Embrace Technology

1. Embrace Technology Andy Pedisich Technotics, Inc.

2. Some Notes About This Session… • This session was developed in Microsoft Powerpoint • It is available for download on my blog in both Powerpoint and PDF format for easy reading • http://www.andypedisich.com • Thank you for the opportunity to speak at Medford Leas!

3. What We’ll Cover … • Understanding the relatively rapid growth of technology • Building the Internet and the World Wide Web • How technology and the Internet has changed the world • Using technology and preserving family fundamentals • Exploring the highs and lows of Social Media • Determining which new technology is right for you • 10 Things Our Kids/Grandkids Won’t Know About • Wrapping up

4. The Birth of Modern Technology • In 1946, ENIAC was born! • The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer • Designed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert • Built at the University of Pennsylvania • That was way before Facebook • But the start of something really big

5. 1961 • The first 15 years of technology developed rather slowly • Which gave me a chance to grow up a little • I was soon 11, and old enough to get into trouble

6. Small Beginnings • In 1961 I saw a computer face to face • It happened at an “open house” visitor’s day at • Brookhaven National Laboratory • A multipurpose research institution funded bythe U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. • This is an aerial shot of the lab • Note the cool cyclotron particle accelerator

7. A Challenge for a New Mind • They had finally created something I could appreciate • A computerized game of Tic Tac Toe • This picture doesn’t do it justice • It was 9 TV sets strapped together

8. Me Against the Machine • After waiting in a long line of other children, it was my turn • I was beaten by the computer • Then I asked to play a second time • The scientist running the game looked at me, then looked at the line of kids, and said, “OK. One more time.” • It was a tie game • I never forgot that moment – it was an “aha” moment • The computer was not going to win • I was going to rule the computer

9. Time Passes • Flash forward to 55 years later • I am a business major, who became an English major who studied Beowulf and Milton’s Paradise Lost • Only to become a computer scientist working with messaging and collaboration systems • All because I embraced the technology I saw that fateful day in 1961

10. Fun Facts About Growing Up in the 50’s and 60’s • Phone facts: • My first phone number was 8201 • The phone had a very short cord – possibly 5 feet • There was a special chair next to a small table where the telephone was kept • There was a special pad where you could take notes • There was an aquarium next to the phone so you could have something interesting to look at while you talked • The only way you had a phone in the car was when you were moving to a new house and were taking it with you

11. What We’ll Cover … • Understanding the relatively rapid growth of technology • Building the Internet and the World Wide Web • How technology and the Internet has changed the world • Using technology and preserving family fundamentals • Exploring the highs and lows of Social Media • Determining which new technology is right for you • 10 Things Our Kids/Grandkids Won’t Know About • Wrapping up

12. The Building of the Network • Even though computers were not a new thing in the 50’s there were very few of them around • Computers were still very large and mostly used for the military • Then in 1969 the world's first multiple-site computer network -- was created • It was called Arpanet and it was the great grandfather to what we now call the Internet • That was 44 years ago • The National Science Foundation says that during the 1960’s there were only 4 computers that used this network • http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nsf-net/index.jsp

13. Here’s What the First Four Users Looked Like • The first four users were giant main-frame computers

14. Networks and Personal Computers • Flash forward another 11 years to the 1980s • Now it’s starting to get personal • Companies like Atari, Apple, Commodore and IBM started making small affordable computers • Designed to help people with everyday tasks • Typing letters • Balancing checkbooks • Playing games • By the end of the 80s, “personal computers” or PCs were becoming fairly common in homes

15. We Are Hooked Up Into a Larger World • Millions of workers’ jobs revolved around a desktop PC • If you were into technology in the 80’s you probably had an account on Compuserve or America On Line • Your computer needed to make a phone call using a device called a Modem to reach those services • But you could send mail, play games, and have discussions with a wide audience of other technophiles • The “Bulletin Board” was a place you could share your opinions with other subscribers • The National Science Foundation says that during the 80s there were 159,000 computers on the Internet

16. Come the 90s and the Big Switch to the Internet • The 1990s were the decade when the world really came online • The Internet was slowly coming on line • Colleges were beginning to provide access to the Internet • And data from all over the world became available • All over the world • There were still relatively few people who had access to it • And that was only 10 years after the introduction of the PC • And only a short 23 years ago

17. Along Came a Spider – the Web • Then in 1991 the first web page was launched • We now call this the world wide web • It made it possible for users to easily share text and images and multimedia files • The Internet browser was created • The uptake on this new phenomenon was amazing • People came on-line by the hundreds of millions • The new digital frontier came of age

18. The Internet Grew Like Weeds in your Garden • The National Science Foundation said this about the 1990s and the Internet • “Entire new industries sprang up (and in some cases crashed back down) as humanity embraces the biggest technological breakthrough since the Industrial Revolution.” • “The Information Age had arrived and the world would never be the same.” • During the 1990s, NSF history says the number of users on the Internet grew to 248 million!

19. 2000 and Beyond • Networks were improved to support the business of the Internet • People started making their careers out of working either on or for the Internet • The Internet has continually improved in both how it works and how we use it • It’s faster, it’s mobile and on our phones and all other devices • From televisions to refrigerators, just about everything you can think of uses the Internet • During the decade following the turn of the century The Internet grew to more than 1,200,000,000 users • Billions of people are on the Internet

20. The Internet in 2007

21. Where We Are Today • As of June 2012 more than 2.4 billion people have used the Internet • That’s over 1/3rd of the world’s population of humans • And things will just get better • The new generation of young people will take it to the next level

22. First – Another Fun Fact about the Fifties • Flashback to the 50s before modern washers and dryers • This could have been a picture from our kitchen • I think we had a Whirlpool washing machine

23. What We’ll Cover … • Understanding the relatively rapid growth of technology • Building the Internet and the World Wide Web • How technology and the Internet has changed the world • Using technology and preserving family fundamentals • Exploring the highs and lows of Social Media • Determining which new technology is right for you • 10 Things Our Kids/Grandkids Won’t Know About • Wrapping up

24. The Incredible Speed of Communications • Enables us to communicate with people around the world in seconds • Picture this… I’m on the phone with a friend In London • I send him an email with a new picture of our grandkids • 10 seconds go by • “Did you get it yet? No? How about now?” • “There must be something wrong with the Internet!” • We are amazed when it takes more than a few seconds

25. The Value of Instant Communication • Enabling fast communications was especially useful during the Arab Spring • There is much debate about the role of Social Media like Facebook and Twitter • Were they the main instigator of the uprisings, or just a tool? • No matter which, the perception of Social Media has changed • From being a cute way to connect with friends • To a powerful communications tool • Allowing people to stay updated about protests • Helping protesters stay organized

26. A Far Reaching Effect of Social Media • Nearly 9 out of 10 Egyptians and Tunisians surveyed in March of 2011 said they used Facebook to organize protests or spread awareness about them • All but one of the protests that originated on Facebook became a reality on the streets • “…Facebook and Twitter abetted if not enabled the historic region-wide uprisings of early 2011.” • http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/facebook-and-twitter-key-to-arab-spring-uprisings-report • The government reacted by shutting down access to Facebook and Twitter

27. A Force That Seems Unstoppable • But Government attempts to ban these sites ended up backfiring • Over a quarter of those polled said the blocking disrupted their efforts to organize and communicate • But more than half (56 per cent in Egypt and 59 per cent in Tunisia) said blocking the sites had a positive effect • Blocking motivated them to press on and mobilize newcomers • The report said that efforts to block out information ended up • “spurring people to be more active, decisive and to find ways to be more creative about communicating and organizing”

28. Twitter Hacked • North Korea opened its Twitter account in 2010 • It has more than 13,000 followers • The North uses the social media to praise its system and leaders • And to repeat commentaries sent out by North's official Korean Central News Agency. • In early April of 2013, The North's Uriminzokkiri Twitter and Flickr accounts stopped sending out that kind of content • They had been hacked! • Uncomplimentary pictures of North's leader Kim Jong Un were posted instead, along with negative language • This does not help to de-intensify the situation

29. Countries Conduct Warfare Using Social Media • The Washington Post reported this in late 2011 • http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-12-18/world/35284991_1_isafmedia-abalkhi-social-media • “Terrorist networks are spreading their message, recruiting sympathizers and are connecting operationally online,” subcommittee chairman Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) said in opening remarks, according to a transcript • In tweets, the Taliban calls foreign troops “invaders” and Afghan security forces “puppets” or “cowards” • Reports of battlefield victories are grossly exaggerated, U.S. military officials say. • “Most of the stuff we see is propaganda”

30. Al-Qaeda Faction Takes Battle to Twitter • This is from an Associated Press news release • “Battered by a French-led military campaign in Mali,al-Qaeda’s North African arm is trying something new tostay relevant: Twitter.” • “The PR campaign by the terror network seeks to tap into social grievances and champion mainstream causes such as unemployment, all in bid to reverse decline and win new followers.” • Note: As much as we’d like to, we cannot control what happens on the Internet and the World Wide Web

31. On the lighter side, “Hey, wuts up. I’m in Rome. Where u b?” • Six million people are now tracking Pope Francis on Twitter • Follow the Pope on his Twitter Account @pontifex • The Spanish version is reported to be the fastest-growing of the account’s nine languages, with 2.046 million followers • http://www.firstpost.com/world/pope-francis-now-has-huge-following-of-6-mn-on-twitter-723701.html

32. And in the “I Can’t Believe It’s Come to This” Category • Library of Congress has amassed 170 billion tweets • Since it began collecting an archive of all Twitter messages in 2010 until this article in January 2013 • And it’s still collecting them! • http://news.yahoo.com/library-congress-amassed-170-billion-tweets-212325910.html# • Twitter is donating its archive to the library • Going back to the first one posted in 2006 • That means at least 3,000 tweets by me will bein the Library of Congress

33. Protect My Precious Tweets • Library Director of Communications Gayle Osterberg wrote in a blog post that the volume of tweets it receives has grown • From 140 million daily in February 2011 to nearly half a billion tweets each day in late 2012 • Librarians have been developing a system to preserve and organize the collection • Now the library is shifting its focus to handle the technical challenges of making such a massive archive available to researchers • Do you have a twitter account?

34. What We’ll Cover … • Understanding the relatively rapid growth of technology • Building the Internet and the World Wide Web • How technology and the Internet has changed the world • Using technology and preserving family fundamentals • Exploring the highs and lows of Social Media • Determining which new technology is right for you • 10 Things Our Kids/Grandkids Won’t Know About • Wrapping up

35. Technology Has Affected Our Family Relationships • Some of the changes are actually positive • The ability to stay in touch over SMS • Short Message Service, or Texting • In some ways keeps our children and grandchildren safer • We know where they are • And when they need to be picked up

36. Texting is Misunderstood • Most schools now have an SMS emergency notification system • A study at Massachusetts General Hospital says that texting gives teens “optimal distance” from their parents • This allows for communications that wouldn’t otherwise happen • Just not while you’re driving • Never ever when you’re driving

37. The Convenience of Phones • If someone had told me in 1971 that everyone would carry their own phone, I would have laughed • And now some of us have two devices • A pad and a smart phone • I never dreamed that we would become so dependent on phones • Since the phones have become “smart” we have additional interruptions like texting, email, games and web sites

38. Our Challenges • Use technology but preserve humanity • The phone must be recognized for what it does to the continuity of daily life • It interrupts it • The phone seems to have a higher priority than face-to-face human contact • How many times have you heard someone say this when their phone chimes in, with whatever ridiculous ring tone they have • “Excuse me, I’ve got to take this.”

39. Phone Call Madness • We’ve got to teach our families and closest friends how this “courtesy” thing really works • This all should be based around the fact that there is this great technology that helps us when we can’t get to the phone on time • It’s called “voice mail” • Clearly there need to be rules • No phone calls during meals • And certainly none taken at a table • Human conversation trumps an incoming call • Courtesy should be expected even in public places like shopping malls and parks

40. Then and Now • 20 years ago when I was peaking at conferences we used portable phones the size of shoeboxes • In a room with 100 people, it was a lock that 15 people had a huge portable phone • And 10 of them would take phone calls during a presentation • With very loud ringers – not custom tones • The phone would ring • Loud conversations would ensue

41. Hear and Now • That situation has changed radically • Now, everyone in the room has a phone • The vast majority are sensible enough to turn it down • And to leave the room if they must take the call • I am delighted to see that change • We still have to make formal announcements before live performances and before the screening of a movie

42. Electronics and Transportation • Let’s get back to the family • A car is a great place to have a talk with your family • Not if you argue – that’s a distraction • Some think a video screen is a great distraction for young passengers • While it beats having to answer this question 100 times • “Are we there yet?” • Video screens in cars are one more tool to dampen communications • If you car has video, clearly state the rules of engagement for when it is used • Such as only for use during trips lasting more than 3 hours

43. Consider this experiment • From The Chronicle of Higher Education • http://chronicle.com/article/Thoreaus-Cellphone-Experiment/125962/ • Thoreau's Cell Phone Experiment • College Professor William Major • University of Hartford's Hillyer College • Here’s the premise • “Itook their smartphones, and the world continued to spin.” • “I took their BlackBerries, and that did not lead to chaos.” • “If I could have, I would have taken their Internet access, too, just to see the looks on their faces.” • And he took them away for 5 days

44. Can Imagine the Peacefullness? • It’s Inspired by Henry David Thoreau's calls for simplicity and solitude after covering Walden in a sophomore English class • The students are generally in favor of conserving, spending less, and (theoretically) living their lives with fewer things • As long they are not asked to do too much • They balk when Thoreau asks them to spend time alone, away from family and friends: disconnected, separated, out of touch • They feared solitude • "I'm not sure how people made it through the weekends without cellphones," one student wrote. • Here’s how it ended up

45. Some Student Reactions to No Phones • Several mentioned noticing the campus for the first time • That there are trees, plaques, and signage • And all manner of people in their midst • Many of whom are texting or talking on their phones even as they walk with their friends • Several students complained that they had missed their morning classes because I had their alarms • One or two said their significant others were fuming mad because they weren't answering texts

46. She’s Not There • Conversely, one male wrote that the "best part of not having a cellphone was freedom from my girlfriend.“ • Not freedom to look for another girlfriend, he hinted, but simply out of a desire for some "alone time“ • "When I have my cellphone on me, she is constantly text-ing me." • For some reason he feels compelled to answer

47. Other Experiments • In a similar experiment at a high school • After the experiment a student wrote that answering a phone or a text when conversing with another human was RUDE! • These were the same students taking calls just a week ago • I have read other experiments by adults where they try to go without their phones for a single day • http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/26/opinion/obeidallah-cell-phone • “Instead of texting or checking my e-mail, I began to actually look at the people I was sharing the streets with.” • “It resembled a movie set filled with extras from all walks of life”

48. The Family and Technology in General • There is an addictive quality to our smartphones, pads, tablets and laptops that can alter our relationships with our families • The family dinner (no devices, please) is still an oasis for family relationships • Talk about the events of the day, good and bad • Have philosophical discussions about culture, religion, politics, and world events • Put down the phones for an hour

49. What We’ll Cover … • Understanding the relatively rapid growth of technology • Building the Internet and the World Wide Web • How technology and the Internet has changed the world • Using technology and preserving family fundamentals • Exploring the highs and lows of Social Media • Determining which new technology is right for you • 10 Things Our Kids/Grandkids Won’t Know About • Wrapping up

50. Use Social Media with Care • Be careful when joining Social Media sites • Anything you post, any opinion, any photo any comment • Will be around for a very long time • There is fun in sharing and see what other people think • Make sure you are sharing with friends and not with everyone in the world • Unless that’s what you wanted to do in the first place • Younger people are famous for posting things that might make it difficult to find jobs in the future • Employers have found it necessary to check out job candidates on Facebook prior to hiring