Week Five

This class was the first one since our test and we started learning some basics about the new material we are about to cover. I liked talking about websites that are useful, entertaining, and a mixture of the two. We got put into groups to come up with some examples of these and our group came up with clicker.com, wikipedia.org, and espn.com for the three respective categories. When we talked about these different types of websites as a class, I liked some of the examples we chose to explore some more. Chatroulette.com was a very interesting and entertaining website as was wildmoodswings.co.uk. We were discussing these websites in more detail than just for these reasons, though. We talked about the business aspects of all these websites and how they go about making money too. As discussed, coming up with a technology that is fun and easy to use while also being in existence for a purpose and being useful is the key to coming up with a successful venture that will make a profit. All in all, I enjoyed this class discussion. Now I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping for a good grade on my test.

Week Four

Well there doesn't really seem to be too much to blog about this week since we ended up not having class at all. I was hoping to get my test back on either Monday or Wednesday because I am unsure of how I did. Hopefully, if we do end up having class again next week, we can get them back and I can see how I did. Otherwise, besides not having class and wanting to get my test back, there isn't really much more to blog about since these topics are supposed to pertain to class in some form. So I'm done blogging for now and will be back at it again next week.

Week Three

This week centers around our test on Wednesday. Although it might have seemed like the class was "dead" today, I know that for me personally, it was because I was unsure about a lot of the terminology and made me realize how much I need to study. So, as I was sitting here thinking about all the work I need to do for my classes, I decided to blog instead of study because I am not looking forward to reviewing and learning it. I do enjoy all the things we talk about in class and I want to learn about them all, however the thought of studying always gets to me. I have never been one to study much, or at all, because I usually pick up on terms and ideas pretty easily. When talking about all the things pertaining to our class and this test, it is almost like a new language. However, I looked at the study guide terms and have been to every class and I feel as though I have at least a decent grasp upon the material and am sure I will do fine. So for now, I'll call it quits for blogging and begin studying for our test on Wednesday.

Week Two

Again, I liked how this week in class, as always, we began with talking about technological news. Also, I liked the Utah shirt that Professor Thatcher was sporting. Although Andrew Bogut and Alex Smith didn't pan out to be the best picks in their respective sports, I am a fan of that university and know someone who will probably be attending there next year. On the topic of class, however, we were informed that we will be having a test next Wednesday. As opposed to other classes, I am actually kind of looking forward to studying for this test. Technology has always interested me and I've never had the discipline to sit down and learn some more about it, even though I do enjoy technological applications. Having a class like this and actually having to sit down and learn the material will be good twice over for me. By learning the information, I will presumably receive a good grade on the exam and will also be more knowledgeable about a topic that has always interested me, but I have yet to pursue more thoroughly. Hopefully this will be just the beginning of my learning and it will give me the spark I need to learn even more about these topics.

Week One

I like how at the beginning of every class, or at least for the ones we've had so far, we discuss any technology related news. In a couple of my other classes, we've talked about Google's China operations and what we thought about it all. I know we only briefly touched upon it, but it interests me. Whether it was Google being naive, or these hackers being that advanced, I think it proves a point to businesses out there to be more careful about those dealing with their networks. Companies everywhere, not just Google, need to realize the loopholes in their systems and be more protective of their online operations. Hopefully it has taught Google a lesson and, as bold as the statements coming from Google representatives have been, I hope they are true. I hope that Google really is considering leaving China and abandoning one of the premier markets in the world so as to conduct their entire operations, not just online, in a way that is no longer susceptible to hackers. Although this will probably never be entirely capable of happening, as there will always be people trying to interfere via the internet, Google would be making a statement by leaving China due to the government's interference with their organization. Google probably should have to follow some rules and regulations while operating in China, but it should not be open to hacking by members of the Chinese government. Lesson learned Google: be more wary of who you are dealing with and how secure your operations really are.