Artists and Creativity

In the third episode of Triumph of the Nerds, Steve Jobs introduces the idea that "good artists copy [and] great artists steal."  While not entirely false, I disagree with the wording of this statement.  Stealing is taking credit for someone else's work and is not artistic.  In my opinion, great artists have the ability to not only take inspiration from and improve upon the ideas of others but also create their own ideas.  Taking this concept in another direction, I can see how the rise of the internet has led to an increase in creativity, which to me is the root of good art.  The internet is a giant hub of ideas.  People who would have not met otherwise are entering into contact and exchanging ideas and concepts.  On the flip side, there will always be people produce unoriginality in hopes to glean a share of the success of already-popular ideas.  The internet is replete with examples from both ends of the spectrum.  I believe that great artists are still around and that the internet has been a catalyst in helping them create great art in whatever form it may be.

Apple Attackers

Article

Mac or Windows - a question is sure to evoke an emotional response from almost any computer scientist.  Apple users tend to tout claims of greater security, to which Microsoft fans generally don't have much to say.  It's true.  It is common knowledge that Macs get less viruses than Windows machines.  But is Apple's security really all it's talked up to be?  Recently, there have been a number of security breaches, including the leaking of celebrity photos and the bug in the Unix, the operating system upon which Mac OS is based.  Both of these security breaches happened very recently.  While two occurrences does not define a trend, it is certainly alarming to note that they happened so close to each other.  While steps were taken to correct these mistakes, the fact that they happened in the first place is troubling.  As Apple products have and continue to become more credible and popular alternatives, I believe we will see an increased attention from people with malicious intent.

Will bitcoin dominate the market?

http://www.cnet.com/news/bitcoin-gains-support-of-cryptography-think-tank/

I recently read an article about the bitcoin, the relatively recent virtual currency.  This article discussed the emergence of Coin Center, a nonprofit organization that proposes to research the political and implications of bitcoin becoming a prominent currency.  I am not an expert on the bitcoin system, but I do know that there is a limited supply of bitcoins.  I don't know much about economics either, but having a limited supply of currency seems more natural to me.  That's one of the reasons that I support the efforts to understand the economic implications of adopting such a system.  I doubt bitcoin itself will ever become a dominant currency, but I believe that it can add a layer of stability.  I also like that it isn't regulated by a central bank or by a government agency.  It is based on the internet, and bitcoins are available to "miners" across the world.  The bitcoin system strikes me as pure economics, unmarred by the touch of greedy politicians and banks.

The Societal Impact of Technological Advances

     As I read "Five Things We Need To Know About Technological Change," by Neil Postman, I was surprised at how many of his ideas I had never before considered.  To a degree, I can perceive in our current society each of the five topics he identified.  I have never considered myself naive in regards to computers and technology - I like to think I have a fairly balanced view when it comes to weighing the pros and cons.  When I thought about it, I realized that when asked to talk about computers, I tend to focus mainly on the positive side and pass over the negative.  I think that as a society, we need to be aware of such ideas as Postman's - all developments come at a cost and can forever change aspects of society as a whole.  Technological advances, in my opinion, are taken for granted - we often overlook the scope of their practicality and allow them to dominate our lives.  As Postman stated, we must be ever attentive, "that we may use technology rather than be used by it."