Copy...right

So we talked a couple week ago about Copyright laws, and pros, cons, etc.

I wanted to share this video that I've seen in multiple classes here at BYU. Since I'm an IT major, we talk alot about ethics and copyright because it seems to get easier and easier to violate those laws.

This video was produced by Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University. The funniest part of the video is the use of disney characters. Walt Disney is the biggest supporter of extending copyright laws, because they do not want their iconic character, Mickey Mouse, to fall into the public domain. In fact, the extension law is sometimes know as the 'Mickey Mouse Protection Act'

Databases! Essential for everything!

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I am an IT major. I write webpages and web applications, even my blog is called 'Notes from a Nerd'. So, it isn't much of a surprise when I am given an assignment like 'Enlightment Knowledge Media' and I choose to write about databases...with a little look back in history.

A Database is simply 'a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access"

I would venture to say that the earliest modern database was the encyclopedia. Diderot was an encyclopedic who spearheaded the first modern encyclopedia similar to what we have today (or had 10 years ago).

Growing up, whenever we had to research something for class, we would turn to our trusty encyclopedia set. published in 1993, there were almost an entire volume for every letter of the alphabet! This set, even each book individually, was a database! A series of records, a collection, organized conveniently, and related to other records!

These encyclopedias as we all know, became utterly useless and extinct with the introduction of HTML (hyper text markup language) it allowed us to link text to something, or somewhere, else---creating a digital encyclopedia.

However, simply linking wasn't good enough. We need to be able to store data, and view it at will. This is where databases came into play. One example of a database, one of the first successful, was the SABRE system.

In a nutshell, SABRE was a system that was used by American Airlines, and eventually Delta, Pan Am, British Airways, and many more. This system was an online booking system, which allowed agents and customers purchase their tickets real time, handling over 83000 daily phone calls. What was most extraordinary about this system was that is was implemented in 1964. Before the Personal Computer, before Steve Jobs was even born, this project was in the works.

SABRE was definitely ahead of its time...
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Evernote---Remember EVERYTHING

I being my conquest for blog and class assignment domination with my next DDL : Evernote

Just yesterday at work, my boss announced he had gone completely paperless. Not paperless in the fact that he never uses papers, but rather that he never carries papers anymore. He is now using Evernote. I was a bit curious and spent some time looking into evernote...

With evernote, you upload your information to the site, and you can access is all later. My boss takes a picture of every post it note, paper, or whiteboard he uses. Evernote parses this data, making it searchable, and helps you organize all your notes and information into one area for easy access.

Their website is well designed, and has better tutorial products than the marketing one shown above. Check it out!

They have 2 types : Free and Premium

The Free version allows 40 MB per month of note allowance, and only allows you to upload images, audio, ink, and PDF with a max size of each note to 25MB. The Premium version costs $5 a month or $45 a year and allows a 500MB limit with a 50MB per note max. It also accepts any file type for upload.

If you love post it notes, and feel like you're getting overwhelmed (like me!) just give it a try, and see if evernote will work for you

Catching up with Micro blogging!

So, I found out in class Tuesday that I am part of the lower third of the class that is wayyyyyy behind.

It really wasn't surprising to me. The past weeks have been filled with late nights, taking care of an infant, job interviews, practically full time work hours, and a full class load. I knew I was behind, but I did have every intention of catching up!

I have been researching and jotting down ideas for blogs, but for the longest time, I thought that I needed a full, in depth, this is everything I know blog post. I have a revelation last week that that is NOT necessary.

I learned about Micro-blogging, which is basically expressing information but in a much shorter form. Bro Burton even praised a student in class for micro blogging. I though 'Hey! I have a bunch of those, but I didn't post them because they weren't done!'

Even though I am an IT major, and consider myself pretty technologically savvy, I still have a LOT to learn about internet and blogging etiquette.

I now have a goal to post once a day for the next week.

I know that this will be a very difficult goal! VERY! But I need to jump start my blogging experience. It's about time that I join everyone else in the class and update more than one a week....or one a month

George Price, Altruism, and Reincarnation

I'll start with the last word in my post---Reincarnation.

I am alive...back from the dead in fact. It has been a while since my last post---too long, I admit. This weekend I will be compiling all my blog drafts, random thoughts, and class notes in order to play catch up with my life and with this blog.

So, that out of the way, lets talk about Altruism.

Before we selected the book for our report, I had no idea what Altruism was. Chalk it up to being uncultured or not an honor student or just a bad English student, I had no idea what it was. After some research (okay, maybe 5 minutes on dictionary.com) I found that altruism meant "the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others"(link)

I furthered learned in my research and reading of The Price of Alturism by Oren Harmon, that George Price devised a mathematical formula describing evolution and natural selection.

We, as a group, wrote a review for the book and posted it on Amazon.com. My cohorts also decided on their own Digital Literacy techniques for showcasing this work of art.

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and finally experiment with Woordle. I must say that I was a little put off when everyone and their mom decided to use woordle at the same time at the beginning of the year. But, once I was able to experiment with it myself, I thought it was a pretty cool concept, despite my previous inclinations.

Here's what I came up with: