Module 13

                                                                                  What I've learned

I took this class not knowing what to expect from it. I don’t blog and don’t like writing very much so that part was a little awkward for me but after reading the book and sharing with others the way I saw every module and getting to read their point of view was actually great.

I like computers and everything that has to do with them but to be honest I did not know a lot about globalization, workflow software or how a dell was made and I had no idea how important it is to stay at par with technology.

I really enjoyed reading "A Logic named Joe"  it was very entertaining and at the same time help open our eyes about the power we give to computers. It made think of all the things people share on social media on a daily basis and how we all we do can be tracked by the way we use the computers,This has made think twice before posting on Facebook  Reading about GNR was a little scary, to think of the things we could be facing on a near future, I might not face it myself but maybe my daughter will. Makes me think what kind of world we will have then and how people could be close to useless if we don’t do something about it. It was good to know that there is a lot of people out there with the same thoughts.

Friedman's concept that the world is flat is true. We can see it everyday and everywhere we go. The way we communicate with others not only has helped business all over the world but also all of us as individuals. It is true that we are giving too much power to computers ,relying on them for almost everything but I believe that the more we fear the more power they will have over us. We have to accept that the world is all about technology now and just stay at par with it. 

Module 12

                                                                Module 12

  This week we review the article "Why the future doesn't need us" publish on Wired Magazine on April 2000. The article was written by Bill Joy and explains the term GNR and his fears on it.

GNR stands for genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics. Joy was convinced that growing advances in genetic engineering and nanotechnology would bring risks to humanity.

Joy biggest concern regarding genetics is that "promises to revolutionize agriculture by increasing crop yields while reducing the use of pesticides; to create tens of thousands of novel species of bacteria, plants, viruses, and animals; to replace reproduction, or supplement it, with cloning; to create cures for many diseases, increasing our life span and our quality of life; and much, much more.” The problem is pointed out, however, that the military and offensive applications are almost easier and more easily manipulated than some of the peaceful applications for genetic research. Mr. Joy’s greatest concern regarding genetic technologies is “that it gives the power - whether militarily, accidentally, or in a deliberate terrorist act - to create a White Plague.” Joy explains that this technology must be monitored, but that monitoring would be most successful in an honors type system. Unlike atomic energy and where testing was evident, breakthroughs in genetics can be hidden and remain private until a malevolent source chose to act out some malicious plan.

He is also concern about nanotechnology and robotics, with nanotechnologies he fears that with the benefits of it we could face a big risk. People might be looking to save lives with all this technology but if we look at the whole picture like him it is another step closer to see the humans being half robots like some movies have shown us before. With robotics he points that soon machines will perform duties that would not require human intervention at all, and that soon after that robots will be making decisions on their own. This will make the system harder to turn off and by the time that people want control back the system will be so complex that humans beings will be incapable of doing so. When this happens machines will have total control over humans and we will be totally dependent on them. Joy also states that this new and advanced machines would be controlled by a few. The rich and powerful will have control over them and over the masses.

This article was written in 2000 and we are very close to the year he states this robots will be made.  It is scary to think about the human race being controlled by machines but we are a step closer every day. Some people might say that robots will never overpower humans because of their lack of emotion or pain but the way I see it that might be the advantage that they will have over us.