Module 13, What I've learned.

Module 13

            During my time in IST 1100 I’ve learned about the uses and benefits of information technology on a global scale as well as an individual scale. It’s important to realize that the influence of information technology will not slow but only continue to grow; thus, I have learned the importance of staying ahead of the technological trends in order to make myself competitive in the business market. 

            I believe that Friedman’s concept that the world is flat is true.  We can see it practically everywhere we look.  Businesses have flourished by using all of the advantages the World Wide Web and computers can offer.  Companies can now sell their products primarily online without the concern of ever running out of shelf space in one of their stores.  This is an advantage that the long tail concept provides.  Businesses are essentially able to double their profits by selling less popular products that are harder to market online.  Or on the other hand, a small business or even an individual, can now market their products on a global scale.  The possibilities that the Web provides for business and individuals is seemingly limitless and the ability to access the internet through advancements in mobile phone technology and tablets has only helped these possibilities expand.

            I have also learned about outsourcing and how it has grown exceptionally with the growth of the internet.  While outsourcing has done a great deal for our global economy by creating a global market, it has also decreased jobs here in the United States.  It’s scary to think that practically any job you can think of may one day be outsourced to a different country to be done for less money.  I think this is an important factor to consider when deciding which career field you want to enter.  This should be a serious concern because any job that can be outsourced most likely will be.          

            Another key development was the creation of Work Flow Software.  This software is used in virtually all work environments and allows people from businesses all over the world to connect and collaborate together resulting in work being able to flow from across the office or across continents.  I think that having knowledge of various work flow software and how to use them in the work environment is an important aspect to make yourself more marketable and competitive in the business world.

            Not only has the spread of information technology provided advantages in business but it has also impacted individuals on a social level.  The ability to find information on any topic through the use of internet search engines has proven to be the ultimate benefit for any student.  Also, we now have the ability to collaborate with other students from the comfort of our own homes through the use of email or web chat sessions.

             IT has become the key component of how business is done. As our world continues to adapt more and more towards an information based society, it will be crucial for individuals to possess knowledge and demonstrate proficiency on how to manage and maintain information technology in the work place.  I believe that the career opportunities in the field of computers will only continue to expand.  Information technology will find its way into every business eventually and the businesses that don’t adapt to the technological world won’t survive in the long run.  I think that this realization has been the single most important thing that I’ve learned in this class.  We have to accept that the world is already in the computer age and soon almost every aspect of business will be affected by it.  With this knowledge, we must stay ahead of the technological trends and make ourselves “untouchable” in the employment market in order to stay competitive in a technological world.

Module 12

Module 12

            In Bill Joy’s article, “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us” it is argued that humanity will face extinction through the technology that we will potentially create.  Specifically, this threat is highlighted in our developments in genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR).  Joy explains that the ability of these technologies to potentially self-replicate poses a threat to humanity; therefore, he suggests that we should limit, or even put a stop to our advancements in GNR.

            Joy introduces the dangers that GNR technology can potentially create by comparing it to the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons we have already created.  The development of NBC weapons were primarily for military use and their availability is closely controlled.  GNR technology is more of a threat to mankind because it will be created commercially, and easily accessible.  The ability to use GNR as a weapon will only require the knowledge to use it. 

            In the field of robotics, Joy questions the development of artificial intelligence. If AI becomes so advance that computers are able to think on their own robots will essentially begin to self-replicate which poses a threat to mankind.  Superior machines can choose to extinct the human race or enslave us.  Another issue that Joy raises is that humans will use this technology and apply it to themselves to prolong their life.  This is created by downloading a person’s mind into a computer.  Joy questions whether this existence goes against humanity.

             In genetic engineering, Joy argues that humans could unintentionally or intentionally, through the hands of terrorists, create a “White Plague”.  This is a disaster in which a group of people is selectively eradicated due to gentic manipulation. 

            Because of the threats that GNR technology poses, Joy concludes that human beings must take precautions and limit the growth of this technology, or put a stop to it altogether.

            After reading the article, I think that Joy’s main concern is that the human race will continue to develop this technology in hopes of achieving almost near immortality.  With robotic technology, humans will not have to do as much work.  Through genetic engineering, we can create cures for diseases that were never before possible.  We can also apply this technology to our bodies to prolong our life spans. I think that because of the great reward that GNR technology promises, humans will not take into consideration some of the negative effects that this technology can introduce.  The consequences can be catastrophic.  The creation of this technology can essentially lead to the extinction of the human race.  I personally have no doubt that mankind will achieve highly advanced artificial intelligence in which a robot can think on its own, and this technology will pose all the risks that Joy talked about in the article.  However, I believe that mankind will recognize the dangers of creating this technology and we will take great measures to control the production of GNR technology to prevent a catastrophy from happening. 

            The concept of human beings developing robotic technology so advance that it threatens the existence of our species has been around for a while.  We see this plot circling around Hollywood in a lot of movies so it’s nothing new to us.  So in this sense, I think that we have already began to take precautions against the potential risks that possessing this kind of technology carries before we have even created it.  When the time comes that this technology exists in reality I will have all faith that we will take the necessary precautions to ensure that this technology will not lead to our extinction.

Module 9

Module 9

            Reading the final chapters of The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman explores the different uses of the flattening powers throughout the world with contrasting examples of global supply chains at Dell and Al-Qaeda, and the effects of the Oil industry and how it retards the advancement of oil-rich countries.

A great example of a global supply chain aided by computer technology is the order process that Dell uses at their company.  Your order is entered into Dell’s order management system along with your personal information, shipping address, billing address, and credit card information.   From there, your order gets released to Dell’s production system in one of its six factories around the world.  An email is then sent to the factory your computer will be built at and the parts for your computer are immediately ordered from the supplier logistics center or SLC.  The SLC acts as a huge storage area that Dell keeps full of specific parts so they can be delivered to the Dell factories for fast manufacturing.  A truck will deliver your parts from the SLC to the factory where it is then offloaded and scanned by bar code.  This allows Dell to know where every part in the Dell system is at all times.  In an average day, Dell sells nearly 150,000 computers so it’s important that they keep their supply chain operating smoothly.  This is a process that is aided greatly through the use of computer technology in Dell’s supply chain.

            Although information technology has greatly benefited companies such as Dell throughout the world, this technology is also being put to use by terrorist organizations.  Al-Qaeda has learned to take advantage of this technology to improve their global collaboration in planning their next terrorist attack.  Al-Qaeda uses a global supply chain to raise money, recruit followers, generate ideas, outsource to train recruits, and to distribute the tools to conduct operations. The flat world has made it much easier for terrorists to communicate and transmit their terror.  Technology such as the internet and satellite television has enabled Muslims in one country to sympathize and relate to their brethren in another country.  This also helps Al-Qaeda with recruitment as their voice is more easily heard.  Another aspect that has aided terrorist organizations is the ability to conduct extensive research on a target through the Web.  The application of this practice is seen in Al-Qeada’s training manual that states “using public sources openly and without resorting to illegal means, it is possible to gather at least 80 percent of all information required about the enemy.”  This is proof that the flattening of the world can help any group, no matter their cause, collaborate globally and expand.

            The benefits of the flattening of the world due to technological advancements in computers has been shared many countries throughout the world; however, there are a few countries who do not exploit the advantages of this technology.  Countries that are rich in oil, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, are stuck in an economic stand-still that Friedman refers to as The Curse of Oil.  Because a large percentage of these countries revenue is generated by exporting oil drilled from their own backyards, they will never have to focus on advancing their people to be more marketable to the world.  The rulers of these countries will use oil money to monopolize all aspects of power and never have to introduce power sharing.  Friedman talked earlier about the importance of education that sparks innovation and how critical that would be in moving forward in the flat world.  The Curse of Oil in these countries puts a halt to this innovative education of its people.  As long as there is oil, these countries will never see the need to advance their economy in any other aspect.

            From reading these final chapters, we can see the effects of the flattening of the world on a global scale and some of the different implications this flattening has provided.  There is no doubt that information technology as built the global economy like never before, but it also has its negative aspects such as helping terrorist organizations expand and collaborate.  The era of globalization that we are in now provides unlimited opportunity for not only businesses, but any group of individuals around the world to expand no matter their cause.

How Computers Affected my Education

Module 8

            Advancements in the personal computer have had a strong influence on the education of today’s students.  Virtually every assignment will require a student to use a computer in some form.  Whether it’s research through the internet, typing up a paper, or using software to develop graphs or graphics, computers play a huge role in education. 

            I can remember the first time I was introduced to computers in school.  I was only ten years old and in the 4^th grade.  Our school had a fairly new computer lab, and my class was brought in to be taught how to use a new operating system on the computers.  It was Windows 95.  The fact that our school thought it was important to teach ten year olds how to use this new software speaks on how the computer would soon affect education in virtually every way.  I can remember being shown how to use a typewriter by my father at a very young age.  Never once did I have to use that machine to type a paper because it became obsolete shortly after, due to the easy access of personal computers.

            As early as elementary school, I was given typing lessons on the personal computer.  Not only did we learn how to type, but we were also given lessons on particular subjects through interactive software such as floppy disks or CD.  The computer lab was every student’s favorite class.  The computer introduced lessons in a manner that was interactive, fun, and enjoyable.  I can also remember using software my parents had bought me on our own home computer to help me with math and reading.  This was just the beginning of the role the computer would play in my education.

            As I entered middle school, the popularity of the World Wide Web had just begun to take off.  To be honest, I don’t think I even knew what the internet was when I was in elementary.  Students began to realize the worth of the World Wide Web in regards to its endless pool of information for research.  The internet proved to be the end of my family’s home encyclopedia collection.  Those books only collected dust ever since we discovered Yahoo search.  Today, virtually all of my research done for an assignment comes from the Web.  Google is always the first step when I need to find information on anything.  “Google” is now a verb recognized in the dictionary.   This sums up the role that internet search engines play in our everyday lives. 

            Next, I can say that software such as Microsoft Power Point and Word are used on a regular basis by many students.  Every assignment I do, I type up using Microsoft Word.  It’s a whole lot quicker and more convenient than writing assignments by hand, which I can actually remember doing.  I’ve used Microsoft Power Point to create visual presentations for numerous assignments throughout my school years.  Most speeches or presentations I do now require a visual presentation which I almost always use Power Point for. 

            Finally, the World Wide Web has enabled the ability for students to do remote learning.  A student could possibly earn an entire college degree from the comfort of his or her own home.  Personally, I have taken online courses while being deployed half a world away in Iraq during my time in the Air Force.  Imagine working towards your degree while being deployed in an isolated combat zone.  This is a benefit made possible for me due to the technology of the computer and internet.

            Computers have played a huge role in my education.  I saw the early stages of how computers affected my education in my elementary years.  Since then, it has only continued to grow larger.  Today, I would only have to use pen and paper if I choose to.  Laptops and tablets are only getting more portable which makes it more convenient to write and take notes on. 

Module 6, The World is Flat

Module 6

            Continuing reading into The World is Flat, Friedman explains free trade and its importance to the flat world, the term new middlers and where they fit in, and the concept of CQ+PQ>IQ and how this concept plays an important role in future generations who will compete for jobs on a global scale.

            Free trade is a policy in which government does not discriminate against imports or interfere with exports.  It is the ability for countries to import and export products with each other without restriction and paying additional costs such as tarrifs.  I think free trade is very important.  It helps to create a global market.  Consumers benefit from the competition and variety of products brought to the market due to trading with different countries.  Also, jobs in exporting and importing increase.  Consumers from different countries have income to spend on U.S. goods that will help the economy of our country.  Finally, I think free trade helps to minimize war due to the mutual respect that countries develop for each other by working together professionally.

            As the world continues to get more flat, Americans in the future will have to compete for more jobs on a global scale.  Whatever jobs that can be outsourced, digitized, or automated will do so.  Friedman suggests that there are a lot of middle-class jobs today that are safe from the globalization of the world.  He refers to the people at these jobs as the New Middlers.  These are the jobs in the middle that take advantage of the flat world.  Jobs that involved direct collaboration between companies, especially ones that employ a diverse work force from around the world.  A manager who can orchestrate 24/7/7 global supply chains for a global company is a good example of a new middler.  Because many new products will be made in global supply chains, many new middle jobs will involve making supply chains more efficient.  New middlers will need be versatile, be able to operate in, mobilize, inspire, and manage a multidimensional and multicultural workforce. Being able to know how to speak to people to explain and inspire will be a huge asset to set yourself apart and become competitive in the flat world’s job market. 

            A new concept that Friedman explains is important to those that will compete in the new  flat world is CQ+PQ>IQ.  What this means is that CQ, or curiosity quotient, and PQ, passion quotient is more important than having IQ, intelligence quotient.  Curious, passionate kids are self-educators and self-motivators.  In the flat world, the ability to educate yourself is available throughout the web.  It’s up to your curiosity to expand your knowledge through such means.  The concept of CQ+PQ>IQ is important because it inspires creativity and innovation, which are essential tools to reach success in the flat world.  Friedman states that the inspiration for technological breakthroughs is not always rooted in technological knowledge alone. Math and science classes are important and necessary, but inspiration comes from art, music, theater, and literature classes.  Having an equal level of education in all fields will help young people develop the skills that are necessary to compete in the flat world.  The abilities that led to success in the business world are shifting.  Today it is more about creativity and passion, rather than one’s intelligence.

            I think that as technology advances and the world becomes flatter, we will need to rethink our education and reevaluate which skill sets will be an asset to this new world.  We need to focus on developing our people skills and forging relationships, a skill that will prove to be vital and irreplaceable as more and more jobs begin to become automated, digitized, and outsourced.

Module 5, The World is Flat

Module 5

Reading further into The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman introduces the concept of triple convergence, explores a question on whom is exploiting whom through outsourcing from an example of companies in Indiana and India, and discusses the importance of intellectual property laws in today’s flat world. 

Friedman uses a concept called triple convergence to describe a new playing field, where both individuals and businesses have begun to develop new habits, skills, and processes to get the most out of today’s ever-changing technology.  All of the world’s flattening forces that developed through technological advancement is collaborating and converging together.  This is the concept of triple convergence.  Netscape, work flow software, outsourcing, insourcing, offshoring, uploading, and supply chains are examples.  This concept enables collaborating on a global, web enabled scale for the purposes of innovation, production, research, and entertainment.  This new platform will help the world’s economy flourish.

In an example of outsourcing through a company in Indiana and one in India, Friedman proposes an interesting question on who is exploiting whom?  In 2003, the state of Indiana put out a bid to upgrade the state’s computer systems that process unemployment claims.  Tata America International, an Indian consulting firm, won the contract despite Indiana’s intent to hold on to values that restrain against outsourcing.  So who is exploiting whom?  I think its difficult to say who is being exploited.  An argument can be made for either side, but I personally believe that neither side is being exploited.  Both companies will profit from collaborating in different ways.  An argument can be made that Indiana is being exploited.  If they chose to keep the job domestic, they’ll lose 8.1 million dollars that can go back to the state.  India views this as an opportunity and exploits it.  On the other side, however, you can argue that India is being exploited simply because Indiana is taking advantage of India’s cheap labor through outsourcing.  I think that through outsourcing both ends will gain from it, and it will help the world’s economy overall as a whole. 

Another question brought to our attention, is who owns what in terms of intellectual property in the flat world today?  How do we protect the legal rights of an innovator’s intellectual property so that they can reap the financial benefits, but at the same time, how do we keep the laws from being too stringent so that we can encourage the sharing of intellectual property?  Intellectual property is the innovation of an individual in which exclusive rights are recognized in the law.  As the world becomes more flat through technological advancements, intellectual property laws will need to adjust so that society can enjoy the benefits of individual innovation.  We need to rethink our ideas of intellectual property for collaborative information and the innovative communities to flourish. 

Module 3, The World is Flat

Module 3

            Continuing reading into The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman explains the term Offshoring, looks into supply chains, and finally the Internet giant Google and how all of these have benefited from or relate to the flattening of the world. 

            In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization and opened the door for businesses to start offshoring there.  Offshoring is when a company takes one of their entire factories and moves it offshore to a different country where they can produce the same product at a much lower cost.  China proved to be an attractive country for this strategy because labor is cheaper, health-care cost less, and taxes are lower.  Offshoring differs from Outsourcing, which is when a company or individual is shipping only a business process, instead of an entire factory, overseas to be done for less.  While I think offshoring has helped the global economy as a whole, our economy here in the United States suffers a little because of lost jobs resulting from offshoring.

            Another benefit resulting from information technology is how supply chains for businesses have improved.  Supply chains are a method of collaborating among suppliers, retailers, and consumers to create value.  The PC and the World Wide Web made finding the best producers in the world at the lowest prices to maximize profits for businesses an easier process.  Wal-Mart, the biggest retail company in the world, is a prime example of supply chains at its finest.  Wal-Mart does not produce a single item they sell on their own, yet they are widely successful.  This is because Wal-Mart uses a hyper-efficient supply chain and the key for their success is the distribution of information.  Everything that Wal-Mart sells is tracked electronically.  Because of information technology, Wal-Mart can see what products consumers are buying the most, and send that information down the supply chain to get them replaced expediently. 

            Google, the World Wide Web’s search engine giant, has also had a great effect on businesses throughout the world.  Google has made it easier for businesses to search for information on how they can collaborate with business partners for outsourcing, insourcing, off shoring, and supply chains.  Google also creates a targeted advertising model.  When you search for a certain product, Google will link you to advertisements for exactly what you’re searching for.  Google makes it easy for anyone with access to a computer to search for information, products, and services much faster than traditional means.  This helps both the consumer and the business.

            The benefits of information technology have undoubtedly improved businesses worldwide.  Companies and individuals who take advantage of this technology have seen their business flourish like never before.  Businesses that can’t or won’t use this technology are left in the past, and won’t be able to compete with those who are.  Google is at the fore front of creating business opportunities.  I use Google every day, to look up any piece of information I want at a particular moment.  If I’m craving a certain food, I Google what restaurants are in the area.  If I’m looking to buy a new product, I do my research and shopping through Google.  People know that this is the value of Google, and I think the businesses that take advantage of this resource are the companies that will be moving forward.

Module 2, The World is Flat

Module 2.

 

         Reading further in “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman introduces some of the key components to the success of the World Wide Web and examines how the advantages of flattening the world has helped not only our national economy, but the economy of the whole world flourish.

          First was the creation of workflow software.  This software allowed companies and individuals to take advantage of what the PC and the World Wide Web had to offer in business.  Everyone in a company can communicate and collaborate with each other through their PC’s electronically.  From my experience in the Air Force, I can give you a personal example of how workflow software helped my flight out a great deal.  If you wanted to get gas for your government vehicle on base, you needed to use what was called a VIL (vehicle identification link) key.  My job was to keep track of these keys and issue them to new vehicles.  If you had a new vehicle that needed a VIL key you had to physically come to our office, fill out a form, bring that form back to your office and get all the signatures needed for approval. Finally, you had to bring that form back to us so we could issue you a key.  By being able to digitize this form you could simply request us to email you the form, which you could then email to all the approving officials for their electronic signature, and then Email it back to us for approval.  This reduced the average time to get a VIL key from about 3 days to less than one hour. A great example of how workflow software can aid a business.

         A stepping-stone in the development of the Web and its popularity today was the use of open source web servers.  Open source, or community developed software, allowed anyone around the world to access an original source code of software and modify and improve its content.  This allowed for total effectiveness of creating a product.  The large companies no longer had all the say in developing software.  People from all around the world could work together and contribute individually to develop the best product possible, and release it for free.  I think this opened the door for software development to reach the level of quality it is at today at a much faster rate. The creation of Apache through individual collaboration on the World Wide Web is a great example of the empowerment that open source software provides. Without community developed software, I think it’s very likely that we would have had to pay a premium just to download a quality web browser to browse the web.

    One of the greatest additions to the world from the Web is Outsourcing.  Outsourcing is the ability to take a business process and ship it electronically to a foreign country where it could be done at the same quality for a lot less.  The introduction of the fiber optic cables and the World Wide Web made outsourcing possible.  I think outsourcing has proven to be the greatest product of the Web and has helped our global economy flourish.  Although this has almost certainly reduced a lot of jobs in the United States, it has greatly improved the economies of other countries and the global economy as a whole.  Businesses here in the U.S. recognize the value of outsourcing and the advantages of it to obtain maximum profitability.  Because of this, I think we must take a closer look at our career choices to determine if our own careers can be affected by outsourcing in the future.

   
          I think this section of reading takes a closer look at how the world became globalized through

technology. Today, most of the world's economy occurs in electronic form.   We can connect to

anyone anywhere in the world and work together on any kind of project.  Being able to collaborate

with anyone digitally creates endless possibilities in business, or anything else for that matter.

Module 1, The World is Flat.

Module 1

The world is expanding through technology and becoming one large global network that has opened the doors for a bigger global economy, and anyone is free to participate.  Thomas L. Friedman refers to this as the “flattening” of the world. 

Friedman suggests that the globalization of the world occurred in three different era’s. The first era, globalization 1.0 occurred from 1492-1800.  What sparked this globalization was the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus.  This opened trade between the Old World and the New World.  In this era, global integration was limited by a countries wealth, power, and available resources to take advantage of expanding trade to the New World.  Globalization was solely in the hands of a country and its government. 

The next phase, globalization 2.0, occurred from 1800-2000.  The driving force that changed globalization in this era was the falling costs of transportation and telecommunication and later advancements in technology.  The development of technology such as telegraphs, telephones, PC’s, satellites and the World Wide Web allowed for multinational companies to globalize and expand to a world market.  The difference between this era and globalization 1.0 is that the limiting factor is how your company fits in to globalization, rather than your country.  The advancements in hardware, and movements of goods and information around the world created a global economy and presented opportunities for companies to take advantage of this.

Globalization 3.0 gives the power to globalize to the individual.  The advancements of the PC, fiber optic cable and software has allowed individuals to create and share their own digital content all around the world, and also collaborate with others anywhere around the world.  The difference in this phase is that the current advancements in technology removes any limitations for global integration, and thus empowers individuals to globalize. 

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989 proved to further help globalize the world.  It opened a whole new part of the world to the free market economy, which helped shift the world into one central economic system. The world adopted capitalism over communism.  This allowed more economies to be developed by the people, rather than a government.  Essentially, the fall of the Berlin Wall allowed us to see the world as a single market for the first time.

Another important breakthrough in the flattening of the world was Netscape.  Essentially, Netscape put the World Wide Web on the map.  This easy-to-use browser helped to popularize the Web and make it easily accessible to everyone in the general public.  When Netscape launched in August of 1995, it became the spark that the World Wide Web needed to take off and form into what it is today.  The world became digitally wired together, and Netscape was the foundation of the internet’s success.

The world is being knitted more and more tightly together each and every year.  Looking back at some of the technology and advancements that has helped create the global network that we share today has really given me an appreciation for how far the world has come with our global economy.  The world has really been shrunken down so small through technology that the possibilities to globalize are endless.  It’s a little scary to think about how practically any occupation can become digitized and outsourced to another country for more profitability but it’s definitely something we need to take into consideration. 

 

Friedman, Thomas.  The World is Flat. New York: Picador/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007