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.

The Internet is a Hippie

The most surprising thing to me while reading "The Cuckoo's Egg" was the fact that Cliff Stoll was, in fact, a hippie. In my mind, I have never associated the hippie movement with computers. Judging by Cliff's descriptions, however, it would seem that the hippie movement was involved with computers in a very real way. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Cliff's description of computer networks and trust really brought this idea to the forefront - that computers of that time, and more specifically, computer networks, were built with a degree of trust, and with the belief that they should remain open and free for everyone. When it is spelled out like that, the connection to the hippie movement becomes clearer - ideals of an open, free, and unregulated lifestyle spilled over into the computers these people were developing and working with. When put into this perspective, the apparent lack of security the Cliff encountered while tracking down his hacker makes a lot more sense. It's not that the administrators and developers were incapable or unintelligent; the culture surrounding computers was simply based on similar ideals to the hippie movement. Unfortunately, as occurred with the overall hippie movement, reality set in and most individuals realized that these ideals had little or no place in the real world. This realization led me to an interesting thought - how much of an influence does the current culture play on technological innovations? How would the internet be different, for example,  had the internet been developed during wartime, or during an economic recession? I believe that the prominent culture of the day has a large effect on the technologies developed in the same period.

The Search for Usability

It seems that all computer programs go through growing pains during their conception. FamilySearch, for example, started off with disks, CD's, PAF's and databases - things not usable or easily taught to its target demographic. Like most programs, it started its life as essentially functional, but not necessarily usable by the general public. Yet successful programs must achieve usability. A computer program is a means to an end, rather than the end itself, and therefore, the most important thing it can do is to stay out of the user's way. That is the end goal of usability. FamilySearch has enjoyed great success thanks to continued efforts to make the program easier to understand and simpler to use for all of its users.

The Ethics of Space Travel

I wondered today, as I read the recent news on the Indian Mars Mission, whether there are ethical problems that we, as humans, need to resolve regarding our space travel. The principal question in my mind was this: should we be exploring space at all? I hope this doesn't come off as sounding disinterested or critical of space programs - I've been fascinated with space and space travel my entire life, and would still trade just about anything for the opportunity to get up there. However, I wonder if this exploration is justified when we consider the human condition here on earth. I am not well-versed in current world issues, but I know for a fact that there is great need in almost any part of the world for better living conditions, more food, better healthcare, and access to many other basic necessities. It seems to be an almost sardonic display of disregard for us to spend billions upon billions to send one or two privileged individuals (or bits of metal and glass, as the case may be) into space, while leaving millions of starving people behind. I recognize the need for human ambition and inspiration for future generations, but is it worth the cost?

You Are Under Arrest. You Have the Right to Remain AFK

I just read this interesting article about a NY judge who gave permission for a man to serve legal documents to a his ex-wife via her Facebook account. As unusual and unorthodox as this may seem, I think it sets a good precedent for improving government recognition of the internet's legitimacy as a means of authorized communication. The US government has a history of aiding communication between citizens, and I think it should be applied to the internet, as well. Benjamin Franklin was our country's first Postmaster General, and although it has recently encountered some difficulties as we enter the digital age, the USPS has provided a consistent, reliable means of communication since our country was founded. Yet the country is conspicuously missing an analogous show of support for the internet. In fact, most of the organizations that govern the internet's functionality are international, and the principal government body in the US currently responsible for the internet - the FCC - has tended more toward restricting internet communication (especially in recent events) than in helping it to succeed. I propose that the US government has a responsibility to 1) Recognize the internet as a legitimate means of communication in government work, and 2) Increase its citizens' access to the internet. These responsibilities are in line with the government's efforts to provide a reliable mail service for its citizens, and would help bring the government (finally) into the 20th century. Now, where's the button I can click to sue McDonald's?

This Isn't the Technology You're Looking For

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the American citizens, we will not be getting a new death star. I don't blame the current administration for this failure, but I do believe that technology is to blame. It's not that I think we don't have the technology to handle it; with enough intern labor, I strongly believe that we could build a computer system capable of meeting the requirements of a fully-functioning death-ray-shooting moon. However, I believe that technology is, ironically, directly opposed to societal progress. Human nature makes us selfish, and selfishness leads us to manipulate new technologies for personal gain, at the expense of others. While computers aid society in many everyday scenarios, they also trample on many silent victims - victims of identity theft, child porn, revenge porn, hateful messages, hacking, credit card theft, and any other number of crimes and immoral acts perpetuated using technology. Every technology introduced in the world, from sticks and stones, has been met by the lowest rung of human society with open arms. And so, before we build a death star, let's consider the moral consequences of the new technology. I believe that before we reach a state in society where we can reach such aspiring technological advancements, we must first become a society that merits them.