Smallish Post, due December 10

     I think it is interesting that many companies and organizations feel a need to have a code of ethics. The content of these codes is generally good and every employee should follow it. This content is also almost exactly the same regardless of what kind of company or organization wrote it. I feel that almost everything within the code of ethics is generally common sense or is part of being a decent human being.I hope that one day we will no longer need to declare a code of ethics but live them for the sole reason that it is the right thing to do.

Smallish Post, due December 3

     I believe that technology cannot be considered good or evil. I think that objects themselves are rarely evil. It is the intention of the person using the object that really matters. I am appreciative that the church's stance on technology is generally positive. Technology is an extremely powerful tool that greatly advances the work of the Lord. While technology and specifically the internet can become addictive and lead to many social and potentially spiritual problems, the benefits far outweigh the cost. I believe that we do need to take the proper precautions to protect ourselves from technologies possible negative effects. As long as we do so we can enjoy all the benefits that technology has to offer and use it for good to progress the work of Lord.

Position Vlog, due Nov 26

Book-Inspired Post, due November 21

I read The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.

      As humans we have an incredible desire to discover, categorize, and understand the world around us. We are not satisfied that an event has occurred. We also need to know why it occurred. If we hear that someone has died our first instinct is to ask how. If we see a magic trick we want to know how the magician fooled us. This desire leads us to constantly acquire more knowledge and can lead to innovation.

     I believe that knowledge without application is almost useless. Knowledge is being aware that something has occurred and maybe recognizing why. Application is what we do with our knowledge. As software engineers we will need both knowledge of computer science as well as how to apply our knowledge to create the products of the future.  In school we have massive amounts of labs so that professors can pound into our heads not only the theory of computer science, but also the implementation. I think that in our profession we will need to be constantly asking why things work they do and then apply that knowledge to be constantly innovative in our jobs. 

Smallish Post, due November 19

     I am always surprised at the limited number of women who choose the mathematical or physical sciences as a major. I have a great love for literature and history and thus can see the attraction towards other areas of study. One reason I chose a technical major is for the money. I admit that I want to earn well over an average salary and enjoy the benefits that the extra money would provide. I wonder if society has taught men to be more selfish in this way. Because of this they may be more likely to aim towards higher paid jobs despite potential other interests. Different sources seem to give different reasons for this phenomenon. I hope that we can address all these reasons and hopefully equalize what seems to be a growing gender gap.

Smallish Post, due November 12

     The idea of open source software can be baffling. Why would people choose to spend countless hours of their time to create a product that will produce no revenue? Thousands of people choose to work for free in their spare time with no direct benefit to themselves. I think open source software is absolutely great. I also doubt I will ever make major contributions to open source. After spending all day programming for work, I usually don't want to come home and do the same thing in my spare time. I applaud anyone who chooses to do so and at the same time question their sanity and possibly their social life. The open source phenomenon perplexes and amazes me. I can't wait to see what the next coolest open source technology is.

Smallish Post, due Nov 7

     I think that the church is fairly quick to adapt to new changes and technology in the world. Some say that the church is archaic and unvarying. I however think that some of the church is very fluid with the changes that are happening in the world. While the doctrines of the church are eternal and unchanging, the policies are subject to change with the times. In the past missionaries of the church had limited technology and most either didn't have cell phones or if they did could not text on them. Nowadays, some missionaries use social media, have tablets for email, or even have DVD players for training purposes. The church wants to use new technology to further the cause of the Lord and I think they are trying very hard to do so.

Smallish Post, due October 31

     Most people would vehemently deny that they are thieves. They would never consider walking out of a store with a product that they have not paid for. These same people would probably admit to having burned a music CD or maybe downloaded a popular song off of the internet for which they have not paid. As the world becomes digital these actions are brought into question. Is it really morally wrong to burn a CD for friend? Is it worse to download an e-book from a questionable website than to borrow the book from the library? Anyone with an internet connection can perform a vast number of illegal actions from the safety and comfort of their own home. I think we need to rethink and redefine what we consider right and wrong in this changing digital world.

Book Inspired Post, due October 17

     Even in the computer age which we currently live, most people hardly pay attention to their computer's security. We all think that as long as we have a password and virus protection software our computer must be safe. It is a rare occurrence for us to even consider that someone might be trying to steal the secret information on our computer. We think our home computers are safe and thus we assume our work computers must be safe also. Herein lies the biggest security flaw there is. Human error is the number one reason that computers get hacked.
     I believe that a vast majority of security issues could be resolved if we focused on fostering a security based environment. We know how to avoid most computer attacks but it is either lack of research or lack of effort that leads to security flaws. Almost every encryption method can be broken under the right circumstances. It's only when we properly implement methods as directed that we are truly safe. When we neglect to change a default password, we open a way for an attacker to enter our account. Every password that we set with a weak security level gives one more opportunity for someone to intrude into our lives. We need to be vigilant and always remember that security should always be a priority.

General Conference Tweets

     I am undecided as to rather reading live tweets is helpful while watching general conference. Most of the tweets I read didn't say much about the content of conference but instead said things such as: "that was great", "Holland is awesome", or "I love conference." While these are great things to say, reading them didn't help me focus more on conference nor help me feel the spirit. After reading live tweets for the first hour of conference, I gave up because I found it distracting, repetitive, and a little annoying. Perhaps if I was following the right people I may be more likely to get more out of the experience. As it is, I think I'll just watch conference the normal way.

Current Event, due October 8

     I truly am glad with my choice of major. The industry is growing and that's a good thing for almost anyone coming out of college with a technology related degree. I realized how blessed I am after going to the career fair. It is a relief to know that there are job openings and many companies are hiring directly out of college. I've seen many people struggle to get a job out of college and I am glad that my skill set is currently in demand. After working as a software developer during the summer, I can't wait to jump into the industry. I really want to start gaining experience and learning the skills most needed by companies right now. I'm ready to finish school and start contributing to the evolving industry.

Link to Event: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57605562-71/apple-now-has-10-percent-of-all-corporate-cash/

Smallish Post, due Oct 3

     In the past I always found family history to be rather boring. It seemed that my family history was either completely done or impossible. My father's side of the family has been members of the church for a very long time. Because of this, that side of my family is very well documented and most of the temple work is already done.There is very poor documentation on my mother's side of the family which has severely halted our progress in discovering more of my mother's ancestors. Because of the new tools that we have at our disposal, I feel that I can actually make progress on my family history. With the expansion of the internet, more data is available that I can use to identify more about my ancestors. I believe that with these new resources, I will be able to discover much more about my mother's ancestors and be able to perform all of the temple ordinances for them.

Current Event, due October 1

     Imagine looking out the window of your spaceship to see the beautiful sunrise on Mars. Right now this sounds ridiculous but maybe one day it will be a reality. Our inventions are literally being inspired by science fiction movies and books. We now hold electronics in our hand that once only existed in the most creative imaginations. The world isn't only making leaps and bounds in the technology industry. With better technology we are able learn so much more about all of the sciences. I think that we have started an exponential increase in all of the sciences that will take the world to places that even science fiction authors couldn't imagine. 

Link to Event: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57604823-1/science-trumps-the-force-to-create-a-real-life-lightsaber/

Current Event, due September 24

It's amazing how technology is in every part of our lives. We can't look down the street without seeing something that is electronic. Everything from our phones to our cars have some kind of computer in it. We are constantly seeking for new ways to make our lives easier through technology.You can buy an e-book on your tablet instead of going to a bookstore or library. You can find out the weather by simply talking to your phone. You can even order groceries online and have them delivered to your house. We are so much more saturated with technology than we were ten years ago. As this trend is growing, it makes us wonder what won't have some form of technology built into it in the next ten years. Will we all work from home and never need to get up off the couch again? I can't wait to see what the future brings and how we all will be affected by this growing trend.

Link to Event: http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2013/09/03/hackers-find-weaknesses-car-computer-systems/Ub7aZ44RqdBlUhrS8pWWLM/story.html 

Smallish Post, due Sept 12

While many of us may consider knowledge to be purely good, there are always those who would use that knowledge for malicious or dangerous purposes. I believe that the responsibility of how that knowledge is used, belongs not the finder of the that knowledge, but to whoever applies that knowledge. I do not think that it is the responsibility of the inventor or researcher to speculate on how their inventions or findings may be used.  Henry Ford invented the automobile, yet we do not curse his name every time there is a fatal car crash. I believe this principle should be applied to all knowledge, regardless on its date of discovery or creation. As technology becomes more advance, we may begin to worry about things such as security or safety. This does not mean we should halt the technological advance. It my well be a good idea to protect ourselves from possible abuses of this newfound, but we should not fear advance itself. Instead we should look forward to the ever expanding wealth of knowledge before us and put the blame of its abuse solely on the individual.

Test Post

My first post just to test this out.