Fourth ITGS analysis, on Internet!

My third ITGS article analysis!

This article analysis was much harder than the previous ones because it was software analysis rather than hardware analysis. Therefore it wad extremely hard to analyse strand 3.
Article link: http://www.wired.com/2013/03/conversational-user-interface

My second ITGS triangle :)

I unfortunately do not have a link for an article about this IT system because this is not really based on a real article. We went to GITEX electronics expo in the UAE and we had to choose a piece of technology from there and analyse it. I chose Coco the 'Adtroid'. This is a link to the robot whilst in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQbeZIxaQxQ

My first article analysis in ITGS

URL for the article: http://mashable.com/2013/05/13/google-glass-facial-recognition/

An Introduction to Strand 1!

ITGS strand criteria definitions:

1)  Reliability and integrity

• Reliability is how accurate the data on an IT system is. It is also how functional the hardware and software are. If the data is inaccurate then the IT system is not reliable, and if the hardware and software don't function properly, for example: a word document does not save properly, then the IT system is unreliable as well, as they can cause harm to the user.
• Integrity is basically the act of protecting the data on an IT system. If the data on an IT system has been inputed incorrectly then the IT system lacks integrity. However if the data has been deleted or altered for  a malicious purpose then the IT system has no integrity

2)  Security

• Security is the act of protecting IT systems from unauthorised use. Examples of this are: Security systems designed to protect the information on the IT systems from hackers, such as but not limited to firewall, automatic filtering software. Another example of this would be restricting access to personal data (religious/political views) from the employees working at the company.

3)  Privacy and anonymity

• Privacy is the ability for people to choose how much information they provide to be stored on an IT system, for example: they can choose to provide only information which is necessary but not information which is optional. Anonymity on the other hand is when a person uses extreme privacy cyber-mob someone else.

4)  Intellectual property

• Intellectual property is anything in the form of works of art, ideas, writings, and other creations. Intellectual property is protected by equality. Unfortunately, IT systems allow the plagiarism of intellectual property.  

5)  Authenticity 

• Authenticity is making sure that the person accessing the IT systems is a person who's authorised to do so. There are several ways of authenticating that the person using the IT systems is the correct person. A simple method is the use of a password and username, a more complex is the use of biometric systems.

6)  The digital divide and equality of access

• The evolution of IT has led to the prominence of it in our everyday lives. However, some people come from lower economic backgrounds, hence they are not able to catch up with technology as much as those who are financially able. This can lead to the poorer having a disadvantage in comparison to the rich as they will not be able to find many jobs since society demands the use of IT systems. This creates a digital divide within a community. 

7) Surveillance 

• Surveillance is used to monitor the activities of people. One use of this technology is to monitor employees, which makes sure that they follow the company’s policies. However, in some extreme cases, this surveillance may become a breach of personal privacy. To what extent should surveillance be allowed?

8)  Globalisation and cultural diversity 

• Globalisation is basically the decrease in the magnitude of geographical, political, economical, etc.. news. As technology becomes more and more common, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 which kills thousands of civilians becomes ordinary news. Although this leads to the increase in the number of global citizens, it may lead to the loss of some cultures or languages.

9)  Policies

• Policies are basically laws which promote appropriate and discourage inappropriate uses of IT systems. Policies can be developed by companies, governments, individuals and so on. 

10)  Standards and protocols 

• Standards and protocols are simply technical rules that IT systems must follow to allow compatibility between different IT systems.

11)  People and machines

• It systems have many pros, many of those being: available easily, easy access (for most people), allow complex errands to be completed without risking human life. However, the ultimate evolution of technology may have negative impacts. One such impact is the addiction to computer systems. Since more and more IT systems are being introduced daily, humans adapt and become lazy, allowing IT to take control of their lives. However, when they try to complete a task without the use of IT they find it impossible. A good example of this is the implementation of iPads in schools. Although it is easy to use, in a few years children will forget to write and hence they will forger to write, and what happens when their device is damaged and cannot be used? 

12)  Digital citizenship 

• A digital citizen should use IT systems ethically, legally and with a responsibility of their actions.

A few questions to answer...

Questions:

1) What is the difference between ITGS and IT?

2) What is global society?

3) ICT gave rise to extreme views. Some communities stress that ICT is bringing the world together in a common platform. Others say that ICT is making life isolated. Where do you want to place your views? 

4) When we talk about IT automation of a manual process, then does it give rise to unemployment?

5) What is cybermobbing?

6) Who are digital citizens?

Answers:

1) First of all, IT stands for Information Technology. On the other hand, ITGS stands for Information Technology in a Global Society. Now what does this mean? IT is the study of technologies that aid humans to complete their everyday jobs. ITGS is very similar to IT in the sense that it is also the study of technologies, however the difference is that ITGS teaches us the pros and cons of every technology. It allows humans to integrate technology in their lives by considering how it affects the people using it (stakeholders) and how ethical the use of the technology really is (ethics).

2) A global society is a society which is an amalgamation of a multifarious array of cultures which are familiar to one another due to IT. So our society today is a global society since most of our citizens are aware of the cultures of other countries and of what's currently happening in those countries due to the media.

3) I personally think that the truth is a mixture of both opinions. I think that the truth of these opinions depends on the individuals who use the communication technologies. For example: you could argue that the use of chatting software such as, but not limited to, FaceBook and WhatsApp can lead to the deterioration of social skills, since the use of such software decreases the need to actually speak to people; hence it could lead to a person becoming socially awkward. However, if a person is not able to use chatting software to speak to people then he/she will keep their speaking and social skills intact since they would call the person whom they need to speak with. Nevertheless, ICT can be beneficial. An example of this is migration; the exponential increase of migration over the past decades has led to the separation of good friends, but with the help of ICT those good friends can still contact each other. In conclusion, ICT, like other types of IT, can be both beneficial and detrimental to the world.

4) I believe that IT automation replacing manual jobs does give rise to unemployment. However, before debunking IT automation, I would like to speak on some of its benefits. One major benefit of IT automation is that it allows technology to be developed even more. The IT used in many companies or factories may have many faults, the use of these technologies leads to faults being located, which then leads to the evolution of the technology, into something better that makes work much easier. Unfortunately this evolution-although it is beneficial-has deleterious effects on workers that are being replaced by IT. As the technology evolves, different types of technologies can be created which leads to more jobs being replaced by IT; hence less jobs will be available. To prove how IT can replace human jobs I have two examples. One of them is the invention of driverless cars. Although this type of technology is being tested for worldwide use, imagine the effect it can have on taxi drivers. Most taxi drivers come from LEDC countries with little education; thus they learn driving to get jobs. Recently I was reading about modern technologies and I have seen a 3D printer that can actually print food. Imagine yourself a few years in the future, when these printers are so developed that they produce food which tastes better than food made by humans. What will employees from LEDCs with no education work at restaurants and fast food chains?

5) Cyber-mobbing is the malicious use of the internet to threaten, harass, embarrass, or cause harm in any way to a person.

6) I think that a digital citizen is a person who understands how to use the internet for a multiplicity of diverse purposes. A digital citizen would know how to use IT more than the average citizen as it is a crucial part of their life. They would use it to socialise, read news, watch TV and to complete their everyday errands.

After answering these questions I honestly felt like this

The Journey of an ITGS student

The journey of an ITGS student

Hello guys my name is Yousef Nami and I am a student studying in the UAE. I am currently taking the IB Diploma course and I have chosen ITGS as one of my SL subjects. I have chosen this subject because I am interested in technology and the way in which it affects our lives, however, I must admit that I'm not very good at it. I expect ITGS to teach me how to implement different technologies in different scenarios, so that I can apply all the knowledge I learn from my course in the future.

This course is something new to me. Although I have completed a computer science IGCSE course in the past, I don't really feel very prepared for this subject due to my lack of computer skills. Nonetheless, I have several computer skills in my possession, for example: I know how to make simple Python codes. I aim to learn other more complex computer languages in the future.

I hope you enjoy this little trailer of "The journey of an ITGS student".




Mr. Masters is the true hero.