Book Post

The consequences of our actions will always have an effect on the people around us. It is important to always keep this in mind as we take decisions in life so that our lives a positive effect. Having this effect on someone could potentially save their life depending on the situation. On the other hand making wrong choices could potentially harm people we never intended to wrong. It is not always easy to see which decision will have these effects because life is not always black and white but is generally a shade of gray instead. In these cases it is better to seek guidance and turn towards the scriptures. One of my favorite bible verses on making choices comes from Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.

Baidu the new Google?

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/13/technology/thebuzz/index.htm

Software companies have to always be able to adapt to their market and change when the client expects it. The reason why Baidu is increasingly growing and projecting larger values than Google is because they have adapted to the requests by the Chinese government. Google is by far a better search engine and the company should be looking for ways to adapt its product and launch it in China’s rising economy. Sometimes its a necessity to change a companies policies in order to survive and expand.

Importance of Testing Software

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/06/tech/social-media/deleted-facebook-photos-online/index.html

As future and current developers of the software industry we must always be aware of the kinds of problems that our software can cause when we overlook certain details. Facebook in this article for example could face serious lawsuits if pictures which were deleted for privacy issues can still be accessed by the public. Not to mention the amount of money which will be spent finding and removing all of these pictures from each individual server. There are cases when releasing software before it has been thoroughly tested is a good idea but in any project should be tested before it is released.

The Other Side Of Programs.

As new and exciting computer games storm the market and demands for them grow, so do many problems that rise from them. Should we as computer programers be concerned with theses issues? There are people out there for example who will become addicted to games we may one day develop. Depending on what type of game this is, it could have a negative effect on this persons' health both physically and psychologically. How can we limit this damage or can it be avoided at all? What can we do to develop programs that will have positive effects on society? These are questions that developers should be asking themselves but are often overlooked.

http://news.yahoo.com/study-us-rapidly-becoming-nation-gamers-051408311.html

Government Abuse?

Reading over the article on the recent criminal charges raised against Kim DotCom I came to the realization that the U.S government needs to strengthen laws to protect individuals identity in the internet. Most of the investigations that took place against the owner of Mega upload were made by spy ware software introduced by the government itself. Software that could even turn on microphones and web cams connected to a computer at will. Where is the boundary drawn? At what point does an investigation become an assault on peoples lives? The U.S government should carefully revise laws which deal with these issues.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57368523-261/feds-we-obtained-megaupload-conversations-with-search-warrant/?tag=mncol;mostRead