Knowledge can be transferred via many ways, for example through face to face contact, or simply via experiments. However, what we have today to facilitate the flow of knowledge is ICT. That, we have no doubts. The question now is how readily available it is to everyone.
This brings in the point of the digital divide discussed in class. We have to face it, not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to ICT. Especially in the third world countries. Reading 3 emphasizes and goes in depth about how ICT can actually help to achieve the MDGs set. What I found most interesting was how ICT could help in promoting gender equality and empowering women. Basically, through ICT, it can help with the follow up process of bringing gender equality, and not just saying it.
Next, we talked about the idea of Cloud computing. Cloud computing is basically about being able to access all of the firm's documents without installing any applications onto the system. All we need to do is just go online and we have everything we need as it is stored on a external server located elsewhere and we can access it via the internet. This acts like a network. However, many argue against it as it may affect the security of the data.
This links up with Reading 5. Personally, I feel that Reading 5 is a very biased article, which focuses mainly about how economical it is and the benefits of cloud computing. However, it failed to take into account the negative effects of cloud computing. One very important factor is the security of the data being put online. Though many layers of encryption may be used, ultimately, they can still be cracked and unriddled! If any professional hacker was determined enough, he would be able to access the documents and dissolve the encryption. It is just a matter of time. On the other hand, if corporations or firms with extremely sensitive and confidential data such as government organizations containing national secrets and data, or even banks, it will be much safer to have their own in-house server, where it is both being physically and geographically guarded. People would only be able to access the data within the building or area itself. Hence, call me conservative or narrow-minded, but my bottom line is to ask ourselves how sensitive and how confidential the data the firm or organization wants to keep first before making such a decision of whether to go into cloud computing or not.
We then continued to talk about Web 3.0. Personally, I feel that web 3.0 is just merely making things more convenient for us due to technology being more intuitive toward us. However, in order to achieve this, very intricate information is being observed and taken from us. For example, our personal preferences, and our very exact geographical location. Now, I feel it is very important for us to draw the line and to balance things. Yes, Web 3.0 will be a great tool, however it is important that we are able to control the degree of detail or information we want to divulge. Different people feel the need to have different levels of privacy. Hence, controlling and balancing is the key when we move into the era of Web 3.0.
Prof then introduced us to the idea of how the different levels of increase in production we had as a human race from era to era. It is stated below:
1) Hunter/Gatherer societies to agriculture and domestication of animals : 25X increase in production
2) Agriculture and domestication of animal to Industrial revolution: 25X increase
3) Industrial Revolution to ICT/Knowledge revolution: only 5X increase in productivity.
Now the question is why are we increasing so little in productivity? I have the same view point of another student in class. It is actually due to time. We have merely only begun on the ICT revolution. Innovations are being generated everyday, and all we need is time.
As mentioned in Reading 2, we first need to be ready for such a change before we enter into the networked world. As ICT had just started out about 20 years ago, many societies are still getting ready before being able to enter it. Higher levels of readiness include transparency, regulation, and more devices. Many societies are still not ready for it, hence, productivity might still be low. Give them time and once they are ready, we will be able to see productivity increasing by leaps and bounds.
We then had our student presenters. One point that I felt was striking was presented by Jonathan Au-yung, the last presenter. One of the questions asked was which we felt was better, face to face interaction, or via ICT? In present times, everyone is using ICT to communicate with one another that the personal human touch is lost in the process. We all choose hide behind our screens. I am not saying that ICT is wrong, however I feel that we still have to draw the balance. There are times whereby face to face interaction needs to be there. ICT should be but just a tool to help us communicate if we are faced with limitations such a being geographically apart. For example, we may have 1000 friends on facebook, but really how many friends does the person have? Friendships and relationships do ultimately require the human touch and presence.
Today's topic is one that is close to the hearts of everyone as we are all so immersed into ICT with our social networking applications and the internet. Hence, the discussions today were more heartfelt and I would rate today's lesson a 9.5/10.
Again, see you guys next Monday! (:
-Thong Yong Sen (Matthew)-
Next, we talked about the idea of Cloud computing. Cloud computing is basically about being able to access all of the firm's documents without installing any applications onto the system. All we need to do is just go online and we have everything we need as it is stored on a external server located elsewhere and we can access it via the internet. This acts like a network. However, many argue against it as it may affect the security of the data.
This links up with Reading 5. Personally, I feel that Reading 5 is a very biased article, which focuses mainly about how economical it is and the benefits of cloud computing. However, it failed to take into account the negative effects of cloud computing. One very important factor is the security of the data being put online. Though many layers of encryption may be used, ultimately, they can still be cracked and unriddled! If any professional hacker was determined enough, he would be able to access the documents and dissolve the encryption. It is just a matter of time. On the other hand, if corporations or firms with extremely sensitive and confidential data such as government organizations containing national secrets and data, or even banks, it will be much safer to have their own in-house server, where it is both being physically and geographically guarded. People would only be able to access the data within the building or area itself. Hence, call me conservative or narrow-minded, but my bottom line is to ask ourselves how sensitive and how confidential the data the firm or organization wants to keep first before making such a decision of whether to go into cloud computing or not.
We then continued to talk about Web 3.0. Personally, I feel that web 3.0 is just merely making things more convenient for us due to technology being more intuitive toward us. However, in order to achieve this, very intricate information is being observed and taken from us. For example, our personal preferences, and our very exact geographical location. Now, I feel it is very important for us to draw the line and to balance things. Yes, Web 3.0 will be a great tool, however it is important that we are able to control the degree of detail or information we want to divulge. Different people feel the need to have different levels of privacy. Hence, controlling and balancing is the key when we move into the era of Web 3.0.
Prof then introduced us to the idea of how the different levels of increase in production we had as a human race from era to era. It is stated below:
1) Hunter/Gatherer societies to agriculture and domestication of animals : 25X increase in production
2) Agriculture and domestication of animal to Industrial revolution: 25X increase
3) Industrial Revolution to ICT/Knowledge revolution: only 5X increase in productivity.
Now the question is why are we increasing so little in productivity? I have the same view point of another student in class. It is actually due to time. We have merely only begun on the ICT revolution. Innovations are being generated everyday, and all we need is time.
As mentioned in Reading 2, we first need to be ready for such a change before we enter into the networked world. As ICT had just started out about 20 years ago, many societies are still getting ready before being able to enter it. Higher levels of readiness include transparency, regulation, and more devices. Many societies are still not ready for it, hence, productivity might still be low. Give them time and once they are ready, we will be able to see productivity increasing by leaps and bounds.
Today's topic is one that is close to the hearts of everyone as we are all so immersed into ICT with our social networking applications and the internet. Hence, the discussions today were more heartfelt and I would rate today's lesson a 9.5/10.
Again, see you guys next Monday! (:
-Thong Yong Sen (Matthew)-
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