Tag: tech

Some Thoughts On Being A 21st Century Student

Carl Setzer
person writing on notebook

I have a few favorite tools that really make school more effective. One: I get my textbooks on Kindle. I have the Kindle app on my computer, plus I have it on my phone and iPad. Having my books wherever I find myself is great. Plus, I can hit ctrl+F and search the whole book quickly. This has been really helpful when I’m struggling to remember “that one command”.

Also, I have Grammarly’s app installed. Being able to spell and grammar check in the browser is a great time saver.

Lastly, I love using Evernote to take notes. I often use paper, and also the note feature within the Kindle apps. But I can scan the papers, and import the Kindle notes, so all of them are in Evernote. Again, being able to search is powerful, and being able to review whenever I have a few minutes of downtime is great.

Life Change Update: July 17, 2020

Carl Setzer

I’m well into the second quarter of my education to become a web application developer. Last quarter I took the first of two graphic design classes, along with a Management class (introduction to Human Resources) and the 100 level Computer Information Systems class. The HR and CIS classes were fine. I learned a lot, and they helped bring me back to speed (it’s been decades since I’ve been a full-time student). However, it was the design class that pushed me hardest. It’s been ages since I studied design. And I value it, so I really want to do good work.

I’ve posted many things I did on my portfolio page. Below are a few I feel the most proud of.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.

YouTube Video Unboxing of an iBook G3

Carl Setzer

I just stumbled upon this video with iJustine and Marques with MKBHD from 2018. I don’t know where they found an unopened iBook G3 in 2018, but that’s particularly cool to me.

Anyway, what’s particularly fun for me: I had one of these! I loved this! And I enjoyed the odd stares from my techy friends. That was especially true when I used the handle. Though that was convenient, especially when I was moving a short distance (didn’t need/want to load it into my backpack), in hindsight, it was rather weird.

Kinda weird that I’ve lived so many of these historic tech moments. I’m not old!

 

 

Social Media, Platforms and Control

Carl Setzer
Social Media

I’ve been kept in the loop about the different groups encompassing the #StopeHateForProfit initiative and their meeting with Facebook a few days ago (here’s a recap of the situation if you need it). Other folks have written about Facebook’s strategy and risks, so I really have nothing to add there. However, one element has given me pause. What happens if the site collapses?

No, I don’t think that Facebook is going to fail simply due to this issue. However, there are a huge number of challenges that Facebook faces, from privacy to a lack of public accountability.  All of that makes me wonder what the breaking point will be? Ultimately, I believe Facebook’s Waterloo will be a combination of all the issues facing it, along with the natural conservatism that comes with huge success and an IPO, and the creation of a challenger. And I have something of a fatalistic view: that the end will come for it. Not that it will suddenly vanish. It’s a well-run business. However, I expect it will simply fade from relevancy once the new thing appears (i.e.: MySpace).

For me, this speaks to the importance of having my own website, my own place on the interwebs. One where I control everything. My own personal brand, I guess. Mainly, though, where my presence is independent of decisions made by some random group of individuals.

I realize that, in many ways, this is a fantasy. This site is hosted by a company, built on WordPress…external factors that I don’t have much control over. However, I can move my site to another host. I can port my blog from WordPress to some other platform if need be. Everything on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, will simply vanish if those sites end.

Now, maybe this makes sense as I’m currently studying web development and design. As I was told many years ago, “having your own domain is the height of being a nerd” (I own that with delight). So, I guess this might be my inner geek. But I see deep value in having my own site, using it as a hub to the rest of my internet presence. And I see the value for you, too.

Finding Your Passion: YouTube’s MrWhoseTheBoss

Carl Setzer

I’ve enjoyed MrWhoseTheBoss (otherwise known as Arun Maini) for a couple of years now. I like his take on tech. As I’m an OS Agnostic (whether we’re talked PCs or mobile), I find his takes balanced and insightful.

As someone who also likes to see people find their passions, and see how they came to that realization, I find his recent video wonderful. Seeing his unconscious progress towards a certain career end with him getting the dream job, then realizing that, no, that wasn’t the dream, struck home. I’ve seen that many times in my own life. It felt good to see him have that realization, see clearly what he needed to do, feel the fear that the non-conventional paths take, and take the plunge anyway.

Give him a few minutes of your time my friends. You’ll be glad you did.

Some image art I whipped up

Carl Setzer

Last night I was experimenting with Canva (full disclosure: referral link) and whipped up the image below (shared on my Instagram page). I’ve heard this line a bunch over the past “little bit” (in other words, I have no idea exactly how long I’ve been hearing people say this), and really love the line. Not the most elegant design, but I found it fun. There’s a lot I like about Canva, but I’m not getting rid of Adobe anytime soon. 

Surveillance and Culture

Carl Setzer

In my Human Relations class we’re discussing corporate surveillance. In one of my responses I brought up my concern about how companies, tracking their employees, are then responsible for securing that data. In response, one of my classmates shared this video with me that’s quite relevant. As he described it, it’s a 20-minute Socratic exploration into data security and social surveillance. Some very interesting discourse, for me at least. Powerful questions to ask as technology’s ability to track our every move grows daily.