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.

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.

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...