How do I get rid of my blog?

So, my 15 hours of IT class are complete. 1 credit done, (assuming I passed) only 40+ to go. What was IT class all about, and why should an MPA student be forced to take such a class? I thought the same thing, and I may not have the entire answer, I do have an opinion. I can not say that I thought the course was terrible, as some classes were very interesting and I actually enjoyed my time. Learning about the technical IT terms was tedious, but Professor Sine did attempt to make the subject less dull then I would have expected. Honestly, I still do not understand technology, but I did not put in the effort to do so. If I had the desire, or maybe even the time, I could have walked away from this class having learned a great deal about the politics and logistics of the Internet and computers.

I did appreciate the short packets (IT term, used in the wrong context) of information that students were required to present. It was useful and I appreciated learning from my peers in plain English rather than tech talk. The third class was my favorite, as we discussed the social uses of technology.

Blogging may not be my favorite hobby, but it proved to be an interesting assignment. I appreciated being required to blog about any subject I desired, rather than being forced to write a paper. I do not see myself as a blogger and I will not continue to blog in formats such as Blogger. I am on Facebook, (I do not have a child in that picture) and I will continue to use this social utility. I found it interesting to read my classmate's blogs, and it gave me some insight to their lives and personal perspectives. Eventually I found blogging to be a chore, but just like everything on my to-do list, it got done. It did force me to think of technology in a new light, as I had not noticed all of the little forms of technology that society takes for granted. I found myself searching for something to blog about, so I was force to re-examine the world in front of me.

The projects proved to be interesting and I actually enjoyed hearing about other suggestions for the implementation of new technology. Let's hope they are implemented in the near future!

Why is an MPA student required to take an IT class? Because one day they will be running their own organization, and they will need to know the risks, benefits and opportunities available through technology. I certainly learned about the advantages, specifically those of a wiki and I am glad that I have this knowledge.

So, I think this is it. My final blog! I hope you enjoyed reading this ever-so-interesting blog! Have a great semester!

Weather

So, as many of you know, the weather has been very strange lately. One day it is 80 degrees, the next it is 64 (it feels like a big difference). I will remind you it is October. As I sit here and write (or is it typing a blog rather than writing a blog) it has rained for almost three straight hours. I just wonder, why technology has not caught up with the weather. Weather stations advertise, "new Doppler radar" but their predictions do not seem to improve. Yes, we do know the days that there is a possibility of rain, but it seems to me, that the rate of improvements for weather-based technology is not equal to that of general technological improvements. Maybe one day I will receive a text message stating that it will be raining in the exact location I am standing in 5 minutes. Does global warming throw off the weather so much that it is almost completely unpredictable?

They say when you have nothing else to talk about, you discuss the weather.

Dear World

Dear World-

I have not forgotten about you. I know you enjoy reading every one of my very interesting blogs, and I may be letting you down. The truth is, I have not had anything very exciting to blog about lately. I am aware that technology impacts every movement of my life, but nothing out of the ordinary has struck me lately.

I will keep you posted!

-Desi

P.S. The baby is doing just fine.

Where have the people gone?

After reading some of my classmate's blogs about the various benefits of technology, I can't help but think of an aspect of technology that encompasses all the negatives... where have the people gone? I too appreciate not standing in line at the airport, or listening to a podcast on my own time, but what happened to the natural concept of human interaction.

I can not remember the last time I actually checked in at the airport, other than giving them my luggage. Something as simple as checking-in online saves significant time, but it most likely caused someone to lose their job. This employee did not lose their job because they were incompetent, but simply because the machine could do it quicker. I was in the super-market recently and I could not decide which check-out line would be quicker, the self-checkout, or the 15 items or less. A gentleman who was watching me make my decision said, choose the 15 items or less, it keeps people employed. I had never really thought about it. Basically, I use the cashier line if I forget my "bonus card" and the check-out line if I think I will get away with calling apples the cheaper kind.

What will happen to uneducated individuals if we keep creating technology that takes their jobs? Obviously, the government cannot afford to pay for long-term unemployment. How will the children of these workers be fed?

As for technology as simple as the podcast, I wonder what happened to human interaction. When my parents were young and the President came on television, the entire family watched the one TV together. There was only one viewing time, and one TV, so the family bonded over important events. Now, even if my family were to all enjoy a particular show, we could always avoid watching it together and simply watch it over the Internet later. There is no bonding when you watch ABC.com by yourself.

Yes, I understand the benefits of technology, but I am too much of a humanitarian to forget about the underlying consequences.