Reflections

Looking back on this past year in Computer Literacy, I have learned a lot that I never thought I would learn back at the beginning of the year. I have learned how to format documents to make them professional looking, I learned the basics of making spreadsheets, tables, and graphs, as well as using formulas, I also learned how to make a good powerpoint/slideshow. Later in the year, I learned how to use the different facets of Google, and learned important lessons about internet safety. Closer to the end, I learned about job interviews, cover letters, resumes, and ways to find a job. I think that the part of the course that I liked best was at the beginning of the year, learning how to use Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. I liked that part best because that information is incredibly useful to me, in life and in other classes. I am very glad I took this course, and will always be thankful for the things I have been taught this year.

Career Unit in Computer Literacy

Over the past few weeks, in our unit on careers, I learned alot. First, we took surveys to find out what personality we have and what jobs might fit our personalities. I was not very surprised to see that, according to the survey results, I am very introverted, and that possible jobs include architecture/construction, and finance. I have always liked building things, and am good at office type work. Next, we learned about job applications, resumes and cover letters. This part was really interesting, I did not know how much goes into applying for a job! It was very practical, useful  information. Lastly, we learned about the interview. This section was very informative. I learned all the different kinds of questions that potential employers can and cannot ask. It was interesting that one of the top ten interview questions was "If you could be an animal, which one would you choose?" I have acquired lots of good and useful information in the past unit, and I hope to use it in the future.

Digital Citizenship

Sometimes it is easier to be a bully online than offline. Why? One reason is that online, you cannot see or hear the person you are being mean to. It is easier to say things you shouldn't to a computer screen than to a person. We should remember that being mean online is still bullying, even though you cannot see or hear the other person. Online comments and misbehavior hurt just as much as offline harassment.

what do you do if you are being cyberbullied? see post #2 "5 Tips for the Cyberbullied"

Piracy

I believe that people who illegally copy songs, movies, games etc. should be punished for it. Why? I have three reasons. First: Piracy (illegal copying) is against the law, and incurs severe punishments when caught. Second: Piracy is immoral; it is stealing information from someone without their permission. And third: Piracy can hurt businesses. If there are free pirated copies of a product, then  businesses can suffer losses from not selling the genuine copy,  that could then make them unable to hire new workers or give raises to current workers. Altogether, I think people who commit piracy should be punished for the reasons stated above.

"Once it's on the Internet, it's there Forever"

"Once it's on the Internet, it's there Forever," sounds ominous, and for good reason. It simply means that once something is put up on the internet, it will be there forever. Something you post, tweet, or create on the internet can be accessed by future employers, future friends, and future business partners. Often, we don't think about who will read our posts on the internet in the future, we are thinking about who will read them now. This can end up disastrous if you post something in anger or frustration that you regret later. To prevent irrational posting, try thinking through what you will type before typing and posting. This will give you a chance to cool off and think about who you would want to see this post 5 or 10 years from now.

 

A New Form of Cyber Security

A new technology from PFP Cybersecurity promises to identify malware attacks (or hackers) in mere milliseconds based on the changes in the power used by a device. This technology reads the "energy fingerprint" of a system, and is able to detect when that pattern is disrupted. It can then notify users when the pattern, or "fingerprint", is changed.
 I think this new form of online security could really cut down on the number of devastating hacks that happen regularly. Especially in big businesses, PFP could make customer information, credit cards etc., a good deal safer from malware and hackers.

Source article:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-03/new-technology-detects-hacks-in-milliseconds

Why Should We Have Secure Passwords?

   

   We hear a lot about companies’ computer systems being hacked these days. It makes you wonder, how did this happen? Where was the weak spot that allowed the hacker access to the entire system? According to the University of Texas, that weak spot is most often a weak password.  

   If someone else is able to guess or crack your password, you give them access to your e-mail, messages, bank accounts, research, contact lists or anything else on your computer. They could alter or destroy files or even overtake your computer and turn it into a zombie, a computer used by a hacker to do things like sending out large quantities of spam.

   Also, protecting your computer and accounts with strong passwords protects other users connected to you by a network.  “For instance, just about every student, faculty member and staff member at The University of Texas at Austin regularly accesses the university network. If one password is breached, all of the computers on the network are put at potential risk for hackers, viruses or worms. We each need to do our part to protect computing resources at the university. Just remember, a network is only as strong as its weakest password.”

Article used: http://www.utexas.edu/its/secure/articles/importance_strong_passwords.php

picture found on Google