Current Event 3

Given our current class topic of Law and Computing, I was pleased to come across this article. In light of our conversations this week regarding freedom and use of software, this issue brought to light another ethical issue related to the law, namely moral uses of software. Even though next week we will start talking about espionage and cybersecurity, I feel that this issue presses at another legal concern, which is the use of computers to aid in crime and/or evading the law. Now, I find this unique because the crime isn't in the software itself, but in the use of the software. There's concern not for the originality or rights of the software, but for the ones responsible for installing in the first place. To me, this shows that legal concerns over software are a higher order legal concern, meaning that in situations where safety or health is involved, questions about the software itself are inconsequential. I don't disagree with the importance of establishing software rights and/or sharing. I just find it beneficial to recognize the priorities of the law in protecting us, and that they do prioritize our safety over our intellectual property concerns.

Study Journal 2

For those interested, all the reflections from this post come from these videos.

9/22/2015

*”Eating, sleeping, having a girlfriend, or even a social life, all that is incidental to coding time” -- I feel like this documentary is very time-locked, meaning that many of the ideas that were expressed in the video are no longer held by the majority of people in the industry. I know, at least with respect to this idea, that many tech companies now highly advocate a good work-life balance. Another idea similar to this was the idea that computers are a “boy thing”, which again is an idea that is seeing great turnaround in this decade

*”We shared our lives...so when someone solved a problem that everyone had been working on it was everyone’s victory” -- I see this still very much present in today’s open source activities. There are tons of people who contribute to projects who look for no recognition, they only work to improve the software used by everyone. It’s cool to see that, even though a lot of the personal experiences and ideas in the documentary are very time-locked, it’s clear that the movement that was barely starting in the documentary would only continue

*I love the idea of “We didn’t know we couldn’t do it.” I feel like too often (and especially as a student) my first thought when confronted with a project is to say the equivalent of “I can’t do that.” But these people were really in a completely new field, and they really had no idea what was or wasn’t possible. And they accomplished amazing things. I’m going to try to put this perspective into place in my own life

9/24/2015

*Just like in the Cuckoo’s egg, all of the intrigue and personal interaction happens in person or over the phone. This is obvious, given the technology of the time, but it’s still fascinating to me, as someone in a digital age, where most interaction happens through computers, through our devices. I guess it’s just interesting to look at the beginning of this industry, but still so rooted in the past

*”As usual in the PC business, the prize didn’t go to the inventor, but the  exploiter of the technology” -- There were many examples of this pattern in the section of the video we watched today. The most vital thing that stood out to me was the fat that in the moment, when these deals were made, the person who ended up being worse off really had no reason to not act as they did. It’s only in retrospect that it’s clear that the exploiter made a good decision, and the original creator didn’t recognize the import of what they had made.

*I love this quote about the Apple 2s: “People who had gotten them became kind of religious fanatics” -- It’s interesting to me to see that Apple started out like that. I’m loving seeing how the modern rivalry between apple and microsoft (and not just corporate rivalry, but also ideological rivalry among the layperson) started and developed.

9/29/2015

*The Xerox PARC research center developed really the first personal computer with a GUI. However, they never were able to get that off the ground because their management had no idea what it had the potential of becoming. I find it interesting that it was Steve Jobs and Apple that took off with this idea, not because they stole it, but because they were set up to succeed with it. We’ve discussed in previous installments about how all these companies form after the same pattern, with one technical genius, and one business/visionary type. This is the pattern that allowed for such dynamic change, having the business married to the technical from the beginning.

*It’s great looking back at this documentary from 20 years later, when the internet is fully established and very different from what anyone could have thought of. I would consider Google the Microsoft of the internet, the company that makes the internet the most accessible

*Many things about Apple have not changed. They way overpriced the Macintosh. Steve Jobs, and Apple, were seen as religious crusaders. They lashed out to people that copied them, suing them for copying look and feel. They may have been innovative and new when they first were organized. However, they seem to have settled into a pattern in their innovation, and they just follow that pattern, even until today.

Current Event 2

When I came across this article, I immediately reflected on the video we watched today. My mind was drawn to the idea of new technologies that could go viral, similar to the way the personal computer industry did. I don't know whether VR will be that next explosion of hardware and software. Certainly, more of the infrastructure is there, in the sense the the public is definitely used to this type of sensational device. Certainly VR has a chance to captivate the minds and hearts of consumers. But it also has a chance to fail dramatically. The reason for my uncertainty is due to the history of new super-devices that have come out in the time since the Apple II. Certainly, Apple has continued to be a leader, with the iPod and iPhone. These were both new leaps forward in the consumerist 'must have' mindset. However, other devices have seen almost no popularity despite their hype. I hold as examples the segway, and google glass. I give these examples because each of the items I have listed have represented not only a new device but a new field. Before the iPod there was no concept of the ".mp3 player." That has since become a staple of our culture and society. Before the segway there was no concept of effortless personal transportation. However, that never erupted as a common device. For this reason I cannot forecast the success of VR, but I eagerly await its release.

Study Journal 1

9/8/2015

*I’m reminded of a talk Elder Oaks gave in the october conference of 2000 about the process of being converted. He emphasize the importance of learning to do, and doing to become. Relating this to Aristotle’s ideas on (practical) ethics, it’s amazing to see how interrelated the two thoughts are.

*The note about the distinction between ethics and morality strikes me. It seems that today’s culture is even further gone, as we have delved into the realm of relative morality. I see a general trend to disestablish the validity of morality, so as to even further invalidate the hold of ethical standards on society.

*I feel like there’s another way you can distinguish between ethics and morality than those discussed in class. Ethics is something that can be taught or instructed in a very straightforward manner. Morality, however, is more usually rooted in someone’s core self perception, and not something that can be taught directly. The way to teach morality is to instruct by principle and guide the student to ponder on application. Which, I guess, takes us back to Aristotle and application.
*Conceptually, the implementation of Situational Ethics is not dissimilar to the way a faithful Latter Day Saint may live their day. The difference is that the LDSaint has a standard of principle that his actions are decided upon, consistent from one situation to the next. The Situational Ethicist’s standard is variable. Though the process of deciding to act goes through the same hoops, it is the standard that process is based on that makes the difference. Over the course of 500 situations, we will see consistent behavior from the LD Saint, but varying behavior from the Situational Ethicist.

9/10/2015

*Given that there is a “great difference between ethics and religion,” how much does it matter that there is lots of gray area? Obviously, we as latter day saints believe in consistent behavior no matter the situation. But can we really fault someone without that knowledge who believes it is okay to behave a certain way in one situation, and a different way in another situation?

*Ethics (at least insofar as Traditional Ethics and Situational Ethics) has an implied component which is that there is always a 3rd party to judge the actions and determine them right or wrong (“an action someone makes should be judged”). That’s what gets me about all these man-made ethical systems, is that they are subconsciously approaching a gospel standard but being man-made they never quite get there. But we can see those elements of truth there.

9/15/2015

*In reading about the observation of the fish, I’m reminded of times when I’ve kind of slowed down and really just looked at something. Because of the level of abstraction going on in our brains, I don’t often stop to really observe something for its unique qualities. But because of the times I have done this, I can appreciate the great amount of insight able to be gleaned from such a process.

*I’m very intrigued by Armour’s description of people’s processes, with their manuals and their complex methodologies. I’ve seen examples of these, but it never occurred to me that there was a classification that could encompass all those strategies. This Orders of Ignorance really calls to me; I like the areas of classification that it allows for, in software development as well as in other areas.

*I also really like Armour’s perspective of software development being a container of knowledge, and the idea of cleaning up code as an extension of that final goal. I’m definitely going to try and apply that perspective into my own coding forays.

9/17/2015

*As someone who has made a clear decision to never dramatically exceed the speed limit (I am always less than 5 mph over the posted limit), I find it very interesting that so many members of the class have immediate rebuttals to the idea that their going over the speed limit is unethical. It astounds me that people who claim to follow the 12th article of faith are so comfortable breaking these (perceived as ‘lesser’) laws, such as breaking the speed limit. I also see a lot of illegal downloading and contributing to pirating. The ethical system is in place, but even within our own (LDS) society, there are many who operate after their own set of morals.

*(This is something of a continuation of my previous thought) Given that the modern philosophical definition of morality is “religious and immutable,” I find it interesting that people within our class seem to have derived their own moral standards, somewhat departing from what is taught within our religious society. I also see this same ‘personal morality’ present in my peers from high school, which makes me think that the ‘modern philosophy’ definition of morality, as being something immutable, is somewhat out of date.

*Even though there are many relative moralistic ideals, there are still some things that people generally recognize as being moral, and respect such people who observe those standards. One such example is this idea of not allowing ourselves to be offended. Generally, people who are able to brush off offense are respected amongst their peers. This was especially shown in the story Prof. Dougal shared.

Current Event 1

Microsoft is going to court with the Federal Government. Our current area of focus in class, this being the beginning of the semester, is the foundation of ethics. Thus, it is appropriate to analyze this event within the context of basic ethics; where are the lines of right and wrong in this situation? Certainly, each party has their own right to hold their position. The government has long had a history of prioritizing national safety and information over the privacy of individuals. However, there is a valid question raised now as to how those old practices might apply to the digital, and indeed the cloud, age. True, Microsoft is a company based in the United States, but they serve a worldwide consumer base. Does their ultimate allegiance lie with their customers, or with the US law? What is ultimately the most right thing to do in this situation? The most intriguing aspect of this court case is that Microsoft is arguing over the correct process of obtaining information that is stored in other countries. However, the decision will affect much more than just that issue. It's going to set a precedent for the right of data to be protected for any number of reasons, only one of which has to do with physical location. The decision made will be a decision on the subsequent morality of requesting and/or denying requests for information.

久しぶり - It's been too long

So I still have this blog! For some reason, I haven't really touched it since I finished my stint as an RA. I guess having real friends (and not being in charge of 38 immature freshman) really diminishes my need to vent on the world about whatever is on my mind.

To make a long story short, I did a lot more ballroom dance and in doing so met the woman of my dreams and who is now my wife. See more details about that here: http://mcquivey2015.blogspot.com/

But this blog is called Ha-college matata, and I'm still in college so it's still (theoretically) valid. I figured I'd write a little note here because I'm actually enlivening my blog specifically for a class. Now, it's not some creative writing or journalism class that wants me to utilize various media of communication. No, this is actually a core major class about ethics within the world of computing. And most of our assignments are going to be part of this blog.

Why is this important? Well, if you happen to be one of the people who follow my blog (I think I have 8?), don't be surprised when I start posting short random blurbs. I figured that the things I would be posting were of similar enough quality to my previous posts, so why not just keep using it. And who knows? Maybe it will help me to pick back up writing in my blog!

Anyways, that's just my little update. Stay tuned for my thoughts on current events, class lectures, and more! So exciting :)

じゃね

Happy Mother's day!

So, in true lazy blogger style, I'm posting 2nd-hand material again. By 2nd-hand material, of course, I mean something that I prepared for another purpose that I am now posting here because I want people to be able to see it. This was a talk that I prepared for church today, so understand that when you're reading it. I added citations for the talks and scriptures in the text here. Other than that, happy mother's day!

This past general conference Elder Zwick told the story of a trip he and his wife were taking in a semitruck with their infant son. He mentions that there were no seat-belt restrictions or infant car seats at that time, but that his wife carried their son in her arms. During one part of the trip, going down the steep slope of Donner Pass, the cab of the semi suddenly filled with smoke. Elder Zwick attempted to stop by gearing down until the truck was going slow enough for the brakes to be effective. However, before reaching a full stop, he says: “my wife opened the door of the cab and jumped out with our baby in her arms. I watched helplessly as they tumbled in the dirt.” Elder Zwick rushed to them as soon as he had stopped the truck. He continues: “As my heartbeat normalized and I caught my breath, I blurted out, “What in the world were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous that was? You could have been killed!”

“She looked back at me, with tears running down her smoke-smudged cheeks, and said something that pierced my heart and still rings in my ears: “I was just trying to save our son.”

“I realized in that moment she thought the engine was on fire, fearing the truck would explode and we would die...I looked at my precious wife, softly rubbing the head of our infant son, and wondered what kind of woman would do something so courageous.”1

While Elder Zwick surely meant to praise his wife for her bravery, my scope today is a little broader. Sister Zwick was indeed the kind of woman that would do something so courageous. But in answer to Elder Zwick’s wondering question, the type of woman that would do something so courageous is the type of woman who gives of her body, her life, to care for others: a mother.

Howard W. Hunter conveyed this thought from the first presidency:  “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.”2 My object in this talk is to help us better understand the role of motherhood, and its relation to the role of our Heavenly Father.

First, let us revisit the plan of salvation. God organized our spirits in the preexistence. He helped us grow and prepared us for the time when we would leave His presence and pass through our own mortal experiences. Because He created us, taught us, and nurtured us, He loves us. Furthermore, because of this love, His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). In short, He wants us to reach our greatest potential.

How does this compare with the role of our mothers? It is identical. Mothers form a deep bond with their children since before their birth. They give of their own body and strength in order to create a new body for their child. From birth until adulthood, mothers help their children learn, and grow, preparing them for the time when they must leave mother’s home and apply what she has taught them.

Throughout this entire process, mothers have their eyes set on the goal of real happiness for their children. They comprehend the eternal perspective, and know that this life is: “a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God” (Alma 12:24). WIth Amulek, mothers exhort their children to “not procrastinate the day of [their] repentance until the end.” All of their teachings and admonitions, rules and rewards, worries and preparations, are based on what they perceive to be the best for their child’s life, not just in the moment, but for the entirety of their life. A mother’s joy comes in knowing that her children are striving to better themselves, to reach their fullest potential.

By the same token, as children we reserve a special spot in our heart for our mothers. For any of you who have engaged in any kind of missionary work, you will have come across people who, without even having an established religion, hold a surety of God’s existence. This is because there is some part within our soul that recognizes the reality of God. In much the same way, we understand the role of our mothers. We comprehend, in a way that transcends mere intellect, that our mothers are the reason and means of our existence. As such we listen to them, and their teachings stay with us throughout our lives, carefully guarded in a special vault in our hearts. Understanding this, then, we recognize the wisdom in Elder Perry’s reminder: “a parent’s teaching must never be devalued...This is especially true when we consider the teaching of values, moral and ethical standards, and faith.” 3 It is within the family that we receive the best preparation for eternal life.

I would share with you one of these teachings that I have received from my mother. I share it because my mother has always been quick to incorporate the gospel into our lives. I remember when I had lost a toy in my room (I wasn’t the cleanest of 9-yr olds). I asked my mom for help. Now, there was a variety of ways in which she might have responded. She might have come to help me look for it. She might have brushed me aside and told me it wasn’t important. However, what she did has stayed with me for the last 12 years. She suggested that I pray to ask for God’s help in finding my toy. Well, I did, and I found it. While I recognize God’s hand in helping a child find his toy, what sticks more in my mind is my mother’s faith and her focus on making God an integral part of our family.

I quote President Monson: “One cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.” 4

I laud all women who take upon themselves the trials of motherhood, my own mother especially so (for obvious reasons). However, I would direct our attention away from simply being grateful for our mothers. A mother is a prime example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. The traits of selflessness and self-sacrifice, of patience and love, of long-suffering and understanding, are Christ-like attributes that we have all been commanded to develop. We would be grossly lacking in our duty to Heavenly Father if the only thing we did on Mother’s day was give more thought than usual to our mothers. Rather, we should emulate them. What better gift can there be, to both our Father in Heaven and to our mothers on earth, than to apply what they’ve taught us, and become more like them? I submit that there is no greater gift that we can give on this day.

To that end, I challenge each of you to reflect on at least one way that your mother, or a mothering figure, has impacted your life, and then set a goal to impact someone else’s life in that same way. Was your mother caring? Then care for others. Did she notice small things and compliment you on them? Then do the same. Was she a beacon of the light of Christ, illuminating the world around her? Focus on how to increase your own light. Did she help you work through your problems, or care for you when sick? Look for opportunities to respond with that motherly, or Christ-like, love.

My favorite example of this comes from the Book of Alma, from the account of the 2000 stripling Lamanite warriors who had been taught so well by their mothers. However, it is not their bravery in battle that inspires me, in spite of of the fact that “they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.” No, what truly impresses me is that they emulated their mothers through their attitudes and actions. We read: “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their own lives” (Alma 56:47). Where did this attitude come from? Why this willingness to forego personal comfort and safety, and potentially die for their families? It is because they emulated their mothers. They learned all their mothers taught them, in word and example, and were diligent in applying those lessons.

Sheri Dew, then in the Relief Society general presidency, taught the following: “Motherhood is not what was left over after our Father blessed His sons with priesthood ordination. It was the most ennobling endowment He could give His daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate.” 5 To better illustrate the impact that mothers have on their childrens’ lives, I relate the following story:

“A famed officer from the Civil War period, Colonel Higginson, when asked to name the incident of the Civil War that he considered the most remarkable for bravery, said that there was in his regiment a man whom everybody liked, a man who was brave and noble, who was pure in his daily life, absolutely free from dissipations in which most of the other men indulged.

“One night at a champagne supper, when many were becoming intoxicated, someone in jest called for a toast from this young man. Colonel Higginson said that he arose, pale but with perfect self-control, and declared: “Gentlemen, I will give you a toast which you may drink as you will, but which I will drink in water. The toast that I have to give is, ‘Our mothers.’”

“Instantly a strange spell seemed to come over all the tipsy men. They drank the toast in silence. There was no more laughter, no more song, and one by one they left the room. The lamp of memory had begun to burn, and the name of Mother touched every man’s heart." 6

Well spoken indeed is the proverb “A foolish man despiseth his mother” (Proverbs 15:20). Just as foolish as we would be to despise God. I close with this thought from President Monson: “Who can comprehend in its entirety the lofty role of a mother? With perfect trust in God, she walks, her hand in His, into the valley of the shadow of death, that you and I might come forth into light.” 7 Let us remember our mothers. Let us be in awe of them, even. However, let us also remember that, as they have risen to be better disciples of Jesus Christ, so too can we rise to those heights. May we honor our mothers by emulating them, by caring and nurturing others, and keeping alive the bright flame of faith in our own hearts.