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.