Hacking: Hackers and Crackers

When I read and heard the word “hacking,” I think of hackers breaking into your email account or your social media profile and stealing your personal information. Hacking could be considered a major threat to us. My dear friend, Urban Dictionary, defines hacking, in computer terminology, as “the gaining of access (wanted or unwanted) to a computer and viewing, copying, or creating data without the intention of destroying data or maliciously harming the computer.” There are good hackers (such as Homeland Security personnel) who try to protect the citizens of the United States against internal terrorism. On the other hand, there are “crackers” who can gain unauthorized access to your personal accounts. I, for one, believe that “crackers” can cause chaos in one’s life, stealing their social security, bank account numbers, personal emails, etc. Sometimes the damage done is so great that is irretrievable.

In an ABC News article titled “15-Year-Old Admits Hacking NASA Computers,” a 15-year-old boy “caused a 21-day shutdown of NASA computers that support the international space station, and invaded a Pentagon weapons computer system to intercept 3,300 emails, steal passwords and cruise around like an employee.” This boy, using the pseudo-name of “c0mrade,” has been identified as the first and youngest hacker imprisoned for computer crimes. He is currently serving six months of imprisonment in a state detention facility. Two different things might have been going through his head while committing the crime. First, he might have been thinking that he is the smartest teenager in the United States and would be recognized for his intelligence. However, this backfired on him. Second, he might have been under the impression what he was doing would be harmless. Whereas now, we know the extend of damages he has caused.

If you have the prominent programming skills, why not put them in greater use?

OpenSource: OpenProj vs. Microsoft Project

 

I would like to discuss the gist and the similarities and differences between OpenProj and Microsoft Project. OpenProj is an alternative Window-based tool to Microsoft project, but has “a similar user interface (UI) and a similar approach to construction of a project plan” (Wikipedia). You could say that OpenProj and Microsoft Project were mostly related to each other. This application has accessibility to operate project management in a disciplined way, such as tracking your work, establishing accurate project plans, and so on. It even creates visual schedules for keeping track of your project tasks such as Gantt charts (like the one from above). 

Now that we know the description of OpenProj, I will show you the similarities and differences. According to the article from Bright Hub PM, “Microsoft Project vs. OpenProj,” there are few similarities, but many differences. However, for the scope of this blog, I will enlist the most significant and important differences for the users.

Similarities

• Resource management
• Scheduling
• Custom features (i.e. validation rules, workflow rules, and custom actions) 

Differences

• OpenProj is free, but $849 for Microsoft Project
• OpenProj has a Java platform, not Microsoft Project
• OpenProj has no project portfolio management, but Microsoft Project does
• OpenProj has blogging capability

In my opinion, OpenProj may be ineffective for project management users based on its accessibility and accountability. Sometimes it can be helpful for your project schedules, but it may not be easy to work with on a weekly basis. I finally come to a conclusion that for me, it would be difficult to work with OpenProj.

Agile: The Process of Software Development Methodology

What is Agile Software Development and what does it do? Agile Software Development is a collection of iterative and incremental software development methodologies, which “promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development and delivery, a time-boxed iterative approach, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change”(Wikipedia). If you take a glance at the image on to your left, this shows you an Agile development cycle and how its process can create better results through technical thinking and improvement. Every time a software development team has to build a project for customers/clients, they need to put their minds together to make innovative ideas and test their results.

One example of Agile from the article, "How Agile Thinking Leads to Better Branding", is an approach that can lead to better branding. Simon Ward, chief executive of brand consultancy Holmes & Merchant, states the importance of Agile as:

• Providing customers' needs
• Lowering risks in marketing and design
• Continuing brand enhancement
• Allocating budget to enhance Agile thinking based on consumers
• Increasing Agile thinkers in the marketing department of companies

With the rapid growth of technology and the high demand of consumers, Agile marketers are needed in every corporation. This can be achieved by being innovative and collaborative in developing and providing the customers' needs and demands.

Wiki: The Educational Era

When you heard the term “Wiki”, you think of Wikipedia, Wikimedia, and WikiHow, which are your well-known search engines that are used for research for our every day life. In fact, Wiki is a very useful web application for text management (such as editing paragraphs and adding content). Wiki is used not only for researching and editing information, but also providing resources for educational purposes. 

The most interesting success story about Wiki is Heiko Przyhodnik, a biology teacher in Berlin, teamed up with an online school textbook company in Germany called “Schulbuch-O-Mat” in creating free Wiki-style biology e-textbooks. Przyhodnik was very unhappy for the results and outcome of his students’ work. What was even more upsetting was that the textbooks were expensive and the students did not even bother looking over the important content on so many of the pages. This lead to the creation of a Wiki-style biology textbook by Przyhodnik and Schulbuch-O-Mat. This creation helped save money and time for both the students and the teacher. The fact that students could now access the text by using technology excited them to the point that they would actually look it up and read it. It helped the teachers because the students came to class more prepared. The integration of these two has extended the educational level of the students from K through 12. This online biology textbook can be found in Wiki format. Users are free to access and edit it online any way they choose to. These days, Wiki is the first search engine students refer to in order to find information or close to any area they are looking for. If every school from around the world has these free Wiki-style textbooks, students will not waste their time skipping through pages of a real textbook and focus on their subject.

As an Internet researcher, I think Wiki is helpful to future users because it gives them an enormous amount of resources on their subjects. The future of education is very bright. These search engines will also help us in preserving nature.

LinkedIn and Branding: “LinkedIn” a Professional Network

Did you know that in the last decade, 238 million members made LinkedIn the world’s largest social, professional network? In this decade, LinkedIn developed the process of searching for a job position and building strong and professional relationships far easier than any other search engine. LinkedIn can provide answers to your professional questions, develop resumes, and research job positions.  One of the most recent forms of networking takes place on LinkedIn, where professionals connect on this website in order to expand their network and job search. By connecting through LinkedIn, it expands both your network and opportunity to get your future career. Not only that, but also allows recruiters easy access to your cover letter and resume.

LinkedIn requires its users to be professional for the purpose of networking and job searching. Everyone has to have a professional LinkedIn profile and treat it as an online resume, which should not look similar to a Facebook profile. For example, if you add a picture of yourself in an inappropriate fashion, you may lose job opportunities. In a LinkedIn profile, you add your areas of expertise (i.e. web development, product management, etc.), your past job experiences, and your job description. You must always straighten yourself up and keep your profile concise.

I think LinkedIn has provided a different world and concept of staying professionally connected. It has also helped users to maintain an up-to-date resume and cover letter. This in the process and hope of finding a new job is vital. 

QR Codes: Our Future Resources

What are QR codes? As defined, they are “two-dimensional bar codes that can contain any alphanumeric text and often feature URLs that direct users to sites where they can learn about an object or place [aka “mobile tagging”]” (“7 Things You Should Know About QR Codes,” Educause Learning Initiative). These QR codes have become popular worldwide in various industries: manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, logistics, and academics (“QR Code® Essentials,” Denso: Inventor of the QR Code®). They can be found in other places, such as business cards, billboards, social networking sites, and blogs (“QR Code® Essentials,” Denso: Inventor of the QR Code®). QR codes could be downloaded on every mobile phone to enable the users to decode the information.

Millions of mobile phone users worldwide can access QR codes through 3G networks by utilizing their phone cameras to decipher these codes (“7 Things You Should Know About QR Codes,” Educause Learning Initiative). Once the user scans it, he/she could target the information for industrial or personal purposes. For instance, contact information from a business card (“7 Things You Should Know About QR Codes,” Educause Learning Initiative). They can use QR code-scanning applications from their mobile phone, such as iPhone QR Reader and RedLaser. This leads us to an example; I for one have the QR code-reading app on my phone, and I use it to look at the map and directions of the Accessible Education Center (AEC). With the usage of QR code-reading apps, anyone can receive an abundant amount of information by scanning the code.

 

As a student, I see five advantages of the QR code, which I benefit from on a daily basis. The first advantage of the QR code is that there is no need to take my computer/laptop out and search on a browser. The code has the complete data of a given URL link. The second advantage is saving plenty of time to receive my target link directly into my phone despite having slow internet access. The third advantage is saving excessive amounts of paper without picking up a brochure or map from a site and wasting it. The fourth advantage is somehow related to the previous advantage. Here, I do not need to print and carry actual store coupons when I am out and about shopping. Finally, it is easily accessible to make appointments with any institution within our community. These advantages take us to new levels of comfort in the future. I hope to see QR codes imprinted worldwide for the convenience of travelers and students.

References

      “QR Code® Essentials.” Denso: Inventor of the QR Code®. DENSO ADC. 2011. 

                  Web. 8 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nacs.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=D1FpVAvvJuo%3D&tabid=1426&mid=4802>

      “7 Things You Should Know About QR Codes.” Educause Learning Initiative. Educause. 
                   n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2013. <http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELi7046.pdf>
          

Social Networking Security or Lack of When Promoting Your Brand

Social media has provided many interactions among people who create and exchange information/ideas in various networks. Over the years, cases of security bridge have been reported to the media, which have been proven to be quite controversial. The lack of proper safety measure has stirred up a media frenzy. As we all know, the media loves a good controversial topic, which the social networking sites have provided for them. As an independent person, I believe it is fair to say that every network in the social media area should protect their users with the most advanced security settings to manage and shield the account holders private postings.

The scary thing is if these multi-million-dollar social media companies do not protect their users, an array of unfortunate outcomes might occur. We have seen accounts hacked in, identities stolen, and also pictures and videos of account holders spread throughout the entire site. These cases have had some severe consequences for the account holders, such as teenagers being rejected from applied colleges due to the pictures they had posted. Not only teenagers, but also employees have been turned down for a potential position within a corporation. However, the worst case is when the account holder’s identity/home address has been stolen. There have been cases where thieves have been able to access the main page of the account holder and find out their whereabouts in order to burglarize their property.

Social networking security should be on the top of any social media platform’s list. Great measures should be taken, great law firms should be consulted with, and advanced protective software should be developed, no matter how much it costs the company.