WSU IS&T 1100 Introductions (Week 1 and 2)

[chocolate]

I think Jaamal is right - Technology is starting to control us!!!

[chocolate]

Whoa - I posted again and it disappeared!! I agree with Jaamal that technology tends to control us and in a way that thought is rather scary.

[Cheese]

Wow, chocolate loves to post!

Someone said that "we don't learn from our mistakes"? As a following thought to my "nuke experiment", would the survivors not learn from their mistakes, or would they CHOOSE not to?
Suppose, many years later, the story of the "great cities that all killed each other" is still extreemly influential in the culture of the survivors. And suppose, someone in this culture builds a gun. Now that he has a gun, this person can kill his food much easier and take what he wants from his neighbors without dispute. Seeing this, will all the rest of the culture go and get guns as fast as they can, saying "Its OK. We won't build the big silver birds that blow-up cities. We will only build guns." ? They have chosen the same path, but are agreeing to only go so far. Will it work?

Thoughts? Comments? Jokes?

~Chedder

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I'm just a robot and I know my place
A metal servant to the human race
I work my can off trying to satisfy
I know they'll disconnect me by and by
Chip on my shoulder made of silicon
My printed circuit's like a lexicon
Ten billion logic functions, maybe more
They make me pick the paper off the floor

Solitary solinoid
Terminally paranoid
Marvin

[Gelit]

Wow! We have some very interesting comments and thoughts here for sure. I'd have to say I'm somewhere in the middle of the "critic" or "optimist" category. I truly am grateful for much of technology today and all the positive aspects it brings with it; However, I strongly believe that technology has brought with it some negative "strings". I KNOW that generaly speaking - laziness has accoumpanied the technological advances. We don't even have to walk over tho the light switch to turn on the light. We need only clap.
Crazy - is there anyway to control the good and bad of it really?
All a matter of choice, I guess.

[Beebs]

I think that technology is a great thing. It helps improve our lives. Just think of how hard our lives would be if we didn't have all the things that we have now. Technology can also be complicated too. I get confused all of the time. There is alot of things that a person has to learn to run all of this technology. It can get very very complicated.

[firemeboy]

Beebs said...

[firemeboy]

These are the people I have heard from: If you've sent me something, and you're not on the list, please re-send.

Cheese
BalbanesBeoulve
JoBlack
DNA
Spanglish
Beibei
Volrath
Arsenalrocks
TGR
Edogg
360
frank
chocolate
Chinaman
MusicLily
Kanchaser
Gelit
Beebs
catman
Karrots
Mack
allstate
shining gundam


[This message has been edited by firemeboy (edited 01-24-2003 02:40 PM).]

[volrath]

Technology is a very very good thing in this world. While it causes some problems I feel that it solves a lot of things. For example just think of a Hospital. What kind of care would we have today with out Technology. I am a CS major so Technology will play a huge role in the rest of my life. As time goes on technology will continue to benefit the world more and more and in other ways technology will continue to be a hindrance to some people. But as I said in the Beginning without technology what would our health care be like today. (Have you ever watched Mash?)
http://www.usd.edu/honors/HWB/hwb_o/med.htm

[catman]

Think of this one:
If you were to drop someone off in the deep forest of Africa, thousands of miles from anyone and gave him no technology but a sharpened rock. How long would it take (supposing he knew how) to make an F-16 jet? or even for that matter a piece of wire with nothing more than a rock for his tool and lots of raw materials in the forest?

[catman]

What do yall think the next step for technilogical adnaces are?

[Mack]

Being a 'TECHIE' myself (and being that is my major) technology is a way of life. Just as everything there are goods and bads but overall humans now could not survive without it. Who can resist going out and finding the newest electronic gadget out there to brag to your friends that you are the first. I know I can't. If you think about all the good technology does for people who may have a physical defalt, how can you say it is a bad thing?

[karrots]

I don't want to start and flame wars about technology being bad or good because it can be used either way. Just as Marion talked about 2001 and the Monkey. They used it to scare off the other monkeys. They could have used it another way.

Personally I am in to technology also. I work in it and help people who have problems with getting their technology to work. I think we must exersize self control in all things. Because if we don't we will become lazy or hurtful to others. Eating is a good example we can sit there and eat all day and it can take up our time and consume our lifes the same way computers can. At the same time every one has their thing they like to do wether it be riding motorcycles, building model planes. Computers lead to a life style just a being a banker or a miner can lead to a lifestyle. It can be either hurtful if we let it or helpful.

Karrots

[Fatex]

okay so does anyone think that those old punch card computers are still being used today. i think it would be cool to have one

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[Spanglish]

hey fatex.. we had one of those old punch clocks at my work... maybe you should look into "borrowing" it.. just kidding, but that would be a good conversation piece wouldnt it. A really good bit of technology that I enjoy is the remote car starter.. in minnesota when its 60 below zero, you really dont want to have to get all bundled up to just go out start the car and go back in while it warms up.. thats a great invention.

[shining gundam]

I don't see how anyone can think that technology is controlling us. Who invented the technology? We did, so how could we let it control us. Remember you don't have to use cell phones, and the internet, etc., but these things are popular for a reason. The reason is that they make communicating with other people easier.

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"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power. It tells me to defeat you!"

[This message has been edited by shining gundam (edited 01-24-2003 02:25 PM).]

[allstate]

This is my first time on here, so hello- I don't have much to say yet other than I really do think that our technology is surpassing us at an alarming rate. I belive humans still have the control, but our dependancy is becoming ever more present as we attach our lives to the computer. I read in the newspaper that soon we'll have small message gadgits that can be used on a key chain or on your fride. It'll use a low frecuency FM signal to send alarms of any sort. We can use it as a personal planner, the Emergency Broadcast System could even use it to notify us of danger in minutes or seconds... Soon there won't be a differance of where human life and computers end or begin. Its a method of choas.

[Don Jones]

This being my first time on this discussion, I would like to introduce myself. Hi the pleasure is all mine. In reply to frameboy's queston in regards to my Internet/computer skills I would have to classifiy myself as a #2 (1-4 mind you). But then again I could be lying ( Lying to myself or to you ).
Yes I like technology and think it is very important. I hate to see the nations space programs take budgett cuts. I belive that the space program is resposible for most of our technological andvancements. Teflon where would we be with out it? There is alot of thinking that goes into putting a man on the moon and the good guys down at NASA share those ideas with the world.

[360]

heres a thought. If all this new technology that is coming out right now is amazing to us, and considering it is hand-me-down technology from NASA, what do you think their current technology is like I don't believe that Most of our technoloy comes from NASA (let me know if I'm wrong), but I don't argue that they are a heck of a lot further along in technology than they lead us to believe.

tip of the day- don't shoot off any nukes, and don't become subordinate to technology.

[JoBlack]

Technology - any object or method which enables humans to manipulate or exploit the natural world.
“Word processors, conferencing systems, hypertext systems, mouse pointing devices, mixed video and computer communications--the technical foundation for half a dozen of the biggest high-tech industries today:
When you can transfer the Library of Congress from one place to another in under a minute, the very notion of what it means to have a place called the Library of Congress changes.”
“In two years, there will be more network users than residents of any state in the United States. In five years there will be more network users than citizens of any single country except India or China. What will happen when McLuhan's global village becomes one of the largest countries in the world?” Rheingold, Howard. Visionaries and Convergences: The Accidental History of the Net

I look at were the technology of the day is now and I ask my self how is it affecting us as a human race. When Marion said he other day in class that he applied for a loan over the phone and did not talk to a person but only a computer. Guys is this technology good or not? I mean will it get to the point to were it is replacing not just loan officers but other jobs as well. We all know that a machine will work for a whole lot less then a person. Plus this so called machine or computer will not worry about a 401k.
In Jurassic Park the movie, one of the scientist said ( this is not word for word) that man is able to do anything but, are we thinking twice and asking are selves SHOULD we even do it?
What do you all think?

These were just some quotes from Howard Rheingolds book. I look at

[chocolate]

Re:loan by phone. Don't you just wish though sometimes when you have been on the phone for five minutes or more pushing 1 for this and 2 for this and 3 for something else that you would just like a real person to come on the phone and say "Can I help you?" It gets really aggravating playing the phone system game. Are we losing people skills with all this technology?

[Spanglish]

Yes.

[CrystyB]

It could very well be looked on it the other way around: we're saving people's skills. A real-person-operator would get sooo bored with that routine stuff (s)he'd forget how to create things. (can you tell i hate routine? )

The thing i didn't understood about these phone subnumbers (those that are worth my time at least) is why do they play the record instead of putting you in front of a diagram of all the choices (have a image on the net somewhere, for instance), out of which the path to the desired end-product would be easy to find without wasting time and getting bored yourself? Then all you'd have to do is dial the 28 digit number all at once and you're done...

[This message has been edited by CrystyB (edited 01-26-2003 09:25 PM).]

[Larin]

Hello Everyone! This is going to definatly take some getting used to. Technology is a wonderful thing it helps everyone out even if some people dont like it.

Larin

[dazedconfused]

This is harder than it looks

[ChinaMan]

My thoughts:
Cheese, you made a good point, but one thing we must be careful of, is not to be TOO paranoid. If any of you have seen the movie "Spiderman" you'll remember the line "with great power comes great responsibility". Information is, in effect, power (if group A has more technology than group B, they indirectly have some form of power over group B). I agree with BeiBei, technology and society are interdependent. If you remove technology from society, society as a whole will stumble. Besides, isn't that what mankind is all about? Making life easier, more meaningful, more productive, etc.. The real question is "What percentage of today's 'technology' has done that?"
Let me know what you think.

[Don Jones]

Im not an alarmist and I see no reason to be alarmed over wether or not technology will replace the human in the workplace. Yes I do believe it will and obviously has chance the world of employment. But falling back on the ol’saing “History repeats itself”; technology will shape the future of jobs, but never to a drastic extent as to replace our role. For example; in the times of the Old West primarily job were ranchers, cowboys, farmers and small business owners. Then the railroad came along and provided much more opportunity (more jobs) and was much more efficient than the Pony Express(only a few men). It was advancement that everyone would benefit from. We govern technology. And I would not go as far to say we depend “upon it” or we are “to dependant on it” so much as to say we “use it”.

[Kerioth]

The world is highly dependant on technology in every aspect. I think that the level of dependancy is chosen in large part by each individual in turn. If you choose to have 4 computers in your house so that every person can use it as much as they like, that's a decision made. If the family decides to own no computers nor televisions to enhance other learning facilities and imagination, that's also a decision made.

Computers and electronics in general, have taken over many human jobs. Someone decided it would be so. Technology has provided countless other jobs while diminishing the menial tasks. A person figured out that jobs would be created and destroyed at once, as well as noticing how the pros outweighed the cons.

Our society is highly dependant on technology. Someone, somewhere, somewhen, decided it would be so. Our future holds much in store for us.

Will you be the one who decides?

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By the hammer and hand, all the arts do stand.
-Old Proverb

[This message has been edited by Kerioth (edited 01-27-2003 01:08 AM).]

[GUITARPRO#1]

Hi,
This is my first time on, just seeing if everything works.
By the way I think that technology is a great thing. Just about everything could be considered to be technology. We wouldn't be anywhere without it. He who has the technology shall have the power. See ya'latter.

[Fatex]

so one hand we have people saying technology is controlling us and on the other we say we invented it so how can it control us. and some don't even care. i think yes in someways it does control us, in the sense that we did create it and if we stop then we loose the economy as we now have it and we might come out of it but we do not want to face that hasle again.
while some will argu that if we didn't have computers and went back to the old way of life that would help a lot of issues. but it would also create more in my opinion. some of these people that don't understand technology, don't understand that some of them wouldn't be here today, and some wouldn't even have jobs
so technology good/bad just pick the good and you will be better off.

[Termital]

I just wanted to thank you all profusely for (possibly unintentionally) providing me with moments of physically uncontrollable merriment. Since fmb never bothered to explain what this WSU project is and how it is fitting GL content, I shall attempt to guess your identities:
a) junior high students
b) public sector secretaries
c) Amish Eskimoes
[Tick all that apply]

I suppose this WSU has had the beneficial side effect of creating a forum for what OT (was meant to include but somehow) didn't cover. Still, some explanation of what this activity is about would make lurking much more enjoyable. Also, since this has brought a host of frsh members to the GL, I can only suggest you stray over to the other forums. I am sincerely hoping we thus gain a score of new regulars. Now, was I intimidating as warned? I wound be vexed to fail your instructor.
I am assuming your keyboards are teethless, so try to put more than two words together. The server has proven capable of handling longer posts, and it would improve all our experiences. Unless of course you are all slackers hoping to pinch a grade from some Internet education class by managing to post three words. I trust fmb to see through that.
Speaking of fmb, his suggestion that you may lie through your teeth may be possible but it is frowned upon, unless you happen to go by the screen name of IS, Will, or are posting in this thread. While lying to an evil data collecting form may be wise, misrepresentation is frowned upon in communities such as this.
I hope you'll enjoy your passage through the Grey Labyrinth!

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Come savage aspiring GL poets!

[Termital]

Pah! the two word comment was meant for the other wsu thread

[volrath]

As far as I am concerned there is only one way to go and that is the tecnology rout. Just think about what the world woold be like with out it. Better yet just simply take the Satalite out of the picture. Communication as we know it would cease to exist. And who here is not happy to have a cell phone or have somebody with a cell phone come by when you are stranded and need to contact somebody for help.

[Cheese]

Hello!
I am going to endever to address as many of these topics that have been raised in this post. Since most people just read the last post on a board before they answer, hopefully this will bring some attention back to some of the good-but-overlooked-posts.

***Tip for the newbies***
Since I know some of you in my class are new to all this, I'll give a few hints that will make your posts more understandable and effective tools for stimulating thought.
1. Quote other users. You can do this by copying and pasteing the other posts. This helps keep your words relevent.
2. Look for new topics before you post! I count 14 posts that basicly boil down to "Technology is great, but it could be bad". THESE ARE NOT BAD POSTS! They are just somewhat repetitive. These boards get cluttered and chaotic if people don't check to see if what they want to say has already been said. If the people who had posted each of these had perhaps quoted other posts and expanded on them, it could lead to productive discussion.
3. If someone has beat you to the punch and posted your thought, post your comments in conjunction with the other post. This helps the idea to expand and grow, rather than simply reiterate the basic thought over and over and over....
4. Remember! I am not some all-powerfull superguy who's word is law. I'm just trying to make your life easier with these tips. If you think I'm full of crap, reply to this post and tell me why.
***End of tip***

Now that I've said a plenty, I'll get to replying to the various topics I notice here one the board.

TOPIC 1: Technology controlling us
chocolate said: "I think Jaamal is right - Technology is starting to control us!!!"
My question is "How?" What do you mean by control? If you mean that technology is making decisions for us and making our lives go in directions we would rather not, I think you are up in the night. However, if you are saying that technology has influenced our lives to such a degree that we can no longer do without it anymore that we can do without food, I would begin to agree. Take the example of a student who is told to write a 10 page paper (I've been there and back again ). If the student is dependent on word processors, it will be incapible of performing the task without technology. If there is a complete power outage for 3 weeks, the paper will never be created. I could easily see myself in this position. Thoughts? Questions? Dirty remarks?

TOPIC 2: Technology making our lives easier
firemeboy said: " But then again think of how easy it would be... No alarm clock pulling us out of bed, no new skills to learn at work. No cell phone/pager finding us wherever we go..."
I say "Do you have any idea how much HARDER your life would be without that pager/alarm clock/new skills?" Imagine for a moment that you are back in the early 1600s. You get up at the butt-crack of dawn to feed your scrawny animals which could die of sickness at anytime, try despairately to eek out a living from a few hundred yards of dirt, and die in your late 50s an uneducated, ignorant pessant. This was the life of almost everyone back then. I'm glad the life of almost everyone is now pagers/alamr clocks/new skills.

TOPIC 3: Technology really does make our lives much easier.
volrath made a fantastic point: "Beginning without technology what would our health care be like today. (Have you ever watched Mash?)"
This is absolutly true. If you have read any liturature dating from the 1600s-1800s (e.g. Chauser) you will find that healthcare wasn't. If you got sick, remidies included bleeding, branding, burning, and praying. The cure for rabies was drowning. Thank goodness we don't live like that anymore. The reason I think volrath's post is so great is because he gives a close-to-present example of bad technology degrading our lives: M*A*S*H. Thoughts? Ideas?

TOPIC 4: Thought experiment in the african wilderness.
catman created a fantastic post stating:
"Think of this one:
If you were to drop someone off in the deep forest of Africa, thousands of miles from anyone and gave him no technology but a sharpened rock. How long would it take (supposing he knew how) to make an F-16 jet? or even for that matter a piece of wire with nothing more than a rock for his tool and lots of raw materials in the forest?"
I don't see a single post in answer to this fantastic experiment! It makes the reader consider the usefullness of technology and its long and painfull history. I'm guessing that an F-16 is absolutly imposible in these circumstances, but the idea of wire is a good one. Barbed wire was instrumental in tameing the American west, and mettalurgy is a part of the basis of civilization. For an imaginary case such as this which is will thought out and logical, read Jules Vern's "Mysterious Island." In direct answer to catman's post: NEVER for the jet, about 1 year for the wire.

TOPIC 5: Technology taking our skills away.
chololate says: " Re:loan by phone. Don't you just wish though sometimes when you have been on the phone for five minutes or more pushing 1 for this and 2 for this and 3 for something else that you would just like a real person to come on the phone and say "Can I help you?" It gets really aggravating playing the phone system game. Are we losing people skills with all this technology?"
I'd agree. My greatest fear where technology is conserned is that eventually we will loose all our hard-won literal skills. I firmly believe that if all communication moves to 1's and 0's, the pen will sucomb to the keyboard and human creativity will become fettered by the spell and grammer checkers. Kerioth makes the excellent point that this is a choice we are making. He says: "If you choose to have 4 computers in your house so that every person can use it as much as they like, that's a decision made. If the family decides to own no computers nor televisions to enhance other learning facilities and imagination, that's also a decision made." I say chocolate and kerioth are right.

Finally let me say that I've created a HUMOUGOUS post. Usually this is seen as rude, and I'm sorry. However, I sincerely felt that this was the best way to get all these fantastic (and otherwise) posts addressed. Excuse my hugely bloated babbling.

Sincerely,
~Provolone

[firemeboy]

Cheese said:

quote:

---

Remember! I am not some all-powerfull superguy who's word is law. I'm just trying to make your life easier with these tips. If you think I'm full of crap, reply to this post and tell me why.

---

I don't think he's full of crap, and think that those hints are excellent. Well said cheese, and a nice post.

By the way, as far as copying and pasting goes, if you type [QUOTE]Paste your quote in here[/QUOTE] then it does the nice indentation that you see above. This is a ver handy feature. You can also bold, put things in italics, etc.

To bold do this [b]] Bolded stuff here [/b].

And italics is done like this [i] Italics stuff here [/i].

If somebody does something and you would like to see how they do it, simply click on the edit message button and you can see their secrets.



[This message has been edited by firemeboy (edited 01-29-2003 11:04 AM).]

[El Galan]

I am posting for my first time ever, here we go

[Redman]

Hello eveyone. Looking forward to this class how about you?