Salary:            $50,000/ year

Experience:   2+ to 5 years experience

Education:     Associate Degree

Monster.com 

A position for someone with the ability to work closely with users to improve their use of  their computers and work closely with Windows and the servers for accessibility and to protect data.  

Java Developer Business Management Personnel

Salary:            $90,000/ year

Experience:   2+ to 5 years experience

Education:     Bachelor’s Degree

Job Status:    Full-time

Monster.com 

Work in a cutting edge environment developing Java applications for this new technology. You will be part of one of three teams creating this very cool product. We need strong technical  coders who enjoy working with developing technology. Also people that work well with others and enjoy a team atmosphere. This is an agile team development group so being flexible and team centered is very important.   

Field Technician Integrated Systems Analysts, Inc.           

Experience:   1+ to 2 years experience           

Education:     Certification           

Job Status:    Full-time           

Monster.com 

Daily responsibilities include maintenance, diagnosis, and repair of computer related equipment, mainly printers and PCs, located at client site.  Work will primarily involve Lexmark and HP printers and Dell computers.  The selected candidate will also be responsible for supporting both an office support and production environment.

The above job listings represent three kinds of jobs in the computer industry. They are the network technician, programmer/developer, and field technician. I selected these jobs because I feel that I am the most familiar with these and have a basic grasp on what they are and what they require. I am interested in these jobs for a few reasons. First, I can identify them and have a basic understanding of each one. Second, they are available. I feel that these jobs are prevalent in the computer industry and many companies most likely have more than one of each kind. Thirdly, they are attainable. I feel that these jobs can be realized by most people who’s interest and skill can be supplemented with dedication to do good work and the determination to spend the time to fully comprehend the concepts for the position. Basically, I know what they are, I know I could probably find one available, and I know that it will take time and effort to develop the necessary skills and education. 

I feel that my current skills are extremely mediocre. They include the ability to identify the basic parts/hardware components of PCs, basic knowledge of what those parts/components do and how they relate to the others, basic computer terminology, basic knowledge of PC assembly, very basic html coding, average experience and knowledge of Microsoft Office applications(e.g., word, excel), and an understanding of basic computer-related concepts.  

It is my plan to focus on gaining the necessary skills and information through a degree program at IUPUI. I feel that it is likely that the classes offered at IUPUI will provide those skills as I progress through my education. I also know that IUPUI offers certification programs where I can gain supplemental skills and training as I go. This coming summer I plan to pursue an internship that may help to familiarize me with job experience. I am also working on my personal organization and time management in order to give myself the best possibility of learning this field and gaining a good job.  

This lab hasn’t really changed my mind as much as give me a better look on things to come and a better understanding of how much still needs to be done. I feel that many of these kinds of jobs are either really intertwined with other computer areas, or really specific and detailed. This makes it a little difficult for me to shoot for a particular job or career because I am not sure what to focus on. At this point, I am about 80% sure that I will pursue one of these fields for a career.

Vacuum tubes, custom application programs, and assembly languages marked what we know as “first-gen” computers. Transistors, operating systems, and programming language compilers were the technologies that defined “second-gen” computers. Integrated circuits, and portable operating systems allowed for the development of minicomputers, which are “third-gen” computers. “Fourth-gen” computers incorporated the use of microprocessors. These tiny but powerful chips developed rapidly throughout the 1970′s, ’80′s, and ’90′s.

The advent of the Internet and wireless technology has vastly changed not only the way we use computers today, but our way of life as well.

The consolidation of multiple technologies and the war with privacy issues may lead to some new developments.
2. The computer and IT industries have rapidly emerged as a global economic force in the last twenty years. What benefits and drawbacks does this rapid growth have for our culture? Do you think this growth should be slowed?

The benefits seem to just keep multiplying as these two fields continue to grow and swap ideas, but there have been some drawbacks in the areas of privacy, profits, theft, and security. These are problems that need to be addressed and settled. I think that it is possible that slowing the growth of these fields or slowing the advancement to consumers could be a favorable solution to some of these issues. However, it is possible to allow it to grow, but meticulously examine the pros and cons of a particular wave of technology, and then incorporate solutions to known or foreseeable problems at the release of it to the consumer.

3. Compare computer professions to other professions such as the law, medicine, teaching, etc. in terms of working conditions, educational preparation, salaries, and social status. Consider why you are attracted to the computing professions and discuss what would provide the incentive for you to be successful in an IT field.

The one obvious similarity of those other professions is that they all deal with people. That’s usually an exception to the rule in computers. Law and medicine have the potential to take forever in educational training. Computers don’t initially require an extraordinary amount of time in school, but for one to stay on the edge of the field he must familiarize with each new wave as computer professions change rapidly. The teachers in this country seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to pay, while computers(especially programmers) prove very lucrative. The social status of the computer professions seems to fall somewhere between “well-off geek” and “busy recluse.”  I don’t know. Financially speaking, I think they are in the upper-middle class or above.

I feel that for me to be successful in this field, I need to gain a large knowledge base for programming languages and stay as familiar as possible with using new applications, old ones in new ways, basically anything that will allow me to gain experience and skill.

The first movie that comes to my mind when I think of favorite special effects is The Lord of the Rings (and the others in the trilogy). Let’s face it, these movies are nothing short of incredible. The teams of people that created this trilogy were able to capture the most unique and minutest details of J. R. R. Tolkein’s imagination. The digital effects used in this movie paved the way for the fabrication of jaw-dropping landscapes, terrifying monsters, and unbelievable battles. While I won’t say that the digital effects made the movie, I will say that it would have been impossible to fully capture the scale and wonder that Tolkein was shooting for when he dreamed up this spectacular world.

I believe some of the most notable scenes that demonstrate the power and intensity of the digital effects are the kracken attack, the cave troll battle in Moria, the Balrog, arrival at Rivendel, the march of the Ents, the ranger ambush of the Northmen, the battle for Helm’s Deep, the spider attack, and the battle for Minas Tirith.

The digital effects add a dimension to the movie that would be virtually impossible to achieve otherwise. The overwhelming detail of the lands in the story that do not come close to anything in our real world. The digital effects really bring the characters, the animals, and the lands to life. The best part is, not only are these things made possible, but they are made believable. Combine that with the great on-location filming and the inspired directing of Peter Jackson, you have yourself an extremely rich and detailed compilation that is an instant legend. 

Here is my attempt to photoshop something. Blah…   

Yes. I’m currently taking class in which I have been required to create some diagrams with any particular drawing software. Because I wasn’t going to fork out the hundreds of dollars to buy a program that I may not use again, I opted to download a free one online. After the first couple of times using it, I realized that it wasn’t the most friendly of UI’s. It was definitely harder to get the desired results compared to some other brand name programs. I couldn’t even copy and paste into other programs like Word!

Is it possible to make computer software significantly easier to use?

Yes. It’s all about relativity. Typically, a program is developed from the programmers point of view and is documented and structured to his perception of what is needed and what is easy. The majority of the effort used to create the program goes toward its purpose and making it as fast and efficient as possible. This usually is not conducive to a normal computer user’s day at work or at home. The elements that the programmer eliminated for the prupose of efficiency are what the normal guy needed to understand how to perform a basic task. If there is more effort taken to realize where the target audience’s skill level is and programs are tailored to that expectation, then they can be easier to use.

Would you agree that programmers don’t understand the viewpoint of a typical computer user and consequently produce bad software?

That may have been a possible reason a time or two, I’m sure. In their defense, they are trying to accomplish a job. They are paid to make a product that does “X.” As long as they do, they have no reason to look back. If that product is supposed to be used by average Joe, then there needs to be an extension of the development team that conforms the program to a basic user.

What do you think of the “Computer User’s Bill of Rights?”

Many of the tenets I can agree with and are right on target, like number three or four. However, some I see as questionable, like number one and number ten. It’s hard for me to believe that “the user is always right.” Anyone who has worked at a customer service job will tell you that sometimes people are just plain wrong. Also, to be a “master” of anything takes time, practice, and dedication.

How would you like to see technology used in your courses?

I guess I’m content with what I do know of and not as diverse as I should be because, I can’t think of anything that isn’t being used or isn’t popular already. We have video conferencing, books online, email, chat, online tests, grades, assignments, research is a fingertip away, lecture downloads, streaming discussions, blogs, etc. Fill me in, please.

Do you think games and/or simulations or blogs or wikis could be used effectively in courses?

I’m currently using a blog in this class and it seems to be a good way of familiarizing with some elements of the course. I can agree that wikis could be helpful. They could be used as study aids between students or speicalized for a particular class. I don’t know about games. That’s only because games and school work have always been conflicting entities for me:)

Not much. I have a MySpace and a Facebook page. The only other things that come up are some road races that I did when I was in high school. They posted the results from the races online on their page.

How much privacy are you willing to release?

Just the basics - name, address, and phone are the only real important ones that I’m comfortable with. Other ones like ht, wt, gender, etc. I prefer not to just because I feel that they are not really important, so I don’t see why they should be needed. I try to divulge only that which is needed to do what I want to do.

They can make improvements, change the industry, or create new products. A mission statement is what defines the purpose and goal of a particular organization. By sticking to the parameters that the mission statement outlines, the organization can focus its efforts more effectively. Basically, it will help to eliminate the ideas that would have them pursuing dead ends or problems that aren’t really problems and direct their response more appropriately.

The decision to create an information system is sometimes driven by new technology while other times its driven by users. What are the pros and cons of each approach?

Technology driven system is more like an update. You do it because you can but also because it will help make things better in some way. The bad thing with these is sometimes they “come off the press” too quickly and are a little shaky. A user driven system is usually one that comes from a specific need. It is well developed and structurally sound, but it takes more time and resources to create.

Recall a time when you were frustrated by the way a program or operating system was functioning. How did you solve the problem? For example, did you use a help desk, user manual, or solve the problem on your own? Could the design of the program or operating system itself cause the problem? If so, what changes would you recommend to make the solution to your problem more obvious.

I like video games. I’m a fan of mmorpg’s, Guild Wars in particular. I recently invested in a new laptop. I tried playing GW on my new computer and was unsatisfied with the performance and gameplay. I noticed that the game was extremely glitchy and cumbersome. Because it was an online game, I figured it was an internet connection problem. So, I switched from wireless to wired and got better cables. That did help to steady my connection, but not the glitching. Since it is a pretty memory extensive application, I opted for more ram. This helped to speed up start up and load times and user interface, but not the animation. So, I thought ‘graphics card.’ However, because its a laptop, changing the graphics card is not easy or cheap. Well, that lead me to explore what I could change on the options for the game. I realized the game had extensive possibilities to augment the way the game was displayed. I noticed that higher resolutions on my HD widescreen was harder for my computer to display than lower ones. Also, there were other areas that the graphics could be tuned down to make it easier for my computer to handle. Now, GW runs at an average of 22 frames per second rather than 8. Much better. The biggest problem was the graphics card and its not something I can really help.

Some users have suggested that user documentation should be developed before the system, and then used as the blueprint for system design. How would this approach change the development process and the system itself?

Its like working backwards almost. Normally, a system is developed and then documented to the user so that the user has a way of learning how to interact with it. Doing it by developing user documentation first is like specifying your order at a restaurant - the food is tailored to fit your preferences or taste. This would provide an obvious user friendly advantage. The system itself would be changed to be more redundant in order to uncomplicate things for the user.

I think there are different levels to the scope of the Internet that need to be considered when answering this question. First, the Internet service provider. The company that grants web access to others needs to be responsible for general sweeping of its users and the content of which they post. There should be no way that a terrorist group can meet, discuss, coordinate, and plot an effort to destroy someone or something else on the Internet with nobody else ever knowing. The same is true for pornographic sites – they just shouldn’t be allowed. They promote the degradation of all that participate - especially women, children, and marriage. It demoralizes society in general. I want to say that people should be allowed to do whatever they want on their own time by their own means, but it’s just not true. That’s because people are the problem and why we have rules in the first place! So, action must be taken by the institution that controls the medium.

Secondly, they should also allow the government to conduct specific searches for possible security threats or intelligence gathering. These would just be basic keyword and data searches, not watching Joe Schmoe surf the net to see where he likes to visit.

Thirdly, (and this is where I personally believe much of the debate over “who’s allowed to do what” and “who’s supposed to do what” started) is at the home. Parents should definitely monitor and control what their children are able to view while on the Internet. On the same note, there is no question about IF a parent is allowed to do so.

I guess that is best left up to the particular government in question. As for the U.S., I think our forefathers actually set up a great system for handling these kinds of questions over 225 years ago with the concepts and principles that are outlined and emphasized in our Consititution. My answer is a general no, and rests upon the idea of a free country that allows free speech. HOWEVER, those two take a back seat when the religion, political view, or custom impedes, violates, or conflicts with any of the other foundational pillars of our Constitution. That way, organizations like the KKK, who to claim to be a “religion,” don’t get to continue promoting racial injustice and disseminating their heinous and utterly vile perspective via the Web just because they wave a banner of “Free Speech.” Its just common sense.

Do you believe that a privately-held Internet Service Provider like AOL has the right to censor the data posted on Web sites it hosts?

I want to say yes, because its theirs. Although, if they are not censoring, they need to monitor their sites and be the first ones to act and notify the proper authorities if something is posted that is a security issue or malicious in nature. They may be allowed to accept or deny any posting through the service they provide, but they are still operating under authority and need to be responsible. Once again, common sense. Think about it – what would we have done if, prior to 9-11-01, an ISP had discovered, but not reported a group of anti-American foreigners that were using the Web to meet and discuss a plot to attack? At the very least, they should be flagged and investigated.

Should companies like Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Cisco Systems provide blocking technology to foreign governments?

What some of those companies have done is simply trade money for ethics. They are a corporation, their objective is to make a profit, they pursue that objective by all means. If they can gain a considerable revenue by providing a way for a particular dictatorship to tighten its grip and choke a little more freedom – why not give a whirl, right?

Would you use filtering software that was preprogrammed to block pornographic and nuisance Web sites?

Most definitely. Especially if it gave me the option to override a particular block, that way, I have the final say. I think that would be extremely handy. It would just be an extra security measure for me, considering most of those types of sites contain malicious code and loggers and trackers anyway.

First of all, there is an obvious advantage in price for using traditional business cards versus vcards. One can typically order a set of 250 cards for around four dollars, while purchasing a Bluetooth enabled device to transmit vcards for each employee will cost between  $25 and $50 per person depending on which brand you select.

Secondly, if your employees did have a Bluetooth device and frequently preferred using it over traditional cards, they would only be able to give the vcards to others who had a Bluetooth device, and would have to manage other disadvantages. Bluetooth devices are highly susceptible to anonymous messages. Anyone can send a message to anyone and the reciever can’t see who it is. This is because Bluetooth devices do not use device pairing. This is a real problem. Not only can unsolicited messages be sent, but trojans and viruses as well. While there are no compatibility issues between Bluetooth devices, there are issues on how different programs and applications interface vcards. This is mainly because there is no real standard for handling vcards yet.

In conclusion, unless the majority of your employees have Bluetooth devices and want to use them to supplement traditional business cards, I recommend not switching entirely to vcards via Bluetooth. It appears that the use of vcards is only a matter of preference at the moment and seems to be more of a gamble than convenient. Until the technology for implementing these transcactions becomes more streamlined and affordable, I see no reason to spring for this fad.