Smallish Blog Post 6

I have thought a lot about my own use of video and computer games. I have always liked playing them and have played many while growing up. I have played casually as well as getting very involved, spending significant amounts of time. There are many things found on computers and the internet that can be self destructive and addicting. This is the same as with anything else. And too much time spent on any one thing is bad. However this does not mean that it should be avoided all together. I think very simply put there needs to be moderation in all things. Whether it is how much time and attention we give to video games, sports, studies, work, or anything else, we cannot put too much focus on one area. I don't plan on avoiding video games any time soon. I enjoy playing them and with that comes the responsibility to make sure I don't let them cause my life to become unbalanced.

Book Post 2 - Here Comes Everybody

The example in the book of Evan using his online connections to find his friend's phone might have worked then but I don't necessarily think it would still work today. The internet has become flooded with everyone sharing articles, blogs, pictures, and so on. New social groups are formed everyday among people with shared interests. And so called amateurs are breaking down the distinction between themselves and those journalists and reporters with "professional status". I think it is a very good thing that anyone can share information about a developing story as quickly as they can. But I think it can also discredit a lot of the things that are shared. Since anyone can say anything there is the possibility for a story to be shown in a way other than how it really is. There is no way to guarantee the information being shared is valid. The reason the old style of reporting news worked, where agencies decided what was good enough to report and triple checked the story before it went out, is because viewers felt they could trust these sources. I think with this movement toward breaking down the barrier between professional and amateur journalists and reporters there comes a need for trust in what is being shared. Whether this is maintained through official news reporting agencies or some unwritten regulation that develops among the online social group of amateur journalists it does not matter. It just needs to happen.

Smallish Post 5

I have not had much experience with open source and it has all come in the last few years. I installed linux on an external drive for one of my computer science classes. At first it was difficult to learn how to work with linux. Now since I have learned quite a bit it has been a good experience. I think the main difference between the Cathedral and Bazaar concepts is the type of people who participate. In Linux those who use it are often involved in the open source movement and have a deep understanding of what is going on in the operating system. But you will very rarely find someone who doesn't know much about computers using a linux distribution. Whereas in the Cathedral idea the users aren't always aware of the underlying processes of the operating system. I do think that one idea is better than the other. It is good to have both because it provides options for both those familiar with the inner workings of an operating system and those who aren't.

Smallish Post 4

At one point or another I think everyone taking computer science classes has noticed that there are often significantly more guys than girls in the classes. I understand the idea that girls are less likely to pursue a degree in computer science because it is seen as a boys club. While growing up if I found myself in a situation that could be seen as not very manly I would be afraid of what my friends would say. I think just about every guy has experienced this. It is pretty similar to how girls might feel when deciding whether or not to pursue computer science. Why would they want to do something that is generally perceived as something women don't do. It can be very difficult to break from the mold and forge a new path in life. I agree with Stross, that in order to change this view there needs to be a change made much earlier. Opportunities to explore the hard sciences need to be seen as a good thing starting at a very young age and not only in the levels of higher education.