Current Event #3: Microsoft vs NSA

Microsoft is trying to encrypt data more securely to disallow government snooping. They intend to be more transparent to show customers that there are no back-doors for the government to get through. However, seeing as how Windows is one of the most attacked OS, I doubt the government will have much of a problem getting in without them rewriting a majority of the OS from scratch.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/05/tech/web/microsoft-nsa-snooping/index.html?hpt=te_t1

General Conference Tweeting

Tweeting during Conference had mixed benefits. I was continually distracted but when I told myself to focus the tweeting actually helped because I only looked at it when I needed some clarification. There was also many people sharing with their friends and spreading the gospel which was nice to see.

Unlocking the Clubhouse

Women are lost when they enter computing. They come in with a disadvantage to men: the lack of other women. Growing up women have very few friends in computing because men are mostly involved in computing, not other women. Most males who are in CS have already had experience computing in their free time with their friends. The lack of women becomes a chicken and the egg issue: without more women in computer science, it is hard to get more women in computer science.

Honest and Trustworthy: Everyone, Everywhere, Every time

Honesty and trustworthiness are scarce these days. We must strive to be different than the norm, if not for our own sanity by not having to keep our lies straight, than for our economy. People want to do business with those who are trustworthy and those who can prove their worthiness, will have more business. When people abide by a code of ethics, everything runs more smoothly because everything can trust each other to do their part and therefore can focus on their own tasks. More can get done if everyone has the ability to trust each other.

Virtual or Reality?

Dreams are reality while sleeping. People take that principle while playing games: games are reality while playing. A terrible view on games, since what happens in role playing games doesn't stay in the game. Gamers have gone to jail over what has followed them from the virtual into reality. They decide to meet someone and have committed a felony because that person turned out to be a minor. In order for games to be played properly and kept fun, those playing must understand that virtual doesn't mean that it isn't real. It becomes a reality of its own.

Gender X in Science

Lack of women in the sciences is appalling; however, fingers can't be pointed at schools or judgmental coworkers, but at those women who declare their own path. As a women in Computer Science, which different than other majors, having most men in all my classes, but men haven't been unwelcoming or judgmental. For people to condemn others for making women not want to be in the sciences is hasty. Do women want to study science? That should be the question everyone is asking. Like all, I've heard stories of girls being judged, but they are few and far in between, certainly not enough for such a lack of women to be explained by them.

Building Rome

Imagine a world where only the elite build. The elite are unsure of what the customers want. In Rome, in was the common people who built. The same is true of open source software. If only the elite manufacture software, then we would have many niches unsatisfied. Open source developers improve upon projects that have already be utilized and admired, and they make them more useful to suit theirs - and usually other's - needs. Closed software is freedom lost. Users must adhere to standards that program imposes and cannot manipulate it for their own needs. They must wait until another long-awaited update.