Discuss the following issues:

1. write a one paragraph summary statement about the article characterizing the main message of the article?


The main message of the article is that the development of technology and science is a sword with two egdes. The fisrt edge is very helpful to the human kind where as the other edge could be very dangerous if we odnt know how to use it. Therefore, the author expresses his concerns about the limits we are imposing on ourselvres in dealing with technology.


2. Who is Bill Joy?


Bill Joy is the cofounder and chief scientist of Sun Microsystems. He also wrote some software such as instructional Pascal System, Unix utilities and the text editor “vi”. In addition, he was involved in the development of JAVA and Jini.


3. what did you find

3.1. interesting about the article?


It was interesting how he was presenting technology and how it is going to affect us in the future according to our present decisions. It was really good to know about his work, because personally we didn’t know who developed “vi” and the worst thing is that we usually use it. In addition, he tries to somehow see the point of the insane and murderous actions taken by Kaczynski.


3.2. not find interesting about the article?


Well, it is strange that a person as smart as him didn’t actually think that all the work he did, would be use for the development of our current technology. He read I,Robot, a book that narrates how machines rise as a new species and try to gain their own power and freedom. By that time, he should have realized that what he was working on might somehow help on the development of robotics’ technology.


4. with which arguments (focused on predicting future developments) do you

4.1. agree


We agree about nanotechnology, it has side-effects. It could be used to help mankind and cures] diseases but at the same time it can cause new diseases, even extinct mankind. Well as every type of knowledge; knowledge is power.


4.2. disagree


“This is the first moment in the history of our planet when any species, by its own voluntary actions, has become a danger to itself”
The line above implies that due to technology mankind has become a danger to itself, while we think that it has been always, since our first steps on this planet. History has taught us how much evil we have and how much destruction we are capable of. The nature of human being is destruction, since the day we were put on this planet. Therefore, we don’t think that technology is the main tool of destruction and rather it is mind-set or nature of human being and technology. “Humans create technology; technology did not create human beings.”


5. does the article relate to

5.1. other topics / themes you have studied at CU?


We have studied the combination of computer science as software courses and we also have taken a lot of humanities courses to moderate our thinking about technology and to have a critical thinking towards it. Being a computer science major we are deeply in need to other humanities and social courses to better define our field.


5.2. to your personal interests and life?


Technology in any ones live has to have limits because every single person is a social human being. Therefore, we want to balance between regular life and technology.


6. how should we react to this article

6.1. on an individual basis?


We should take this article very seriously and seek information about how to involve technology in our lives without haven’t it dictate how we should live.


6.2. on a societal basis?


We have to include seminars in every single job that needs technology in it, so we can teach IT employees and IT people to have balance of technology in their lives. We should also include social courses in the curriculums of computer science and other IT fields.


7. which concepts /names mentioned in the article did you not understand?


None


8. would you consider yourself

8.1. a techno-utopist (“glorifying the future”)


No


8.2. a techno-pessimist (“glorifying the past”)


No


8.3. or how would you characterize your own position?


Our position sits between the two mentioned above because we glorify the past through all the progress human beings have made to make their lives simpler and shorten the distances between each other. We believe all this progress in the past has formed a strong base to build a good future. Even though, the future stays unclear we believe that experiences from the past will enlighten our future.


9. how well have futurists succeeded or failed to predict the disappearance in the digital age of

9.1. paper


They failed in predicting paper would disappear because no matter what fields or subject it is, it is necessary to have hardcopies as a valid and legitimate documents.


9.2. books


they succeeded, formats such pdfs and powerpoints slides have relieved the role of the book as a primary learning tool.


9.3. physical libraries


They succeeded, internet that any other library has and most of time what’s on the internet is not available in any library.


9.4. distances between people


They succeeded, it has become really easy to communicate with people through emails, cell phones, IMs,etc. In consequence, the world has become like a small village.