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

[firemeboy]

Welcome to the Grey Labyrinth class, feel free to poke around but don't be frightened by the 'natives'.
If you could please post here once and then send me an e-mail stating who you are (I will need to know to give you credit). You can set up your screen name to be anything. Introduce yourself as well, but remember since we are online you can lie through your teeth if you want.
The Internet project will take place here somewhere, but not in this thread. Check back here often to discuss topics from class, the online project, or anything else.
For this week, why don't you also tell us your general thoughts on technology. We've discussed in class the 'critics and optimists'; where do you fall? Do you think we've let technology bore into our lives too much? Is technology generally a good thing? A bad? Tell us your thoughts.
One last thing, I am teaching two classes, so there will be two separate sections here. About 50 students. I expect a lot of discussion!

Marion

[This message has been edited by firemeboy (edited 01-17-2003 12:39 PM).]

[karrots]

Second Post!!!

[RedHead]

Hello!
Just posting as per the instructions of the instructor.

C_ya!
~RedHead



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A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it.

[JoBlack]

"And so as we become increasingly submerged in a steady, enveloping stream of "news" and "information" presented live by Web or television from places all over the globe, we are now at last in Mcluhoan's world of "All-At-Onces"

[firemeboy]

Nice to see people are finding the site! Remember to send me your 'real names' so I can give you credit for the discussion. I've already heard from RedHead

[BalbanesBeoulve]

Here I am.

[Neo]

WSU wouldn't happen to be Wichita State University would it?

[SaberKitty]

or you could look at thier e-mails and note the "weber.edu"

Originally posted by fmb:

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don't be frightened by the 'natives'

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but we're very scary... i know i am
raaarrrrr!

[Neo]

Why would I have had reason to look at their emails?

[Spanglish]

Hey, technology is cool. But its too expensive. Well at least I am posting something.

[DNA]

Hey all, I feel technology is a great thing! Without it I wouldnt be typing this post right now. Though I think technology has its +'s and -'s. It could destroy us some day if we let it get out of hand, are use it negatively.

[SaberKitty]

wait... you mean you don't stalk everyone you meet online?
oops

[firemeboy]

Welcome to week two people...

This week’s topic will cover the definition of technology. Communication throughout the ages (and when I say ages I mean we are going to start at roughly 300,000 BC and move painfully slow through each and every decade...), we are going to unlock the mysteries of binary language, and talk about how it was actually Stalin who invented the Internet and not Al Gore (Ok, ok, it wasn't Stalin either, but it was kind of his fault...)

Hope to see more people posting here... Remember you are graded for participation in the discussion boards; either by posting a brilliant thought, or responding intelligently to another person's brilliant thought.

Correct spelling is optional on the discussion boards.

[Beibei]

Just checking in...


[This message has been edited by Beibei (edited 01-21-2003 04:38 PM).]

[RedHead]

Hello all!
I know there were a few who rated themselves as 4s or even arrogant 6s when asked how comfortable you are with technology. I'm asking the 6s why they think they are 150% of 100% comfortable. When I say arrogant, I'm not implying something bad. If you really are the best of the best, then you have every right to be arrogant and proud. Those who deserve recognition should get it. Some professors are the most proud, arrogant, self-righteous people I know, but they have earned their attitude.

The reason I'm asking is I want to learn anything you know that I don't (that you are willing to teach, of course). If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Thanks!
~RedHed

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A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it.

[jeep]

~random person walks in...~

So was the question about comfort level or proficiency?

-JEEP

[volrath]

Hello All

[firemeboy]

I think that the sixes may have claimed they were so by accident, not understanding that the scale only went to four.

Jeep, I asked people to rate themselves on a scale of 1- 4, 1 being completely lost when it came to technology, and 4 being a Bill Gates clone. In one of the classes somebody said they were a six. I declared them an Internet God on the spot. Then several more claimed to be sixes as well. It may have been they thought that the scale was 1 - 10, or it may simply have been that they figured that nobody could know more than them, so therefore they too must be sixes...

Anyway, I'll let the three sixes explain, maybe they really are Internet Gods...

[jeep]

Oh, if 4 was Bill Gates, then I can see it being possible to be higher than that. I understand that Gates is a very technical person, but I'm not convinced he's the most technical person in the world.

-JEEP

[Spanglish]

Today was quite an interesting class.. gotta love group work. Here what I think, playing on the internet is better than using bones to beat on another group of larger apes. If you were in class and weren't asleep, you'll remember.

[Kerioth]

Just dropping in to say 'allo. My intelligent thought will have to come later in the week. Hopefully...ehhh...heh heh

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"I am not a thing, a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process, an integral function of the universe, and so are you."
-Buckminster Fuller

[ChinaMan]

none

[This message has been edited by ChinaMan (edited 01-22-2003 05:16 AM).]

[Arsenalrocks]

Hey!!! I just figured out how to do this so I'm just trying out. Well, I guess I posted so I'm out of here.

[Beibei]

hi!
everybody!
i want to try out and tell some of my thoughts. i think the place of science and technology in this modern life is very important. technology and this society grow at the same time,step the same step(make the same progress). i think they kind of depending on each other. for many years, human society has develped with the advance of science and technology while the development of science and technology has in turn brought the process to mankind. so i think because of that, the life we are living now is more civilized than our ancestors.
the development of science and technology has brought about many changes in people's lives.

[Frank]

I have nothing very intelligent to say except knowledge is power arm yourself

[360]

speaking of technology, how could anyone say that it is a bad thing. people need to take advantage of the luxury of technology. a person may argue that it may "control our life", but it is up to every individual to not let things control them. A person can get caught up in anything. ie work, school, tv, food, computers, science, anything. technology rocks!

[Edogg]

Hey hows it going guys? Im just posting in for the first time. I think technology is an amazing thing. Holy cow! Its like everyday that we see a new invention or addition to the amazing world of technology. I don't really know if I am a critic or an optimist of technology. Technology has its ups and downs. I do think that there are more ups than downs. The communication that has come to our world is incredible. Technology has bore itself into our lives, but thats not really a bad thing. I try to think what we would be doing in our lives without the technology we have. I am a young student, so when I look at the older generations and see how they turned out, I wonder if my generation will turn out better or worse with the technology we have had. The older generations are into hard work and so am I, but I see a lot of people that sit around all day on the computer or nintendo and I wonder how they are going to turn out. Are they going to be the bums on the streets or the brilliant scientists that invent the machines of today. I don't know, but I am grateful for technology!

[TGR]

I really think technology rocks. Don't know what I would be doing right now without it. NEWazs here is something to think about.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sometimes, when I drive across the desert in the middle of the night, with no other cars around, I start imagining: What if there were no civilization out there? No cities, no factories, no people? And then I think: No people or factories? Then who made this car? And this highway? And I get so confused I have to stick my head out the window into the driving rain---unless there's lightning, because I could get struck on the head by a bolt
---Jack Handey

[Kanchaser]

Hey, just figured this out! I love technology. It is usually....very dependable.

[MusicLily]

I think that technology is amazing. Everything changes so quickly. We are almost to the point that everything will be technology based.

[Spanglish]

And when a nuclear bomb goes off and disrupts all our electronic signals.. where will we be?

[hondo]

hello all.

[hondo]

how are all of the people that are being left behind 'technologicaly' benifiting... frank is right 'arm yourselves'

[Kanchaser]

I just want to comment on a comment made earlier about the older generation that really works hard and how the younger generation just seems to sit around and play nintendo games all day. I agree, I wonder if the younger generation will know how to really work for something or if technology just teaches them to take the easy way out. When something confronts them that seems to hard and their knowledge isn't great enought to use the technology will the younger generation try to deal with it or will they brush it aside and let somebody else do it for them? Who knows...

[Cheese]

Hello folks!
Take the following mental trip:
1. Suppose a nuke was fired at the US. Keep in mind that it would take less than ten of today's bombs to turn the entire north american contanent into an empty wasteland, and that these missles can be launched by the dozens.
2. The US fires its nukes at the country who fired first. The other countries with nukes freak out, and fire their nukes. In short, within the space of 1hr, every nuclear power is being destroyed/going to be destroyed.
3. The missles destroy every superpower, a.k.a those with all the ->technology<-.
4. Now, suppose there is at least one group of people (perhaps on an island, perhaps far enough from the superpowers to survive), which survives this. They have no technology. What will they think of us? How will they live? What will their religions teach?

Any of you have a response? Thought?

~Swiss

[Kanchaser]

Are we supposed to have class today here on the discussion forums?

[Kanchaser]

The surviving people on the island are going to think that we are stupid!!!!

[MusicLily]

That is a really interesting thought, Cheese. I think that those people on the island would start at the beginning again with little technology and that in the end they would repeat their past. I think that is the reason that we are taught about our past. Yet being human we always redo our own mistakes. We dont learn from it. I think that technology is a good thing and yet at the same time it is there to totally mess with us. If we didn't have technology then we wouldn't have alot os things and yet if we didn't have technology then we wouldn't have nuclear bombs and major warfare.

[Jaamal]

I have mixed feelings about technology. I have never been really interested in technology until recently,that is why I am taking this course to better understand the uses of technology. I believe it is a wonderful power that we have if it is used correctly. It makes are lifes alot easier in so aspects,but at the same time it makes are lives alot more complex and busy. We are lucky to be living in this age of time where we live in comfort,live with good health compared to times before us,and have so much information at are fingertips. We don't control technology,technology controls us.

[chocolate]

I think I am catching on - first time posting!!! Anyway, I think technology is great to a point. None of us would want to give up any of our toys and go back to the dark ages. BUT with technology comes a lot of learning - lots of instructions to learn with every toy we buy.