Module 10: Done with Friedman, On To "Joe"

So on to more sources to analyze and dwell upon. Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat has come to an end, as of last post. Still discussing technological subjects with the world, as this class is labeled The Digital Society, we continue in a similar just old fashioned approach today. For today, I'm interpreting a short story, " A Logic Named Joe", published way back in 1946, where the term computer represented a far different term than modern day. A computer, was a guy who would compute, like a painter paints, and cook cooks. But with this story being science fiction, we can look back on it to see if it foretold anything true to today. So along with a little summarizing of the story, I'm also looking for anything prophetic. Prophetic meaning accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future. I had a hunch that the word was similar in meaning to Old Testament prophets who would prophesy signs and events. 

So the read had a slow start for me as I had to re-read a few times to comprehend what was even being said. At first, I though Joe was some black slave kept in the cellar, since the language was slang as such times and I couldn't quite grasp the time period. I felt kinda dumb, but figured this was going somewhere, like he was a human calculator of sorts, being a logic in the cellar. Well now I've pieced together that 'Joe' is the name given to what seems like a type of computer the main character refers to as a logic setup. He describes it as a vision receiver with keys instead of dials. The first prophetic analysis I found briefly after. A sort of Skype and Google feature was described that this logic could access from relays in the tank (some sort of database or motherboard, I'm guessing.)  You could punch in someone's phone number, and "...if somebody answers you got a vision-phone connection." They totally nailed it in predicting reality of today's technology! Along with their crude version of Face-Time, was the ability to access weather reports, race results, and eventually equivalent to a homework help like Wikipedia. 

What came next though, as right in the beginning was the idea of artificial intelligence! Wow. Robots are current in modern technology and many movies explore the idea of artificial intelligence scenarios, whether they serve as convenient or go rouge with power.

Module 9: The End

Computers are so integrated into our society, that owning one and knowing how to use it proficiently, is the key to academic success. Computers give simple access to being successful at the skills you wish to obtain. In my last post, I described how relevant computers have been in my education. For today, I will go back to Friedman's topic of collaboration, particularly to the Dell notebook.

With the book coming closer to the end, Friedman mentioned how most of the book was written on his Dell Inspiration 600m notebook. He personally inquired with the company on exactly who was involved and all the steps that went with creating his computer. His personalized laptop building process began with an order at an 800 number, processing his order through a sales representative, and then and order management system. His Visa was authorized and from then his computer was in the running to be made. His order was to be completed at one of 6 factories, Malaysia. On the other hand, part had to be ordered and delivered through different SLC's (supplier logistics center). Dell runs through 30 total suppliers...with a grand total of 400 companies involved in making, designing, delivering and manufacturing any of Dell's products. After parts are collected at the different SLC's, they are delivered to the factory for assembly. Within 30 minutes, the trucks are unloaded, items registered, and parts sorted. Finally, a team member manually assembles the computer by hand (as all the designing was by ODM in Taiwan.) Once finished, it is sent for burning of the specified software download, then sent to the boxing line. From there, is takes the China Airline 747 and lands in the Nashville Airport. The big take-home message from this involved process, is the efficiency in a huge collaboration effort to create balance with demand and supply.

 We can step it up with the same persistent attitude toward education, and even have a preventative and futuristic approach of picking the right job field. With such open doors , increasing improvements will escalate the rate of advancement in technology. With the open door in communication, a new phase on with the Internet had substantial benefits. Uploading. Another revolutionary step. Base codes for programs and new software are generated and made public by a motivated collaborative team purely volunteering for the good of the future. This software can be updated and reviewed, with many patches or in other words, contributions. These then can be the base, or as in Friedman’s analogy, vanilla in an ice-cream sundae, which then can be improved, personalized and patented as the toppings. This free-for-all seeming project, is a place where individuals can shine and bring forth potential. This event proves that we have a place to be empowered, to create, upload and enlighten on complex things. In an economical prospective though, I have to agree with Microsoft’s insight that free can’t be forever, for lack of incentive without the reimbursement to innovate. But I believe the roots of this open community phase is empowering and collective in gaining differing viewpoints and insight; also bringing together self-inspired and determined individuals to get a job done how they foresee, creating a sturdy foundation for all.

Module 8: My Age of Technology

Technology has been a huge influence in my upbringing, with particularly the Internet. The birth of the Internet wasn't to long before I was born in 1995. With the years, came better modifications, making it user friendly and convenient. I remember how foreign it seemed when in the third grade, we had our computer class time where we were exposed to how to use the Internet. Previously, even without Internet access or familiarity, just computers alone served as a motivating and resourceful learning tool. My childhood computer background consisted of interactive, cartoon computer games. Most of the programs were Sesame Street themed, specific to alphabet, numbers, design or coordination. One key detail I can recall in relation to the need for computers now is how dependent we have become compared to when I was younger. Then, it served merely as an entertainment option, with a few beneficial educational factors, but didn't dominate my free time. The purpose for computers progressed as I got older, with more challenging programs and eventually the Internet in mid-elementary. 

Computers are so integrated into our society, that owning one and knowing how to use it proficiently, is the key to academic success. Computers give simple access to being successful at the skills you wish to obtain. I have a personally relevant  example that has been well supported by computer availability.  

The biggest influence has been with my music career. I take for granted the effortless ability to search anything on the Internet. My most common use has been for finding free sheet music. Sometimes, it would just be for fun like fiddles, movie soundtracks or church music. And conveniently I could even find the original classical music I needed, most reliable at  imslp.org. Most of the times it was for quartet music, which didn't seem as pertinent to purchase, for the reasons that it was for a temporary gig or performance. But sometimes I could "test drive" a piece to deem it worthy of obtaining a hard copy. That's where the internet came in handy again. Rather than driving to a music store, to search for a concerto that they might not even have in stock, you can order it online to be delivered at your home. My favorite shop, Day Murray Music, usually has everything, but unfortunately is located a little south of Salt Lake City. I find it inconvenient in time and gas, even for an important violin lesson. I noticed through my last purchase of Vitali's Chaconne violin concerto, that it wasn't even in stock at the shop, which would have made for much chasing back and forth. The internet also helped with making my decision on which concerto to learn in the first place. I had three options for my next piece and am not that familiar with every work of classical music. So once I was at a computer, I simple searched the various pieces on YouTube. Many times I have simply searched for an audio example of solo pieces, quartets and symphony performances to familiarize and inform myself with what I am working on in school. I find it much harder to browse a libraries selections or purchase each piece. Along with audio advantages of a computer, is the benefit of recording my self and storing in on my PC as well. I can have access to playing back my personal audio to critic or document for reflection later on. With the advancement of my music training, I have needed a few sources of insight when my teachers unintentionally failed in teaching a certain concept or just needed extra examples. For example, a couple of times I needed to perform a particular technique requiring ricochet bowing, and didn't get a very clear demonstration at lessons. I found a particular sight with professional videos of anything at violinmasterclass.com. In my theory class, we have progressed to writing compositions. I trained with a well known, professional program for music notation called Finale, but didn't have $600 to spend quite yet, especially as a beginner. I found a free notation program that suits my assignments and personal writing just fine with MuseScore. 

Module 7: Is Americanization A Thing?

Do you ever wonder why some countries are better off economically than others? Or why they've earned the stereotype of being "third-world" financial and technologically? Well, there actually are particular reformations and policies that implementing will progress the region. This "comparative advantage" come from a certain openness to adapting to foreign ideas. Just how some individuals get in a rut of daily routine and find change hard to absorb. The biggest sources of advantage in societies consist of foreign trade and investment, already assuming that reform wholesale is in action. I personally had to re-take on the difference between reform wholesale and reform retail. Because the next tool the rise in the world, comes from the action of reform retail. Reform retail is the little preparation steps that enable a country for world collaboration. While on the other hand, reform wholesale, is the preparation for opportunity to participate in the worldly affairs. So without the retail portion of keeping in touch with world business, countries preparation wouldn't be as effective. Two biggest applications of retail reformation includes building up the framework and education of a region for maximum collaboration opportunity. Struggling countries try to crank out the jobs in hopes for an economical boost with more work opportunity, but contrary to their efforts is the idea that quality is better than quantity. The jobs creating a productive effect utilizing regional resources and strengths, out-ways the push for numbers with the workforce. 

In fact, there are two, with one being that here in America, we just need to raise the standards to make for an equal job competition with those in India/Japan. With the option of outsourcing, we look at our two choices: U.S. or these smart guys, and choose the latter. We can step it up with the same persistent attitude toward education, and even have a preventative and futuristic approach of picking the right job field. The second solution, a little less out of our control, is to open restricted markets, for those countries that have them, so we can have more countries involved in the trade market. The economic concern can also be comforted with the obvious optimism that not everything has been invented. New jobs, industries and potentially, fields of study and standards of living can be opened up in the future. Those citizens caught in the middle of being average, between the specialized and localized, will need to search vertically. New inventions that begin as wants with escalate to needs, as the only limit can be that of imagination. 

Comparable, is the skills of curiosity and passion to learn, and can be more powerful proof than IQ to personal progress in the growing world. Yet another term contributing to flattening the world. Initially as reading, it seem similar to outsourcing, how the company involved is basing service somewhere else. Outsourcing was simple efficiency with clerical work or saving money without office buildings, when service calls could be channeled to stay-at-home employees. IQ can be out-beat by the drive people have with there curiosity and passion to succeed and persist in the world. To beat product costs with cheaper labor and maintained quality, companies don’t stand a chance. At first, I doubted, with my skepticism on how IQ  would be considered a lesser judgement, but then read that it is more than just common sense and test taking skills, which should be expected. Most companies invested in a little of both. Some over here AND over there. The main purpose of this hassle, especially considering the weariness of leaving it up to others half of the time, is for global competition. A main goal in business is to expand. This involves more purchases, and getting the company name out to everyone, and increasingly to outside of our American bubble, hence the term “everyone.” Having establishments offshore invests in a bigger market which in turn provides more orders on products to lead to more increase in popularity.

Module 6: Free Trade, Skills and IQ

The main debate over the topic of free trade is whether or not it will benefit America. It took a re-reading of a couple pages to find where this was going and what exactly free trade was. I initially guessed free trade was an agreement of no tax or something price-reduced between shipping countries. I was on the right track, but the "free" part has actually a different focus than just a monetary sense. It is free to restrictions of imports/exports, allowing for no particular limitations to traded goods. So, I was right with tax free as far as I'm correct, as it would count as a barrier. One example of another barrier includes how some countries, not in a free trade agreement, would ban trade of natural resources, I am guessing for a probable fear of cross-pollination or contaminant. So, to relate free trade back to Friedman's concept of the world flattening, we look back at the initial beginnings and benefit of free trade.

 David Ricardo, having the smarts in economics, figured that with each country and its specializations, it would be beneficial for goods to circulate. Counties can be unique in their manufacturing, products and occupations, and then just share around the globe so everyone gets the good stuff and inventions for a nicer standard of living essentially. That was the theory, which modern-day, has a different view. Modern-day, we are flattening, which includes the previously unique way of the job field. This is where people get worried and take different sides to the current relevance to free trade. Because now, not just goods are free, but some services and "knowledge work" are available, which can have the result of jobs being stolen.  The extent to their fear is aimed against outsourcing, off-shoring and supply chains. I can relate to the  nervousness about for one, outsourcing, where foreigners fill up job positions from American companies, and in reality, do take some of those job opportunities away. Personally, I inflected on my future's potential and with my field directed towards Nursing, I don't see too much of job scarcity, being a localized skill (which I will define later) as where people are always going to need medical services, even if it were the end of the world. But, there is a solution to this worry if you are worried.

 In fact, there are two, with one being that here in America, we just need to raise the standards to make for an equal job competition with those in India/Japan. With the option of outsourcing, we look at our two choices: U.S. or these smart guys, and choose the latter. We can step it up with the same persistent attitude toward education, and even have a preventative and futuristic approach of picking the right job field. The second solution, a little less out of our control, is to open restricted markets, for those countries that have them, so we can have more countries involved in the trade market. The economic concern can also be comforted with the obvious optimism that not everything has been invented. New jobs, industries and potentially, fields of study and standards of living can be opened up in the future. Those citizens caught in the middle of being average, between the specialized and localized, will need to search vertically. New inventions that begin as wants with escalate to needs, as the only limit can be that of imagination. 

Comparable, is the skills of curiosity and passion to learn, and can be more powerful proof than IQ to personal progress in the growing world. Yet another term contributing to flattening the world. Initially as reading, it seem similar to outsourcing, how the company involved is basing service somewhere else. Outsourcing was simple efficiency with clerical work or saving money without office buildings, when service calls could be channeled to stay-at-home employees. IQ can be out-beat by the drive people have with there curiosity and passion to succeed and persist in the world. To beat product costs with cheaper labor and maintained quality, companies don’t stand a chance. At first, I doubted, with my skepticism on how IQ  would be considered a lesser judgement, but then read that it is more than just common sense and test taking skills, which should be expected. Most companies invested in a little of both. Some over here AND over there. The main purpose of this hassle, especially considering the weariness of leaving it up to others half of the time, is for global competition. A main goal in business is to expand. This involves more purchases, and getting the company name out to everyone, and increasingly to outside of our American bubble, hence the term “everyone.” Having establishments offshore invests in a bigger market which in turn provides more orders on products to lead to more increase in popularity.  

Module 5: The World Convergence

Now that all ten flatteners have been acknowledged and explored in detail, Friedman enlightens us with the merging of these and the aftermath. This he calls the triple convergence. Firstly, we begin with all ten flatteners working on each other, providing new skills and therefore habits. This ultimately raises the bar of competition, education, achievements, business and potential. These new hits in technology and society spread nationally and globally, then connect. The biggest factor with the new rush in improvements and convenience discoveries in businesses and technology is time. Certain things have been around for a while, as with most of the flatteners, but just with time, more places have access to improvements in network, and businesses can have their chance to flourish.  Things need the chance to become available in mass production and advertised enough to become popular enough to make it “a thing.” Also, with time, recent efforts begin to utilize the phrase of “simultaneous improvement of complementary goods.” This is the instance where product can increase in value dependent on another product, as Friedman used paper versus pencil for an example. These two items ‘compliment’ each other in a way where if one were to be improved upon, the other would have to and would equally increase in value. Overall, productivity improves. This is what happens with two of more items that are seen as flatteners like the reviewed outsourcing, offshoring, uploading, insourcing, supply chaining, informing…etc.

Secondly, once a higher standard is set in certain departments, we come to recognize that the playing field has changed. The challenge now is for everyone to hustle and find a way to compete and keep up. With a new playing field comes a new way of doing things. There are two ways that determine the effectiveness of one’s attempt to climb to the top. “Horizontalization” is the term Friedman invents that describes the smart perspective of having your biggest focus on your desired outcome. By having a clear objective on creating your desired effect, thing are far more accomplished by finding necessary means and thinking outside the box. The opposite term, going vertical, would be someone who focuses in who is in control. This is limiting to the new playing fields rule of networking and being efficient.

Third convergence is the players on the field. And more specifically, new players. These rising players learn to compete, connect and collaborate with new tools. Particularly spotlighting young Indian students, they earned themselves a nickname of Zippies, being a rising generation of motivated, confidently driven people. The most important fact that comes from the rise of this source, is that your only limiting point will be your readiness to make use of the infrastructure. Rajesh made a nice point that what Indians have is ambition, and that is just one more step of providing a sturdy infrastructure for the future as the United States is getting a little too relaxed. So our challenge…is to raise the bar, a more uplifting approach to the rise in outsourcing. I personally agree with his optimistic perspective and I think it is neat how he solely focused on individual improvement versus the potential for a power-hungry future. This especially when he mentioned about not ruling the world, but creating opportunity for yourself, and his comparison of the world being a sport and needing us to be a team player in this new playing field.

Module 4: Behind the Scenes

So for this week, taking a break from the Friedman’s the World is Flat, I am going to give you a little background on the basics of an IT Specialist’s job and a little exploration of the field. Most companies wouldn't run smoothly without these tech-savvy employees up-keeping the system. With excellent computer knowledge and troubleshooting skills, they help make a companies’ infrastructure and digital property functional. They are a principle keystone in creating effectiveness and efficiency in a workplace.

An IT Specialist (Information Technology) has to have sufficient education and experience to be successful in problem solving tasks involving math, technology and networks. In certain cases, the network goes down, or the user is challenged with installing software or new technology is being implemented and may need help every step of the way. Many systems offer particular certification for their technology like for some, Windows, Cisco and Oracle. Most complete a Bachelor’s degree with typical majors such as: computer science, information science, mathematics, engineering, statistics or operations research (Education Portal).  I was a little curious about some of these areas of study, so I researched a few in particular to get a better grasp on what background some of these IT Specialist might have. First one I was interested in was operations research. I didn't really have any guess as to what it would entail. I found that it falls under a sub-field of mathematics and statistics, using that to analyze population problems with scheduling and transportation for examples (bigfuture).  They specialize with creating and perfecting life applicable problems and the logistics of it all. The major that I found most interesting was information science. “Information Science (IS) majors combine technical expertise in computer science with the social sciences to study how people and societies interact with information (Cornell.)” As computer science was mentioned in the definition, it seems that it more so specializes on the social standpoint, as the computer science major specifically pertains to the more creative side of programming and designing software. I could see this branch of study having a little more creativity, and seriously come in handy as an IT Specialist whether it’s network management or database programming.

I talked with my Dad about his employment at the company, IM Flash Technologies (an Intel micron venture) to get a little more insider information about this field. He gave me a few pointers and had to explain a few technical terms. For one, the general job description of any IT personnel is to be the behind the scenes crew of the company or business’s production to ensure it runs smoothly since most are very computer dependent. His job isn't exactly an IT specialist, but has worked IT positions and some of his duties has similar relations. For one clarification he made, I asked what pertained to the phrase multiple programming language when researching IT requirements and job skills. He explained that it involves programming mainly, and is the different forms of base codes for pertaining intentions. A few to mention are Java, JavaScript, and HTML, as the last two mainly relate to Internet as in my reading about Netscape and the birth of the Internet. As a Dry Etch Equipment Technician, he monitors tool performance, schedules and perform preventative maintenance on assigned tool sets, and troubleshoots and repairs equipment. He mentioned how the IT’s do similar tasks, just with the networks and computers within the facility, and he, the semiconductor equipment and machinery. In his department, there are robotic networks and computers linked to all of the technology. This position is just as crucial to a smooth running company as IT Technicians. If something stops working within the manufacturing fabrication, that particular unit is disrupted or halted.  He is supposed to minimize tool downtime and increase availability, particularity with systematic troubleshooting (imflash). An obvious difference though between these two fields, is uniform. Dad mentions that inside the fab is 100 times cleaner than a hospital. There can only be a particular fraction of dust in the atmosphere. With this, they gown up in “bunny suits” and goggles in the clean room and continue to keep sanitized inside the fab where microchips are made. 

http://education-portal.com/articles/Information_Technology_Specialist_Job_Description_and_Requirements.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_5396698_specialist-job-description.html

http://admissions.cals.cornell.edu/academics/majors/information-science/ 

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors/engineering-operations-research#