Blogging

Why am I blogging? Honestly, I Googled ‘why do people blog’ to figure out this question. I also Googled ‘why blogging is bad.’ In both situations, I discovered that blogging is not bad. According to websites such as The Huffington Post, Whose News, Becoming Minimalist, and Goins, Writer, I found that blogs present more benefits than drawbacks. Even when they were intending to degrade blogs and the purpose of them, there were hints of appraisal toward them, too. For example, Jeff of Goins, Writer posts in “Why You Need to Stop Blogging & Regain Your Writing Soul” about the negativity of blogging, yet the first few sentences start, “Blogging can be a great practice for writers. It forces you to write regularly and helps you discipline yourself in your craft. I’m a fan of it. Really.” The author then goes on to describe that the overall concept is not beneficial because a writer can instantly post, which can be harmful if the writer is under emotional stress. I do agree with the author that posting impulse writings can threaten one’s image, but overall, blogging should still be done. Not only does blogging improve one’s writing skills, but also allows one to develop better skills such as thought-process and to be opinionated towards various topics.

Since I began blogging a few weeks ago, I have noticed these attributes develop within myself. I have gotten better at telling stories and conveying my messages to others, both verbally and written. I have developed an image for myself on the Internet, and have demonstrated my intellect through my blog posts.

Becker, J. (n.d.). 15 Reasons I Think You Should Blog. Becoming Minimalist. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.becomingminimalist.com/15-reasons-i-think-you-should-blog/

Goins, J. (n.d.). Why You Need to Stop Blogging & Regain Your Writing Soul.Goins Writer RSS. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://goinswriter.com/stop-blogging/

Suyeoka, B. (2013, September 25). 6 Things That Blogging Can Do For You. The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandon-suyeoka/6-things-that-blogging-ca_b_3973092.html 

Why is blogging bad for journalism?. (2010, January 16). Whose News. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://rzawodni.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/why-is-blogging-bad-for-journalism/

My QR Code

Above is my QR code! I made it using Adobe InDesign for the Creative Cloud. The benefit of having a QR code is the simplicity. A single code can hold a handful of information such as name, email, address, telephone number, and website. In a business and networking aspect, the creation of QR codes is glorious. Individuals no longer need to go through the hassle of exchanging material before technological times. Since many people today have smartphones, they can download a QR code scanner app, which can be used to scan codes like the one above. For example, let's say there are two individuals who would like to exchange information. Traditionally, they would have to ask for each others' email addresses and phone numbers. Because a QR code can store data, having such would make information transferring much simpler. They would only need to scan each others' codes and the phone would do the rest. On iPhones, all the information gets filled out in either a new or existing contact. After that, all that needs to be done is press the 'save' button. No matter how many details their codes contain, the act of scanning a code is much faster than typing out information. I highly suggest everyone creates a QR code, and everyone with a smartphone downloads a QR code scanning application.

Burg, N. (2013, April 12). QR Codes: 5 Surprising Uses That Benefit Customers.Forbes. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/capitalonespark/2013/04/12/qr-codes-5-surprising-uses-that-benefit-customers/

Cyber Security

Cyber security is the biggest threat in accessing the internet. According to University of Maryland University College, cyber security is a form of information technology that focuses on protecting a user’s computer, its data, network, and applications (Cyber Security Primer, n.d.). Cyber security is important because valuable information is constantly handled on computers. Prized information may include social security numbers, credit card numbers, or messages. Whether the information is for an average person doing daily tasks, or the government handling a top secret case, cyber security is a huge concern. Some other threats in cyber security include viruses that may ruin so much information on your computer that it becomes unusable. The best way to avoid a cyber security hack is to be cautious of your actions on the computer. Avoid clicking on ads, visiting skeptical websites, and refrain from downloading content from non-reliable websites. Also, install softwares that work to prevent viruses and hacks from happening.

A breach in cyber security is a probably one of the biggest hassles. Although it depends on the severity of the hack, sometimes you may need to purchase an entire computer in order to recover yourself. Other times, there are methods of cleaning your computer. In all cases, once your information is out in the web, there is no way of gathering it all for your references only. It’s important to remember that computers are great, but also vulnerable to security breaks.

Source: Cyber Security Primer. (n.d.). What is Cyber Security?. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.umuc.edu/cybersecurity/about/cybersecurity-basics.cfm

Picture Source: Eggers, M. (n.d.). Senators Offer Positive Framework for Cybersecurity. Free Enterprise. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.freeenterprise.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/00_TECH_shutterstock_83294065_CyberSecurity_800px.jpg?itok=DnMDZo-d

Open or Closed Source

Open source -- something publicly accessible and also openly modifiable. In the world of software development, open source can be a great thing. Content managers such as Drupal and OpenCms, and IDEs such as Eclipse and CodeLite, are among the endless amount of open source softwares available to us at the wonderful price of ‘free.’ So really, what difference does it make to users if they are not going to manipulate the software themselves? Well, there are benefits and drawbacks to both open source and closed source software. A couple turning points are:

Eclipse and NetBeans (open sources)

Technical Support- There is a huge difference in this aspect. With open source softwares, there really is not a straight-forward or direct source for all your technical problems with the software. Since it is created by the public and each person does a little bit of their part to the community, it is difficult to hunt down the answer you’re looking for. With closed source softwares, these are made by companies, which have people to help you out or provide solutions for any possible troubles.

Creators- Open source is done by the community. This means the software may be tailored toward the individual more than if it were done by a company's desires. Open source is good in this sense because changes can be done faster, provided that a person of skill and knowledge is ready to fix issues. Whereas with closed source, changes may take months or years to happen because of the huge business process.

In the end, it is up to you to decide which one is better. Closed source software is my preference, mainly because of the ease I find in using it. The technical support and who created the software does play a role in my decision, but the design and user-friendliness also is a huge turning point. I like being able to find answers to my roadblocks quickly with direct answers. As to who creates my software, I'm not necessarily picky about, but to some, it may be a consideration. I find that user-friendliness and design play a role in my decision because it ultimately determines how my flow of coding will go. If it is difficult to access tools in the software, it will ruin my train of thought and only hold me back.

Source: OpenLogic. (2013, October 31). Seven reasons why closed source is better than open source, or so it seems.opensource.com. Retrieved March 1, 2014, from http://opensource.com/business/13/10/seven-reasons-closed-better-than-open-source