KS Information Technology Blog Final Project

 Computers have been making advancements for as long as many of us have been alive. Technology has been advancing so much that newer generations will have to visit a museum to learn what a VHS is. Despite technology being only what can be seen, there are many other factors that impact how we use technology and what we use it for.  Basic Computer Parts  Computers come in various shapes and sizes, whether it is laptops, tablets, phones, all-in-one, or desktops. The main components will include a motherboard, a central processing unit, a video card – or graphics processing unit, Random Access Memory (RAM), and a drive, Solid State or Hard Disk drive. (Tech, 2019) The motherboard is the main housing unit that encompasses the other components. Through time, technology is developing to reduce the size of these components and improve their function.  History According to BBC news, ‘Scientists Unlock mysteries of the world’s oldest computer’, have reported on a 2000-year-old...

 Network security is no different from leaving a front door to unlock or a vehicle door. Network security can go as far as an unlocked window on the second floor. Each of these scenarios is a security hole – whether it is a virus, spam, phishing, password cracking, or social engineering. These are threats because computers are not smart. (Sean, 2020) A computer is not designed to know who is accessing what. That is why there are security features.  Some symptoms may include a system that is slowed down dramatically or personification through social media. Nefarious people will wrack havoc. A person may also get locked out of an account.  A concern for any individual is if a nefarious person got an IP address for a specific computer. The use of ping could give said individual more information to access the network than what would be normally accessible without security precautions. Something as simple as e-mail spam or phishing can lead to other issues such as viruses or s...

 I have used a multitude of technology systems in aviation through the various companies/positions I held, civilian or military. Whether it is communications, time slots, or tracking. I joined the military because I was told I could not as a woman – so I did. As a quality assurance technician, I worked with a variety of engineers using oracle and other 3D programs for the fuselage of the 787-8/9. Everything was documented and transmitted. In composite areas, the areas were climate controlled. -Depending on the airframe and materials used, would depend on the specifications of temperature and humidity. Food and drinks were prohibited – and I still have a piece of copper in my left eye from a Pratt & Whitney inner skin. In the military, I used multiple forms of technology for traceability, accountability, and reference. Aviation is far more complicated than that. I started working on B-52s where technology was very limited. As I expanded my career to other airframes, the technolo...

  Ping “verifies IP-level connectivity to another TCP/IP computer by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo Request messages. The receipt of corresponding Echo Reply messages is displayed, along with round-trip times. ping is the primary TCP/IP command used to troubleshoot connectivity, reachability, and name resolution. Used without parameters, this command displays Help content.” (Microsoft, 2021) Ping can also test the computer’s IP address for the transference of data. For the international websites, I used Netflix. The availability of Netflix shows/movies is not always global. In order to adjust this is to change the VPN (virtual private network) to the location of which show or movie you would want to watch. For Netflix in the UK and Japan, four packets were sent, and four were lost. The request has timed out four times on each. The UK and Japan had 30 hops. Ping will show receptibility between the host and the server. Traceroute will show the route taken. “ In...

  Firstly, file storage. Goodness, the number of files I have and the backup drives. I honestly need to sit down and defragment my own files due to the number of duplicates. “In file storage, data is stored in files, the files are organized in folders, and the folders are organized under a hierarchy of directories and subdirectories. To locate a file, all you or your computer system need is the path—from directory to subdirectory to folder to file.” (IBM Cloud Education, 2019) These files can be stored on the device itself, on an external drive, or in the cloud. I have already stated I am not the most digitally organized person out there. I do have backup documents. I maintain records dating back five years and kept records of EVERYTHING in the military. This is important for tax reasons, incompetency reasons, security, and as a failsafe. I use cloud computing and a backup hard drive. I generally work from multiple devices depending on where I am in the country at the time. I do no...

 Blogs are a wonderful source of information, whether casual or looking for more information. Methods of blogging include product reviews, educational posts, ideas, and more. Blogging is like journaling, except it is public. Bloggers can generate revenue from posting and including ads.  To start a blog, you need to know what it is you are going to blog about. After determining the topic, you would move on to the target audience. Whitney Bonds explains how to match keyword searches for a target audience using Google. Whitney states that she will start blogging by “promoting a product or service in my articles that I’m writing so I can make money through affiliate marketing…” as a first step (Bonds, 2022) The best way to reach a target audience is through search engine optimization (SEO). When starting a blog, it is more of a focus on the website. WordPress is a method to help build a website. In the YouTube video How to write a technical blog post by Quincy Larson, Larson goes ...

  For this week’s discussion, I am going to review an app I am not the most familiar with but is one I use to keep in touch with friends and family overseas. We use Signal Private Messenger. It is wonderful for me because I can send videos of the pups doing the weird things they do to my husband. We went to the dog park today and a squirrel made questionable life decisions by trapping itself in a tree with multiple hunting dogs within proximity. I was less limited on the timing of videos sent, unlike other applications. *Please note, the squirrel did survive, and hope it counts its blessings – or acorns. Unsure what a squirrel’s thought process is personal. Also, the squirrel never came down; however, that would be a race to be seen for the ages. As I am relatively new to Signal, I decided to research a bit. I have been keeping an interest in the discourse in Iran currently and was very appreciative to see that Signal is working to connect to people in Iran, as currently, there is ...

 Reflecting on creating a journal entry, calculations, percentage generation, developing a presentation, and database utilization - my experience with software applications has been refreshed. There are pros and cons for each application. The type of document being created will determine what application is best suited, whether it is building a spreadsheet, presentation, or letter.  The functionality of Microsoft Word is for creating documents, calendars, letters, and other literary works. Microsoft Word is a pillar in academia. Microsoft Excel is an impressive application. The ability to solve complex problems and generate graphs, statistics and other formulas is great for math courses or for noticing trends. Microsoft PowerPoint can compile all the data from the other two applications and create a presentation that is easy to follow, and all the key points are communicated. The database application is the method by which all these documents are submitted through the Universi...

 Although I do not speak any computer languages, I do know how to cook. The ability to create something out of almost nothing with a task-by-task, step by step is an amazing concept.       Compare/Contrast  Programming languages are the foundation on which technology operates. According to the text, TEC 101: Fundamentals of Information Technology & Literacy, it has a likeness to cooking. A program must follow the step-by-step outline to operate glitch-free. A roux cannot be made by adding flour to the pan first, prior to the binder (such as butter or lard). Technology requires a specific sequence of events to carry out tasks, just like a roux. This is considered an algorithm or “a sequence of events that solves a problem”. (Vahid, Lysecky, Wheatland, & Siu, 2019) To go from making a roux into a technological program, Scratch is an interactive programming tool, with visual effects, and is a great introduction to the world of programming.  There ...