Module 13: Wrap up

     I really enjoyed this class on The Wired Society. I feel like I learned a lot about things that I knew were going on in the world, just never had a clear understanding of it. The book was very informative, and is something that I hopefully would've read at some point in my life. It was an easy read that was full of lots of great experiences and interviews from Friedman. I liked that many of the experiences were from International travels that he had. The people that he met with were perfect for the book, that continued to prove his point that the world is in fact flat.
     The weekly reading assignment were easy enough to accomplish. I wasn't a fan of the two articles that were tasked to read, but neither were really in my area of expertise, or interest. Many other classmates seemed to really enjoy them, so I'm sure it's not something that would be a problem with the majority. I do wish that we could've gotten a little more feedback on the papers, rather than just a score, if that's possible. It was fun to be able to read what others were saying about the same stuff that you were discussing. I had some good comments on my blog, and tried to get involved in the discussions on other blogs. The interactive side of the class was very enjoyable this way.
     The big thing that interested me in the book was about all of the outsourcing information. I've had some firsthand experiences with outsourcing web development work to international organizations. I can't say that my experience was very good, but the idea that they are people out there that can help lighten your load is great. I've heard many successful experiences out there that prove that it is a great way to save some money while providing the same level of service. I'm excited to see the outsourcing continue, but hope that America can still keep many services in the states.
     By far my favorite assignment was the task to watch a technology related film and write a review about it. I picked WarGames, and was glued from start to finish. I loved the story, and the non-stop thrill! I'm not sure I would've ever seen this video either, had I not taken this class...so that I'm grateful for. The technology used in those days was very basic, yet still powerful. The film proves the idea of computers running our country as a risky idea. Computers have come a long ways since then, and continue to show potential as a great tool for our future.
   All in all it was a great class for me this semester. I had a lot of extra time to read the material, and was even able to dive deeper with the audio version of it while commuting. I often times was left in a deep thought as I would come home and talk my wife's ear off about each chapter. The chapter about Walmart and supply chaining definitely left me in some deep thought for several weeks. It was interesting to learn more about things that I never would've learned about had I not taken this class. I will definitely be recommending this class to other classmates. Everyone needs to know that "The World is Flat!"

Module 12: The Future

     I wasn't a huge fan of this week's writing assignment, but gave it my best. I had a hard time finally getting through the whole thing given that a lot of it seemed way over my head. A big part of it may've been that I didn't really understand, or follow, a lot of what Bill Joy was talking about the first time around. Aside from that after finally finishing up I have to say that the future has always worried me, but it worries me even more now. Humans obviously play a big part of our future, but there are many discoveries that are making it even less so.
     The basis of this article is about GNR technologies. GNR stands for genetics, nanotechnology and robotics. Each area has an obvious place in our future. Also, each can be used to do great things or very destructive things. Let's start with genetics. Genetic engineering has been around for thousands of years, but just since the 1970s has been practiced on humans. This is the modifications of genes in our bodies to reengineer us. A lot of the discussion in Joy's article refers to the modification of food or plants, which make many people nervous. Any time that you are modifying so important to our existence scares me to death. The discovery of cloning also seems like it could come back to bite us in one way or another if it gets into the wrong hands.
     Nanotechnology was a new one that I've never heard about. Since reading this article I have enjoyed reading about the advantages that there could be if this technology can be polished and perfected. The health side of having a nano-sized robot performing surgical work on us leaves some hope for us. The big concern would be that if there's a "bug" in the system it could take the life of the person. I get that doctors also have that same power, but with software these days the bugs could become widespread. The spreading a doctors messing up surgeries would be much less likely, in my opinion. The possibilities for nanotechnology are endless, and they could most definitely be the answer for the removal of cancer without radiation therapy.
     Robotics are things that we see in our everyday lives today. Maybe not out in the open, but robotic machines continue to make our lives easier. Just recently I read about a warehouse that used floor-level robots to move boxes from one end of the warehouse to another. The commands were coming from their shipping system, and all orders were sent with all of the robots in mind. This process replaced several employees, and prevented a lot of injuries from occurring. Robots will continue to replace us as the decision technology becomes smarter. Currently robots can make decisions, but our brains are much more powerful at adapting in tough situations.
     As I look at these GNR technologies it really is our future. Each one has had it's time to develop and grow into a great tool for the future of our civilization. While they are all exciting, there is definitely something to be said for keeping any research in the right hands. All of these technologies could be a weapon of mass destruction if it got into the wrong hands. With the use of the Internet the information is out there, and will continue to be that way.
     I do see how these technologies will impact our future. For good or bad we will see these technologies grow and develop. They will affect our everyday lives, and hopefully will allow us to be more productive rather than making us lazy, or destroying us. With robotics I can see how it could replace manual labor jobs that could be beneficial to some dealing with weight problems. I don't think we will see a direct impact like that quickly, but most definitely overtime. My hope is that as these technologies develop we, as humans, find our way to keep perfecting them and making them that much better.

Module 11: Wargames Review

     Wargames, an old 1983 film about a young computer hacker/genius of the old generation that almost launches a full-scale nuclear attack on America. Let me just say that I really loved this film, even with it being so old. I normally don't like old movies, but this was some great stuff.
     The movie starts out with a killer opening scene in a missile silo for the Air Force. The two men are given instructions to launch a nuclear missile and they don't go through with it. This begins the investigation by the military on replacing the humans with a computer. This computer is supposed to eliminate the human intervention on tasks like this that could be difficult for a human to make. The computer that is positioned to perform these tasks is the WOPR (War Operation Plan Response).
     The way the WOPR gets introduced is as a "game" system that is programmed to use real evidence to plan different scenarios of war. When they originally show the machine they say that it has already played through the scenario of World War III. This machines gets placed into the military defense system with expectations that it will speed up the process  of launch different defense mechanisms for the military.
     After this system gets installed this young boy hacks into it while searching for a gaming server. It appears that it is accessed via old modem/phone frequencies that I am not familiar with (would love to learn more about it). He connects and, once he cracks the password, begins to play what he thinks is a game. The computers asks what game he wants to play and he chooses the worldwide biochemical war game. He initiates an attack from the Soviet Union on several cities in the United States still thinking that it was just a simulator.
     When he initiates this simulation the military gets warnings of the attack and all hell breaks loose! They eventually track him down and try to figure out how he got in. Using his experience with computers and signals he is able to break out of the room that they secure him in so that he can find a way to turn the game off.
     First off, the way that he is connecting to the servers in the beginning of the movie is very real. I have never actually seen it done myself, but I know that what he is doing is possible. I read the Steve Jobs Biography a while back and it talks a lot about what Steve and his early colleague would do with telephones. They can be hacked, and you can make free calls and do things like what the young kid is doing to connect. If you ask me, it's genius, especially for an older movie.
     As far as ridiculous parts, there is a part in the middle of the movie where it shows someone at the military base using a touch sensitive screen. It's unclear as to what they are doing but it appears that they are marking some sort of location of submarines. The computer has no visual indication of the touch, just an audio indication. It obvious that this technology is possible given what we have today with touchscreen tablets and phones, but back in '83, I don't think so!
     The only social or cultural issues that I think this film might have caused would be related to the trust of computers as replacements. Clearly it's been a questionable change for some time, and will always be one. Can we trust computers? Are they reliable enough to replace us? All great questions that many have asked and will continue to ask. This movie definitely will question our trust! Great flick!

Module 9: Dell Laptop, al-Qaeda and The Curse of Oil

     This part of the book really threw around some numbers that I was unaware of regarding Dell's laptop sales of 150,000 per day. How is that kind of a production even possible? Supply chaining. As I read the process of Dell's supply chain I was really blown away by the process that takes place when someone simply places an order on their website. Dell shops around enough to find the best deals for good quality parts and integrates them into their supply chain. The simple "assembly line" concept is one that I've always understood, but the supply chaining has never been one I've thought about.
     With dell laptops (and computers, in general) being so complex with 30 different customizable parts to each one -- it is impressive that Dell has it so mastered. It's seems like the exact definition of a "well-oiled machine!" If I can go onto one website and build a computer with my custom specifications and have it in-hand within a week, that is impressive. Last week I was able to order a Dell Laptop for work and the experience was very simple. As I was filling it out I thought of what I read in this book remembering all of the different parties involved to make my order happen. I haven't received the order yet, but fully plan on being blown away by what it took for them to acquire and build the laptop that I ordered.
     While Dell uses a supply chain to effectively build computers, al-Qaeda uses a supply chain to product individuals of mass destruction. The program is called the Virtual Caliphate. In essence, they use this system to produce the suicide bombers for al-Qaeda to take care of specific missions where an individual of that caliber is required. This supply chain system allows them to quickly find replacements when one goes dark, or as one "graduates" from the program. This system is clearly not as fine-tuned as Dell's laptop supply chain, but it is the same concept.
     The demand for oil continues. The supply is there, and if the cost increases we have to cover it and increase the individual cost that we pay. What about the countries that are pulling in all of the money, what is there situation like? Imagine this, you hold the key to oil for anyone in the world to purchase. The demand continues to increase due to the continued popularity of the gas-powered engine. With enough money in this country, why do you (as a country) need to grow? The money is there, and it's going to continue to come through as long as the oil keeps flowing. This is what they call the "curse of oil." It is a curse because the cultural society shuts down, and has no intention of improving as long as money keeps flowing in.
     With oil it is going to be interesting to see how it evolves. The electric car is definitely changing vehicle travel as we know it. Sales are increasing, and awareness is also. As people get more aware of this new alternative to oil they will realize that it's not an absolute necessity even more. I wonder how this curse will change when that happens, because it will most likely effect the countries with the most oiled. Maybe in the long run, it will help this "curse" sink!

Module 8: Computers in my education

Write a two page personal essay on how computers have been used in your education in some personally relevant way.

     Being a Computer Science major this is a very easy question to answer. I have been in school for long enough to know that without computers in my education things would be very unorganized for me. I use my computer, phone or tablet to record and access everything. With these devices I can keep track of important dates, perform research and collaborate with my professors and other students.
     I've always thought of myself as an organized person throughout my education. I've always tried to make a conscious effort to keep a calendar and an assignment tracker for each of my classes. Some semesters are better than others, and I always seem to have better grades when I keep them up to date. Google Calendar is the ultimate tool for keeping track of important dates. I've also started to track due assignments in my calendar events as well. That way, during class, I can pull up next weeks class on my calendar and in the description write down what is due. This makes it so much easier to remember what is due on that date.
     Assignment trackers are also helpful because you can track more specific information about your assignments, and attach them to a class. One that I like to use for iOS is called iStudiez Pro. It allows me to track my school schedule along with assignment and exam due dates. It is customizable and even has alerts. Since it's on my phone and tablet I am sure to not forget about assignments and their due dates. With my calendar and assignments things are much more organized and I can get an idea of how to plan my study schedule effectively.
     Research is another thing that I do a lot on my computer for school. Even with my Calculus class! I find myself searching YouTube for videos to remind me how to solve equations. Videos have transformed how we use the Internet, especially in education. A video can help you learn so much quicker than, say, reading an  explanation of something. Wikipedia continues to grow by the second and contain the largest amount of information in one place. As students we have to be weary of it's content due to the "open-edit" model that it uses. Without the help of Google and all of the great resources out there we would still be in encyclopedia's searching for out-of-date information. That's a lot to think about.
     Without my computer I'm not sure how I would create my papers that I have to turn in for my English class. With keyboard input we have all become dependent on it and hardly write anymore. Now we have tablets with smaller keyboards, or on-screen ones, that allow us to take notes in crowded meetings without having to worry about a pen or pencil. I know that education would be different without the ability to type out papers, but the thought of having to write everything by hand is a little much to take in.
     Collaboration over the Internet has also played a big role in my education that, without computers, would be impossible. With email and things like Google Docs collaboration on group projects would be ever-so difficult to accomplish. E-mails to teachers can be sent and received much quicker than a letter or even a phone call. The convenience of it is impossible to compare. Without it all communication would need to be done using other means that would make all things more difficult and frustrating.
     As I sat and wrote this I can't help but wonder how it was possible to get an education without computers. Education has evolved with computers, and will continue to do so. Sometimes I wish it would evolve quicker, but each move takes time. Over time our dependence on computers will increase, until a lot of education will be online. Certain subjects may move a little slower, but I do think that eventually a lot of it will be done via webcams and mobile devices. I think it's clear that I couldn't do a whole lot in my education without it. The impact it has made will stick with me in the future as I continue to develop my career in the computer science field.

Module 7: Comparative Advantage, Self-directed consumers and Americanization

     It's obvious that geographically we live differently in the U.S. than outside countries. Our terrain is different, for example, but many other things economically are different as well. Starting a different is completely different in many different countries because a different type of system was setup, mostly from scratch that could operate completely different. In economics it acts the same way, some countries will have a better way to produce something at a lower cost, that other countries just won't be able to compete with. While it may seem unfair, it's exactly what a comparative advantage means, which is "the ability of a person or a country to produce a particular good or service at a lower marginal and opportunity cost" (Wikipedia, Comparative Advantage).
     This advantage that has developed over time will continue to change as we continue to find new and better ways of doing things. Computers have changed are lives in ways that we never knew they would, and as a result it has changed the way we trade and do business. Some countries will always be able to provide a better good, or service, better than another. China is well known for a lot of things, one of which is their factory workers and their discipline. Apple Inc. has recently been exposed for the work conditions that have been placed for the hard-worked employees. This has directed some negative publicity to Apple, and has even caused them to be investigated. What will come of this will be likely just Apple increasing investing in better factory conditions as well as more rules/laws for the factory managers. This advantage that China has is due to their focus on discipline and hard work, which are both great reputations to have in a culture.
     Self-directed consumers are what lead businesses on the path to business-improvement. I am, and always will be, a self-directed consumer. A self-directed consumer, in Friedman's terms, are ones that are not afraid to speak up to a business about their products or services. In a flat world, keeping unhappy consumers is becoming a challenging feat. With the advancement of Twitter and Facebook people can openly confess their love, or hate, for a business and have it spread like wildfire. With Twitter especially, this has became a central pace for people to publicly draw negative attention to a business. The wonderful thing is that businesses are starting to respond publicly as well, to try and turn the negativity into a positive experience for the consumer. I have definitely become more vocal about how I feel about the products and services of a business, and have received free pizza on occasion because of a slow, or incorrect, delivery that was made.
     Does globalization mean Americanization? Fortunately as I have spoken with visitors to the U.S. I have noticed quite the opposite. While many people love America, many feel like they still love the culture that they were born into and America can stay in America. It's obvious that American culture is spreading but I don't see the cultures becoming a part of that spreading. I think that other cultures see American culture and actually become even stronger in their own culture. This is a good thing. I don't feel like this will benefit the future leaders of the world. Cultural differences are what set us apart and make us such a strong mass of people across the globe. We were all born with different skills, and different resources that allow us to be resourceful in our own ways. I'm excited for the future of the globe!

Module 6: Free trade, middlers and CQ + PQ > IQ!

     Free trade is where the act of trading any type of goods or services between countries for 'free.' This opens up many doors for different countries to make some good money on the goods that they offer without getting hit too hard with taxes, or what's called, trade barriers. This levels out the playing field for different countries wanting to sell theirs good or services and to be competitive in the markets. Free trade in the United States is vital to our economy. We need to be able to freely import/export goods to keep cash flow coming through. I also think that it creates more competition, which means that there will be others that come in the future to try and make what you made better. Any competition like that will results in better products, and better pricing. Great for any country!
     New middlers, Friedman also calls "The Great Synthesizers", are the energy behind companies. These individuals keep things moving in companies. They must be hard workers, and heavy thinkers. This is required so that new ideas get generated on a regular basis. The ability to actually take an idea and execute it is also a character trait for the "new middlers." If we were looking at a basketball team the new middler would be the point guard. Always making things happen, and when things don't happen they change it up. They make something out of nothing!
     Curiosity + Passion > IQ! I agree with this whole-heartedly. I have known many people in my career and the ones that really stick out are the ones with passion, and a little bit of risk behind them. They're ready for a challenge, but also eager to try something new. Curiosity can spark new ideas that can be game-changing. Curiosity is the initiation and the passion is the driver behind this new force. That's not to say that IQ isn't import, but it's clear that the others outweigh in importance is most business situations.

Module 5: Triple Convergence, India/na and Intellectual Property

     I have really enjoyed listening to this book as an audiobook over the last several weeks. Every listen has sent me into a long internal discussion in my head of how great it is. These flatteners have been present in my life for most of my life, but never really thought about them as such. I will be recommending it to several other technical people that I have been friends with over the years. It adds a new perspective into our busy lives.
     Friedman begins his discussion about how these flatteners have come together to really start carrying us forward. As I mentioned above, if you think about it, our lives are really becoming very oriented around the Internet and the Personal Computer. In general, they are usually the first thing we do when we wake up, and the last thing we do when we go to bed. This is just more evidence to the fact that these flatteners are real, and they are going to continue to make this world even flatter. This is where Friedman begins his discussion about the Triple Convergence.
     The first of the triple convergence is about how the PC is taking over tasks that we, as humans, used to have to do. Simple things like shopping is not nearly human-free. No phone conversation with anyone, just click-click, order. Other things like checking-in to your flight from your mobile phone are also good examples of this. No human intervention means less need for personnel, and more money in businesses pockets.
     The second one is the way that these flatteners have changed how we do business. The power we hold inside a computer allows us to perform tasks much faster, which means efficiency. New ways of doing things are being created every day with the creative minds around the world. This brings us to the last of the three convergences which is the ability that others, overseas, have had to be able to connect and collaborate due to the flattening of the world. These three convergences wrap up these flatteners and make them all work together to improve our bottom-line.
     In the story about Indiana and India, it sounds like a complete train wreck altogether. Any opportunities to invest money locally (especially with government funds) should be done in all cases. If ever possible the tax money should be invested in the citizens. Since money could have been saved, it makes sense how it happens. The people of Indiana were exploited and the state officials were the exploiters. These types of mistakes definitely hurt, but lessons will be learned and not made again. I'm sure stories like this will becoming more common, hopefully the bottom-line will be about creating jobs in American to invest in our future.
     Intellectual Property is a topic that is very sensitive in the world today. The digitization of every things that we do is proving to make that intellectual property a lot harder to protect. The government is trying to step in and take control of it recently with SOPA and PIPA laws, but the Internet nationwide stood up and put a temporary stop to it. As IP becomes harder to control, Hollywood needs to become smarter about delivering their content. It's tough, because people will always pirate movies, but easier delivery of the content and lowering costs could turn out to be the problem solver. They'll be making less money, yes, but at least they'll make something off of all of the movies that are being distributed online.
     My bet is that the government will eventually gain more control of what we can/can't see online, but the geniuses of the country will find ways around it. I'm sure more control will be awarded to them eventually, but hopefully the details of what is controlled will be better defined before the law gets passed, otherwise a book about the "rounding-out" of the world will be next. :)

Module 4: IT Job Interview

     For this week's blog post I decided to do research on a position that my Dad has held for the last 30+ year as Operations Manager at a printing company. I know, the first question is, "how does this relate to computers and networks?" As the Operations Manager at Carr Printing Company he also has handled the computers (both hardware and software), servers, and networking for company in years passed and still does today. His position has evolved over the years as technology has changed and become more complex as he has tried to keep up with technology in the printing industry.
     My dad's official position is Operations Manager, but as I mentioned above one of his core responsibilities is the computers, servers and network around the company offices. Aside from these responsibilities he also handles the flow of work through the shop and helps wherever needed. The printing industry has changed over the years, and the digital era has forced printing companies to keep up with it. Carr Printing has always been on the leading edge of latest technologies. One example, Carr Printing has always tried to give the customers the ability to view their print job in the comfort of their own home with a press-ready system. This allows them to view their job as it would be printed one last time before going to print. This technology is genius in today's busy schedules.
     The other forward-thinking technology that Carr Printing has dove into was the ability for customers to create, modify and approve a print job created directly on their website using a system called Presswise. This allows the user to create a simple postcard, poster or business (etc) and submit it via their website to print. The other feature that it offers is the ability for customers to create templates for projects and reuse them in the future. For example, businesses generally will print business cards with almost the same graphical template only with a few changes on the textual side. With the template feature it allows Carr Printing to upload a template for a customer and they can jump on any time they want and create new business cards and submit them for print. Acquiring this technology took a lot of time and energy on the research side. My dad played a big part of that process in helping to ensure that this tool met the needs of their customers.
     Aside from the website functionality my dad managers all of the computer, server and network devices in the shop. There are close to 150 computers running various different pieces of equipment. Everything from the presses, to the cutters to the job tracking system has required some effort from my dad in technical terms to ensure that it runs smoothly and fits the needs of the company. Overall, his job seems very difficult for me. The company he works for is a family company, and they have been really good to him for the years. He continues, like many others, to wear many hats in the organization and has really created a spot for him in the company. As technology continues he hopes to keep Carr Printing on the forefront of it to ensure that their customers continue to recognize the cutting edge technology that they can provide.

Module 3: Off-shoring, supply chaining and Google!

     As I continue to read Friedman's book about our world becoming flat I am constantly pondering how this statement has changed my perspective on life. I've always been technically savvy, and enjoyed how technology has changed our world, but never from the big picture that he takes it. As I learn more I begin to realize just how serious the statement is, and how much we can do nothing to really get away from it. Globalization 3.0 is real, it's continuing today.
     Offshoring is yet another component to the flattening of this world. Off-shoring is when a company physically moves a part of it's company out of it's original country and into a new one. It is different than outsourcing, where a service it moved to a separate company or group overseas, this is the relocation of a part of this company to a new place. This move has many advantages, primarily for overhead reasons. Property in certain areas of other countries could be much cheaper, and the salaries of employees could be much cheaper as well. This alone make offshoring a great choice for a business as long as the right skilled people can be acquired at the new location. Friedman's way to explain offshoring in relation to a gazelle and lion really helped me understand the concept. He talks about a gazelle waking up every morning determined to run faster than the fastest lion, or it will not survive. On the flip side, he talks about the lion waking up every morning determined to run faster to catch the slowest gazelle, otherwise it will starve. This is the concept behind offshoring. Businesses must find better ways to be more efficient and beat their competitor to survive. Offshoring is a huge part of this idea, and will continue into the coming years as offshoring becomes even easier.
     Another one of the "flatteners" that Friedman talks about is supply chaining. The story about Wal-Mart and how they used supply chaining sent my mind in a never-ending loop of amazement. I've always wondered how Wal-Mart came around, and how their prices were so slow, now I know. The answer is supply chaining. Wal-Mart found a way to purchase good directly from the manufacturers to allow them to cut costs. They got familiar with what worked, and they turned it into a fine oiled machine. This is what made Wal-Mart what it is today. Because of this they have been able to allow their suppliers to actually bid to Wal-Mart, which allows them to pick and choose who their goods come from. This made them more competitive, and allowed them to drop their prices. With supply chaining and the help of newer technologies they are able to keep prices down and profits up.
     My last "flattener" for my blog post today is one of the biggest ones, and that is Google. A word that has gained a meaning of "to search the entire web for something." Nowadays "Googling" something is something that we just do. Google, is a huge flattener. Google has brought a world of information to our finger-tips. What's ironic is that Google doesn't make their money off of your searches, it makes money off of the advertisers that want their ads to show up when you search for certain things. Google has taken search to a level that only they could envision. Google has taken such a simple business model, and put a ton of firepower behind it to make Google into the empire that it is today. Because of this information being at our fingertips businesses have both prevailed a suffered. Finding dirt on companies has never been easier, but also finding positive reviews on a companies services are just as easy to find. Due to the ad model behind Google businesses will continue to learn the system and find better ways to become relevant when certain searches are performed in specific areas at specific times during the day. That's how smart Google is.
     So far I am really enjoying this book. The experiences that he has had over the years are mind-blowing. He sees everything, and he sees this all from a new perspective that I've never really thought about. Our world is truly flat, and the reasons are just piling up!

Module 2: Workflow, Open Source and Outsourcing

     I continue to learn more and more as I get deeper and deeper into Friendman's book. It's sent me into some deep thought and discussions with other people that I never thought I would think about. He continues to dive into his "flatteners" and give more depth into his book's title. Over the next portion of the book he gets into what's called workflow computing, open source software and outsourcing. I will go into each one of these in depth with some of my experience in each.
     I have been using computers for a long time. I, like many others, have developed an expectation for computers. In a way my sense for what a computer can do has been numbed. The #3 flattener is based around workflow computing, and has got me thinking quite a bit. Workflow software is really the flattening of business software. Nowadays, this is an expectation, but it was not always that way. The example that he states in his book is about a warehouse that has a printed invoice hand delivered to them that they need to fill. Once they fill it they take the same invoice to the shipping department. That's not exactly how it went, but you get the point. This process is definitely not a smooth process, and leaves too much room for error. With software today order, inventory, shipping and billing systems are now integrated into one seamless system. This allows things to flow smoothly through one department to the next without any extra papers, or manual work. This is most definitely one of the strongest flatteners, in my opinion.
     One example of workflow software that I played a big part in was for a wildlife foundation here in Utah. They have several groups of members throughout the world that hold banquets on a regular basis. At these banquets they sell merchandise that gets supplied from the headquarters in Salt Lake City. Up until last year the processing of these products has always been tracked by an Excel spreadsheet. In my last job, our job was to automate this process and make it less hands on. That's exactly what we did. We built an online shop for the different group leaders to log on to and submit their orders. The online shop tracks inventory for them so they don't have to. It was just upgraded recently so that it will send notifications to their vendors about orders that are getting placed. The vendors receive a PDF of the products that were ordered, so they can send the products to the headquarters and allow them enough time to ship it. That is automation!
     The next is open source software, something that I never thought of as a "flattener." Open source software is something that has created a career for me for the last 3-4 years. Open source software is community-based software that gets developed and tested by a community of people, usually for free. This software then gets distributed, for free, to the world via the Internet or some other means. As I mentioned, open source software has played a big part in my life. About 4 years ago I began basing my web development project around some of this open source software, and my experience has been great ever since. It's amazing what so many people do for free out there. This software has definitely contributed to the flattening of the world, and will continue to do so.
     While open source software is great, it does have it's drawbacks. Since it's not paid software, there is usually not "free" support that you can get on it. There are ways of getting help, but it will never be as reliable as picking up the phone and calling a 24/7 support line. I can say that the support that I've experience with open source software has always impressed me, but for emergency things it cannot measure up to paid software. Aside from that open source software is great, and always will be. There are so many great people around the world that like to see software built well and with the community that uses it at the forefront. This is why open source software excels.
     Lastly, let's talk a little about outsourcing. This is something that happens in almost every company today. It allows a company to reach out to another company (usually for less money) and have them produce the same work. This can be done for several reasons, but the primary reason is for cost. The other reason will usually be due to lack of resources. Outsourcing is continuing to grow, and will continue to grow in the years to come. Companies are getting smarter, and are finding ways of making outsourcing work. Lots of money is being saved, and they are also able get things done right for the same money or sometimes less. Outsourcing is the future of business in America.
     One experience I had with outsourcing was also in my last job at a Marketing Firm in Salt Lake City. We decided to outsource the design and development of an online portal over to the Phillipines. We met with the guy that was in charge of the group of developers overseas, and even with 2 Americans that were on their way over there to oversee the project. The project fell flat on it's face over there. We lost $3k and really were left with next to nothing. The work was poorly done, and made us look bad. In the end we accepted our losses, and moved forward. This experience is one, and I have heard of many others that are huge successes. Outsourcing stories like this are still happening, but it will not be that way for long. Certain tasks are becoming more common, and therefore will continue to grow just like the other flatteners that have been mentioned.

Netscape's role...

As I'm reading more into this whole Netscape situation I am reminded of the year 1995 when I started getting into the Internet via AOL. AOL was what my parents used, and that's what helped me get "connected."

The role of Netscape was HUGE. Much bigger than I think anyone that has never read this book realizes. There move to open up the program with trial versions was a genius way to push the Internet on it's way. Was it necessary? No, absolutely not . . . but it did fuel the fire and cause it to take off even faster. There could have been even more money out of this new thing called "The Internet" but seeing as it was going to "grow and grow and grow" there was no need to monetize it too much. The real value in the Internet is, and always will be, the massive amounts of content that are available on it. I'm sure they saw that and recognized that the more that's there, the more people will want it.

I'm LOVING this part of the book. Anyone else listening? :)

Module 1: The World is Flat

        Is the world we live on flat? According to Thomas L. Friedman, it is. In his book ironically titled, "The World is Flat" he discusses his reasoning. He refers to the different contributors as flatteners. It makes you wonder if he picked that title because he knew it would draw attention to it and spark people's curiosity. Like many others that have reviewed the book, I don't like how he goes through such a huge explanation as to why the world is flat. It proves that the title was not generated creatively, but purely to draw attention. Aside from the title I have really enjoyed the book and the stories are very interesting that he shares. In the first section he introduces three different levels of Globalization, the Berlin Wall, and Netscape.
        A large part of the first part of this book is the discussion of the different phases of globalization that the world has gone through, in Friedman's eyes. The first, entitled Globalization 1.0 spans from 1492 to the year 1800 when Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent. The second phase was then called globalization 2.0 spanned from 1800 to the year 2000. Lastly, globalization 3.0 began in 2000 and continues today.
        During the first era of globalization it wasn't businesses but it was countries and governments. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a large event that opened up the area economically. This definitely was a flattener, in a very literal sense. Many things changed after this event that have shaped the world as a whole.
        The timeline of each phase makes sense to to me. The year 2000 was a big turning point with a lot of things with the Internet and technology in-general. I think that in the last few years it has escalated even faster than it did in 2000 with the advancement of smart phones and portable tablets. So many things have played a huge role in getting us to where we are today that it's hard to pin point one specific thing. All in all, every new discovery of technology has somehow contributed to put us where we are today.
        One other flattener to getting us where we are at today has been the creation of the world wide web (WWW). The WWW has changed us in ways that we never could have imagined. Shopping can be done in the comfort of your home, with the product being processed through another end of the country, while the product gets shipped from overseas. Definitely a flattener that continues to flatten our world and make us feel like the water and mountains no longer separate us.
        The beginning of this whirlwind called the Internet started with a simple browser called Netscape. This browser brought the Internet to a wider audience, which made people realize the power that it contained. Netscape was closely followed by Windows 95, which brought native support to the world and made getting online even easier. From that point on the sky has been the limit as to where it will go next. With faster computers and faster connections we have the world at our finger tips.
        Because of this advancement alone the world as we know it (and as Friedman knows it) has become flat. We are closer then we ever have been before. Businesses can outsource work much easier, and communication is a click away. Sometimes I wonder if the sky is even the limit to what will be coming next.