Ethics and Computers

  Do to others what you would have them do to you, Matthew 7:12.  This simple phrase best describes the ethics one should uphold in our day.  It has been said that we live in a new age with advance technology that blurs the lines between right and wrong.  This can be true when one is basing their ideology on current legal systems.  What can be patented, shared, or even hacked can be confusing based on the modern laws upheld by our government.  But there is an easier way to determine technological ethics.  One just has to ask, would I be able to tolerate it if it happened to me?  Would I be okay if someone shared my software for free or hacked into my account?  Such thoughts narrow down right and wrong because if we wouldn't want it to happen to us, then we know to abstain from doing it.

Twitter during General Conference

  Twitter can now be used during everything and helps us understand what people are thinking when events happen.  Twitter during general conference wasn't any different.  Most comments were on how great a talk was, quoting general authorities, or just a series of animated faces.  In all, it was a good experience but it did not enhance my spiritual experience while I watched.  Won't be something I will be repeating in 6 months.

Patent it, but I barely even know her?

Saving your Kids by Being Hip.

    If you are a good parent, you worry about your kids.  What are they doing with their free time, who do they hang out with, what do they like playing, and, of course, what websites do they visit.  Some parents believe that a family filter is enough to protect their children, but I testify that it is not.  I was able to get around my father's web-blocks at the age of 14.  It isn't difficult and it isn't complicated.  What parents can do is get involved.  Whatever your child is playing, try playing it.  If they are on social sites, make a Facebook or YouTube account.  One cannot protect one's child from something one doesn't understand.  When we understand, then we can place the guidelines that will keep our family in check. 

The Brilliance of Never Drawing the Line

                In our world today, several wonder if we are losing our ability to be innovative.  We look back at the great men of yester-years and marvel at the creativity they brought to the world.  But are these idols placed on too high a pedestal.  While reading Steve Jobs biography I realized that revolutionary innovation doesn’t come from men that are creative or extraordinarily smart.  It comes when someone refuses to accept the boundaries that are placed before them.

                I say this because Steve Jobs is seen as one of the greatest innovators of our time yet he didn’t create any of the things he is attributed to.  Most of the creations and products that came out of Apple were designed by people much smarter than Jobs.  So why is he given most of the credit?  He’s autobiography explains that Jobs refused to accept second best.  He would demand greatness from his employees even when it was unreasonable.  Though his co-workers would fail at their goals, their accomplishments were the best they had ever produced.

                We can follow this example by never drawing a line like Steve Jobs.  If we demand only greatness from ourselves and others, then the products we make will always be outstanding.  That is where true innovation comes from. 

I'm Open to Anything

  Being a 90's kid, I was indoctrinated into Sesame Street's most reoccurring motto, sharing is caring.  Now an adult, I can see that Big Bird had a good point, and not just when concerning my toys.  Open sourcing and other forms of software sharing have been growing over the years and it doesn't look like it is ever going to stop.  Sources like Linux allow passionate programmers of today to express themselves through software development in ways never before possible.  When programmers are given this freedom they have the ability to fix and innovated without worrying about the red tape usually wrapped around major programs.  Should all software be made open source, probably not.  But it would be foolish to deny the benefits of open sourcing when it is done with care.

Living in a Man's Cyber World

  Being sibling to two sisters, I have seen on many occasions how it can be harder for the opposite sex to find equality in how world today.  Standards of beauty, intelligence, and well-being are elevated far higher for women than can sometimes be achieved.  It brought me to a new low to read the results of a 2009 study that show that the number of women entering the computer software workforce has been declining because the cyber environment screams masculinity.  Now I believe that gender role stereotypes can be over-come, my younger brother shows a lot of interest in fashion design, but I have to admit that while growing up I never considered the idea of being a fabulous cook or clothes designer.  Those were jobs connected to other girly items like Barbie or Polly-pocket.  So I completely understand why women might toss out the idea of being computer scientist because it is represented as a male occupation.  And with the increase of technology and the subtle decrease in other labors, it should be to our best interest to make computing a more feminine setting.