Thursday, December 9, 2010
Muddiest Point
I personally believe that the YouTube video titled “Explaining Cloud Computing” was probably the weakest piece of material. As I often tend to claim, I am not saying it was bad or useless, but merely the weakest in comparison to the others. I do appreciate the fact that it is capable of giving the user a general idea as of how the technology really works. However, I did feel as though that Galen Gruman had already accomplished this goal through his article, with the addition of some other pieces of information to further explain its importance. Putting those circumstances into consideration, perhaps we could have sufficed without the YouTube video. Then again, I already knew about how cloud computing works, which was due in part to my experience taking “LIS 2000: Understanding Information” in my first semester at this master’s program. I probably might as well been taking a brief glance at both of them and easily claim that I could suffice without either of the sources made available.
Week 14: Organizational Computing, Cloud Computing, and the Future
Although electronic records and digitization have enabled the means to store so much information in such little space, we are faced with harsh reality once again as we realize that they too have their limitations. As a result of the Internet and all the technological innovations that came along with it, the issue of storage has been resolved (probably just for now). This breakthrough would be known as “cloud computing.” Because the hard-drives individuals and/or organizations have in their possession is not enough to digitally store the materials they want to maintain, especially when it comes to keeping extra copies handy, cloud computing can serve as a secondary source to store information. Through access to the Internet, these digital sources can easily be transferred into those distant locations for safe-keeping, while users are able to save more room in their own hard-drives for more digital sources of information. This sort of phenomenon would come especially useful for libraries. The libraries have learned to bring the latest technological breakthroughs to their advantage by incorporating them into their services, which so happened to include access to digital copies of the digitized books they are able to maintain. It would seem logical to include cloud computing so that the staff has a secondary source handy to maintain the digital copies of the digitized books and/or the digital records/files. Either way, the utilization of cloud computing should allow libraries to make more room for their own hard-drives, or to ensure the availability of a back-up in case of an emergency.
I am reminded of a chapter from Albert-László Barabási’s book “Linked: How Everything is Connected to Everything Else and What it Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life” once again. When Al-Qaeda executed the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the terrorists responsible for launching the attacks on the Twin Towers anticipated that some kind of a domino effect was to occur, i.e. once a symbol of the Western World’s economic power would be destroyed, everything else would be collapse with it; thus weakening their status in every possible sense. What the criminals did not anticipate was that the World Trade Center utilized a decentralized system to conduct their affairs, which enabled the others to easily take over where the one that had shut down left off. Cloud computing can in itself abide by a similar example, so long as organizations have a secondary source handy to store extra copies of their digital/digitized files. Whatever may happen to the organization, the cloud computing solution that had been utilized can come to the rescue with the back-ups. What happened on that horrific day is a testimony that a decentralized system can allow sources of information to withstand any catastrophe. However, the scenario only applies to digital/digitized materials/copies. Because the format calls upon a greater need for the preservation of the physical copies, for the sake of further ensuring the survival of the information, it should be mandatory to print out the files to compliment the services that cloud computing provides.
I am reminded of a chapter from Albert-László Barabási’s book “Linked: How Everything is Connected to Everything Else and What it Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life” once again. When Al-Qaeda executed the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the terrorists responsible for launching the attacks on the Twin Towers anticipated that some kind of a domino effect was to occur, i.e. once a symbol of the Western World’s economic power would be destroyed, everything else would be collapse with it; thus weakening their status in every possible sense. What the criminals did not anticipate was that the World Trade Center utilized a decentralized system to conduct their affairs, which enabled the others to easily take over where the one that had shut down left off. Cloud computing can in itself abide by a similar example, so long as organizations have a secondary source handy to store extra copies of their digital/digitized files. Whatever may happen to the organization, the cloud computing solution that had been utilized can come to the rescue with the back-ups. What happened on that horrific day is a testimony that a decentralized system can allow sources of information to withstand any catastrophe. However, the scenario only applies to digital/digitized materials/copies. Because the format calls upon a greater need for the preservation of the physical copies, for the sake of further ensuring the survival of the information, it should be mandatory to print out the files to compliment the services that cloud computing provides.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Muddiest Point
I believe the websites we were given were the weakest bits of reading for the week. I was able to figure out what sorts of issues about which both of the sources were trying to inform me, but I often prefer receiving my information as articles. When it comes to observing websites as sources, I often I have to go through the trouble of going all over place, picking up on the details from one location after another, and putting the content into a nutshell. For the case of the articles, all the details I need to know about are already in front of me, rendering the information well-prepared for me to analyze; thus saving for myself a lot of hassle. The “EPIC Terrorism (Total) Awareness Page” website was nothing but links to other articles and I did not know how far I was supposed to read. As for the “No Place to Hide,” I did not know as to whether I was supposed to be analyzing the content of the website or the book to which it appears to be devoted. Either way, I really wish I had something more straightforward to read instead.
Discussion Topic: Online Privacy
The biggest fear in regards to privacy is not really the notion of being watched, but what those at the other end are capable of doing with information pertaining to the individuals under surveillance. When it is an issue of national security, how threatened people tend to feel all depends on the level of trust they are willing to offer to their government. The only way that authorities are able to track down the suspects through advanced technology is by maintaining the anonymity of those they are inspecting, while implementing proper strategies to counter the possible threats. Yet it is not always a government that would want to gather information on the people, but the businesses. Since big businesses are always competing for achieving higher quality, they obviously feel the same way about finding employees who the employers believe are capable of delivering that level of potential. By bringing social networks to their advantage, employers are able to conduct the background checks so as to determine the value of those they are putting into consideration for hire. Whether it is bigger governments or bigger businesses monitoring over everyone, these circumstances leave people in a desperate situation where they must defend their reputations to whatever extent necessary. The best way to fight back is by fighting fire with fire. Rather than submitting to the technologies that are already in wider use (which in turn ensures more power to those who distribute the products), more innovation needs to be encouraged amongst the people. As people learn to be more tech-savvy and promote their products, they are able to establish a greater sense of independence from the big businesses, as well as the big governments. As more become independent, there is also more competition. As more competition comes about, there is a lesser chance for one to impose its will on all.
Week 13: IT Issues: Security and Privacy
Because the latest breakthroughs in technology allows just about any piece of information to be created, published, and distributed for the general public to see, there is more to consider than the risk of coming across junk. One of the most frightening aspects of the Internet that has been coming about is the risk of our privacy being compromised. Since any piece of information can easily make its way through the Internet, some of the content that is bound to become more visible to a wider range of users may include information about individuals. People have every right to feel afraid about their personal backgrounds being made public, especially when there is the issue of how the authorities may react. In order for criminals and terrorists to remain one step ahead of the law for the sake of carrying out their plans with greater success, they needed to adapt to more sophisticated methods. As they further ensured their survival, the government obviously became more paranoid. On account that certain individuals with an antisocial personal disorder are capable of hiding in plain view, secretly spying on everyone seems like the most logical approach to detect the suspects and uproot the perpetrators. Because there are always possibilities that the reasoning of those carrying out the investigations can be overtaken by a paranoia from the surroundings, a lust for power, or other factors that lead to corruption, just about anyone is prone to being labeled as a suspect. Putting such a factor into consideration, it should be rendered as justifiable for libraries to refuse disclosing information about their patrons. When the law is pursuing those engaging in antisocial activities and a lead would point to a library, it is crucial for the staff to cooperate. Yet if there are suspicions that the investigation is to be conducted in a reckless manner (i.e. utilizing the most unconvincing reasons to potentially prosecute any innocent civilian), only then it would seem appropriate for the library to stand its ground. Reassurance must be given that the investigators are to abide by a genuinely proper procedure in carrying out their tasks so the rights of the patrons would still be respected.
Based on what I can remember from one of my Information Technology courses during my junior year as an undergraduate student, it is often the governments that are the first to utilize the latest technological breakthrough that occurs. As soon as the innovation occurs, the predecessor becomes available to the general public (with the big companies often being the next in line). The United States government is obviously not exempt from this concept, especially when in times of war. It is important to have the most advanced technology readily available and at one’s disposal for the sake of being able to out-maneuver the enemy with greater ease. The outstanding technologies we have today were developed as a result of the most major world events that ended up taking place during the 20th century, which were World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Had it not been for the global impact they made, we probably would not have the technological luxuries that we have today. However, all this seems to be coming at a price. As the times change, so does crime and the threats it imposes. With terrorism officially becoming the new military threat to civilization, there is a new kind of challenge being faced. Since the participants of such activities are capable of carrying out their plans in a manner that is becoming increasingly difficult to detect out in the open, our government felt compelled to spy on our own people just to pick up on potential leads. The irony to this entire scenario is that we condemned the Soviet Union for their surveillance on civilians (which was especially the case for the Stasi in East Germany) and Nazi Germany for devastation it inflicted, and yet this nation had to experience the ordeals of the McCarthy trials, the Vietnam War, the Patriot Act, and the War in Iraq. It is becoming apparent that the power people have garnered through the use of updated technology is gradually turning them into everything they have always hated. It is a matter of time before they will be rendered as no different, only to be replaced by a new form of a superpower, who themselves will be going through a similar process all over again.
Based on what I can remember from one of my Information Technology courses during my junior year as an undergraduate student, it is often the governments that are the first to utilize the latest technological breakthrough that occurs. As soon as the innovation occurs, the predecessor becomes available to the general public (with the big companies often being the next in line). The United States government is obviously not exempt from this concept, especially when in times of war. It is important to have the most advanced technology readily available and at one’s disposal for the sake of being able to out-maneuver the enemy with greater ease. The outstanding technologies we have today were developed as a result of the most major world events that ended up taking place during the 20th century, which were World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Had it not been for the global impact they made, we probably would not have the technological luxuries that we have today. However, all this seems to be coming at a price. As the times change, so does crime and the threats it imposes. With terrorism officially becoming the new military threat to civilization, there is a new kind of challenge being faced. Since the participants of such activities are capable of carrying out their plans in a manner that is becoming increasingly difficult to detect out in the open, our government felt compelled to spy on our own people just to pick up on potential leads. The irony to this entire scenario is that we condemned the Soviet Union for their surveillance on civilians (which was especially the case for the Stasi in East Germany) and Nazi Germany for devastation it inflicted, and yet this nation had to experience the ordeals of the McCarthy trials, the Vietnam War, the Patriot Act, and the War in Iraq. It is becoming apparent that the power people have garnered through the use of updated technology is gradually turning them into everything they have always hated. It is a matter of time before they will be rendered as no different, only to be replaced by a new form of a superpower, who themselves will be going through a similar process all over again.
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