Module 10

 “A logic named Joe” a science fiction story by Murray Leinster (1946)

         Is this short story really written in 1946? I had to look it up to see for myself. This is CRAZY!! Just blows my mind. This short story we had to read this week is about a prediction of massively networked personal computers and their drawbacks. This story is one of the first stories to describe something akin to a computer connected to the internet. There is a notion of user identity but I guess the machine believes you won’t lie, it also had “Censor circuits” filter information it will reveal.  In the story the logic performs tasks that computers do all the time today. Today more than a billion people use the internet for everything they need like shopping, reading, navigation, research. 

        I find it fascinating just how close Jenkins (the author) predication came to our now days reality of what we are dealing with.  In this story the “logic” named Joe is kind of like a computer, but the “logic” is made of relay, which relay is a kind of switch they used in the olden days in long distance telegraph circuits as amplifiers. So Joe has a malfunction and it allows it to get access for people to television programs, person to person phone calls and any kind of information you want to know. 

        I think it’s crazy that the author of this story, Will Jenkins, predicted that a machine could provide information how to do things by just typing in the question like sex advice, how to commit murder, how to rob a bank, how to find someone. I read he was also an inventor so no wonder how he understood how much power the computer (machine) would have over our day to day lives.  

     The narrator in the story says “logic’s are all right though, they changed Civilization”. I agree, the internet has changed civilization for good and bad, sometimes I wish we could do what he does in the story and just turn it off and get rid of it, make everything better in the world.

Module 9

       

     The dell company has six factories around the globe, Ireland, China, Brazil, Tennessee, Texas, and Malaysia. As soon as you place your order, whether it is online or by phone, the dell suppliers get a signal based on every component in the laptop you ordered. Dell uses multiple suppliers for the components that go in to the laptop so they always have a backup plan if one supplier doesn’t have the component at that time. It is crazy that Dell has a supply chain that has about four hundred companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. There supply chain and the whole building of the dell laptop processes is ran a lot like Walmart’s.  

     Yes, Al Qaeda has a supply chain it’s a mutant worldwide supply chain, it’s not used for profit   its purpose is destruction. They are using the tools of collaboration offered by the flat world for war and destruction. The US Central command call this underground network the virtual caliphate. Al Qaeda leaders use networks so they can recruit members from “Arab afghan” veterans and radicals around the globe. They use the internet to get to us, and to try and get people to help them with suicide bombings.  It makes me wonder if these acts of terror would be as bad if we didn't have technology, it seems like making the world flat we are making it easier for terrorist or evil to destroy the world.  

      Moving on to a different topic, Oil rich countries today are fifty percent more likely to be ruled by powerful people and twice as likely to break in to civil war than countries without oil. The oil curse – oil wealth makes less economic growth then it should, by creating more problems in the poor states then in the rich ones. And further spread the oil curse by causing companies to drill in poor nations.

This module was mind blowing along with saddening feelings for me. It opened up my eyes to how far we have come, but also opened my eyes to how the more we progress and become flat the more we allow the evil in the world to destruct.  

Module 8

  

         Today there are several University’s that only have school online, fortunate for me since I am a stay at home mom to 5 children and haven’t got the time to take classes up at the campus because my schedule is so busy with kids,  at Weber State I have to take  most of my classes online. Thank goodness for the computer and online classes because I would have never been ever to pass my math classes. So for me my computer is a big part to my education so I can better myself, and get a degree so I can get a better paying job so my family can live comfortable in this world we live in today.

          When I was growing up we didn't use computers that much in school, we used a paper and pen/pencil for assignments, the only time I used the computer for school was not until I was in 9^th grade and it was when I had a report due. But kids now days need to use the computer for almost every class they have, for reports, or to research things they are studying, or having to read articles off of the computer, the crazy thing to me is now teachers even have the kids do math online instead on paper even the math book is online for some schools.

          I am so glad they have computer classes in school that teach kids how to use the computer and how to type, I think how fast the world is flattening, that in grade school it would give the kids an advantage to teach kids how to use the computer and how to use programs, instead of waiting until they are in junior high.   

           The computer has been very helpful to my education, but not only for school.  I am very grateful that I can get on my computer and educate myself on things that come up that I need to know in my daily life, with kids or bugs or anything. It is awesome that I don’t have to go to the library, which takes an hour or longer to do, instead I just get on my computer and look it up takes all of 2 seconds.

       Module 7

    

      It’s been said that Utah has more natural organic resources then any state in the United States.  My dad  told me that in the 60’s, when he was young, Kennecott copper mine made one hundred percent profit on it copper because the trace minerals of gold, silver, and others paid for the entire operation. In relationship to other states than, Utah has a comparative advantage over other states when it comes to minerals. Since Utah is quite arid, states like Wisconsin and Iowa have a comparative advantage when it comes to growing crops.

       Although the above discussion involve states, countries and regions follow the same pattern. One of the main reasons imperial powers colonized was because they were short of natural resources and could not sustain their population’s progressive growing needs. Countries like England had a comparative disadvantage to vast area and resources like the United States. 

      The term self-directed consumers refers to those people who purchase item they specifically want and which they carefully considered and determined they needed and could afford them.  These actions are at variant with the general buying public who are influence and even directed by advertisement, the pressures to conform or to look popular or wealthy, even if they aren't. These people are influenced by the external ideas purporting what they should want, what’s in and the newest and best, even if what they have is efficient.

      Several years ago the Inuit’s of northern Canada were given a satellite light system to bring television to their homes. One of the most popular shows to witch in their villages was Dallas. When sociologist worked with those villages they found people dressing, acting like and talking about the characters on that show as though they all lived in the same Texas town. My personal opinion is that most people in the world are happy and even proud of their culture and country and would be unlikely to leave theirs to accept Americanization. However, many things are introduced to cultures subliminally as happened to the Inuit.    

Module 6

           

         Free trade is an international trade left to its course without quotas, tariff or restrictions. It is very important because producers and consumers benefit from it getting lower prices, better quality, more variety of goods and services. With free trade countries can become more competitive, and improve people’s lives making it so each person can specialize in doing what they do best. Free trade supports peace and has people see one another as equals or partners instead of as an enemy.

            For jobs for “new middle” they require you to be a good collaborator, leverage, adapter, explainer, synthesizer, model builder, localizer, or personalizer. Friedman says there are four skill sets and personality traits that employers point to as “the right stuff”. The first skill is “Learn how to learn”, second skill set is “CQ (curiosity quotient) +PQ (passion quotient) >IQ (intelligence quotient)” saying it is always important to have curiosity and passion for success. The third skill set is “Play well with others” it is important that we have good communication skills and get along with others because middle jobs involve interacting with people face to face. The last skill set that he thinks will be necessary to have is “the right brain stuff” to be creative be able to think horizontally. They say people to play instruments or play in a band have better social skills, it has been linked to the capacity to increase emotional sensitivity. Recognizing emotion in music is related to emotional intelligence.

          As world gets flatter people with CQ and PQ skills will teach themselves and be more successful. The world has changed and is changing every day I think if you don’t have these skills or learn these skills it’s going to be hard to make it in the world.