Ethics and Technology

I agree with Ray Kurzwell that technology has the possibility of curing diseases and easing our daily routines. In the past 40 years, technology has revolutionized how we eat (Genetically altered food), how we cook (Microwaves), how we shop (Amazon.com), how we get entertainment (streaming video online) and how we communicate (email, cell phones). And while this progress has become intertwined with our daily life, where do we draw the line? Do we allow for computer chips to be placed in our heads, just so we can access more information? For me, I draw the line the line with technology when we begin to lose our human qualities. While exterior assistants, like an Iphone or Blackberry, are most certainly helpful, to have that technology inside would make me unnatural and as if I was not in full control. But how does one stop or stall human progress? We cannot sit idol as beings, we are driven to progress into the unknown. But we must be aware of where we draw the line ethically about how we use technology in our daily lives.

Turing Test

What defines something as “human” or “human-like” is a great philosophic debate that many have tried to resolve through different theories and tests. The Turing Test is designed to test a computer’s “intelligence” through language. In the test, if an alternate party cannot detect whether they are talking to a human or computer, than the computer is “intelligent”, or human-like. But to achieve this, a computer must understand the subtleties of spoken language through text, and not the formulas of numbers and theoretical sentence structures (which are not always proper)
The Turing Test is a thought experiment proposed by Alan Turing to determine whether a computer is intelligent. The computer would also have to be prepared to respond to a wide range of topics, since any topic is fair-game in the Turing Test. But it is not simply about storing facts, but linking them together. It is these transitions that often require the most creativity, and it is creativity that ultimately separates man from all other natural organisms, as well as machines. Today’s machines are unable to master this or emotions, because these are things one gains through interactions in the 3-dimensional world.

Electronic Voting

Elections can be a complicated process, lasting for months, costing billions of dollars just so the voice of every American can be heard. But with the establishment of electronic voting for over 10% of America’s vote, in hopes to provide some convenience to the process, the voices of individuals have been silenced through lost votes hackable software and election riggings. One example of this is found in the documentary Hacking Democracy, Harri Hursti is able to easily hack into the Diebold voting machines, the most widely used electronic voting system, proving that the votes on the memory card can be changed undetectably. These machines also are at high risk for computer viruses that can modify collected voted. Anyone with access to these machines (aka the voting public) can inflict these changes and corrupt the system. These errors can only be remedied by changing the systems hardware to increase security.

To remedy this, I would propose a paper ballot or record to verify the data and votes collected by electronic voting machines, because we cannot deny that electronic voting is the way of the future with the continuous growth of the Digital age. These paper documents can be electronically audited, saving the state time and man power that is often wasted in these situations like in Florida in 2000. This electronic voting would require human supervision and some manual checks, but despite the cost to the state, these steps are vital to insure that every vote and voice is heard because that is the basis of democracy and what sets us apart from other nations. For how can we claim that the elections in places like Iraq or Kenya are invalid when votes in our own country are not counted? If democracy truly is the back-bone of Washington (which is sometimes debatable) the voting system of today must be made secure for the votes of tomorrow.

Mash-Ups

As if my internet addiction wasn't bad enough, I have now been introduced to programmableweb.com where I can find hundreds of useful sight I did not even know about. In this brief, in-class search I found 3 that were practical for my daily life or explored points of interest in my life.

www.doctorwholoactions.org.uk brings out the inner nerd in me. A weekly ritual of me and my roommates, Dr. Who is one of several shows we religiously watch on the BBC and Sci Fi channel (along with other tacky soap operas) and this sight will prove to be very novel and fun as I plan my trip to London in a few months. I can use the Google Map application on there website and find out exactly where one of my favorite episodes was filmed, and possibly visit there.

But because I am a poor college student going to London, I will also find londonforfree.net very useful. Using Google Maps to provide comprehensive walking tours with specific themes, hopefully I can experience all the history, etc. of the city without paying for it.

But outside of using these mashups for travel, I can use sites like www.broadway2day.com for my everyday passion (and Job) by using Google Maps to display the precise locations of theatres in New York, what show is playing there, tickets and other important information.

The Gray Area of File Sharing

Downloading and sharing files has become so wide spread and commonplace, that the ethics behind it are no longer black and white, but gray. When it comes to downloading a song from a major label artist, I feel that it is okay to download these songs because artists on major labels no longer make a lot of money through record sales. Instead it is through touring, which the record companies do an excellent job publicizing and charge a ridiculous amount for tickets (I recently paid $118 dollars for a Spice Girls ticket. For what? Five females in flashy costumes lip syncing. But I enjoyed every second). I also feel like it is okay to download independent artists. Often times I have a hard time finding the work of small artists in stores, and often times the websites their CD’s are sold through are not reliable, so I find it simpler just to download their work. But in me listening to their work, I am also sharing their music with my friends, which hopefully helps their ticket sales and notoriety. I have never had to download a second copy of a song I already own, but I would hate to repurchase something I already bought, so I guess I would probably download it to avoid paying. However, even though I would do it, I think it probably is more ethical to shell-out the 99 cents on Itunes than to download it because just because you already own something does not mean you own every copy. Like, if I own a sweater, and I want a second one to leave at my boyfriend’s house, I have to buy a second one. Maybe the shame should apply to music.
While I feel like downloading music, in most cases, is okay, many argue that it is identical to shoplifting a CD. However, shoplifting and stealing from a store effects many more people than the practice of downloading music. When you steal a CD, you are effecting the artist, the music label, as well as the music store and its employees, while downloading only effects the artist and music label because there is no middle man. I also do not agree with downloading music just to “sample” before purchasing. Why would someone purchase something they already got for free? I would not.
When it comes to something like copying a CD from a friend, I think this is fine because it is so mainstream and common place that the ethics behind the it have been dismissed. It is the evolution of the mix-tape. It is the sharing of music on a small basis. When it comes to sharing music on a world level, on networks like LimWire. Such a massive level of file sharing does take an impact on the music industry.
When it comes to the ethics of this issue, if we looked at it as a business, all of these scenarios would clearly be wrong. But because music is an art that we so closely identify with ourselves we feel a certain sense of ownership and therefore making the ethics behind file sharing all gray area for personal interpretation of the situation.

Digital Media

Like most people, music has been a main component of my life and my memories. Wanting to play my parents’ Go-Go’s records over and over when I was four, watching my father install our first stereo system with a CD player, getting my first CD (the Backstreet Boys, of course) and listening to it on my boombox in my bedroom. These are just a few memories that I have growing up and the way I listened to music. But with digital music, listening to music has changed from an activity that had little variety (you only have a certain number of CD’s or tapes at your fingertips, and sharing is a pain) and required heavy equipment. Now I have thousands of songs at my fingertips in a small compact device that I take everywhere. And if I hear a song I like, I can easily and instantly purchase it and listen to it. While the digital process may cause music to lose some of its “authentic” sound due to compression like AAC (which my Itunes uses), but I do not have a keen enough ear for such things.
The benefits of the amount of digital material one can store also affects photos. Because of compression I can get photos of my baby cousin via email and I can post photos of my artistic work online for others to enjoy. But I while I can’t tell the difference in compressed digital music and analog music, I can tell the difference between compressed photos and high-quality photos. Photos are too easily distorted in colors and pixilation when compressed, sometimes ruining photos and memories. I might just be a bit bitter, since I ruined quite a few photos of my trip to Italy, simply because I was trying to post them on my Myspace. But I feel the pro’s out weigh the cons, because digital photos allows for easier sharing and transferring of information. Also, Photoshop is quite addicting and makes cool stuff.
While digitizing media does take away from the quality, the ability to share this information easily is far more valuable. It allows for a transfer of knowledge, culture and the human experience (which is best expressed through mediums like music and imagery) and without digitizing or compression it is much more difficult to do this.

Math, Math, and More Math

1) Convert the following numbers from base 2 to base 10.
1. 1011= (2^3) + (2^1) + (2^0) = 10 + 11= 21
2. 101010= (2^5) + (2^3) + (2^1)= 32 + 8 + 2= 42
3. 11111= (2^4) + (2^3) + (2^2) + (2^1) = 31
4. 10010= (2^4) + (2^1) = 16 + 2 = 18
2) Convert the following numbers from base 10 to base 2.
1. 31= (2^4)+(2^3)+(2^2)+(2^1)+(2^0)= 11111
2. 51= (2^5)+(2^4)+(2^1)+(2^0)= 110011
3. 7= (2^2)+(2^1)+(2^0)= 111
4. 103= (2^6)+(2^5)+(2^2)+(2^1)+(2^0)= 1100111
3) Suppose that we want to download a 100 MB file. How long will it take on each of the following connections?
1. 56 Kilobits/sec
(56 kilobits/sec)/(8)= 7 kilobytes/sec
7 kilobytes/sec=0.007 megabytes/sec
(1s/0.007MB)= 142 sec/MB
(142 sec/MB)x(100)= (14200sec)/60=236.67min.
237/60=3.95=~4hours
2. 5 Megabits
(5MB/sec)/8=0.625MB/sec
(1sec/0.625MB)=1.6s/MB
(1.6 s/MB) x (100)= (160 sec.)/60= 2min. 40 Sec.
3. 10 Megabits/sec
(10 MB/sec)/(8)= 1.25 MB/sec
(1 sec/ 1.25MB)= .8s/MB
(.8 sec/MB)x(100)= 80 sec.
1 min 20 sec
4) If we have an Internet connection that can upload 3 Megabits/second, and an MP3 is 60 Megabytes, how many MP3s can we upload in an hour?

3mb/sec=.375 Megabytes/sec
1 sec/ .375 MB= 2.66 sec/MB
(2.66 sec/MB) x (60)= 160 sec= 2.66 min
60 min/2.66= 22.5= 22MP3/hr.

Net Neutrality

The abundance of the Internet and the way it has evolved into our everyday has made internet access a necessity. With this new found importance of the internet, the question becomes whether cable and telephone companies that provide internet access (i.e. AT&T, Comcast) should be allowed to capitalize on the possibility of creating deals with other internet service sites and allowing for faster access to these sites than the competitors? Or should we continue the Internet’s current status of “net neutrality”? Net Neutrality preserves the equal treatment of all web pages and packets sent between providers and carriers online. To get rid of this policy, a system similar to that of cable television would be put in its place where a “tiered” payment system would determine the quality of Internet service you received.
Companies like Amazon, Ebay, Google, Facebook, and Yahoo all support Net Neutrality. These high tech companies all began a small companies that online became the million/billion dollar corporations they are today because of the equal treatment given to websites under Net Neutrality. If Net Neutrality was to be abolished, small websites would no longer fail or succeed based on their own merit or because of the user’s choice to use the website’s services, but because of their relationship and financial deal with a Internet Network provider. With this censorship of small industry online, the lack of innovation online could be the result of a “tiered” payment system.
Other companies and organizations like AT&T and American Conservative Union feel that revoking Net Neutrality would allow for better internet service by creating competition among network providers and by meeting Internet users individual needs, improved ability to download movies and fewer span. These organizations feel that Net Neutrality and similar legislation prohibits the basic principles of capitalism.
While I do get frustrated every time the “buffering” symbol appears when I am trying to download a movie online, the thought that I would not have complete control over what sites I get to view concerns me. I would feel that part of my freedom was taken away, and if the internet provides anything it is freedom to access whatever information the user desires and to have the ability to chose where that information comes from. While capitalism and free market are key components of the American economy, legislation and regulations like Net Neutrality ensure that the Internet stays a free market and is not overtaken by large companies trying to create monopolies and stifle small business. This is why I feel Net Neutrality should be maintained

Identity Online

I was recently told that “private property” was the religion of the United States. But what qualifies as private property? In this digital era, Identity Theft has become a wide spread problem, putting a greater emphasis on the importance of our identity. And our name is clearly part of our identity. The digital era has also created an emphasis on also creating an online persona or “identity”, which may include a personal website with a personalized domain name. I think that cybersquatting, directly registering a person’s name as a domain name for profit, should be illegal because it is praying on a person’s identity. However, non commercial endeavors, like slight changes in popular domain names for the sake of political or social commentary, should be legal because they are not for profit. Motive should be what determines whether a “cybersquatter” is practicing within the law or doing something illegal. This will allow for activists to get there word out to the masses and practice their first amendment, and yet prevent cybersquatters from praying on other’s identities.

Could George Orwell Have Predicted This?

A lot has changed since 2001: politics, economics, and, perhaps most radically, technology. In the past seven years, technology has not only seeped into mainstream culture, but become intertwined with our daily lives. During this brief time, I have upgraded through five cell phones, each more advanced than the next. I have upgraded from a Walkman, that only played one CD, to a Ipod, that I never leave home without. I have gone from a desk computer to a laptop with wireless internet that I can now use at my local Starbucks. This new technology is not simply an upgrade from the old, but become a part of my life because of the convenience it provides, mostly thanks to the Internet. I can do everything from paying my electric bill automatically, and balancing my checkbook online, but also to put part of myself out there for the world to see. Thanks to social networks like Facebook and Myspace, I am to keep in touch with friends across the country. As an artist, I am able to post my resume online for future employers, and post video of my work on sights like YouTube for the masses to enjoy. But with so much exposure and access, it can be very overwhelming.
Even sitting here now, my life is on sensory overload. I am on my MacBook, IM-ing with a friend who is in Denver, listening to Internet Radio on Pandora.Com, and constantly checking my Facebook and email every few minutes. They are quite a distraction to this assignment. It probably would have taken me a few short, focused minutes to complete this response, but instead it has turned to an hour long game of procrastination and distraction. While ironically one of the many benefits of the internet is that it can help you be more efficient when it comes to commuting (nextmuni.com), buying books for school (amazon.com), going to the movies (fandango.com), staying in touch with friends you otherwise would not see again until you ten year high school reunion (facebook, myspace), and even dating (eharmony.com), the internet can also be like going to the grocery store for just a gallon of milk, and leaving with a cart full of food you did not need. I may go online simply to check my email, but then have to check Facebook, BBC News, YouTube, and check my Netflix status. In doing all this, I have wasted more time then I intended, all because the Internet provides me with too much information at my fingertips. It’s too much for my ADD mind to handle.
It is as if part of my life exists only in the digital realm, and I must designate a portion of my day to this life online. I sometimes wonder if I am missing out on truly living, in the real world, by living vicariously through the Internet. But at the end of the day, the pros out way the cons. Even worse is the fact that there is no going back, we have come to far in the digital era. Instead we must be aware of the cons of a society that is intertwined with the internet and learn from our human errors.

Getting to know you...Getting to know all about you....

I’m a Performing Arts and Social Justice Major (a PASJ as insiders would call it). It is a very fancy and pretentious sounding major, but it simply means I am a theatre major. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts but was raised in Denver, Colorado. Like most theatre kids, I spend most of my spare time doing theatre work. I am currently the Stage Manager for the College Players and I am a full time faculty member at Young Actors Theatre in Denver. Even though theatre is what I study, what I do professionally, what I do in my free time, and what I dream about when I close my eyes, I consider myself very lucky to be able to do what I love.
It therefore probably comes as no surprise then, since theatre is all I do, that my computer experience is based on my technical theatre experience. Lights, sound and video cues are all controlled via computer boards, and while I know how to tell the computer where and when to turn on a light upstage left, I do not know the mechanics behind what I am plugging in. I am excited to learn computer basics because computer skills are fast becoming mandatory for a successful technical theater career.