Crapware
PC vendors add too much software to the computers they sell. When I bought my laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1501, it came loaded with so much extra software that the boot time was unbearable and overall performance was terrible. It was so bad that I ended up getting a clean copy of Windows and formatting the hard drive. Since then, I have not touched any of the software Dell included with the computer. It bothers me that PC vendors use the term “bundled software,” giving the illusion that it adds some kind of value. It rarely does. It usually just makes the computer annoyingly slow. Another thing that really bothers me is that there is not an option, at least with Dell, to opt out of bundled software. I am not a fan of Apple, but I think it is time for the rest of the PC industry to take a lesson from them and quit bundling so much software with their computers.
Women and Computer Science
There is a stereotype about computer science. It exists for a reason. Not all, but many, people in computer science act outside of the social norm. A counter culture was a part of the computer revolution and it continues on today. Late nights, strange choices in entertainment, lack of social lives, among other things drive many people away. This includes, in my opinion, many women. I believe the biggest reason why there are so few women in computer science is the strange culture. I do not know why men are so much more tolerant of this strange culture, though.
Net Neutrality
Recently, a group of major Internet companies sent a letter to the FTC advocating net neutrality. Many people have taken a strong opposition to net neutrality, worrying that it will stifle Internet companies’ ability to innovate. These same people fail to realize that they are dealing with companies with flawed business models. Flat rate pricing for home Internet access just does not work because Internet use is not uniform. If companies change their business plans to a pay per byte model, net neutrality is not only possible, but preferable. Users will not eat up disproportionate amounts of bandwidth without paying for it. If they really need it, they will pay for it. If they are concerned about losing profits from light Internet users, they should simply fix a minimum monthly rate. As of right now, the opposition to net neutrality reeks of conflict of interest. Stop worrying about Internet companies’ income. They are businesses. They will have to change, but they will do better in the end. Heaven forbid they actually make people pay for what they use.
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/10/net-neutrality-pitting-web-giants-against-state-ags-mayors.ars
Trust in Computing
Things in life parallel things we do in computers. Trust is one of those things. We base many things on trust: we trust our doctors, our barbers, the mailman, and our bosses. We cannot police everything; it just does not work. Trust is crucial.
To see why Trust is so important in computing, consider how it is broken. It is broken in two main ways. The first is by buggy software. For example, stability problems with Windows have done a lot to undermine trust in computing. The second is by malicious users and software. Malware in its various forms has done a lot to undermine the credibility of computing.
We rely on computers for a lot. As for me, computers hold my school records and determine when I can graduate. They let potential employers know that I have no criminal history. My medical records are stored on them. A doctor not trusting medical records could lead to incorrect diagnosis, allergic reaction, or even death. Inconsistent school records could lead to my termination at work. If people were to start losing trust in computers, it would turn my life upside down. So would the lives of millions of others.
I am a big advocate of computer privacy, net neutrality and aggressive punishment for people who violate them. We need these things to help maintain the trust we have in computing. Without this trust, computing is worthless. People today already have a slight distrust for computers, and a big part of the reason why are the violations of trust that happen all too often.
One Architecture: Bad Idea
http://www.infoworld.com/print/92994
Intel’s architectures, x86, should not be ubiquitous. Intel charges a premium for their chips, and has a monopolistic control of the processor market. There is antitrust legislation against them because they give PC makers incentives to keep them from selling processors made by their competitors. If x86 becomes more common in embedded environments, Intel’s behavior is likely to worsen. Competition is good for customers, and Intel has an anti-competitive record. Also, “Write once, run anywhere” applies to virus writers just as it does for everyone else. Viruses primarily target Windows because it has such a large audience. Diversity in both software and hardware helps increase security. If Intel has their processors running everywhere, the only real winner is Intel.
Internet Brings Both Good and Bad to Genealogy
The internet encourages the proliferation of information. It allows anybody to publish their knowledge. It facilitates genealogical research. However, the internet also propagates shoddy research and false information. Third parties do not review the research people post online. Too many, such as the people my mother helps at her local Family History Center, do not understand what good research is. They don’t understand the importance of citing sources and properly verifying their information. They will use anything that looks good and will post the same. As a result, when doing genealogical research, before using others’ information, ensure that they cite their sources and properly document their work. Protect yourself from others’ ignorance.
We read the following articles:
FTC, Sears, Kmart, and Spyware
This article is deeply concerning. Even more concerning than there being legitimate companies producing spyware, is the lack of attention this has received. I am disturbed that people haven’t taken notice of this, and there have been only a few small articles on tech sites about this. No major news organization has covered this story. Computer privacy needs more attention from both the media and the public. When people don’t pay attention to the erosion of privacy, they begin to risk their freedom. This includes freedom from things like having their identity stolen by some enterprising employee, becoming the victim of extortion, or falling victim to some other form of corruption. These problems are becoming more common and this is partly due to people’s lax concern about their electronic privacy.
