowledge acquisition intensifies with the increased ability of technology. Miners and their employers argue that more knowledge leads to better life quality, more opportunities, improved business and more. The public adamantly declares that use of their information in any way other than originally intended is illegal and immoral.


As a result of my curiosity on the issue, I read several online articles. (See the links below for a few of them.) I was surprised by the comments that many privacy-oriented people made. Several articles did not even make an argument for the benefits of data mining. In contrast, I also recently read a report put together by a professor at Brigham Young University where he compiled a 65-page list of data mining successes. It reports on data mining in almost every possible field. Many of the successes involved bureaucratic business questions such as "how can we increase sales?" or "how can we cut costs?" but equally prevalent were successes that actually did increase the quality of life for many people. One example involved a doctor who used data mining techniques to figure out better treatments for his patients (children with brain tumors) and as a result increased their average life expectancy from 5 months to 39 months. I certainly agree that privacy issues need to be addressed, but before people completely condemn the use of data for mining, the benefits of this inspired technology should be given fair consideration.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/154986_privacychallenge02.html

http://www.thearling.com/text/dsstar/privacy.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/surveillance/2006-06-18-data-mining-privacy_x.htm