The Internet: A Portal to Global Unity

When discussing computer ethics, we tend to focus on all of the issues that arise from computer misuse. This concern is certainly valid; computers can and have been used for mischievous purposes in the past. Nonetheless, the computer and the Internet have been extremely beneficial to the development of human civilization and culture, particularly in the globalization of mankind. While the Internet was originally developed simply to allow two computers to communicate with one another, the Internet has evolved into a giant system consisting of digital communities and libraries upon libraries full of information. Despite the risks of privacy invasion and information leakage, we continue to use the Internet because it allows us to be a part of this world, to be connect with others and to contribute to the online communities. Thus, as Internet users and contributors, we have the privilege of helping to build our world's future global culture by using the Internet as a tool of positive influence and innovation.

Out of the Cuckoo's Egg

The Cuckoo's Egg is a narrative that follows the exploits of Cliff Stoll as he pursues an elusive hacker. The novel itself was quite engaging, but what impressed me the most were the characteristics that Stoll expressed as he pursued this hacker; these characteristics would be useful for any computer engineer to develop. The first characteristic is persistence. Stoll's hacker slowly chipped away at network security for around a year before he was caught, but Stoll himself had to match the hacker's persistence with his own. The second characteristic is creativity. I don't mean creativity like finger-painting in kindergarten, I mean the ability to use imagination to generate applicable ideas and solutions. But what I enjoyed the most from Stoll's adventures is the fact that Stoll was not the best or brightest in his field; he was an astronomer who had dabbled in computers before and happened to stumble upon an error of a couple of cents in an accounting record. The underlying fact that I took from Stoll's experience is that the future can be shaped not only by those possessing the most knowledge and skill but also by those who observe the world with persistence and creativity.

Tech Innovation At The Mercy Of Customers

The Law of Supply and Demand makes it so that producers must submit to the demand of its consumers. New inventions will not be used and innovative practices will not be adopted if the consumer population is not convinced that they will be worth purchasing. Learning from a generally skeptical reaction to Windows 8, Microsoft adapted with its new OS Windows 10, bringing back familiar aspects (like the Start Menu) mixed with new features rather than completely changing its user interface. This decision will hopefully cater to consumers who enjoyed the Windows XP and Windows 7 experience and allow Microsoft to continue innovating and competing in the computer market.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29431412