Wolf Emily and her Three Little Pigs

Wolf Emily and her Three Little Pigs by terhaavm01

Chapter 1

Name Victoria Terhaar                                                                                                Class time: 12 pm

KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (excluding reference page)

Author: Sara Baase

Date of Publication: 2008

Book: A Gift of Fire

Sections read: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4

1.       (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:

a.       The first electronic computer were first built in the 1940’s and now only 70 years later Georgia Tech developed a 500-gigagertz chip that is more than 100 times faster than a computer.  (pg 3)

b.       Bloggers get invitations to fashion shows and press credentials for news coverage because they can have up to 100,000-500,000 readers per day. (pg 6)

c.        The number of bank tellers rose from 301,000-600,000 by 2006 which is a major increase when most people believe unemployment of bank tellers rose during that time. (pg 22)

2.       (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?

The first two sections, 1.1 and 1.2, were discussing the introduction of the computer and technology and the effects they have had on our time.  Baase was using numbers to help people get the right perception of how fast technology is advancing.  She was explaining things like the first computer in the 1940’s, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969, and airplanes going 500 miles per hour (pg 2-3).  In sections 1.3 she was introducing us to the issues we’ll be reading about throughout the book. Baase was helping us understand the different issues such as freedom of speech and professional ethics, by applying them to ATM/online banking (pg 21-24).  In section 1.4 she got into the issue of ethics saying it means to do the right thing.  She was talking about the different views such as deontological or consequential, and how the issue with ethics is objectivity (pg 28-32).

3.       (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – be specific and explain?

I think a similar situation in society, one in which a person can have technology possibly hinder their everyday life when it is supposed to be making it easier for them (in reference to the ATM section in Baase’s book), is people going on auctioning websites like eBay or craigslist.  Doing this is supposed to make it so a person can buy things they’d like in the comfort of their own home from all throughout the U.S., make buying things convenient for them.  However, some of the overpowering negatives aspects to this industry are the possibility of getting your personal information stolen or someone hacking into your account and using it to buy merchandise.  This websites can also increase the amount of crime in a society.  There have been cases where murder has happened because of false information on these websites.  A masseuse was killed after being lured to a hotel room with the thought of giving her services.  (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7384549&page=1).  Solutions that could help people in these situations may be for extensive background checks on people making accounts on these websites, a more in depth process of buying/selling products on these websites.

4.       (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences. 

When Baase is talking about the themes throughout the book, one she specifically mentions is adapting to new technology. (pg 25)  When she goes into detail about this theme she references certain times and situations where there were occurrences and society had to change its rules to adapt to the new technology to protect people’s privacy or people’s rights.  A situation like having to adapt to something new can be found in many aspects of a person’s life.  For example if someone was to move to a new city, they would have to adapt to the different pace of that city, the attitudes of the people, their new schedule and change their life so it fits into that new pattern. 

5.       (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)?  What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?

I do agree with what is being said within chapter 1 of Baase’s book.  In the first part of the chapter she is speaking about the evolution and reliance that computers have had on society.  With speaking of the evolution, Baase uses numbers to support her findings such as, “blogging began slowly, shortly after 2000, and took off in the early 2000s with the help of several developments…” (pg 5)  Because Baase uses these statistics to support her writing I do agree with what is being said within the first two sections of the chapter we read.  I also do agree with what she is speaking about in the third and fourth sections of the chapter because I believe the ATM example showed the reader technologies have many positives and negatives, and sometimes people have to sacrifice having some negatives for a more helpful positive.  I believe this is true with every technology, not just ATMs.  Ethical issues that Baase talks about affect people in their everyday lives because ethics go hand in hand with morals and doing the right thing.  Most every decision people make has benefits and consequences and someone is doing either the right or wrong thing in someone’s eyes. 

6.       (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter?  What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?

I do believe every topic Baase covered in the first chapter is relevant in society today.  I believe that because from my own experiences today I have experienced some of the advantages and disadvantages of an ATM or online banking. I have dealt with my own ethical things and what I feel is the right thing to do. I was in a situation where I was unsure whether or not to lend all of my notes/quizzes/material from a previous class to a friend and I was unsure what the right thing to do because I didn’t know if that would be like cheating.  I think some ethical evaluations that were made were ones looking at the different structures of ethical arguments.  Baase talked about deontological which is about sticking to rules while making a decision, or utilitarian views which is looking at the actions and then consequences, or just a person embracing their natural rights and doing whatever they feel is right. (pg 28-33)