In the article Flat World by Thomas Friedman, Friedman argues that we live in a "flat world" due to globalization. We are now all the same, with access to any resource we want and the technology to make anything happen. Technology is becoming more common, becoming cheaper and globally dispersed. In the end of the article, Friedman strongly advises that we turn off the technology if we want to advance our "standard of living". We must try harder to maintain what we already have.

The anonymous slanderous post that created an uproar by its topic was a brutal article that victimized Liskula Cohen after a night in the town. I do not think it is right to post about other peoples lives anonymously. If you are going to ruin someone's reputation, you should at least have the decency to take credit for the damage you will be causing. I believe that if one is to post a slanderous article, the authors name should be right there along with the name of the person they are terrorizing. It is not right to do something so horrible, and not have to take any responsibility for it. This is cyber-bullying, and with today's movement to stop these situations, anonymous reputation ruining posts should reveal the writer who is doing the bullying. In this case, freedom of speech is acceptable only if you admit  they are your words.

I had no idea how severe the unrest due to social media was in Middle Eastern countries. With no constitution recognizing freedom of speech, innocent people voicing their opinions are being sent to jail over a silly blog post. Ill treatment and torture are a few of the consequences of speaking your mind here, and once you're caught, your location becomes unknown. Facebook has played a huge role for activists seeking to get the word out to others like them, advertising and planning protests, but Facebook has taken the initiative after previous events to remove pages that plan these outbursts. I think it is noble of Facebook to remove these pages for the sake of government. Though I do believe in freedom of speech,  I believe Facebook is not the right place to plan a protest. Imprisoned Razaan though does not deserve the punishment she has received as her blog is a private page, versus a worldwide social networking site. Her thoughts were not hurting anyone and she has the right to say what she wants in her very own blog.

Class Opinion:

I am really glad to be taking this class because I am not very good with computers and am happy to learn more so I am better prepared for college next year. My dad always fixes all of my computer problems so next year I need to be able to figure it out on my own. Personally, I think the class is pretty hard because there is so much to know. There are so many parts to a computer and I get overwhelmed trying to learn everything at once. I hope everything clears up for me as we get further into the term. This is probably because I am pretty much illiterate when it comes to technology. 

Video 1: Capacities- This video lists the different capacities computers may have from smallest to largest. The largest sold in stores is a terabyte, and the largest not sold in stores is the exabyte.
Video 2: Bits and Bytes- A computers binary is made up of bits and bytes, which are 8 switches of 0's and 1's and the video discusses the math behind the switches
Video 3: MSconfig- This video talks about how to speed up your PC using MSconfig. It takes you through the entire process step by step while explaining it and showing it on his screen.
Video 4: Disk clean-up: The video describes the step by step process to cleaning up your computer starting with  freeing up disk space by using the start menu and opening up the disk cleanup menu.
Video 5: Database Management Systems- Defines SQL: Structure query language, as well as talks about retrieving, inserting, modifying, and removing data from the database.

Video 1: Computer parts- This video breaks down the essential parts of a computer by explaining their location and function. It is shown by viewing an actual computer.
Video 2: Making things smaller-This video talks about how computers have decreased in size, all beginning with the watch. It also talked about materials is computers such as silicon
Video 3: CPU- (Central Processing unit), this describes the anatomy of the unit and what each part does and discusses the differences between high end and low-end CPU's and compares them to muscles of the body instead of considering it to be a brain.
Video 4: Taking apart the computer- Describes the process of disassembling a computer starting with how to remove the casing. It goes over certain parts such as the video card and its importance. It also stresses the importance of wearing an anti-static bracelet.
Video 5: RAM vs. Disk- This video talks about how the RAM is only temporary, and is cleared when the computer is turned off, whereas the hard drive keeps files even when you turn off the computer.
Video 6: Replace laptop RAM- By popping off the back, the instructor inserted a new disk after taking out the old one.
Video 7: How a computer hard drive works- The hard drive functions in tracks, happening so quickly that it looks like continuous motion.There are many different track combinations, it can also skip.
Video 8:How to buy a desktop- It recommends not buying a compact desktop as it skips out on other
features. All-in-one PC's are very modern and have many unique characteristics but are very expensive.
Video 9:Computer hardware and accessories- Processors must match up with other parts of the computer, similar with cars. Another aspect to think about is the things you will be using it for (college, work, etc.)

No Love From Ars For Samsung's New Smart Watch

Samsungs's new smart watch has not been one to fly off the shelves. People are saying that it is a weaker version of Samsungs most recent smart phone. It is bulky, unappealing, and has no new features that have not been seen before. Though it is functional, it is not practical. Why not just buy the phone? The idea of a smart watch seems too far-fetched. As companies scurry to find the next best thing, I do not believe that this watch will fulfill their wish. Companies are having a hard time selling them because they are "sluggish", and the features such as the control app that are considered cool, don't makeup for its lack of practicality.

As I am a teenager in the 21st century, I am pretty familiar with technology. Because of school, I have been required to use programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for projects in various classes. I would consider myself to be familiar with the basics of these programs, but not a master. I can navigate pretty well and use a few of the basic functions though I often have trouble with formatting and such. The only experience I have with these programs was self taught and I have never taken any computer classes to further my knowledge until now. I look forward to learning more about these programs and being able to use them to their full potential.