Ethics for working AND living

This whole class we've been talking about how to be ethical in the workplace and how to use and approach technology in an ethical way. We've broached the subjects of ethical behavior in our field. However, the bottom line is that we must be ethical in everything we do, not just in regards to computer science. We must have charity and love for all men. We must not be hypocrites. We must try our best to do what is right be everyone we come into contact with. Our lives must be driven by good principles that we decide on and those principles must shape our actions, so that we can be honorable people in the workplace, as well as in our personal lives. That's what Christ taught. I believe that if we do this and live honorably, we will live fuller, happier lives and will be blessed temporally and spiritually.

Women In Computer Science Vlog

Gaming

Gaming is a big part of my life. It is how I unwind, have fun, and socialize. It is a field that I hope to work in in the future. That being said, I do recognize the dangers and the addictive aspects of gaming. I admit, I have been the victim of this addiction to some extent. Luckily, I never really took to MMORPGs like World Of Warcraft. If that had been a game type that I was into, I could seriously see myself spending way more time than is healthy on there. But I have put lots of time into other games that don't have quite the openness of WoW. I have seen in impact my studies and relationships and how my life has changed since cutting back. I feel much more productive and I have healthier and more relationships. I still do like my  gaming time, however. It is something that can be a good thing in the right amounts, just like movies or TV. In many ways, I think gaming is better than those things. The point is, these art forms are things that we can and should enjoy, just not at the expense of real relationships and our duties as God's children.

Outliers

I decided to read the book Outliers. My dad gave me this book a couple years ago and it put it on my shelf to gather dust. I made a huge mistake in that. I wish I had read it years ago. I totally agree with what Gladwell said about how uncontrollable factors contribute to peoples success and how hard work and perseverance does not ensure success. The tech industry is a perfect example of this. The person that springs to mind is Bill Gates. Yes he was smart and worked hard, but he was born at exactly the right time to make the impact he did. If he had been born at the time I was born, maybe he would have been successful, but not nearly as influential as he was because he got started at the cusp of the computer age. It is important for me as a person soon entering the professional world to identify outliers in myself, the economy, and my industry in order to best prepare for my future. I can't just rely on my natural intelligence, hard work, and perseverance. These qualities are of course important, but to really become successful, I must find a niche that most benefits me and exploit it.

Open source software

In our discussions about open source software, it has boggled my mind how people could think that open-source software is how the industry should go. I think there is a definite place for it and it is definitely beneficial to the industry as a whole. I think of it kind of as the printed word industry. Books, articles, and other printed forms of writing are copyrighted, so that other people can't take credit for the work. Even thinks that are loosely based on copyrighted material can be punished. That is how software should be. If a developer doesn't want their source code to be open, they shouldn't have to have it open. It is their property and they have the right to protect that. That being said, if people want to release their own stuff to the open, that's their prerogative.

Women and Computing

I think that if a woman wants to get a degree in Computer Science and work as a software engineer that is great and commendable. If they do choose this path, they should be treated fairly, promoted according to their capabilities, and be paid the same amount as a man of equal ability and value. Where I get a little leery about this topic is when people say, "We need more woman in technical fields. Let's go and campaign and promote these fields to women." They say this like it is a bad thing that women aren't going into technical fields. I don't think it's a bad thing or a good thing. It's just how it is. Why come up with ways to trick or convince people to enter these fields? That seems like a waste of resources. We had a speaker today in class that said that girls have already made up their mind in High School not to do these fields and that we need to into the elementary schools to tell girls they should look into these fields. It's not like in elementary schools now that they take all the boys and tell them to become Computer Scientists and that's why it's a male dominated field. So why do people feel the need to do that with girls? Maybe it's because of our biological differences that men generally are more attracted to this field. Why waste time and money trying to change that?

Technology and the Church

As someone who loves technology as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the words of the prophets in relation to technology is really exciting. The abilities that technological advancements give the church are really astounding and the fact that the church is actively investing in new technologies is really impressive. In the last few years, so many programs have been written for the church that have really widening the scope and scale of what members, missionaries, and church leaders can do. The leaders are getting more in touch with members, even though the church membership is growing rapidly. It is a great time to be a member of the church and especially for those who have a knack for technology. There is so much good to be done and it's only going to get better in coming years.