User:MHumphreys

Mary Humphreys
Employer:	De Anza College
Occupation:	Student and Writing Tutor
Nationality:	USA
Languages:	English
Country:	USA

Hi I'm Mary Humphreys and I am 19 -years-old, a psychology major, and kind of nerdy. I am attending De Anza college for my second year, currently enrolled in CIS 2, as well as many other classes this quarter. I also work at De Anza as a tutor in our Writing and Reading Center.

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Midterm Project:

In my midterm project I researched reverse engineering the brain. Much of the research focused on researching the brain in order to create successful artificial intelligence (AI). The main problem with AI that has been created today is that it can not match a human's recognition ability. For example, we can all identify cars, but their are thousands of combinations of styles, models, and even colors of cars. Even though someone did not teach us that each variation of car is a car, we can still correctly identify it as a car. A computer cannot though, it would need programming for every variation of car to be able to recognize them as easily as we humans can. The idea that reverse engineering the brain may help us to understand how systems in our brain such as recognition work and then transfer them into computers to make human-like AI.

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FINAL PROJECT:

1. INTRODUCTIONS

• How Technology Has Changed the World (YouTube)-Selected Media List (FAVORITE)
  • I choose this link because I feel like it is a good introduction and set up for what this course is about. The video shows how far technology has come, starting all the way from the discovery of fire, to today's use of touchscreens and holographic technology. For a class about computers and internet in society, I feel like this idea is a good way to introduce the subject, and get people in the mindset of just how far technology has come over time. Plus, it is a fun video that is cool to watch, whether you are in a class or not.

• Children Growing Weaker as Computers Replace Outdoor Activity (The Guardian)-Discussion Thread
  • This second article was posted by Lucinda Leon in our discussion thread about websites which discuss computers and internet in society. I really liked this article because a) I believe it is a great example of how computers affect people in society, specifically children, and b) a good discussion came about it on the forum. This article is about how technology is keeping kids away from outdoor activities, as video games and tablets are much more interesting, but research has found that this is actually making children physically weaker as they are not getting enough outdoor play. In our discussion, we were talking about the pros and cons of children having technology. Obviously, children growing physically weaker from technology is a horrible consequence, but on the other hand kids can get a much better education with the aid of technology. There needs to be a line drawn when it comes to technology, and that line has kept getting crossed. Is it because technology is more abundant? Is it because parents are not being as strict on kids about technology use? These are all implications on society to discuss, and I found it fun to discuss it on the forum.
• Taking Notes: Is the Pen Still Mightier Than the Keyboard (KQED Article)-Selected Media List
  • This last article I choose to read for out "Find It" Assignment in week one, but I have chosen to talk about it again because I still find it interesting. The article talks about how, even though in today's world many students take notes on a laptop or tablet, the best way to take notes is longhand with paper and pen. I really loved reading this article because I am a huge psychology nerd and it reminded me of previous psychology lectures I have heard about how writing things down is a proven memory trick; it allows things to be cemented into long-term memory more easily. I also know this from experience, as I can never remember lecture notes that I type up on a computer, no matter how many times I have tried. I also think this article provides a thought provoking idea for this class. Technology is not always the answer, the old fashion way is sometimes still the best. I think that is a good idea to keep in mind throughout the discussion on technology-it is not always the best answer, even if it may be the easiest or fastest.

2. PRIVACY AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH

• Four Reasons to Care About Your Digital Footprint (YouTube)-Selected Media (FAVORITE)
  • I feel like this YouTube video is a good introduction to you online footprint, which is a key part of online privacy. The video gives good information on how your digital foot print is tracked, and in what different ways it can be harmful. Knowing how to keep your digital footprint manageable is important, and I feel this video does a goo job of giving advice on how to do that, while also motivating people to care about their digital footprint in the first place.
• Internet Freedom and Innovation at Risk (ACLU)-Discussion Thread
  • I posted this article in the discussion feed about privacy and freedom of speech keywords, specifically the word net neutrality. This article explains Net Neutrality and the risks associated if the net does not remain neutral. The way the internet works today is based on the fact that everyone has equal access to every site online, there is no hierarchy of internet speed or accessibility based on how much money someone pays for internet access. Keeping the internet neutral is an important part of the discussion of freedom of speech online, or really just freedom online. You should have the right to post and read what you want online, no matter where it is, and internet providers do not have the right to limit that access to the internet.
• Supreme Court Weighing Limits of Internet Free Speech (Huffington Post)-Own Research
  • I found this article while doing my own research. It is from a year ago, but I think it raises some interesting questions about the freedom of speech online. This article talks about a court case in which a husband posted lyrics to rap songs on Facebook. The problem was, these lyrics stated that violent thing were going to be done to their wife, and the Facebook user's wife reported feeling threatened and endangered because of these posts from her husband. The question is, are these posts protected under the first amendment, despite containing threatening words and phrases and making another individual fear for her life. The results of the court case are not disclosed in this article, but a video discussion is also included that I think is interesting to watch. It is so easy to post anything online, but those words can have unforeseen consequences on people. I think this article does a good job of teaching and/or reminding internet users of this fact.

3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• Creative Commons and Copyright Info (YouTube)-Selected Media List
  • I found this video incredible useful in explaining creative commons licenses. It has detailed information on the different types of creative commons licenses out there, along with fun animations that also show you what each license’s icon looks like. Both the info on copyright and creative commons is useful to know as someone who spends a lot of time online. One of the joys of the internet is being able to access information instantly from all over the globe, and it is nice to know how easy and in what ways I can allow people to use my work and if I allow it.
• Copyright and Fair Use Animation (YouTube)-Selected Media List (FAVORITE)
  • This is another video that explains copyright, this time with the emphasis on fair use. For me, fair use was always something I had heard about, but never understood. This short three minute video cleared all of that up. It clearly explains the very basic definition of copyright, and then also explains the four main points of fair use, or when you can use copyrighted material without permission or paying a fee. The animations make it really clear, and I find it easier to learn from visual presentations, which is why this, and the video above, really helped me to finally understand copyright laws.
• Theft, Lies, and Facebook Video (Hank Green)-Discussion Thread
  • This is an article I posted about in the Art and Computers discussion during week three. The article is written by one of my favorite YouTube personalities, Hank Green, about how Facebook’s video system is causing YouTube creators to lose money they otherwise would have earned from their video’s being viewed on YouTube. To me, this article helped me link what we had been learning about intellectual property into the real word, as I had read this article and about this issue months before this class. I also loved hearing the response from classmates, who were fascinated to learn the news that Facebook, and not YouTube, was responsible for creators losing money. While it is a very specific issue on intellectual property, it was an important one for me to link that week’s topic to something that I knew and cared about already.

4. CRIME

• Crime Isn’t Falling, It’s Online (NewStatesman)-Discussion Thread
  • This article was posted by me in the Computers and Crime discussion. I liked this article and I think it is useful to the discussion about crime because it shows how online crime is real, but also why it is often covered up. The article explain that while crime rates appear to be going down, it is actually not the case. Crime is simply moving away from "traditional" crime, such as burglary and theft, to online crime. Online crime is staying off the record books since no city wants their crime rates to go up, but this is also why online crime isn't seen as severe. I think this article sheds some light onto online crime, and why it should be paid attention to as much as regular crime, as much as city officials may dislike that idea.
• Internet Fraud (FBI)-Selected Media List (FAVORITE)
  • This article I think is great at showing two things, 1) the common ways in which crimes are committed online and 2) ways to protect you from it. For me, it made me realize all the ways that I am vulnerable online, and that I do not do much to protect myself online. When talking about online crime, I think this is a valuable resource to read to be better informed about online crime and, therefore, better protected.
• The 10 Most Common Internet Crimes (Complex)-Own Research
  • The FBI article does a good job at explaining some of the ways online crime is committed and how to protect yourself when you are the victim, but what if you are the perpetrator. This article explains some online crimes that people either experience more often than they realize, and do not know it is a crime, or in some cases actually commit without knowing it is a crime. I also just like how this site is formatted, by explaining the crime, and also explaining the punishment. I think this article helps show that these online crimes are, in fact, crimes with actually legal punishments. I feel it adds some credibility to these online crimes, as they are often covered up and not always considered “real crimes”

5. EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Technology Has Created More Jobs Than It Has Destroyed (The Guardian)-Discussion Thread
  • This article was posted by several students in the keywords discussion thread for week five. I think it is an important article to the discussion on technology and employment. The main point of this article is that while some people have lost their jobs to technology, such as old-school manufacturing jobs, the amount of jobs created by technology is greater than the number  it has eradicated. When talking about the the impact on employment by technology, I think this is an important article as it provides evidence of how technology is actually revolutionizing employment
• Turning to Education for Fun (NY Times)-Discussion Thread (FAVORITE)
  • I posted this article in a discussion thread about education and entertainment, or as they are combined, edutainment. I really like this article for two reasons. 1) I am a strong believer in edutainment as I have seen and experienced how beneficial it is, so I think it is an important topic to cover in the discussion on education, and 2) this article is well written and provides testimonials from both the game developers and the users. Learning should be fun in my mind, and this article advocates that, while also proving how fun education is actually effective.
• Why E-Learning is So Effective (Blog Post)-Own Research
  • I went looking for this article because I really wanted to talk about E-Learning in this subject umbrella. See, my mother’s career is based on creating E-Learning programs, so I am always hearing how and why they are so beneficial, even if it is from a very biased source. This article talks about all the ways E-Learning, specifically when it comes to training courses, are so beneficial. E-Learning is making our lives so much easier. For example, when I needed to get my driving learner’s permit, I was able to take an E-Learning course, rather than finding some time to go to a classroom to do the required instructional hours, as my high school had no program offered. I did the same thing when I needed to get my Food Handler's license when I got a job in a restaurant. Not to mention, non training options of E-Learning, like this very class, are revolutionizing education and making it more accessible for more people. When talking about technology and education, I think E-Learning is an important topic to discuss
• Crash Course (YouTube Channel)-Own Research
  • I decided to add one more resource to this section. This is a YouTube Channel which speciallizes in education. There are many channels like this on YouTube, but I have used Crash Course the most. It includes great videos on a variety of school subjects with fun and informative animations. It is great for people wanting to learn something new or, and this is how I have used it, for students reviewing for finals and midterms. Content like this I believe is a great example of how education is moving online, and in this case, towards free online video.

6. MID TERM PROJECT

• Reverse Engineering the Brain (MIT Review)-Midterm Research
  • This article introduced me to the topic of Reverse Engineering the brain and why people want to research this, mostly for the creation of sophisticated artificial intelligence. I also really liked this article because it directly related to the psychology class that I am currently enrolled in. We were talking about, as a class, how the brain is able to recognize objects from different perspectives very easily, while a computer needs to be programmed to identify that object from every possible perspective to correctly make that recognition as quickly as a  human. This is exactly the main problem that this article was exploring, because in order for realistic AI to be created, this problem will need to be overcome.
• Reverse Engineering the Brain-David Cox (YouTube)-Midterm Research (FAVORITE)
  • This video does a great job of explaining the connection between computers and neuroscience. He starts with explaining how the brain is a complex computer and while there are certain things the brain does that computers are bad at, we still have the computing power to do it. He explains that we have the hardware of the brain, but we don’t know the software. This analogy really helped me to understand the main problem and challenges that come with with reverse engineering the brain. I also liked this video because, while it focused on how reverse engineering will benefit AI like the previous article did, Cox also mentions other benefits to this scientific research, such as possible medical advancements for neurological disorders.
• Reverse Engineering the Cognitive Brain (PNAS)-Midterm Research
  • This last article is a good compliment to the others about brain research. This article is much more science oriented, which in ways can make it harder to understand, but in others ways explains to complexity of the research trying to be conducted. This article, like the video,  also stresses the similarity between our brain and technology, even explaining and showing a graphic to how our central nervous system and neurons are similar to silicon electronics.While computer intelligence and human cognition are still very different, with advancements in neuromorphic engineering, it may be possible to gain a deeper understanding of human cognition. The problem still is though that we do not understand the “software” of the brain, and the hope is that neuromorphic engineering may one day be able to help solve that mystery.

7. EVALUATING AND CONTROLLING TECHNOLOGY

• 6 Qualities of Great Online Communities [INFOGRAPHIC (Huffington Post)]-Discussion Thread
  • I posted this Huffington Post article in the discussion forum about the keyword “community”. This article is an infographic and article about the benefit of online communities for businesses. It includes many statistics on how companies can use online communities to allow their business to grow. I really love infographics and I felt this one was well done and included a lot of relevant information. Plus it included the article, for those who feel the infographic does not provide enough information.
• Hank vs Hank: The Net Neutrality Debate in 3 Minutes (YouTube) -Discussion Thread/Selected Media (FAVORITE)
  • I posted this video in the discussion forum, but I also noticed it is now in the selected media list. I do not remember being there before, perhaps it got put there afterwards. I really like this video because a) It is from Hank Green, who is one of my favorite YouTube creators as  have mentioned previously, and b) it provides an interesting and entertaining look to the debate on net neutrality. When talking about control over, well anything really, it is important to see both sides of who desires control, and I think this video does a good job explaining that, in a very entertaining fashion.
• Are You Controlling Technology, or is Technology Controlling You? (Linked In)-Selected Media
  • I didn’t read this article during this week in class, but I went back to it for this project. Reading it now, I find it fascinating. The point of the article is that technology is controlling us, not the other way around. The article focuses on the idea of “duende”, which is a connection with your mind and the world. This idea is not so common anymore, and many believe because we have technology to be “connected” with the world, and our mind is just kind of forgotten. It makes me wonder about if technology has an impact on our spirituality, if you believe in that, as instant gratification and connection is so easily available with technology.

8. RISKS, FAILURES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Colleges, HR Experts Wonder: Is Technology Eroding Professionalism? (SHMR)-Discussion Thread
  • This was an article I posted for the keyword “Professionalism”. This article talks about millennials and how technology is making them loose professionalism as many argue that millennials are narcissistic, entitled,  and are too use to immediately responding with “text language” that is is inappropriate in the business setting. I found this article interesting because, as a millennial, I was able to add my opinion to it. I feel millennials, for the most part, have a professionalism that they can turn on and off. It is still there, even if to older generations it may be different, and therefore “inappropriate”. I also mentioned how my mother has many millennials working for her who she says often do better work than her “older” employees. This comment also started an interesting conversation about millennials in the workplace with Professor Taylor.
• Laws and Ethics Can't Keep Pace With Technology (MIT Tech Review)-Discussion Thread (FAVORITE)
  • I posted this article for the keyword “ethics” for this week. This article talks about the evolution of ethics with technology. It mentions how copyright laws were first invented with the printing press, and how the mass production of steel during the industrial revolution led to property rights. Now, technology is evolving so fast the laws and ethics cannot keep up with it. This article really helped me see the concerns and challenges with keeping technology safe and accepted by society. There is so much new technology being developed, law and ethics need to be able to keep up, otherwise new technology may not be used as quickly as we like, technology that could drastically change society. That being said, it is still important to have these laws and ethics as we want to make sure that change to society is for the better.
• Online Information Reliability (Oregon Computer Solutions)-Discussion Thread
  • This article was posted by Ruben Ortiz about the keyword “Reliability”. It discusses how many people rely on social media to receive their news, but often that news is not the most credible and can be very biased. I commented a response to this article because I myself get a lot of my news from social media, but I am still aware that it may not be 100% accurate. I do not see a problem with learning headlines and basic news stories from social media, but I also try to fact check if I really want to know the facts.  The article also talked about the reliability of Wikipedia, to which Nicholas Reed wrote a comment about. Wikipedia has several people fact checking it for free, so it is fairly reliable considering it is easy to access and free to use. As Nick said, paying people to fact check all of Wikipedia would cost too much money, and then it would not be as readily available as it is now. All in all, I thought this article started some interesting conversations about our use and reliability of technology and social media.

9. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

• Mobile Games Bring Social Change to Developing Worlds (USAID)-Discussion Thread/Selected Media (FAVORITE)
  • This article I found when searching the keyword “games” for this week, but I also found that it has been posted under the selected media list. This article explains how mobile games are being used to help bring social change in developing worlds. For example, the games were introduced in India and were targeted towards helping women value themselves in their families, encouraging them to stay in school, teaching them how to practice safe sex, and stay safe from diseases. I found the information in this article really cool, I think it is awesome that mobile games are being used to educate and help people in the developing world. It goes to show that games are not just for fun, and not just a luxury for first world nations. They can be used for a broad amount of reasons all over the world.
• College of Future Could Be Come One, Come All (NY Times)-Discussion Thread
  • This article gives some of the history of MOOCs, as well as information about why they are becoming popular. It follows that of one teacher making the switch to online classes. I liked this article because it gave the perspective from both the professor and the students. Students liked the online class because it was accessible and free, and the professor like it because he got more feedback from his students about his teaching. I found this interesting because my aunt, who is a professor at San Jose State University, hates MOOCs and does not want to convert her lectures into free online course. She likes teaching in person too much. Hearing this professor's perspective is interesting having only heard the opposite before.
• How Does PayPal Work for Sellers? (Chron)-Discussion Thread
  • This article explains how PayPal works. I always see PayPal being used, but  never really understood how it was more beneficial than a credit card. This article helped clear things up. PayPal makes it much easier, and safer, to send money to people around the world and to companies that you may not want to release a credit card number to. This being said, PayPal is an important topic to how technology has made more things available anytime and anywhere.

10. TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, SOCIAL TRENDS

• Education and the Future of Technology (YouTube)-Selected Media (Favorite)
  • I love love love this video. This video presents a number of ways that technology and education are being revolutionized. We were asked to discuss the “big picture of this video, and I believe that is just to explain the exponential growth in...everything in today's world. Technology, education, population-these things are all growing and there does not seem to be an end to the growth anywhere. Overall, I think both the way the information presented in this video, and information itself, is well done and fascinating and provides excellent discussion points to the ideas of growth in the world today.
• Jibo: The World's First Social Robot for the Home (YouTube)-Discussion Thread/New Research
  • Someone else in a discussion thread posted an article about Jibo. In that article, I did not fully understand what the purpose of Jibo was going to be. This video, however, clears that up, While I do not completely agree that Jibo will become “part of the family” as the video states, I absolutely see how it could be beneficial. I especially love how Jibo can take photos and videos with the aid of motion tracking. I always want to experience life myself, rather than experience it through a camera lense. Jibo allows you to experience life, but also have memories captured. The idea of a robot companion has been in science fiction for years, but now it is beginning to become a reality.
• 15 Ways The World Will Be Awesome In 2050 (Business Insider)-Selected Media
  • This article lists advancements in the world that will be in place by the year 2050. It lists things such as ending poor countries, autonomous cars, and other world changing inventions and revolutions. This article does a good job of not only listing these things, but on citing how we know this advancements will be made. In general, I thought this was an informative article and did well explaining how the world is advancing.
• Is Poverty Necessary? Looking back at the Millennium Development Goals (YouTube)-Own Research
  • I feel like this is a good companion resource for the previous article. This video is from John Green, the famous young-adult author, and the other half of the VlogBrothers, who I have posted other videos from in this class. This video discusses the Millennium Development Goals from 2000 and how, for the most part, we have been very successful in completing them. Some of the goals are similar to the points in the previous article about how the world will have improved by 2050. Why I wanted to include this video as well is because I think it is important to see that we have in fact made progress already, so the fact that we are predicting even more progress to be made is more believable than people may believe.