Skype and Clinical therapy (telemedicine)

For my TINST 207 Presentation I chose Skyping and clinical therapy. Can Skyping and clinical therapy be done and should Skyping and clinical therapy be done.  In my presentation I discussed the possibilities of hackers and government snoopers being able to decrypt  any binary code over time, how over time anything can be decrypted. I discussed how during world war II Marine Navajo code talkers were never broken by Japanese intelligence had this occurred today computer technology would certainly have been able to break the Wind talker's code.

Dot.com to Dot.bomb

It's strange to think that you can be someplace with so much going on around you and not have a clue.
I was just in an entirely different world. While all of the computer world, internet, bust and boom were happening, I was in the beauty industry, and motherhood industry. Those two worlds did not require the aid of technology. When I did need a computer, not knowing RAM from CPU, I would just keep asking others until someone said they knew. There is a game we played as children called "Blind man's Bluff" where one wears a blindfold and feels around in the dark until they feel something familiar to help them along. It's similar to that game to behave that way. It's much easier and less expensive in the long run to just learn for yourself. Not to mention the great feeling of knowledge and independence. I am very happy to have attended this course.
Thank you Professor Fry for allowing me to overload your class.

Start up.com

Start up .com is a film that professor Andrew Fry shared with the TINTS 207 class last week. This film is a very interesting documentary that reveals the birth, victory, and failure of the .com company called Govworks.com. The co-CEO's Kaleil Isaza Tuzman (self proclaimed alpha dog) raises money. While Tom Herman, Kaleil's best friend since the age of fifteen works as the technical chief, team up with Cheih Cheung in 1999. The three developed Govworks.com together from an idea they had come up with in high school. The film shows the evolution of the company by following the team day in and day out. The happenings and inner workings of their business, personal lives, and relationships. The trials, tribulations and how they raised millions of dollars on a "virtual" product.
The company was based and developed on an idea. The product did not come about until much later when they hired a small staff for development. The actual product turns out to be an online collection interface for municipal governments.
Trouble seemed to begin when Cheih was asked to buy out his share and was offered much less than his share was actually worth. Things seemed to spiral downward from there. In one year's time the gentlemen develop a successful .com company, make millions of dollars and lose everything. Somehow it seems that even after Kaleil fired Tom from the company, they remained friends at the end of the film.

Community

Can social networks be a community?

The official definition of community according to Webster is: a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood).

I suppose, in a technologically contained world, a social network can be part of a community; if the people in my social network live near me. That seems to defeat the purpose though. I think that most people join a social network to keep in touch with others that live afar. I know a close friend of mine opened her social network account because her family lives in Nepal and she lives here in the northwest. Social networking helps to keep them in touch, sharing photos and current events. My family and I keep in constant contact, without modern technology we would not be able to text, talk and share photos all day long. My brother lives in California, my sister in Hawaii ,while I live in the northwest. I can also be sure my daughter is where she is supposed to be with GPS (Global Positioning System used by sky satellites and cellphone tower relay stations), provided she has her phone and in almost all cases the phone needs to be on.

Now that I have shared the positive points of technology and being able to keep up with my community.

My experience, with regards to maintaining relationships, will only work if they have previously been established. To me, there is something missing in obtaining relationship through technology. I suppose I am old fashioned, but I like to be able to touch, feel, smell, and have eye contact with the people I am communicating with. How can I get to know my community without these things? A hand shake, a conversation with eye contact. I do realize this does work for some, their entire community is built on social network or technology. It seems to me that close, honest relationships need to have human contact.

(NOT) Creating a simple webpage with HTML

My experience in attempting to create a webpage has been terribly frustrating. I have spent over 45 minutes just trying to go in to Netscape. I cannot risk downloading more information on to my computer that I am unfamiliar with. If this is what is required, then I will need further instruction to ensure the safety of my computer. I found many other sites that offered instruction on how to create a webpage, but could not be sure of their trustworthiness.
I would certainly like to be able to build a webpage, I find it to be a useful tool that I would like to be able to utilize in the future. As for today, I will require further instruction.

Things you may NOT want to buy online

Some things it seems are fine to purchase online. I just bought a few books for my daughter online, (arrived today in fact). I purchased a T shirt for my brother. Things that we can be confident about the quality, or we can feel comfortable about the exchange or refund policy, then our money or purchased product is fairly safe.

Now I will say that I do not think it was a safe decision on the part of my good friend N***** D******. I really feel I should keep her name private but I promise you this is a true story.  One night as her husband slept soundly. N***** strolled through EBay and found a car. (In Texas). She purchased the car and paid to have the car shipped from Texas to Olympia sight unseen. Of course the car was not exactly what she had hoped for not to mention the shipping expense. A lesson I believe very well learned.

I think I will stick with purchasing music, books, well known cosmetics and clothes that are true to size from reputable companies. Never a car.

Derek Young's visit to T INST 207

As Derek Young visited class T INST 207 on Wednesday, I found his perspective and internet use intriguing. For once it was not frightening at all. As it turns out, Derek uses the internet for exactly what I thought it should be used for. Networking, business, independent contracting. In many instances an individual might work at one career, on many different jobs doing what they love for many different people. An individual might choose to work from home, or if they like, choose to travel the world.
Derek opened my eyes at the tremendous opportunities out there for someone talented enough to be in the field of technology.
My previous posts expressed my increasing fear, the lack of anonymity, and the continuous exposure as technology progresses. However, Derek's lecture was very matter of fact and provoked no fear in me at all, but intrigue, the positive side of the internet I suppose.
Perhaps there is hope for me after all in this world of technology.

Scavenger Hunt

 Andrew Fry's Tinst 207 class Living and Working in the Virtual world, Wednesday we were assigned a Scavenger Hunt.
I was grouped with Carl, Amber and Colin, with a list of nineteen items to find throughout the internet.
It is amazing and exciting to think of all that can be done and found on the internet, right at your fingertips, all over the world without leaving your seat. To me, all that can be done on the internet is amazing. Truly. My sister can move the security cameras that are mounted on her home with one finger on her cell phone screen from Scotland in order to look around her house to make sure that all in well in Hawaii.
However, fear has raised it's ugly head once again. Number nineteen of the scavenger hunt was the question " What is my middle sister's married name?" All the class had to go on in order to find this name was the name of our professor Andrew Fry. Within the hour 1 group in the class had managed to find it. The professor's middle sister's first and married name. She may have no knowledge that we are able to find her current name.
This is phenomenal. But once again the breech of security or intrusiveness of finding an individual that may not want to be found. What about the loss of anonymity. Or is there such a thing any longer? I began this class hoping to ease my fears about the internet, when in fact that may not be possible.
Perhaps I need to just accept the ugly truth It's already out there. And that our anonymity is already gone.

Epic

Customer Service, or Controlling?


After viewing the film EPIC, I was further scared out of my wits. The time where companies such as Amazon, become so knowledgeable about my life that they can suggest items for me that I might purchase based on past purchases has come. If a company such as Amazon were to merge with another giant, for instance Google, whom I utilize on a daily basis, imagine the customer service I would see then. Products coming at me based on what I Google, which at first glance seems convenient.
However, if these companies were to merged and use this to my disadvantage, well that would be frightening in my opinion.
To gain knowledge about me based on my every keystroke, sites that I visit, things that I inquire about.
And what about providing me with a "customer service" card number? Would that customer service card number be necessary for each and every purchase? Would I be able to purchase without the number? What other stores are linked in to this for my furthered "convenience" ? Grocery? Gas?  And would I not be allowed food or gas if I did not have my number? Who holds these numbers with my personal information? Where is it?
I find this all very frightening, and controlling. To me it almost sounds like cyber stalking under the guise of "customer service". Call me paranoid, but where does the intrusion end? It's all very fun and exciting, flattering even. Until someone gets hurt. Watch the film and decide for yourself.

Eric Hanberg

Eric Hanberg, the author of The Lead Cloak and many other books he has shared with us, is a very interesting gentleman. He certainly made me aware of the many possibilities of the internet. Maybe frightened me even further. Although, I suppose having an account breached or an identity stolen could happen on the internet or with a folder full of hard copies lost, as I have done, providing my bank account info with my mother's maiden name, social security number, driver's license etc.

You can swat someone just the same through the internet as calling the police on a physical neighbor.

I just don't know if I am ready to be so exposed to the extent that Eric is. Once you are out there, you are "out there". He seems to be able to be out there and utilize the internet to his ultimate benefit. Where I have just dipped my toe in and am not quite ready to jump in. I feel this girl may need a bit more convincing or perhaps will need a violent shove to get her there.

The Machine is Us us/ing Us

My thoughts on the film "The Machine is Us us/ing Us" are that the film gives us much to consider. The film is incredibly thought provoking. With technology changing so quickly, I wonder, where is this information going? Who is governing this information, and how do you retract that information if we so choose.
With these things considered, we still continue to use the internet. Even with the rapid unregulated progression of the internet, we can not live without it. I think you either get on board or be left behind. It is a frightening thought to be forced to utilize something with the fear of the unknown.

Living and Working in the Virtual World?

"What do you want from this class?" Was the question asked to me from  Andrew Fry the professor of my new LIVE/WORK in the VIRTUAL WORLD class.


The answer to the question is: I would like to have more knowledge around the internet and all things virtual. To not have a fear, but to embrace it.
My 83 year old mother has no fear, she pays her bills online and texts with no problem. Me, I still write checks by hand and use snail mail.


My career goal is clinical therapy. I believe that by the time I am in practice, people will become more comfortable about seeing their therapists via Skype. I need to be able to feel secure encouraging clients  that there is confidentiality in this before I can proceed. I am sure that by the end of this course I will have the knowledge to make an informed decision.