Wednesday, February 17, 2010
New Things
Last night marked a major shift in my life--I got engaged! My girlfriend, Ashley, and I have been dating for almost 4 years. We began dating on June 11th, 2006, two weeks before I left the US to do a two month long internship in Leipzig, Germany. Three years and 8 months later, we are finally engaged! In any case, I am super-pumped! If you want more details, feel free to leave a comment and I will tell you directly.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Technology Overload/Being Overconnected
If you are a "NetGen-er" (those born from the mid 80's to early 90's), or are a techno-savvy baby boomer, or Gen X-er, then you've probably noticed the changes that Facebook made to their layout yet again. I reacted negatively to the change. Really, how many times does the layout need to change? Now, I have to figure out how to view my profile, why my chat moved...and what the heck is up with the search bar moving to the top of the page?!?
But that wasn't the only technological change that hit the masses this week. Google decided to throw its hat in with the Twitter/Facebook crowd and add "Buzz" to the Gmail email client. Buzz is basically Twitter, but only for those people that you truly care about. It features the ability to upload photos, like Facebook; The ability to "like" a status, like Facebook, and the the convenient status stream that both Twitter and Facebook utilize.
My question is: Why? What is this obsession that we have with constantly "improving" social networking and electronic communication? Is there a point to which efficacy will no longer matter? Can we be too effective at "improvement?" Are we, instead of improving on technology, becoming socially connected to a unhealthy point? One of my colleagues made mention of something her daughter said: "Mom, it's like 1984 has come to be, except instead of 'Big Brother' watching, we're watching each other."
What's strange is, that I have to agree. We are becoming more and more "connected" to each other, obsessed with self-disclosing. What I see in all of this is some strange obsession with seeming important, or having some 15 minutes of fame. There are several things that disturb me about this:
Ease
We've made it so easy to self-disclose. A click here, an edit there, and we are able to, in a relatively short amount of time, create online personas, complete with everything that people could possibly want to know about us. It is my belief that this is phenomenally dangerous, even with the ability to "control" privacy in these online forums. Without much effort, it is fairly easy to discover anything a person wants to discover about another person. Thus, it doesn't require much effort to broadcast anything that a person wants to broadcast, and it is easy to stalk somebody.
A General Lack of Real Connection
What these "improvements" are resulting in is a lack of personal connection. Rather, they absolve a person of any sort of commitment in relationships. The degree of commitment that I am inferring that one is absolved of, is best explained by the following. A person "checks up on" another person online by viewing a profile or status updated, but doesn't bother to call or text the person. Rather they "comment on a status" or "post" something to another person's account. What about face-to-face contact?
In any case, I am concerned about the level to which our society has become technologically connected. It seems to me that there may be too much being sacrificed in order to become connected. We improve, and improve, researching and following the demands of the unwashed masses, and in turn, lose touch with each other. We sacrifice community in order to be connected. This is the heart and soul of the human experience--to be in community--and it is quickly being lost, lest we recognize that online interaction is only a tool. The nuances, expressions, and other characteristics involved in interacting face-to-face cannot be replace by a cheapened online imitation.
But that wasn't the only technological change that hit the masses this week. Google decided to throw its hat in with the Twitter/Facebook crowd and add "Buzz" to the Gmail email client. Buzz is basically Twitter, but only for those people that you truly care about. It features the ability to upload photos, like Facebook; The ability to "like" a status, like Facebook, and the the convenient status stream that both Twitter and Facebook utilize.
My question is: Why? What is this obsession that we have with constantly "improving" social networking and electronic communication? Is there a point to which efficacy will no longer matter? Can we be too effective at "improvement?" Are we, instead of improving on technology, becoming socially connected to a unhealthy point? One of my colleagues made mention of something her daughter said: "Mom, it's like 1984 has come to be, except instead of 'Big Brother' watching, we're watching each other."
What's strange is, that I have to agree. We are becoming more and more "connected" to each other, obsessed with self-disclosing. What I see in all of this is some strange obsession with seeming important, or having some 15 minutes of fame. There are several things that disturb me about this:
Ease
We've made it so easy to self-disclose. A click here, an edit there, and we are able to, in a relatively short amount of time, create online personas, complete with everything that people could possibly want to know about us. It is my belief that this is phenomenally dangerous, even with the ability to "control" privacy in these online forums. Without much effort, it is fairly easy to discover anything a person wants to discover about another person. Thus, it doesn't require much effort to broadcast anything that a person wants to broadcast, and it is easy to stalk somebody.
A General Lack of Real Connection
What these "improvements" are resulting in is a lack of personal connection. Rather, they absolve a person of any sort of commitment in relationships. The degree of commitment that I am inferring that one is absolved of, is best explained by the following. A person "checks up on" another person online by viewing a profile or status updated, but doesn't bother to call or text the person. Rather they "comment on a status" or "post" something to another person's account. What about face-to-face contact?
In any case, I am concerned about the level to which our society has become technologically connected. It seems to me that there may be too much being sacrificed in order to become connected. We improve, and improve, researching and following the demands of the unwashed masses, and in turn, lose touch with each other. We sacrifice community in order to be connected. This is the heart and soul of the human experience--to be in community--and it is quickly being lost, lest we recognize that online interaction is only a tool. The nuances, expressions, and other characteristics involved in interacting face-to-face cannot be replace by a cheapened online imitation.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Slow day...
Wow, today has been a particularly slow day here at work. Not really much going on in the way of silly people bringing in machines eaten up with viruses...well, except for this one case. But it was more of one of our techs making a goofy mistake.
In any case, I am phenomenally bored with classes. My attention span wanes daily, as I am preparing to make a rather huge life choice. I am stuck, however, waiting on a certain item to arrive before I can make that life choice. I know, I know, I'm being vague. But I have to be, lest details be divulged ahead of their proper time.
I'm hoping to get in some time with Dad tonight. If you've kept up with all of my other posts, you know that being around him has been a little more than just awkward. Regardless, I am trying to start this relationship anew. At the risk of waisting any more of your time, I shall take my leave. Oh, be sure to check out my photos page, as I am uploading some new pictures now.
Aaron
In any case, I am phenomenally bored with classes. My attention span wanes daily, as I am preparing to make a rather huge life choice. I am stuck, however, waiting on a certain item to arrive before I can make that life choice. I know, I know, I'm being vague. But I have to be, lest details be divulged ahead of their proper time.
I'm hoping to get in some time with Dad tonight. If you've kept up with all of my other posts, you know that being around him has been a little more than just awkward. Regardless, I am trying to start this relationship anew. At the risk of waisting any more of your time, I shall take my leave. Oh, be sure to check out my photos page, as I am uploading some new pictures now.
Aaron
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Silly grad student, computers are for smart people
Dear readers,
This post is going to be one of the first IT posts that I am going to write. So, for this inaugural IT post, I am going to pick on a grad student that came in recently. First, however, let me state that I am a grad student, so I feel that I am well qualified to pick on this particular person.
The Witch
Monday began well and good, no abnormal viruses or any sort of weird computer incidents...that is, until lunchtime rolled around. As usual, we got a rush of people right around lunch time coming in for help with their computers. The way that our system works, people fill out a digital form at what we call a "ticket station" that filters support requests between the actual tech support group, and our other team that handles other types of requests. After people fill out their "ticket," there is a space where they can sit and wait until they are called.
Now, this one woman came in for support with her unit and filled out a ticket, yet refused to sit down. At first, it was ok. She stood at the front of the seating area. However, it became annoying when she began shifting her weight, back and forth. She began huffing and rolling her eyes, to boot. So I leaned over to a tech who wasn't with a customer and asked her to see what the woman needed, as the rest of us were with customers and the woman's ticket hadn't appeared on our queue. The tech asked the woman what she needed, and directed the woman to take a seat until her ticket came up in our queue.
"I've been here many times before!" Shouted the woman. "I know how this works! I don't want to sit down! I feel like I'm in Kindergarten!"
With all of our techs taken aback, we backed off, letting the woman stew while we continued to help customers. Once the woman's ticket came up and she was called from where she was standing, she continued to act horribly to the tech that called her over. She berated, yelled, and was overly sarcastic to the tech, without the tech, or our department, having done anything to earn her ire, as her computer was brand new in the system.
She returned yesterday, after she received an email that we would have to reformat her unit.
"I was told I wouldn't have to sign any more paperwork!" She screamed at a different tech, who was again, wholly undeserving of her tirade. About that time, I left for class, annoyed that she would treat someone like that.
Over the course of the time she was with our techs, it became clear that she believed she was superior to what she thought were just undergraduate students. Admittedly, grad students have a hard time respecting undergrads, but this was just too much. How could she treat someone like dirt? If she was so smart, I wonder why she couldn't remedy the issue?
The Lesson
Folks, let this be a lesson to you: Don't mess with IT people. We are humans, too. We have lives, kids, hopes, and dreams, much like the rest of the world that isn't computer savvy. We aren't here to be carpets to be walked all over. We aren't obligated to fix your computer. Also, keep in mind that it is worth your time to have a healthy amount of respect for IT people--we can mess your computer up to a point that there could be irreparable damage. So remember, instead of yelling at us because you watch too much porn and it destroys your hard drive, try being civil...and maybe we won't laugh at you.
This post is going to be one of the first IT posts that I am going to write. So, for this inaugural IT post, I am going to pick on a grad student that came in recently. First, however, let me state that I am a grad student, so I feel that I am well qualified to pick on this particular person.
The Witch
Monday began well and good, no abnormal viruses or any sort of weird computer incidents...that is, until lunchtime rolled around. As usual, we got a rush of people right around lunch time coming in for help with their computers. The way that our system works, people fill out a digital form at what we call a "ticket station" that filters support requests between the actual tech support group, and our other team that handles other types of requests. After people fill out their "ticket," there is a space where they can sit and wait until they are called.
Now, this one woman came in for support with her unit and filled out a ticket, yet refused to sit down. At first, it was ok. She stood at the front of the seating area. However, it became annoying when she began shifting her weight, back and forth. She began huffing and rolling her eyes, to boot. So I leaned over to a tech who wasn't with a customer and asked her to see what the woman needed, as the rest of us were with customers and the woman's ticket hadn't appeared on our queue. The tech asked the woman what she needed, and directed the woman to take a seat until her ticket came up in our queue.
"I've been here many times before!" Shouted the woman. "I know how this works! I don't want to sit down! I feel like I'm in Kindergarten!"
With all of our techs taken aback, we backed off, letting the woman stew while we continued to help customers. Once the woman's ticket came up and she was called from where she was standing, she continued to act horribly to the tech that called her over. She berated, yelled, and was overly sarcastic to the tech, without the tech, or our department, having done anything to earn her ire, as her computer was brand new in the system.
She returned yesterday, after she received an email that we would have to reformat her unit.
"I was told I wouldn't have to sign any more paperwork!" She screamed at a different tech, who was again, wholly undeserving of her tirade. About that time, I left for class, annoyed that she would treat someone like that.
Over the course of the time she was with our techs, it became clear that she believed she was superior to what she thought were just undergraduate students. Admittedly, grad students have a hard time respecting undergrads, but this was just too much. How could she treat someone like dirt? If she was so smart, I wonder why she couldn't remedy the issue?
The Lesson
Folks, let this be a lesson to you: Don't mess with IT people. We are humans, too. We have lives, kids, hopes, and dreams, much like the rest of the world that isn't computer savvy. We aren't here to be carpets to be walked all over. We aren't obligated to fix your computer. Also, keep in mind that it is worth your time to have a healthy amount of respect for IT people--we can mess your computer up to a point that there could be irreparable damage. So remember, instead of yelling at us because you watch too much porn and it destroys your hard drive, try being civil...and maybe we won't laugh at you.
Adding Some New Posts
Folks,
I apologize for my absence and lack of writing. However, when you're a grad student preparing to get engaged, writing and any sort of fun activities go to the wayside. In any case, I've since started a new job doing IT work. As such, I encounter some frustrating, as well as hilarious cases. That being said, you can look forward to some entertaining rants in the near future. Keep posted!
Aaron
I apologize for my absence and lack of writing. However, when you're a grad student preparing to get engaged, writing and any sort of fun activities go to the wayside. In any case, I've since started a new job doing IT work. As such, I encounter some frustrating, as well as hilarious cases. That being said, you can look forward to some entertaining rants in the near future. Keep posted!
Aaron
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