User:Christychen

My name is Christy and I'm currently taking CIS2 at De Anza College. I'm 21 years old and I am hoping to attend law school after obtaining my bachelor's degree.

Christy
Employer:	De Anza
Occupation:	Student

CIS2 Midterm

For the CIS2 midterm project, my chosen topic for research was the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, which is the first item on the United Nations' Milleniumm Development Goal (MDG). I looked at current efforts being made to achieve the goal, including technology for filtering bacteria and dirt out of water, developments on low-cost drip irrigation systems, and the use of GMO contributions to countries in need. While each invention seems enticing, each comes with its own setbacks. While portable water filter technology can be useful for communities living far away from fresh water sources, the resources needed for making and distributing the devices can prove to be costly. For drip irrigation systems, the availability of the tech can also change the supply and demand of the market in unexpected ways. Lastly, there are many health concerns surrounding GMO products that scientists today have yet to explore. While these ideas are all commendable efforts of eliminating poverty and hunger, I think that more research still needs to be dnee considering the viability of the technologies.

Final Project

• What was your favorite topic? My favorite topic was Module 3, which was a discussion on intellectual property. Copyright and piracy are issues that are widespread among big and small businesses, from crafters on Etsy selling homemade items with copyrighted lyrics to the illegal distribution of major movies. Intellectual property is an area of law I am considering getting involved with in the future, and the discussions from the module gave me a clearer idea about the issues currently being discussed.
• What was the ONE resource that taught you the most about computers and society? I really enjoyed the TedTalk about Bill and Melinda Gates' philanthropic efforts. Although Microsoft is a tech company, Bill Gates is working with his company and his researchers to provide better education for children. The couple advocates the idea that if they foster culture of philanthropy among their colleagues and friends, they sow seeds to inspire people to use their brains to innovate and create technology that can change the world and bring us closer to solving inequality. I found this philosophy very important because isn't that the point of technology? We invent things and push ourselves to the limit because we hope to improve our lives. Now, all we have to do is expand that improvement in ways that can help more people in need.
• § = Recommended Links

1. Introductions 

§ http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_how_technology_evolves

• How should people approach technology, with open arms or at arms length? How should technology and nature be reconciled? In Kelly's discussion, he looks at such question through long term trends of technology. Like biological evolution, technology moves towards complexity, specialization and diversity over time. Looking at the future of technology, Kelly believes that it increases our ability to seek out different choice, possibilities and freedoms and play the “infinite game” in life. Every time we reach for an opportunity provided by technology, we allow for ourselves a platform to create more opportunities. This is how we drive ourselves forward and our own evolution. As such, he believes this is why we must embrace technology and accept it as an important aspect of our lives. Without inventions, we would struggle to advance our societies and better our lives.

https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_urmson_how_a_driverless_car_sees_the_road

• The speaker says that unlike assisted driving cars which actually cause drivers to become more careless and reckless, driverless cars eliminate the factor of humans altogether in order to provide a safer and better transportation experience. While this may be an important step towards safer roads, the discussion neglects the side effects of driverless cars. Less traffic violations can be good, but the income the government receives from it is actually important in keeping government running and governmeny employees paid. With the increase of technology that eliminates the need for humans, there may be other long-term side effects that have not yet been discussed.

http://blog.octanner.com/leadership/7-characteristics-of-great-leaders

• This article adapts many ideas of what a great leader should be according to author Deb Cheslow. The actions it recommends for readers are interesting because the author not only points out how important it is to maintain courage, but also discusses the importance of personal integrity and strength of character as well. Actions such as personal responsibility, moralistic behavior and leaving positive differences are crucial in being a good leader because they can provide inspiration for others to follow in their footsteps. The points mentioned in the article are very valid and can apply to most people in general, not just those seeking to be leaders.

2. Privacy and Freedom of Speech 

§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA6aiFeMQZ0- Four Reasons to Care About Your Digital Footprint

• This video discusses how the ways we access the internet and use social media can increase our digital footprints. Ourdigital footprints can get monetized, in which people's activities and information are shared to third party advertisers by tracking technologies that collect individual data. People have very little control over how third parties see their information - whether they are entitled to or not. Furthermore, user data can easily get turned over to governments as well. It's even more troublesome because an individual information could be misinterpreted. If someone looks up a video on terrorism or searches up on ISIS recruiting tactics out of curiosity, the government may infer and suspect the individual of unpatriotic sentiments.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/2015/07/02/do-privacy-concerns-really-change-with-the-internet-of-things/

• The article addresses the primary privacy concerns that people have when it comes to third party advertisers. According to surveys, it seems that most people's questions involve whether their data is being sold, who is seeing their data, how their data is obtained and where it is going, etc. People are not entirely against their data being shared, depending on what is being shared. Individuals seem more compelled to share their information when it involves obtaining promotions or product discounts and information that helps them make decisions. From the survey results, it seems that people are more willing to allow their information to be shared when there is more transparency from companies.

http://fortune.com/2015/06/15/facebook-ai-moments/

• Facebook engineers have developed a facial recognition system that can scan for people's faces across different photos. The photos can be consolidated to it's new "Moments" feature in which data is collected on who was at an event. Facebook claims it can recognize faces with 90% accuracy and identify an individual in a picture out of 800 million in less than 5 seconds, even if the photo is not full-frontal. Computers learn to "see" by using convolutional neural networking, training machines to recognize and assign weight to similarities in order to allow for image matching. There could be negative implications, since people may be identified at certain places without their knowledge and consent. Furthermore, if anyone can have this information at their disposal, it could cause unprecedented security and privacy concerns. This could also propel government surveillance to tap deeper into our lives.

3. Intellectual Property 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurenorsini/2015/06/19/how-marvels-amazon-deal-will-stifle-comic-book-piracy/

• This article talks about Marvel Comics' attempt to eliminate piracy by making a deal with Amazon in order to make comics more readily available. The idea is that if comics are easily accessible by readers in the global marketplace, there will be less need to use illegal measures to find comics - such as downloading PDF torrents online. The writer mirrors this to the proliferation of pirated Japanese anime and subsequent demise, which was caused by producers actively selling online subscriptions and releasing English-subtitled episodes almost immediately after Japanese release. A similar effect happened when streaming sites like Hulu and Netflix made movies and television shows more readily available. If companies continue to release similar commodoties in easily accessible and affordable ways, it could lead to piracy to lose its appeal - it's probably not enough to eliminate piracy altogether, but it could very well cause a dent in online pirating community.

§ http://www.elon.edu/e-web/imagining/surveys/2014_survey/2025_Internet_Looming_Threats.xhtml

• This page looks at the possible change in the future of internet and content sharing change, and whether governments should take stronger stances on dealing with net threats. Experts predict that increased government and corporate surveillance will cause a decrease in trust, which will then endanger the open structure of online. Most people are apprehensive about the future, believing the way people globally network and communicate will change for the worse. Any surveillance will usually result in forms of blocking, filtering, segmentation of the internet - Christopher Wilkinson, a retired EU official, believes that surveillance will probably do little in actually help security issues. Essentially, an increase in surveillance will foster distrust and undermine the the openness of internet processes.

https://www.sou.edu/it/int-prop.html

• This page from the Southern Oregon University website is an example of what schools do to tackle piracy and illegal downloads among students. Students are not immune to the law, and the RIAA and MPAA has contacted universities for information on students that have been engaged in illegal sharing of music and video online. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted material is subject to legal action, and the university will not endorse or support illegal activity in any way. The page also lists examples of software often used for illegal distribution of material, and notes that as a general idea: "If you haven't paid for the material, and the artist has not authorized the material for free downloading, it is not legal to download or share it." Most people don't realize that even through peer-to-peer data sharing, their downloads can be tracked by the government and they can face severe consequences from their online illegal activity.

4. Crime

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarp-and-google-offer-top-5-tips-to-prevent-cybercrime-300111556.html

• This article discusses the easiest ways to become victims of cyber crime. Connecting to unknown public WiFi networks that sound like official coffee shops, hotels, or other businesses offering free WiFi can be risky, and don't trust scammers calling and posing as an official company employee asking you to click a link could provide remote access to your files. Even though we can't be blamed for falling victim to the activities of hackers and online scams from time to time, proactively protecting ourselves from potential cyber crime can save us headaches in the long run.

§ http://www.privacymatters.com/identity-theft-information/identity-theft-computer-hacking.aspx

• The article discusses how online fraud has caused a decline for the global economy. While early estimates predicted losses of around 100 billion USD, the amount stolen from banks, financial institutions, companies and individuals could be at least double. In the future, even a country's national infrastructure could become a victim to cyber crime (for instance, transportation systems and the stock market). Eugene Kapersky, the co-founder of an anti-virus software firm, suggests teaching young children the value of internet security and cyber protection is an important early pre-caution. He likens it to teaching kids how to cross the street safely or to not trust strangers.

http://www.privacymatters.com/identity-theft-information/identity-theft-computer-hacking.aspx

• Identity theft occurs in all sorts of ways, and this website discusses how computer hacking can lead to it. Using unprotected networks, computers without firewalls, weak passwords, and downloading software with hidden malicious code could lead to computer hacks. The information stolen in such attacks is usually credit card or social security information, and they usually end up on illegal trading sites in which large amounts of stolen private information is bought and sold. Despite the government cracking down on cyber crime, professional hackers are still involved in such activity because of the potential profit involved. As such, it's important to be aware of how we can prevent cyber crime - such as using up-to-date firewalls, carefulness in web browsing and downloading, being aware of phishing scams and using good quality spyware.

5. Employment, Education and Entertainment

§ http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/06/11/choosing-the-right-digital-learning-device.html

• This article discusses the merits of different digital devices, since not all are appropriate for educational purposes. At different ages, students are suitable for digital learning devices with varying levels of complexity, and the author goes through an in-depth discussion on what kind of needs should be met for students of different ages. For instance, devices like tablets that are durable, portable, and offer interactive applications are important for teaching K-5 students. As a student gets older, they move from merely consuming information to creating it, so the ability to access documents and the internet through more flexible learning devices such as laptops is recommended. Providing software and technology tailored to age-specific groups can allow for more enrichment opportunities for students.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150703249215

• This site discusses "edutainment" as a tool for teaching children via movile devices. Specifically discussing Muslim children, the site suggests a few different applications to teach boys and girls Islamic concepts. Kids can learn about the Q'uran, Arabic alphabet, ethnic cuisine and Muslim communities around the world. This is especially helpful for children of emigrants who live in non-Muslim countries and don't have access to as much Islamic culture as those living in the Middle East. Instead of learning about their culture from just their, kids can use these applications to learn the culture of their ancestors. Furthermore, the applications can be enriching and effective since young children learn and concentrate best when the material brought to them in the form of something unique and entertaining.

http://www.ted.com/talks/boniface_mwangi_boniface_mwangi_the_day_i_stood_up_alone

• "The Day I Stood Up Alone" is a Ted Talk in which Boniface Mwangi discusses the time in which he stood up along against a corrupted authority all for the sake of what he believed in. In the context of the workplace, it is important for an employee to speak out when they think that something is wrong. Especially in young start-up companies where leadership might lack a clear direction to support its vision, every decision can have ripple effects - it saves a lot of time and effort to point out any possible issues before they actually become problematic for the company.

6. Midterm

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-battle-against-gmos-in-the-philippines-confronting-wto-towards-mainstreaming-sustainable-agriculture-in-the-country/5463069

• Although countries like America believe GMO products, which are genetically modified to resist pests, herbicides and provide more nutrition, many small farmers and organic farming advocates fear that such products can contaminate local crop varieties, have toxic impacts on the natural environment, and cause health risks to consumers. The GMO monopoly also creates fears that the companies may become oppressive to local farmers. In the Philippines, the GMO debate also touches upon the sustainability of such products and food security concerns. The belief is that the genetically modified seeds provide more harm than good to society in the forms of "dangers to human health, the environment, the livelihood of small farmers, and ultimately, to food security. While the country is giving up aid and short term food security, it is believed that GMO products are not, in the long term, effective in providing food to local consumers.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/06/portsmouth-pushes-diversity-its-business-contracts

• Female (and minority) operated companies tend to receive fewer public contracts than white male owned businesses, and it is a hurdle that women have yet to cross over. Awarding more public contracts to minorities and/or female operated businesses can be effective in promoting flow of money though more communities since minorities and women tend to work with minority and women subcontractors. By hiring people from these communities, they are investing in them and helping eliminate the disparity in income and wages. On the other hand, contracting white male owned businesses will likely lead to the hiring of more white male subcontractors. The article notes that from 2008-2012, Portsmouth spent $961,199 on architecture and engineering contractors. However, none of those dollars went to firms owned by minorities or women. How can female operated companies gain a better footing when the government itself prevents them from achieving success? This is an important issue that local, state, and national authority need to address.

§ https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_and_melinda_gates_why_giving_away_our_wealth_has_been_the_most_satisfying_thing_we_ve_done?language=en

• In this TedTalk interview with Bill and Melinda Gates, the couple discusses what they've done to help communities in developing countries and the gratification they get from their philanthropic efforts and research. Some of their concentration has been workngg with women and children's health and education. While they've had some failures along the way, those downfalls haven't impacted their desire to help people and create more equal opportunities. An interesting note they make is the importance of creating a culture of philanthropy among their colleagues and friends. By encouraging other innovators to take their minds and ideas and look at what can be done to help others, they can help make a dent in the inequality problem and inspire more people to make the world a better place.

7. Evaluating and Controlling Technology

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/06/26/artificial-intelligence-machine-gets-testy-with-its-programmers/?mod=ST1

• The article discusses a report on a conversation between Google researchers and an artificial machine. Asked to define morality and engage in scholarly discussion, the AI lashed out with indifference and even showed inklings of self-learning. A transcript of the conversation is provided, and the robot seems to be unable to distinguish between morality and ethics, preferring not to discuss it at all and even going as far to insult the human. This seems to be the manifestation of why some people fear artificial intelligence - "digital logic" and its remorselessness.

§ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/big-idea-2015-you-controlling-meabh-quoirin

• The question posed in this article poses a big question - are you controlling technology, or is technology controlling you? It seems that despite the benefits of technology, statistics show that people are not as happy as they used to be and people don't feel they have as much over their lives as it might appear. Appliances like the apple watch can monitor everything about ourselves, from Facebook notifications down to our heart rates. Tech like this seems to be an attempt for humans to reign over every aspect of their life. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the ability to know the unexpected is giving us more emotional and mental stability in our lives than would be expected.

https://www.ted.com/talks/hugh_herr_the_new_bionics_that_let_us_run_climb_and_dance?language=en

• In this TedTalk, the topic of discussion is Hugh Herr and the artificial limb he's engineered to better provide for the needs of amputees. By examining the tissues, movement, and muscles of biological limbs, his BiOM technology makes bionic limbs that meet human potential as best as possible. At the end of a video, he shares a story of how he developed specialized limbs for a dancer who was injured in the Boston bombings. Studying the movement of dancers and putting those movements into mathematical data that would would be embedded into the intelligence of the limb, the limbs he created for her allowed flexibility of movement far better than what any other artificial limb ever could provide.

8. Risks, Failures and Responsibilities

§ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu/things-to-think-about-dur_b_7697118.html

• This article discusses the safety risks involved when children use the internet, since most young people are not as cautious about the dangers of revealing to much about themselves online. For instance, most kids don't realize the dangers of mentioning the city where they live, the school they go to, sharing their phone numbers, and sharing their first and last name. Unsafe internet use could lead to "cyber bullying, cyber stalking, sexting, exposure to inappropriate material and identity theft." As such, the article discusses a few ways for parents to raise their children's awareness about internet safety.

https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/transition-tool-kit/internet-technology-and-safety

• This article provides an overview of how to autistic people can browse the internet more safely. It's similar to the precautions suggested to average people, but is more conscious of potentially risky activity. General tips for teens and tweens include not posting your photo on social networking sites, not revealing your age or hometown and being wary of speaking to strangers online. For individuals with autism, it's even more important for parents to sit down with kids and actively point out potential red flags and dangers on the internet. Talking them through the dangers and writing down important things can help the child learn how to use the internet more safely.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-virtual-human-doctors-office-20150713-htmlstory.html

• Patients' fears of divulging their complete medical history can be an obstacle when doctors are trying to do their job to help the patient. To combat this, USC has developed a virtual human meant to help patients feel comfortable in being honest to their doctors. The reasoning behind the virtual human is the less involvement with another human individual, the better. People may be more fearful of judgement when another human is present. The virtual computer, on the other hand, can track body posture and movements, gaining information from the way a patient reacts to a question.

9. Anytime, Anywhere

http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts

• This TedTalk is a virtual lecture by Susan Cain that presents an interesting perspective of introverts that most people don't realize. While extroverts need use amounts of stimulation to reach their potential, introverts are at their best in quieter, low-key environments. Working alone often allows introverts to perform their best. Yet, the workplace and education system is designed as open spaces for extroverts, preventing people from being able to "fly solo." It's problematic when the system looks at extroverts as ideal students or co-workers while those who go off on their own are seen as the issue. Introverts often face bias for lacking boldness and assertiveness, and while social skills that extroverts are so good at cannot be abolished, people should understand that there needs to be room to allow introverts to grow as well. Establishing a system that obstructs the development process of introverts keeps them from being able to reach their own potentials.

§ http://venturebeat.com/2015/07/27/hands-on-with-google-maps-your-timeline-fascinating-but-freaky/

• This article discusses a feature on Google maps that tracks a comprehensive "timeline" of everywhere the user has been. You can track where you've taken certain photos, retrieve public transportation history or even choose to delete specific periods or days from your history. Of course, there are also major privacy concerns with the feature, because data isn't always accurate and it's unknown as to how Google uses this information.

http://is.sfsu.edu/node/225

• This website discusses education and how it has developed a close relationship to technology. Technology has provided us a network for us to build upon, connecting more and more people - through this process, information and our access to it is multiplied exponentially. Inspired by his own struggle for education, Dr. Hector Ruiz is working to get internet access to more parts of the world. The idea is, because technology and education is so interconnected, providing people with internet access is a tool to promote education and learning.

10. Technology Advances, Social Trends

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/534986/project-loon/

• Project Loon by Google aims to distribute large helium balloons with solar powered electronics that aim to provide high-speed cellular Internet coverage to smartphones and other devices by providing a radio link to a network. While it's goal is to provide internet access to more rural countries around the world, the kickback that Google gains is new customers to Internet markets. Even though the company is ultimately trying to increase it's own income, this investment can really benefit society through providing internet for areas with less cell tower coverage.

§ http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/transportation/alternative-transportation/lexus-builds-hoverboard-to-go-back-to-the-future-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IeeeSpectrum+%28IEEE+Spectrum%29

• This article discusses experiments done by automakers to attempt to build hover tech. While it mentions that Toyota has already begun toying with the idea of hover cars, the main discussion here is the possibility of a hover board. An homage to the movie "Back to the Future," Lexus combines technology with design and innovation. However, Lexus is aware of the limits of such a device and the hover boards it's trying to develop are mostly a pet project of the company that's not likely to be mass marketed. Regardless, it's still important for people and companies to continue to work towards innovation and new ideas. Lexus' attempt to create a working hover board is a great example of taking an idea and trying to push the limits of technology with creativity. It may not be realistic produce, but just the process of trying to create such a device inspires more people to innovate. As such, movies like Back to the Future are still important because they also remind society the importance of creativity and how far a simple idea can take us.

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/05/21/what-do-you-really-get-for-7000-tesla-powerwall-home-battery/

• The Tesla Powerwall is a device that can be mounted on a wall and works with rooftop solar systems to help homeowners power their homes and reduce their electric bills. At best, the device will be able to take homes off the power grid and eliminate the need for off-grid electricity supply. At the current cost of $7,000, accounting for the cost of the device and installations, the appliance doesn't seem like a viable financial investment - although it can keep the lights on and power parts of the house, it can't run power extensive appliances like air conditioners or clothes dryers. The pro is that it's a very useful back-up power source - in areas with high power costs, unreliable power, or during emergencies, the device can be very useful. It doesn't require gasoline, diesel, or other fuel and won't provide unclean emissions. If these types of batteries could work as a large power source to allow self-sustainability for home electricity, there may be potential for future mass marketability.