Ethics

Everyone has a unique moral attitude. Even those who share religious beliefs can vary in the specifics. While there are basic values every person should all possess, everyone cannot feel the same way about everything. The conflict comes when one person assumes their unique set of ethics is the best and everyone who doesn't agree with them is wrong. Saying "Look at me! I'm such a great person because I do x, y, z" and "You're pretty good because you do x, but I do it better" is degrading and completely pointless. While we need to relate our ethics to those around us, especially our coworkers, it can be done in a much more professional way. Behaving in accordance to what you believe will reflect your standards to those around you. Everyone needs to personally contemplate what they believe and develop their own personal and professional ethics to live by.

The Greatest Machine

No machine is as efficient or long lasting as the human body. Take a moment to think about everything your body is capable of. For example, your heart will beat over 3 billion times before you die, pumping more than 59 million gallons of blood. It would be difficult to find anything man-made that is capable of doing what your body does. The human body truly is a glorious creation. Sadly, there are those who do not recognize the magnificence of their bodies and fail to fully appreciate it. Some waste endless hours sitting in front of a computer screen playing games which consist of controlling a virtual body while their own sits motionless on a chair. They become so concerned with their virtual identity that they neglect their own real, physical bodies. Like any other machine, these idle bodies will slowly become less functional. Imagine a tractor that has sat unused in a field for years. If you have become an obsessive online gamer, don't despair. Your body can rejuvenate itself much better than a rusty tractor. Simply treat it as the incredible machine it is and it will do the rest.

You are in possession of an incredible machine. 

Don't throw it away for a virtual life that isn't real.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Here Comes Everybody

"Filter-then-publish, whatever its advantages, rested on a scarcity of media that is a thing of the past. The expansion of social media means that the only working system is publish-then-filter."

Social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, provide amble opportunities for people to share news and experiences with other around the world. Friends and followers receive so many updates that they often can't sift through it all. Many times they simple pick and choose what to actually read. Browsing through entries, they make split second decisions about importance, interest, and applicability. It wasn't very long ago that these decisions were made by editors of newspapers in their decision of what to put headline everyday. Nowadays, the majority of people get their news from social sites, not news websites, which results in a wildfire like spreading of current events, good and bad. Since these sites connect millions, one post can be liked, retweeted, shared, and ultimately seen by people around the world in mere minutes.

However, social media sites come with risks. The ability of these sites to make everyone aware of a disaster halfway around the world can also be used in a less productive way. Some take advantage of the power and turn blogs into gossip sites. These outspoken bloggers can spread lies just as easily as truth and often overpower the voices of less bold people. Unlike professional journalism, no one is verifying facts or held responsible for inaccurate information. So, while social sites increase opportunities for anyone to become an amateur reporter, it also provides opportunities for others to take advantage of the system and report falsehoods.

"Given that everyone now has the tools to contribute equally, you might expect a huge increase in equality of participation. You'd be wrong."

Enhance, Don't Detract

Imagine keeping track of fourteen million people without the use of modern technology. Try to fathom the amount of paperwork. Computers make this impossible task more manageable by replacing the toppling piles of paper with compact systems and fast processors. What used to take months to process now takes mere seconds. However, new advancements haven't stopped at reducing paperwork--they've managed to impact nearly every aspect of life. Calendar apps. Restaurant apps. Games. Anything you can think of, there's probably an app for it. In fact, technology has become so ingrained in our society that it is completely acceptable to spend all day on a computer. While this isn't inherently bad, if the time is spent on pursuing a virtual life and detracting from what is real, it can ruin lives. The adversary is skilled in taking positive inventions and twisting them around for his own use. We all need to be wary of the negative power technology can weld with each of us personally. Let us use it to enhance our lives, not detract from it.

Passion is Key

Passion drives us all. Without it our existence is dull and drab. Everyday drags on and life comes to a standstill. If you don't love what you do, what's the point? In order to gain a meaningful life, find something you love to do, whether it's coding, designing, teaching, or a million other options. Never settle for a mundane job. Every great invention begins as a small thought in someone's mind; an itch that just wont go away. When this happens to you, run with it. Throw yourself into it. Find others that share your desire and create something great together. The dedication and passion reflected in whatever the outcome is will inspire others to pursue they're own dreams. Just remember that the key to success is passion.

Family History and Technology

Before recent advancements in technology, family research required a lot more physical research. Dusty rooms. Fragile pages. Dim lighting. Frustration. Exhilaration. Paper, paper, paper! However, new technology has made it possible to connect the world of family history and centralize information. Websites like Family Search and Ancestry.com have allowed people around the world to connect and share information about common ancestors. Instead of duplicate research being performed, results can be compared and shared with ease. These websites also contain images which can be examined and many have even been indexed, allowing users to search for a specific name. Although physical research will never be replaced (guaranteeing completeness and accuracy would be a nightmare), technology has made it easier to start. So if you have ever been interested in family history, visit a site and start searching. But be warned--it's addicting.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" is a mentality everyone needs to have when faced with a situation dealing with media sharing. New technological advancements have made it easier and more convenient to share media. Where once you had to physically borrow a CD or movie in order to enjoy it without purchasing it yourself, now your friend can make a copy for you. In fact, they could make you a copy and then you could make your own copies and send them to other friends. Even more convenient, you don't even have to make a physical copy; you can just send it over the web in digital form. It sounds like a great way to share your favorite song or movie. However, someone worked hard to produce that media and is relying on people buying the CD or movie in order to cover costs of production. It isn't fair to them if only one in ten people who enjoy their creation actually purchased it. On the other hand, you purchased the CD and believe you have a right to share it with friends. This is a dilemma that faces society. Orson Scott Card offers the following solution, in MP3's are not the Devil: ". . .educate people that it's OK to let people hear a sample, but don't give away whole albums of work you didn't create. This is not a hard concept; people would get it." So, yes, you could make numerous copies of a purchased CD and hand them out like candy, but you shouldn't. Instead, send samples from the CD to interested friends and let them make the decision on whether they want to be content with the sample or purchase the entire CD.

Hacking: Who's at fault?

When an account gets hacked, there are two parties who could get blamed: the website or the user. So who's fault is it? On one side, the user is responsible for choosing his/her password and what networks s/he decides to use. However, when an account gets hacked, the user wants to be the victim and therefore blames the website. In this situation, it's probably not in the website's best interest to turn around and place all the blame on the user. In part, these incidents should worry the website because it means unfriendly parties can gain access to it. Perhaps it is best for both parties to be at fault. The user for picking an easy password and the website for allowing them to. There's one simple solution that can help limit the extent of this problem: BE SMART! The best way to keep unwanted people away is to make it difficult for them to get in. So, users, choose a secure password; websites, make your users pick strong passwords and maybe even require two forms of authentication. If both parties take responsibility for the security of their account(s), it will only be that much more secure.

The Cuckoo's Egg

If you want to catch a bad guy, keep detailed notes and, by all means, don't let him catch you. These were words to live by for Cliff Stoll, author of the The Cuckoo's Egg, a novel-like nonfiction story about his hunt for a computer hacker. While an interesting life story, Stoll's experience brought into the lime light an interesting problem of the growing technological world of the late 20th century. Cyber security. Specifically, password security.

In order to be useful, computers need to come equipped with preregistered accounts and passwords. When they first log on, consumers should override these passwords or delete the accounts. In The Cuckoo's Egg,  many organizations didn't bother, which left their computers open to the hacker to come and go as he pleased. These computers, in turn, were connected to other susceptible computers through various networks. As result, the hacker could access thousands of computers around the world. He could then access personal accounts by matching words from an encrypted dictionary to encrypted passwords in the  password file. Because many people used normal words since they're easy to remember, their computer was now open to the hacker. If measures had been taken to enforce good passwords for all accounts, the networks would've been more secure.

This reiterates what has become increasingly important today: password strength. There are analyzers out there that will evaluate the strength of your password. So remember, if you don't want to give hacker's easy access to your network and/or computer, choose good passwords. Don't use your dog's name. Don't use your name. For heaven's sake, don't use the account name. Instead, choose something funky and throw in a couple numbers. You could even randomly generate a string of numbers and letters. Having a strong password isn't difficult or time consuming but it will make your cyber life more secure.

Journey to Computer Science

As a freshman in college, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. All I knew for certain was that I did not want to end up in a "boring" major, like mathematics or engineering. I wanted something fun and creative. After more than a year debating, I finally decided to major in Computer Science with an Animation Emphasis. It sounded like the perfect major to integrate my analytical mind with the side of me that wanted a little creativity. Two years passed without much difficultly but also with no real enthusiasm. Then something happened that would change my life forever. I interned with Family Search. That experience solidified something I had started to realize--software development is fun! It requires creativity and is extremely gratifying. I didn't need the emphasis for this major to be fun. After that experience, I became excited about my future in software development and the opportunities it could provide. I don't know why it took so long to come to this realization or why more women aren't choosing to enter this field. All I know for sure is that computer science will offer me some exciting opportunities and has turned out to be the perfect career choice for me.

Evolution of Photography

Photography was born over 150 years ago. Since then, it's evolved from silver plates requiring TEN minutes of exposure to hand held cameras and, eventually, to tiny lenses in cell phones. Even now, new photography advancements are being developed. It's amazing how easily we can capture meaningful moments of our lives and instantly share them with family and friends. The continual advancement of photographic technology allows everyone to preserve memories with the touch of a button. However, it's easy to get carried away in the abundance of opportunity and not think about the consequences. If we aren't careful, we might become so focused on capturing the perfect photo that we forget to enjoy the actual experience. Just remember, photography should be used to preserve memories--not replace them.

Plague of Pornography

It's no secret that pornography has become a black spot on the advancement of technology. Once relatively difficult to access, pornography often shows up in unwanted situations--ads, popups, etc. How can we protect ourselves and others from this harming influence when it shows up unbidden? Sadly, it's unfeasible to remove all access to the pornography. Even without the internet, it was still available to those who really wanted it. However, measures can and should be taken to help eliminate unwanted access to pornography and make it more difficult to find. By implementing features in social media and other online sites, like Twitter's recently added restriction on search words in their new video service, pornography can become more difficult to find and we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from its harming influence.

Moderation in all things

Technology is an integral part of today's society. The internet, for instance, provides easy access to a vast store of information and makes it possible for people to stay connected around the world. However, it is easy for people to become so engrossed with technology that they neglect their day to day lives and relationships. How many of us spend more time in front of a TV or computer then we do having meaningful conversations with friends or family members? We all need to recognize the importance of moderation in our use technology and not allow it to become the driving force behind our existence.