Growing Up Online

Not surprised:

1. People have relationships online
2. It's hard to control what kids do online.
3. Many teens do not know what to do without the internet.
4. Parents are unable to control internet behavior since teens bypass internet surveillance.
5. People insult themselves through social media.
6. Teens use the internet for plagiarism.
7. Teens send naked pictures of themselves through the internet.
8. Teens use the internet to try different identities.
9. Teens use the internet to feel as different people.
10. Parents fear is not that they have bad kids but that their good kids will make a bad decision that will mark them forever.
11. Teens never tell their parents anything at all.
12. The internet is always an open listener, and one very seductive.
13. Parents easily ruin a children's High School life.
14. Cyber-bullying may happen with rumors of homosexuality.
15. Cyber-bullying can lead to suicide

Surprised:

1. 90% of teenagers are online. (I thought that since there are many areas of the world without internet access, it would be much less)
2. Teens think the internet is to complain about adults. (why would they think this? Can't they complain about adults without the use of the internet?)
3. Teachers need to act as entertainers to catch the teens' attention, and teachers think of themselves as entertainers. (I find this funny, since I can't believe a teacher would consider his/herself a clown)
4. Teachers let students take over when they do not know how to do something (technologically speaking). Most teachers at CNG don't even use technology appropriately and freak out whenever a student wants to help.
5. Some teens believe that no one reads books, that everyone uses "Sparknotes". What were e-books created for? 
6. Some teachers have decided to accept the reality, and believe they should not fight against web. Come on? Teachers not fighting against non-reading and summaries?
7. Travis, New Jersey is 4 hours from Manhattan in train. I don't even know where Travis is.
8. Teens used to believe that since they are home nothing will happen to them. Come on, can't a bully go to their home and throw rocks at his window with a bang of friends?
9. Parents put computer in the kitchen so that they can put an eye on their children. Found it funny, they could also use internet filters and other stuff.
10. Teens do not give their Facebook password to their parents. Parents could be able to figure them out anyways.
11. Parents are not able to force their kids' Facebook passwords out of them. Why don't parents just slap them or take some privileges away to obtain the password?
12. Most kids are not looking for trouble and just socialize with school friends. At CNG, most students do not only socialize with school friends.
13. Teens should stop being considered victims and more like participants. How come parents do not know this? It is teens the ones who upload all those nasty pics. 
14. Anorexia is called Ana and anorexics pray to a goddess called Ana. I really don't know much about Anorexia.
15. I'm surprised that parents were surprised that students put a video of them getting drunk. Did they now know about their kids getting drunk before? How could they not be surprised?
16. I'm surprised parents were surprised to hear rejections of social help. Most parents are careless about their children, why would they want other people to get into their life?
17. Internet has created the largest generation gap. Didn't know this.
18. There webpages that tell you the best way to kill yourself. Didn't know this.
19. These webpages still exist. Found it!

Stuff that has changed:

1. "Crank that boy" is no longer Youtube's most viewed video
2. Myspace has changed interface.
3. Computer Hardware
4. Computer software
5. Cellphone Hardware
6. Cellphone Software
7. Facebook and Myspace have more users now.
8. Travelling by train has decreased exponentially.
9. Internet Explorer is not really used now. 
10. Video Games are much more common.
11. Microphones are now usually incorporated into the computer hardware.
12. Computers no longer have a box attached to the back.
13. Internet has grown.
14. Many more internet safety campaigns nowadays.
15. Keyboards have changed in design and color. (white to black; or at least most, nowadays)

Spyware and Bots

What I know about Spyware and Bots:

• Spyware is a type of virus
• Bots usually refer to robots.
• There are different types of spyware
• Spyware is hard to detect on your computer.
• You must allow spyware to get into your computer through a file or link (unconsciously, of course).
• Unwanted Software

My Questions:

• What types of spyware exist?
• What do bots do to your computer?
• How could you program spyware? Is it hard?
• What programming language is Spyware written in?

Links:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OOUu_SFl_o
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz8t05og7Vw

Learned:

• Spyware can slow your computer and display pop-ups
• Eliminating Spyware can be a real pain
• Most Spyware infections come from installing free software downloaded from the Internet
• Mac has less probabilities of getting infected by Spyware
• Bots allow people to deliver information to your computer, especially malware and spyware.
• Viruses are simply "meanware". They are only meant to damage your data and computer.
• Selling data on the black market was a 67 billion dollar business (2008)
• Bots propagate enormous amounts of 'wares'.
• Ordinary Virus Protectors (Anti-Viruses) do NOT protect you against malware and spyware.
• Data is worth a lot of money.

How does it connect:

Now I know the difference between all the types of computer infections. I can now be more careful and be completely sure that my anti-virus program includes spyware and bots. I'll have to be more careful when choosing my next anti-virus program! Since I now know the difference between all these "sicknesses" I can now differentiate the "symptoms" of each and know what to do in each situation. 

Questions I still have:

• What programming language do bots and spyware use?
• How do you program a bot or spyware? Is it hard?

Design Project Day 5

LEARN PHASE

1. Unable to gather feedback.
2. We believe we didn't really meet the goals of making this game fun. The game was destroyed by the lack of  a display pane (cellophane in this case). Yes, the game would've been fun, if someone had brought his cellophane. It would've decreased the losing possibilities in the game, and engaged more people. But, since there was nothing to hold the ball back, the kids probably lost in most of the rounds. Also, while carrying it there, it was destroyed by movement.
3.
a. What was the biggest problem you encountered? How did you solve it?
Our biggest problem was that our game got ruined after carrying it over to the primary room. We solved it by borrowing some tape and trying to put the game together, and removing some stuff from the game as well.

b. When did you get your biggest "AH HA" idea? What was it?
We got it when we trying to figure out how our game would stand up. It was breaking a branch from a tree to use it as structure, but then we found out we could lean against a wall so it was a lame "AH HA" idea.

c. Who in your group resisted new ideas the most and why?
Sebastian was the person in the group that resisted the most new ideas because he thought that using a branch as main structure was only damaging the environment. He believed that the branch would not hold.

d. What doubts did YOU have about the project and how did you overcome those doubts?
I always doubted how we would make the game stand up. I was completely sure that my group mates would not bring their construction materials but I was to lazy to go out and buy them myself. (I also wanted them to learn a lesson). Nevertheless, I did bring Lesmes' tube (I got confused about which were the materials I had to bring) and some kitchen wrapping paper I had (but too little) because I did not want our project to fail.

e. Who in your group played "devil's advocate" (a person who questions everything, even good ideas) and how did that help the process?
I was probably the devil's advocate since I questioned everything my group mates did. For example I questioned (a lot) Alejandro's ideas of using a branch as main structure. I did not go against it, but I asked if it was ultimately necessary to damage the tree. This helped the process because it made us think deeper and take into consideration more stuff.

f. What did you learn about yourself, teamwork, and the design process?
I learned that you must always distrust your partners because they will never do what they need to do. Yet, I learned that teamwork works great in building projects because it is hard to hold something up and glue stuff on it, at the same time without any help. I learned somewhat from the design process but I consider it a stating of the obvious. The design process is practically logic put into words.

Design Project Day 3

CHOOSE PHASE

1. Yes our game matches what we believe is fun for an elementary (3rd grade) student. We believe this because of it is appealing and a game everyone knows how to play. It is easy yet complex and intricate. Our game is entertaining and easy to win (but not too easy).

2. We want to keep its complexity and variety of obstacles. Its appealing nature is something we should keep and cherish as well. 

3. We will simplify its point system so it is easier to play.

IMPLEMENT PHASE:
1. To build our ball fall:
- On a 1.20 meter long cardboard glue some wooden pegs (each measures 2 inches).
- Cut out 2 cardboard inclined planes and glue them respectively on empty spaces on the base cardboard.
- Get 2 "flexible tubes" and glue them on empty spaces on the base cardboard.
- Cut out another inclined plane and glue a Yogo- Premio base as cup on one side of the inclined plane.
- This last inclined plane will be tied to a peg and the peg is the only thing that connects the "now-see saw" to the base cardboard.
-Cut out a collar of cardboard and glue this to the top of your recent creation. It should form a type of cone.
- Cut out 2 3 in. x 1.20 meters pieces of cardboard and glue them to the side of the base cardboard. (as if they were walls).
- Get some cellophane paper to cover the front of the creation. (kind of a display glass)
- At the bottom add cardboard divisors and mark different point scores for each space.
- Add any necessary cardboard pieces to support the main structure.

2. Materials: cellophane: Sebastian
Tubes: Lesmes
Yogo- Premio cup: Jack
Wood: Jack
Ball: Jack

Design Project Day 2

PROTOTYPE PHASE
1a. My model has the most strengths because it has the most details and is the most intricate.
1b. From Sebastian's: more inclined planes. From Lesmes': increase difficulty by changing point values.
1c. We might need more tubes and decrease the model in size.

2. Picture of our arcade game.

3. Feedback:

Good:
Decreased possibilities of fail, (keeping the ball inside)
Varied structure
Entertaining
Easy and simply but fun
Original and Creative


Bad (consider changing):
Be able to explain it well/ set of instructions.
Change funnel.

Design project-day 1

Alejandro Lesmes, Jack Akerman, and Sebastian Fernandez de Soto

DEFINE PHASE
1. For: Elementary. Boys and girls.
2. Intermediate.
3. a. Fun
    b. Prizes
    c. Entertaining and enjoyable
    d. Neither easy nor hard
    e. Catch attention and have a certain comfortable size.
    f. Elaborate and complex
    g. Affordable

RESEARCH PHASE
1. a. Jacob's Arcade
        This game was fun because it was dynamic and a bowling knock-off, making people relate to the game easily.
The game was bad because it was too easy and if you were unable to put the ball in one of the holes you could roll again. Also, it didn't catch the player's attention.

   b. Jack Black's Kids Make Cardboard Arcade Inspired by Caine's Arcade
      This game was good because of the age of the kid who made it. The blockers were a good detail to it.
This game was pretty bad. You just had to throw a ball through a hole and it was too simple and not complex so it didn't catch your attention.

   c. Ezra's Pinball Machine
     This game was the best of the previous ones because it is much more elaborate and the CDs grab your attention. The bad thing about that game was that the flappers went over the ball and didn't work well. I would've added sounds or other obstacles as well as a spring or two.

IDEATION PHASE
1. Ball Fall (pegs)
2. Good Stuff: emotional and causes anxiety as well as nerves. Its a dynamic and simple game, yet not so simple.
3. Flaws: Pegs might fall down, ball might get lost, things might disassemble. Solution: Glue the pegs especially well. Extra Balls, and be careful when assembling stuff.

Linux

What I know
I know that Linux is a free operating system, such as Windows or Mac OS. I also know that anyone can download it for free and that most computers can run on Linux as well as Windows (or even Mac OS) at the same time. This is done by choosing the system you would like when starting the computer. I think this is called multiplatform computers. I know that its symbol/identity is a penguin.

Questions
1. Is Linux better than Windows? than Mac OS?
2. How does Linux's CEO win financially if it is a free operating system?
3. Are there multiple viruses for computers running on Linux? (as it is for Windows) Or are these a tiny amount (like Mac OS)?
4. Why is Linux's symbol a penguin?
What I learned
http://www.linux.org/
http://www.linuxscrew.com/2007/11/14/why-penguin-is-linux-logo/
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-things-linux-does-better-than-windows/415
http://linuxaria.com/article/is-linux-better-than-windows-8-for-gaming?lang=en
http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/20-reasons-you-should-switch-to-linux-912294
http://www.extropia.com/tutorials/misc/opensourcebiz.html


1. The Penguin is named Tux and it is the Linux symbol because Linus Torvalds was fond of penguins. He made a contest and then told the participants that he liked penguins.
2. Linux virus protection is better and cheaper than Windows'.
3. Linux Desktop manipulation is much more flexible and 'free' without barely any locks and restrictions. (like Windows)
4. Linux is much better than Windows 8 for gaming.
5. Linux is the only operating system of the above that is free.
6. Updates to Linux occur every 6 - 9 months, while Windows takes 5 years and Mac OS 2 years. Also, Linux's updates are free while both Windows and Mac charge for their updates.
7. In Linux, as in Mac OS, you can have multiple desktops, something that Windows does not let you.
8. Linux can run on any platform, from mobile devices to supercomputers. Mac and Windows cannot.
9. Linux is like Mac, malware is practically unheard of.
10. Linux, since it is free, primarily wins money from investments.
11. There are 863 known malware viruses for Linux.

CONCLUSION:
Windows sucks.
This connects to my life because now I have been convinced that Linux is not as lame as I thought. I have been so persuaded that I might even download it. Also, I now see that you can make money from free stuff (which might help spark something in the future). If I ever create something, I now have decided that I'll too create a contest and tell the contestants what I am fond of, whatever that might be at whichever time it might be. Linux was created with the user in mind, with all its versatility and flexibility, so the user feels comfortable with whatever (s)he establishes.

More Questions:
I am still not too sure how Linux makes so much money. How?
There are many other operating systems. Why was Linux so successful?