The great vice of technology

I have been thinking a lot recently about time. Time is one of our most precious resources. Since time is so precious, I feel like the way we choose to spend our time is an indication of what we consider to be most important. This is the great vice of technology: it seems to obliterate our time more than any other thing in the history of mankind. How many times have we seen someone say, "I can do that in thirty seconds with my [insert electronic device here]" and then watch as it turns into ten minutes? To me, this is very disturbing. My dream of life isn't to spend it engrossed in technology; rather, it is to spend the greatest amount of time possible with my family. Because of the importance of the family, I think that it is critical for me (and others in my situation) to develop adequate habits for technology use. These habits can provide a safety bumper which can keep us focused on what matters most even though we are faced with technology related problems and distractions every day.

Sleeping with one eye open: A reaction to The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll

There is an old adage in the English language that says that a man should sleep with one eye open. This means that, even in circumstances where a person thinks he or she is safe, he or she should always be wary of unseen or hidden danger. After all, it is always this kind of danger that comes around to hurt you the most.

While reading The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll, I found myself evaluating my personal computer security measures. The book had clearly highlighted the principle that every human who uses an electronic device places a certain amount of trust in it. On a daily basis, we trust these devices with very detailed information from all aspects of our lives. We also trust that these devices will keep our personal information safe from harm, so that it won't be exploited by outsiders who want to cause harm. The problem isn't the fact that we choose to trust our electronic devices; rather, the problem is that we blindly trust our electronic devices. This is the equivalent of sleeping with both eyes closed.

The truth is that the world of computers and technology has never been one where people could sleep with both eyes closed. It is full of loopholes, back doors, and people with both the smarts and the malicious intent to compromise other people's private information. The only reason that people do close both eyes in regards to their electronics is because they don't realize the danger that is out there. It is my personal belief that if people were to learn more about the dangers of the world of computing, they would definitely start sleeping with one eye open, or possibly even both. As for my part, I have been woken up, and I don't believe that I will ever sleep with both eyes closed again.

Current Event Post #3 - Controversy over releasing BadUSB hacker code

The BadUSB hack creates a serious ethical dilemma for us as a society. The question is, what should be done about really powerful hacks like the one that Karsten Nohl found? The first option is to keep them completely secret. This is what Nohl intended to do at first, but it didn't work because somebody else reverse engineered his code. The second option is to make it public as soon as possible; however, this also freely gives the code to those with bad intentions. In the time that a hack is being developed, a lot of damage could be done using this hack. I personally think the best solution is to contact the major manufacturers of USB chips and make sure that they had the code without disclosing it to the world. It would be a long and arduous process of getting the code to all of them, but it would provide the greatest protection to society as a whole.