Twitter + Conference = !?!?

I followed the Twitter feed for about one minute before I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I don't know if it is because I am older or what, but I felt overwhelmed by the hundreds of streams of consciousnesses that were bombarding me while I was trying to pay attention to the messages from the prophets. Also, I did not feel that it was a good use of my mental energy to read the exact same thought over and over again.

Position Vlog: What I Have Learned About Technology

Literary Extravaganza

Cyberspace surrounds-

We control our life's output-

The input survives.

Tools move what we use-

Potential for destruction-

Wisdom keeps safety

Time 2

I wrote, in a previous post, about time and how it is the most valuable commodity. Now I would like to talk about balance. When deciding how to use our time, it is important to remember "moderation in all things." Too much of a sedentary lifestyle is not good for the body because we neglect our muscles, but neither is too much exercise because we are then neglecting the need for our bodies to rest. Similarly, investing too much of our time into any one activity causes us to neglect other important aspects of our lives.

Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives

It used to be that at least two or three generations would come and go without any major technological revolutions. Now advances in technology are coming so quickly, it is becoming harder and harder for one generation to stay in touch with the next. Whenever my three year-old son sees me working on my laptop, he comes over and tries to touch all the icons on the screen to no avail. It always frustrates him that this never makes anything happen. A moment later, we will be playing with our iPad, and I must admit that he can already navigate it faster than I can. This shows that there is already a gap, albeit a small one, between his generation and mine. However, if I am not careful, this gap will grow to the point where I do not understand anything that is going on in his world. It is my responsibility, as it is the responsibility of all adults, to educate the next generation to keep them safe and help them succeed in their endeavors. Without understanding the technological world of the next generation, the older generation will be severely handicapped in fulfilling this responsibility.

Revolution OS: Sharing

All individuals possess unique perspectives. This includes perspectives on philosophies and solutions to problems. without sharing these perspectives, there would be no progress. I may have a solution to a problem that is effective but lacking in efficiency, while someone else has a solution that is not as as ideal, but can be arrived at much more quickly. If we combined our ideas, we would have a new solution that would be better than either of ours separately. Without his collaboration I may never figure out how to make my solution more efficient. He and I now have a choice. We can share our ideas and give the world the best product possible, or we can guard our perspectives in hopes of receiving credit and praise.

Time

The most important thing Heavenly Father has given all His children is time. He has given all of us a chance to make the most out of this mortal existence. We can use this time to acquire knowledge, develop physical strength, and serve those around us. How to use our time is the most important decision we will ever make. One day Heavenly Father will ask us, "How did you use your time?" and we will be rewarded according to the decisions we make. This is a very personal choice, and we will never be forced one way or another. The best thing for us to do is to make use of all the wisdom around us. We are surrounded by people and books that are filled with experience and knowledge that can help us make this choice. The best source for advice is, of course, our Heavenly Father Himself. Through prayer and the influence of the Holy Ghost we can know what the best use of our time is at any point of any day.

Property: A State of Mind

Property only exists after it is claimed. Let's use land as an easy example. Take all the people off the earth and it is a big ball of land floating through space; there is no property anywhere. Throw the people back on the earth and they will walk around in search of a place to settle; there is still no property. When someone finds a piece of land he likes, he claims it and then property comes into existence. It is then up to him to give the property the amount of protection he feels it deserves. He could allow people to come and go freely, or he could set up precautions to try to keep them out. If anyone approached that he deemed to be an intruder, he would need to fight them off or have his property damaged or taken away. This applies to all kinds of property. If anyone creates a work of art, or innovates some new invention, it is not property unless it is claimed and protected.

His House is a House of Computers... uh, I Mean Order

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, declared in modern times through his servant Joseph Smith that "[His] house is a house of order, and not house of confusion" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:8). There is nothing that can maintain order and remove confusion better than a computer. Computers were invented to calculate and manipulate data. The Church has a lot of data it needs manipulated whether it is to store the essential information of all its millions of member, or to calculate the dimensions of its next building, the computer is the perfect tool to provide these services. It is no wonder that in this the dispensation of the fullness of times, the Lord provided a way for this amazing tool to be invented.

The Cuckoo's Egg: Tools Used For Harm

"Guns don't kill people. People kill people." This statement can be generalized and rewritten as, "Tools don't do harm. People do harm." The world is full of tools that were invented to improve it. There are pencils for writing down thoughts and ideas, hammers for building houses and furniture, guns for protection and gathering food, and computers for communication and storing information. Unfortunately, the world is also full of people who would use those tools for harm. Hammers, guns, even pencils can be used to cause unneeded physical harm to others. Pencils can also be used write lies and hurtful words that can harm the reputations of others. And a computer, in capable hands, can access private, protected information that should never be shared without permission. Some might say, "We just need to take away the tools." This is a horrible solution. Without tools there would be no progress. The better solution is to establish rules and regulations around the tools and setup institutions to enforce those rules.

Current Event 2/5

The article

Bill Gates could not stay way for long. He is one of the few men who could literally do anything he wanted with the rest of his life. He could buy an island, relax and play X-Box nonstop. Instead, on his break he got involved in multiple philanthropist activities. This man just cannot settle down. The author of the article did not even find it noteworthy to mention anything he did with his family during his time off. So apparently investing time and money into charities is more worthwhile to him than investing in his family; is there something wrong with this picture? Now, after enough of a break, Bill has decided that it is time to do more of what he knows best, which is moving forward the newest innovations in technology. Bill Gates is a man who will be actively involved in one movement or another for the rest of his life.

Current Event 2/4

The article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/technology/with-new-app-facebook-aims-to-make-its-users-feeds-newsier.html?_r=0

Zuckerberg is at it again. He seems to be trying to provide the only sources of information that anyone will ever need. First he brought all the personal information of his users' friends and family into one place, and now he is trying to bring the rest of the information that they are most likely interested in into one place as well. This new tool should minimize searching through the internet and various websites for new information. However, it will never be able to answer immediate questions, nor will it be guaranteed to always show pertinent information. No doubt, if this new tool is successful, newspapers will become more and more obsolete. It is easy to imagine people waking up in the morning and the first thing they do is check their Facebook feeds, and then check what has been added to their Paper feeds. The fact that a good portion of the information being provided is chosen by actual humans is a plus as well. We shall see how successful this will be.

Smallish Post 1/30

Heavenly Father is a god of technology. Over 2600 years ago Lehi found the Liahona on the ground outside his tent. This little ball, containing arrows that pointed his family's way through the wilderness and displaying written messages that changed periodically, must have seemed as much of a miracle to him as the Red Sea parting for Moses. This little ball seemed miraculous to me as well when I was a child, but now I make messages appear on screens around the world every day. I also regularly use little boxes that point me in the right direction to keep me from getting lost. It is no coincidence that this Liahona-like technology is so prevalent today in the dispensation of the fullness of times when it is needed more than ever. Connecting all the children of Adam is going to require literal connections for the sharing of information and linking everyone together.

Current Event 1/28: Google and Samsung Working Together

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2091460/how-do-you-like-them-apples-google-and-samsung-ink-patent-deal.html

Recently, whenever I have read anything in the news about Samsung, it was usually about the newest patent lawsuit between Apple and them. It is refreshing to read an article about two companies who are trying to work together, especially when one of them is Samsung. I am very excited by the prospect of Samsung and Google working together to improve their products. I do believe in competition and fighting to protect one's investments, however, I also believe that for the most part, more can be gained from cooperation. When I read about the Samsung/Apple disputes, I get the image in my mind of two children fighting over toys. They focus all their energy on deciding who gets to play with what, so much so, that no playing actually happens. Whereas when the children share, they can actually enjoy the toys and be more effective with their time. They can use their imaginations and come up with new and better ways to use the toys. In the same way, I believe that Samsung and Google will be more innovative and will be able to produce better products for the world, which should ultimately be the main goal for any company.