Week 13: Clear

I found this weeks information more relatable then ever. I mean, everyone knows someone, or themselves, who has or had a virus on their computer. Recently, my friends entire computer shut down with a virus related to Lime Wire. I think it is all about taking care of your computer and making sure you have virus and other protection to increase it's lifespan.

The book talks about, on pages 556 and 557 about computer secruity risks. Here are some of what they talked about as well as what Professor Mearns talked about in her lecture. By the way, the interview with the UF department for computer secruity risks was very informative!

• Hacker: someone who gets access to a computer, illegally.
• Cracker: Acesses a computer illegally, much like a hacker, but with the intent to destroy data
• Script kiddie: Seems like a cracker, but does not really have the skills to perform those tasks
• Cyberextortionist: Uses e-mail as a way to extort
• Cyberterrorist: Uses the internet to destroy computer related to political reasons.

Hacking is some scary business, especially how you hear in the news about big businesses computers and networks getting hacked- because you'd think they would have enough security for that NOT to happen. Last week, I got a letter from University of North Florida, saying because I had applied there in 2006 and my personal information was in their system, a hacker had recently stolen files and mine could have been one of them. I had to call the crecit reporting bureaus and put a fraud alert on my credit report.

Below is a really great video I found on YouTube that talks more about viruses and hackers that has great narration and pictures. It helped add to this weeks lesson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRcJtpjYQY



Week 3: Clear

One of this weeks lectures had to be with donating computers. This topic came from "HW4- Potpourri." I thought this was a very interesting topic and a topic that, for many of us, was interesting to learn more about.

You always think that by donating your computer, you are doing the right thing. Perhaps you are. There are all of these non-profit organzations who are actively seeking people to donate computers, cell phones and other technological equipment for the greater good. I have listed afew below:

• Computers With Causes: http://www.computerswithcauses.org/
• Cell Phones For Soldiers: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/
• 911 Cell Phone Bank: http://www.911cellphonebank.org/

However, what I found really interesting from the lecture was that people are donating "junk" items, and it is costing these non-profit organiaztions and various donation centers money to properly get rid of them. It's amazing how you think you are doing something for the greater good, but come to find out you may be costing them money in the long run.

It's what the power point presentation called, "charitable donation." And it's a topic I thought was definitely worth mentioning.

I found an article from the New York Times that was intersting about this topic. Regarding Africa, and the amount of donated computers, using the words, "Digital Dump". I think this article speaks for itself, and I think the picture found on the site speaks justice enough.

• http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/technology/24junk.html

So what is this article ultimately getting at? Donation centers in the United States are getting so cluttered up with computers they cannot afford to properly recycle, that they are shipping them to third world countries, in hopes they are making a difference.

Instead, these countries are getting bombarded with computers, that the article says, "means that the imported equipment often ends up in landfills, where toxins in the equipment can pollute the groundwater and create unhealthy conditions."