RFID tags - good and bad

I decided to look more into the RFID tags which our teacher briefly discussed in class on the 15th. These are Radio Frequency Identification tags, which can be used in a variety of ways. Wikipedia lists a few:

Access management
Tracking of goods
Tracking of persons and animals
Toll collection and contactless payment
Machine readable travel documents
Smartdust (for massively distributed sensor networks)
Tracking sports memorabilia to verify authenticity
Airport baggage tracking logistics

I never knew it had so many applications, but I have been familiar with these chips for many years...

I have loved dogs since I was very young, and learned about the pet tracking option with RFID tags. I used to think it was a snobbish idea, but now that I've adopted a rather run-crazy wolf-like dog that has one - though we've never needed it - I'm absolutely open to the idea. Every animal is checked for one of these chips when found by the pound. The computer system can then tell the employees all of the owner's information as well as information on the animal. This was an enormous comfort when first acclimating my dog to life with us in Utah.

This is also something that could be useful in commercial enterprises. Amazon uses something similar, and we are all familiar with the less sophisticated barcode. These chips, however, can be read from anywhere within up to 3 meters, whether or not they are visible. This would allow industries (I'd like to include the E-Commerce department of the BYU Bookstore where I work) to find and track items for customers without the nuisance of searching tags and matching barcodes.

Now, RFID chips do raise questions on personal security and privacy. If we can track animals and merchandise, why can't we track people? I know there are plenty of sci-fi stories in which the people have chips embedded in their skin so "Big Brother" can track them. It is certainly something to fear, but what if we could use those chips in emergency situations so doctors know exactly what healthcare to give? We could have easier and faster identification for police to use etc. Again, do we want that kind of overseeing, or do we retain independence? It's a question for the ages.

digital sweet home: for the better

Last time I wrote about how I visit my grandmother and how she has been cut off because of the internet and the culture that has evolved from it - and other technologies. Today, the focus is on how digital culture has helped to connect people like her despite the inaccessibility for people in her situation. 

 

Because of the internet, cell phones, tv, etc. we are able to connect on levels previously unimagined. Not only can we connect with friends through multiple sites, but through phones as well, storing every number within the same devise we use to call. It has never been easier to keep track of those we care about. We can alert a whole group of big events through texts or emails (although it may not be personal). We can see what people are doing with their lives without bombarding them with questions.

My mother lives in Washington, but always knows what is going on in the lives of her children, siblings, and nieces and nephews through facebook. She originally disliked the idea behind facebook, but now spends more time than any of her children on it. Through facebook, my mother and I are able to inform my grandmother of everything going on with the family. Without digital culture, we couldn't share this wealth of information with her, thus allowing her to still connect with children and grandchildren when we does see them.

How can we further this opportunity? How can we use this technology to improve the lives of many? Is it better that we are the go-between, or should those like my grandmother be introduced to the technology available so that they can access it themselves, but miss the interaction with "the messenger"?

digital sweet home

I've recently started visiting my grandmother every week so that she can see me during the week instead of only on Sundays when we invite her for dinner, and I've realized how our digital culture has cut off people like her from those they love... don't worry, I'll cover how it has connected them later... Whenever I visit, she asks me about the lives of my immediate family as well as aunts and cousins, because she cannot access all this information herself.

My grandmother has been cut off because she does not have the same access or understanding of modern technology as the rest of us. she understands some of what computers are capable of and is aware that nearly all our communication with the family is using the internet, but hasn't the wherewithal to use it. Because of this new technology, her descendants do not alert everyone via phone or letter, but quickly through facebook or email.

She feels cut off and ignored because we do not call her about all the things we post online. We, of course, cannot be expected to tell her everything, but because she is already cut off from the rest of the family, it makes it worse that we know things that she doesn't.

I wonder if Digital Sweet Home can use their presentation to help our others like her. could they perhaps present to a nursing home or retirement home so that those wonderful people can learn how to better interact with those they love. It would certainly be difficult, but if they could pull it off, I think it'd be incredibly rewarding.

collaborate and listen!

Collaborating our novel has been an adventure, and like any adventure, it's had ups and downs. I know I mentioned the "issues" in my previous post, but what's more important is how it was a success. The positives one would assume to be accompanied with a collaborative work are certainly there as well as the unexpected.

Going into this work, I knew that collaboration allows for work to be spread across the board, making less work for each individual. It was obvious that bad ideas could be weeded out as the crowd chose the best course. It was also clear that collaboration would allow for more support and better ideas overall.

Additionally, it's been an opportunity to work together and gain friendships. We've also all had to reach out to our own established friendships to encourage others to contribute. It has allowed others the chance to make a difference by being a part of a new project. They could enter the publishing world without the pressure of writing and editing their own novel.

I'd certainly suggest collaboration for any number of projects, and all students are similarly familiar with group projects. Collaboration is fun and exciting while allowing a distribution of work. The internet fully facilitates collaboration and should be embraced. There are certainly challenges associated with any group, but working through them is part of the fun.

courtesy of: https://sites.google.com/site/collaborationfornovels/file-cabinet

Collaboration Nation

I've always loved to hear, read, watch, and create stories, no matter the subject matter; although, I've always gravitated more towards chic flick stories and fantasy. The only "job" I've ever really felt that I could thoroughly enjoy is writing, but I've little talent for it. Because of this, I quickly linked collaboration with writing during our classes. This sparked the idea that some of us have been seeking: Collaborative Fiction.

Now, it's been a fantastic journey, and I've enjoyed the concept, but I'd like to focus on some of the difficulties today - like always, I'll focus on the positive aspect next time. We started out simply hoping to bring authors together in an easy environment where they can write without the stress of creating an entire novel. We had thought that many people would jump at the chance...

Sadly, that is not the case. I've learned that many people don't want to write for a novel that is not entirely their own idea. We may feel invested in it, but most people I've spoken to love the idea but don't care for the effort. No matter how we emphasize the ease in writing for the project, too many say they have no time.

Another set back is related: because so few have had genuine interest, we have had to reschedule our deadlines multiple times and push back dates. We had to write segments as well as our writers, but really can't do any more if we want to maintain the project's integrity. I've struggled with having to depend on third parties when I just want to finish the project, but the only thing I can do is involve others. I've had friends express interest, but only two have officially committed.

It's been frustrating and stressful, but worth it. There are plenty of positives about the project, and I've loved working on it, but collaboration does demand a certain mindset. It's not for the faint of heart. Collaboration means depending on others to do what you could do merely to create unity. It involves trust and flexibility; two traits severely lacking in this day and age.

Next time: why I've LOVED our project...

Age of Information?

As mentioned in my last post, this is an age of information. We can access almost any statistic or bit of knowledge with the click of a button. However, this does not mean that it is relevant, good to know, or even true. This is a part of Web  2.0; we can all contribute and improve the content, but are we all knowledgeable in the issues. Consider the election. Did everyone who voted have a clear idea of every candidate they voted for? I highly doubt it. otherwise, we couldn't choose vote all Rep or all Dem.

the greatest example I have of this is wikipedia. anyone can contribute and anyone can read it. There was a time when someone wrote on the LDS church and the Book of Mormon with entirely inaccurate information. How did this influence people studying the belief system? False ideas can cause more harm than good, and the only way to check it while still allowing the free flow of information is to have others edit it.

In the end, the majority will find the correct answer. I believe this was related to the concept of the long tail. This leads slightly to the idea of whether it is relevant. (: we can perform a google search and receive countless hits with nothing really matching what we are looking for. The information online is often not necessary or only relevant to a select minority. This does not make it bad, but it makes it wasteful. Luckily, we seem to not face limitations in the digital realm.

Information is widely distributed in this day and age, but not all of it is worthwhile. We still must search through it and seek other's opinions, but we can find vast amounts of information that would be difficult to attain without our modern culture.

Age of Information

Our modern digital culture has led to some wonderful opportunities in research and learning. People are able to search any topic  in the world and likely find a few hits that discuss it. There are websites for dictionaries, movies, books, games, news, and so much more; apps for the same as well as time or money converters; newsletters via email or subscriptions; text updates, and much, much more. It is an age of information, and we are right in the middle of it.

When students prepare to write a research paper, they do not search through pages and pages of obscure research hidden in some library, but use a search database to find research that meets specific needs. This pic has been circulating recently:

We can research political issues and platforms with the click of a button as well as find all the information we need to vote. Updates are *immediately* posted regarding voting, storms, movies and more.

What do we gain from this digital download of information? Just that, information. It may not be necessarily vital to our survival to know if the story about an orphan in Mexico is true according to Snopes, but it's there. We have an overflow of information that is *expertly* categorized for any and all to access. We can learn more, more quickly - perhaps foregoing formal institutions completely - and become experts without stepping foot in a university. We can learn about anything we want and with only the click of a button.