Sunday, October 17, 2010
My Presentation: New Voting Systems
The story that I presented to the class was about new technological advances voting systems. They are designed to make the voting process easier and more accessible, by using a computer to tally votes. The new system also allows internet voting, so that soldiers overseas can vote. As good as these new systems sound, they have one fatal flaw: they are vulnerable to hackers.
Researchers at the University of Michigan were able to easily hack the device, so that every time a vote was cast, the machine played the school's fight song. Although the hackers left behind traces that they had compromised the system, the corruption went unnoticed for two days.
The question that I posed to the class was, "Do the risks of this machine outweigh the benefits?" The responses I received were quite thought provoking. My fellow students examined the issue from angles which I had not.
The consensus seemed to be that the use of these voting systems is a potentially very bad idea. If these machines are put into use, election results can be altered, and American democracy could essentially become a thing of the past. Another alarming prospective problem, which one of my classmates pointed out, is the fact that if hacked, then voter privacy could be in danger. If a hacker has the ability to infiltrate the system, then they might possibly be able to see who voted, and for whom they voted.
One of the negative, and very real possibilities that occurred to me, is the fact that the government may still implement use of these machines. As technology pushes forward, it will seem archaic to continue use of older voting systems. These machines may just be put to use, exploitable issues included, and the voting citizenry will have no say in the matter. And it will be done in the name of progress.
The article that I am referencing can be found here:
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=569367252307714952
Researchers at the University of Michigan were able to easily hack the device, so that every time a vote was cast, the machine played the school's fight song. Although the hackers left behind traces that they had compromised the system, the corruption went unnoticed for two days.
The question that I posed to the class was, "Do the risks of this machine outweigh the benefits?" The responses I received were quite thought provoking. My fellow students examined the issue from angles which I had not.
The consensus seemed to be that the use of these voting systems is a potentially very bad idea. If these machines are put into use, election results can be altered, and American democracy could essentially become a thing of the past. Another alarming prospective problem, which one of my classmates pointed out, is the fact that if hacked, then voter privacy could be in danger. If a hacker has the ability to infiltrate the system, then they might possibly be able to see who voted, and for whom they voted.
One of the negative, and very real possibilities that occurred to me, is the fact that the government may still implement use of these machines. As technology pushes forward, it will seem archaic to continue use of older voting systems. These machines may just be put to use, exploitable issues included, and the voting citizenry will have no say in the matter. And it will be done in the name of progress.
The article that I am referencing can be found here:
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=569367252307714952
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Technopoly, by Neil Postman, Chapters 7-11
Postman's perspective of technology, thought it may seem radical, is an insightful and useful one, particularly for someone as steeped in technological culture as I am. I am impressed with the way he actually put his money where his mouth is and offers solutions to resist the "Technopoly" instead of merely ranting about it, which was my initial impression of his intention.
Portions of this book are reminiscent of Computers, particularly where he goes into Charles Babbage's various technological endeavors, like the primitive computer that would have used a punch card system had it been completed (p. 109). Bits like this brought the two readings together and reinforces his message with solid historical material.
One of the sections that I found to be particularly interesting was Chapter Six on medical technology. I had not previously known how much technology negatively shapes the medical profession. I could not help but remember, however, Sara's presentation two weeks ago on the ways that technology helps neurologically disabled people find their previously unheard voices. I have also read articles recently about exoskeletons being constructed for paraplegic people, people who had not walked in decades, that provided for them the ability to walk. This does not silence Postman's warnings, but I do think that there needs to be a middle ground; perhaps we should use technology to enhance medicine instead of relying upon it in place of skilled physicians.
I now feel the need to blushingly backtrack, and amend my prior blog post. What is leading me to do this is his guideline on page 184, "do not regard the aged as irrelevant." I fear that I may have given the impression that I felt this way in regard to this subject. I still do maintain, that Postman comes off as a bit of an alarmist curmudgeon, but his perspective is valid, and it is always reasonable for the older, more learned generations to keep the younger, often cocky generations in check.
Portions of this book are reminiscent of Computers, particularly where he goes into Charles Babbage's various technological endeavors, like the primitive computer that would have used a punch card system had it been completed (p. 109). Bits like this brought the two readings together and reinforces his message with solid historical material.
One of the sections that I found to be particularly interesting was Chapter Six on medical technology. I had not previously known how much technology negatively shapes the medical profession. I could not help but remember, however, Sara's presentation two weeks ago on the ways that technology helps neurologically disabled people find their previously unheard voices. I have also read articles recently about exoskeletons being constructed for paraplegic people, people who had not walked in decades, that provided for them the ability to walk. This does not silence Postman's warnings, but I do think that there needs to be a middle ground; perhaps we should use technology to enhance medicine instead of relying upon it in place of skilled physicians.
I now feel the need to blushingly backtrack, and amend my prior blog post. What is leading me to do this is his guideline on page 184, "do not regard the aged as irrelevant." I fear that I may have given the impression that I felt this way in regard to this subject. I still do maintain, that Postman comes off as a bit of an alarmist curmudgeon, but his perspective is valid, and it is always reasonable for the older, more learned generations to keep the younger, often cocky generations in check.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Technopoly, by Neil Postman, Chapters 1-6
In a sense, the beginning of this book is much like Computers, aside from the fact that there is a heavy moralistic and ethical spin on the content of Technopoly. Postman goes into great detail when describing the history of human innovation. He also questions each stride that man has made technologically which has brought us to our current advanced state.
One of the larger question that the content of this book leads me to ask is: Is this author an ideal candidate to write this book? He presented a fascinating history and really engaged the reader with thought-provoking content, but I feel that he may not be of a member of the proper age group to present a fair and balanced view of technology. Now, let me begin by saying that I will be generalizing quite grossly. I am drawing upon my own experience when I say this, but it does seem that older generations, let us say the fifty-plus group, tend to have a rather gaping lack of understanding of technology. This is not to say that he did not make some extremely valid points: "[Technology] undermines certain mental processes and social relations that make human life worth living. Technology... is both friend and enemy." (p. xii) And this is a true statement. It does tend to dumb down meaningful human interaction. Instead of catching up with a friend via a warm telephone conversation, or a face-to-face lunch, we are reduced to, "Hi wut u doin miss u <3" via text message. Yet Postman comes off as such an alarmist, that it is hard to really evaluate what harm is truly being wrought by technologies. It is even hard to agree with him at times because he does not always support his arguments clearly. In one section, he describes the dangers of the overflow of information. It seems like a reasonable argument until he closes the paragraph by stating that one of the drawbacks of such a deluge of information is that people will "have difficulty imagining reasonable futures." (p.72) I will forgive for the moment his use of the ambiguous term "people," but the is such a vague and seemingly unprovable thing to say. Is there data to back this claim up? Why would it lead to this? What sort of future would they imagine?
So far, this book is hard to take completely seriously due to the nature of the author's complete technophobia. That is not to say that the topic should have necessarily been broached by someone of my generation, as the bias may have been too pro-technology. This book is excellent for opening up a dialog on the ethical and moral implications of a technologically-saturated society, but the author is certainly not presenting an even-handed argument himself.
One of the larger question that the content of this book leads me to ask is: Is this author an ideal candidate to write this book? He presented a fascinating history and really engaged the reader with thought-provoking content, but I feel that he may not be of a member of the proper age group to present a fair and balanced view of technology. Now, let me begin by saying that I will be generalizing quite grossly. I am drawing upon my own experience when I say this, but it does seem that older generations, let us say the fifty-plus group, tend to have a rather gaping lack of understanding of technology. This is not to say that he did not make some extremely valid points: "[Technology] undermines certain mental processes and social relations that make human life worth living. Technology... is both friend and enemy." (p. xii) And this is a true statement. It does tend to dumb down meaningful human interaction. Instead of catching up with a friend via a warm telephone conversation, or a face-to-face lunch, we are reduced to, "Hi wut u doin miss u <3" via text message. Yet Postman comes off as such an alarmist, that it is hard to really evaluate what harm is truly being wrought by technologies. It is even hard to agree with him at times because he does not always support his arguments clearly. In one section, he describes the dangers of the overflow of information. It seems like a reasonable argument until he closes the paragraph by stating that one of the drawbacks of such a deluge of information is that people will "have difficulty imagining reasonable futures." (p.72) I will forgive for the moment his use of the ambiguous term "people," but the is such a vague and seemingly unprovable thing to say. Is there data to back this claim up? Why would it lead to this? What sort of future would they imagine?
So far, this book is hard to take completely seriously due to the nature of the author's complete technophobia. That is not to say that the topic should have necessarily been broached by someone of my generation, as the bias may have been too pro-technology. This book is excellent for opening up a dialog on the ethical and moral implications of a technologically-saturated society, but the author is certainly not presenting an even-handed argument himself.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Computers, by Swedin and Ferro: Chapters 5-7
The concluding chapters of this book were a complete blast from the past. My parents signed up for internet access in 1994 when I was nine. They had signed up with, at some point or another, all three of the major internet service providers mentioned: Prodigy, Compuserve, and America Online. (p. 121) The section which mentioned Windows 95 and WordPerfect, which were some immensely impressive bits of technology in their days, really put me back into a different time.
In the last chapters the technology that was mentioned earlier in the book began to morph into something a bit more recognizable. In the previous chapters, the technology described seemed so primitive that it was difficult to relate it to my laptop, which I am using now, or to the machines that I grew up with. It was fascinating to learn about the evolution of the personal pc; to learn about the growth and sometimes the downfall of the major computer and software companies. The fact that many of these companies, which became popular in the 1990's, existed fifteen to thirty years before the initial internet boom was new to me.
IBM has always been a company of interest to my family. My father grew up in Endicott, New York, birthplace of IBM. It was nearly impossible to drive through the town without being able to see some part of IBM's massive complex. I found it fascinating that IBM was essentially the reason that personal computers caught on with the general public; that IBM was so well trusted, that consumers would essentially buy a product simply because it was manufactured by IBM. (p. 95)
These chapters reminded me of how much technological advancement I have seen in my relatively short lifetime, and how much the internet culture has grown, in spite of the fact that I only weened my parents off of WordPerfect around three years ago, and I am still pleading with them to stop using AOL today.
In the last chapters the technology that was mentioned earlier in the book began to morph into something a bit more recognizable. In the previous chapters, the technology described seemed so primitive that it was difficult to relate it to my laptop, which I am using now, or to the machines that I grew up with. It was fascinating to learn about the evolution of the personal pc; to learn about the growth and sometimes the downfall of the major computer and software companies. The fact that many of these companies, which became popular in the 1990's, existed fifteen to thirty years before the initial internet boom was new to me.
IBM has always been a company of interest to my family. My father grew up in Endicott, New York, birthplace of IBM. It was nearly impossible to drive through the town without being able to see some part of IBM's massive complex. I found it fascinating that IBM was essentially the reason that personal computers caught on with the general public; that IBM was so well trusted, that consumers would essentially buy a product simply because it was manufactured by IBM. (p. 95)
These chapters reminded me of how much technological advancement I have seen in my relatively short lifetime, and how much the internet culture has grown, in spite of the fact that I only weened my parents off of WordPerfect around three years ago, and I am still pleading with them to stop using AOL today.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Computers, by Swedin and Ferro: Chapters 1-4
In Computers, chapters one through four, the authors discussed the history and evolution of the computer. From an ancient mechanical computer, to the giant super-computer, to the much-more-compact microprocessor, the computer morphed and changed greatly over the years, and consequently, changed the way that the world ran.
Although it seemed like a dry reference book, it actually contained a few interesting and amusing anecdotes. It was amazing to me that John Vincent Atanasoff developed the first computer after becoming frustrated and driving hundreds of miles, only to stop at a bar, become inebriated, and have a technological epiphany. (p.27) Another quirky fact that I found to be quite humorous was that Seymour Cray, father of the "supercomputer", liked to build tunnels on his property in his spare time as a hobby. (p.80)
The level of military involvement in the evolution of the computer surprised me somewhat. I had taken a web-design course a number of years ago, so I had heard of their role in the creation of the ARPA-net, but I did not know how much funding they had provided or how many programs they had in place for the development of technology. If the military had not had the need to sponsor the projects that it did, we certainly would not be as technologically advanced as we are today. In a way, had World War II never happened, we might not have ever seen a personal computer, or the internet, or at the very least, these projects would have been delayed for quite some time.
Perhaps the story which I enjoyed the most was the naming of the first desktop computer. Edward Robert's daughter suggested the name after watching Star Trek, as it was the name of a planet mentioned on an episode that she was watching. (p. 86) Being somewhat nerdy myself, it was amusing to read that nerdiness and technology have walked hand-in-hand for some time now, and that one of my favorite shows had a role in technological history.
Although it seemed like a dry reference book, it actually contained a few interesting and amusing anecdotes. It was amazing to me that John Vincent Atanasoff developed the first computer after becoming frustrated and driving hundreds of miles, only to stop at a bar, become inebriated, and have a technological epiphany. (p.27) Another quirky fact that I found to be quite humorous was that Seymour Cray, father of the "supercomputer", liked to build tunnels on his property in his spare time as a hobby. (p.80)
The level of military involvement in the evolution of the computer surprised me somewhat. I had taken a web-design course a number of years ago, so I had heard of their role in the creation of the ARPA-net, but I did not know how much funding they had provided or how many programs they had in place for the development of technology. If the military had not had the need to sponsor the projects that it did, we certainly would not be as technologically advanced as we are today. In a way, had World War II never happened, we might not have ever seen a personal computer, or the internet, or at the very least, these projects would have been delayed for quite some time.
Perhaps the story which I enjoyed the most was the naming of the first desktop computer. Edward Robert's daughter suggested the name after watching Star Trek, as it was the name of a planet mentioned on an episode that she was watching. (p. 86) Being somewhat nerdy myself, it was amusing to read that nerdiness and technology have walked hand-in-hand for some time now, and that one of my favorite shows had a role in technological history.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Me and My Internets
Part 1: In Which I Examine My Internet Usage
The way that I use the internet has been a problem which has been bothering me for some time now. When I have important and/or impending assignments, I seem to use the internet in a habitual and impulsive way. I will obsessively cycle through my regular web pages, checking facebook, my e-mail, and reddit.com. I tend to spend the most amount of time on the latter.
The time I spend online is not even necessarily enjoyable. It has become a habit. I feel like most of my clicks are less purposeful, and more of a nervous tic. This is especially true of my use of the "stumbleupon" add-on for my browser. With every click of the "Stumble!" button. I am instantly directed to a random website which I will most likely enjoy. I can do this for hours with little awareness as to how much time has elapsed. When I do become aware, I feel guilty that I have not used my time in a more productive and beneficial way. It makes the compulsion to obsessively browse the web feel like some sort of illness, an addiction. It is, however, for me, a necessary evil that I cannot seem to do without. I rely on facebook for a sense of connectedness with my friends when they are not around. I look to reddit for entertainment and information. I use stumbleupon for mindless amusement. In a way, I almost feel as if I am somehow plugged-in to the great web when I browse around online; that I am less alone in my bad habits. When I go online, I know that someone out there, somewhere, is impulsively procrastinating along with me, and together we can find comfort in the eye-damaging, and comforting glow of our monitors.
Part 2: The Blog Creation Process
I have been resistant for some time to create a blog. Do not misunderstand me, I have enjoyed many a blog, but as for creating one myself... I thought that it would never happen. Surprisingly enough, when I created this blog, I found myself possessing the over-whelming urge to play with it a bit. I had fun picking out a theme, and background, and even went as far as to edit a picture so that it would fit nicely as a banner. This project is leading me to think that I may actually want to create a personal or professional blog for myself, aside from this one, at some point in the possibly not-too-distant future. Although, that decision may hinge on what sort of feedback I receive on my posts...
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