Assignment 10

Justin Olsen

IST 1100

Module 10

Quite an interesting story. I think that calling anything in it prophetic is a bit of a stretch. What many people do not realize is that there have been so called "prophesies" about computers and the internet for over one hundred years. Many writers and inventors considered the idea before the telephone was even in mass circulation. That being said there are some interesting things that they got right and wrong. They certainly got the timeline wrong. Mass acceptance of the internet is actually a very recent thing. Some think that the internet did not get the majority of the middle class until the I phone was invented a few years ago. They could not have been more wrong about censorship. The story has information regulated but in real life we can not shut up about free speech. The internet has a ridiculously strong anti-censorship movement going on to the point where anyone who is pro censorship is immediately hated by everyone. The internet has not gained any semblance of sentience. However, the story's description of intelligent computers being not violent is quite realistic. As opposed to computers killing everyone, as many other stories have portrayed. The tank is actually comparable to a server but it requires several servers to do what the tank does. Much like in the story we have become dependent on our computers. I no longer need to know how to spell anymore because computers do it for me. Unfortunately our computers cannot correct your and you're yet but they are getting there. The entire concept of logics is actually the next step in computing. Apple has Siri, Microsoft has Cortana, and Google has their personal assistant. All of these companies are competing to make computers that can reasonably answer any question put towards it. It is exciting to think what the future may hold and what new technologies will be made.

Assignment 9

Justin Olsen

IST 1100

Module 9

The assembly of a Dell laptop from start to finish is quite complex. To get the full picture we have to start at the very beginning with the source materials. Different mines from all over  the world produce the silicon, iron, gold, and other metals used in the circuit boards. The various types of plastic, glass, and coloring would come from a variety of factories. Next comes the more complex items. The processors made by Intel, hard drives made by WD, and the casing made by in house machines. From there Dell's suppliers wait for a Dell customer to order a laptop. These components are then quickly driven to one of Dell's manufacturing plants where they assemble the component into the start of a working computer. After the computer has been assembled it needs software. So they then install the operating system and any other applications that come with that particular type of laptop. The laptop is then shipped directly to the customer. This is incredibly efficient and money saving for Dell. Al-Qaeda is an organization  that exists so it has to have some sort of supply chain. Even the basics of food and water have to come from somewhere. I imagine that al-Qaeda has several supply chains in basics like food and water and in more advanced things such as weaponry. They probably have quite the supply chain when it comes to information as well. They have to misinform with one hand and keep an eye on their enemies with the other. The curse of oil is when the money that oil brings is in the hands of corrupt politicians in the countries that have oil. These politicians hold countries back by not using their people. This is a problem because the oil will eventually run out while if they used their people instead there would be growth that would be beneficial to the population and the planet.

Assignment 8

Justin Olsen

IST 1100

Module 8

How have computers been used in my education? Well for starters this entire class is an example. The assignment instructions are posted through canvas and I post my essay on a blogging site that the teacher can use to see what I have typed. Through this blogging site other people can post comments on the assignment that can be useful in writing future assignments. Canvas is a useful tool in itself. Through it the teacher can post assignment, receive uploaded assignments, and grade the assignment all from one convenient place. The student can use canvas to look at graded assignments, receive instructions on assignments, message other students or the teacher, and many other useful things. Computers are also used heavily in my math course. Every homework assignment, quiz, and test are accessible to me through a website that they use. This site also includes the full textbook and slides full of useful information. Another way that I have used computers in my education is through the great wealth of knowledge that the internet possesses. For any question that is posed by any assignment the internet has tons of information on it. I use this to get more background information on the questions that are being asked in this class and in other classes. Music is another thing that the internet has a lot of. So if I get bored while studying or doing homework I can easily listen to any piece of music in existence. Computers also help with spelling. I admit that occasionally I misspell words any most word processors have some form of spell check that does a world of good for my assignments. I don't really use computers for much else regarding education but I know that there are several other tools that one can use to further education. For instance there are several online tools for learning how to program. One site that I found that has hundreds of free online courses is openculture.com. On this site they list several video courses made by top experts from places like MIT and Stanford. The great thing about the internet is how anyone can create anything. One man created a site filled with videos and instructions on how to play the guitar.This stuff is only the free stuff. There are several paid courses people can take online as well.