The Good Part

This week I chased off a man who was trying to break into my neighbor's house. My wife and I spent a good while after that discussing our neighborhood. We don't want contact with people like that, but living in low-cost housing as we currently do, we sometimes don't have a choice. The internet is very similar, actually. For all the bad and inappropriate things that we know exist online, good really does exist there, too. It's a matter of perspective, and of where you live (figuratively speaking). If you encounter too much negative or vile on the internet, try moving. You're in a bad neighborhood, and you need a change of pace. Change up your regular sites, and avoid the bad parts of town. You'll be surprised to find that the internet can be a bright and wonderful place, if you've got a good map. Hint: it's the gospel.

See also, Articles of Faith 13.

A Farewell to Campus

I believe that higher-learning institutions, such as colleges and universities, have become obsolete. These institutions were founded on the principle of uniting eager students with knowledgeable professors, vast libraries, and other academic resources. With the accessibility of the internet, however, this principle is dead. The internet contains more learning than any single institute could hope to hold, is accessible to anyone from any part of the world, and is more affordable than any single textbook. Current students are crippled by debt. This debt is accrued from paying for the costs associated with a physical campus - a beautiful lawn, or perhaps a new addition to a college to which they don't even belong. Internet-based universities dramatically reduce the cost of learning and level the playing field for anyone interested in higher learning. It is my position that we, as a society, need embrace the internet as a platform for higher learning and discard the idea of physical institutions for learning.

The Internet is Free. Are you?

The internet is free. At least, recent movements have pushed in that direction. As a society, we're increasingly concerned with making sure that the internet becomes and remains free from governmental and other constraints. However, as we do this, we ignore a potentially more devastating problem - are we, as a society, free from the internet? Increasingly, the internet has become an integral and accepted part of our daily lives. The word that comes to mind is "dependence." Dependence is one of those concepts that can be either uplifting or damning, depending on its context. It is good to be dependent on God, or to depend on those closest to us. In the same breath, however, an addict is dependent on his drug, and some in our country have become dependent on government handouts. The internet can play either role in our own lives. How do you depend on the internet?

The Great Balancing Act

A principal concern of church leaders regarding computer use is their predominance in our lives and their overuse. I certainly find this to be a valid concern. I grew up with computers - already at the age of 10, I was programming in BASIC and spent a good portion of my time outside of school engaged with my computer. While this interaction has obviously led to good results, such as my current major, it has also led to problems. I have found a personal tendency to become engulfed in a computer when I find myself in a stressful situation, rather than confronting my stressor. This is one of the signs of addiction. It seems that even good use of computers can become an addiction if not put in check. Computer use must be held in constant balance for our own good.

The Open Social Experiment

I tend to consider open source software to be something of a social experiment. It tests the boundaries of human interaction, and seems to laugh in the face of capitalism. When you think about it rationally, it doesn't seem like the system should work. People are generally understood to be greedy and self-serving, and to contribute to a project with no expectation of personal gain seems improbable at best. Yet the facts dictate that open source does, in fact, work. I am typing this blog post on a computer running an open source Linux operating system, which is running the open source Firefox web browser. The fact that the open source movement not only exists, but thrives in our world, gives me hope in human nature. Maybe, just maybe, the movement is a sign that we are all inherently generous and selfless. Here's to hoping the open source movement enjoys a full, long life.

My Sister Is a Computer Scientist

I wish that gender was not an issue in our field. I recently received an email from my younger sister, who is currently her mission. As her date to return home approaches, she has begun thinking about her future as a college student once she arrives home. My sister asked what I thought about her pursuing a degree in computer science. Among my comments, I noted the large offset between genders in the major. I talked about the fact that she might be required to defend herself, her talents, and her gender if she were to pursue this career path. I wish I could tell my sister that this field would embrace her with open arms. That she would be judged and promoted based on her abilities and unique viewpoints. That she would be seen as an individual, and not as a gender. I don't think we've reached that point. But with her help, maybe someday soon we will.

Intermanity

As a whole, is humanity better for having the internet, or would it be better-off without it? There can be little doubt that many of the atrocities committed on the internet have very real and negative effects on the world (human trafficking, pornography, and bullying to name just a few). But by the same token, so much good has come from the internet, such as more effective family history work and strengthened relationships through social media. When it comes down to it, however, all of these things related to the internet have one common thread - communication. The internet is limited in its goodness by the goodness of humanity, as it is simply another tool for communication. The internet is human in nature, and so it is only as good as the nature of those who use it.