technology and basic skills

Well readers, although this has been great fun discussing the pros and cons of technology in the businesses, it is time to wrap it all up and bid farewell.  But before I go, I want to provide you with one more issue.

As I said in the very first blog, there has been an enormous increase in the use of computers, not only in their personal lives, but also in the business world. But it was the personal use of the computer that opened the door to the different companies interested in the different affects that the computer could have on their business. Also with the increase in the number of home computers, came more computer owners developing entrepreneurship in many varied fields. Without this growth of technology, routine tasks would probably have taken an enormous amount of time and skills. And it is without a doubt, that the computer can represent the top technology that has been developed in the last century, as it relates to businesses today, no matter what the size. And this advance in the field of technology has presented a large number of opportunities for businesses.

Back in 2003, after a U.S. Small Business Administration produced a survey, which established that more than 75% of small businesses owned computers and had heavily invested in the new technology.  Why is this a fact? Well small businesses found that the computers were useful for their efficiency, speed, cost, and most importantly the capability to handle multiple tasks with less chance of errors.  Businesses also found that it was now possible for business functions to operate on a thing called “autopilot,” which opened new opportunities; Opportunities for software development companies and business consultants to do business.  

But although there are great reasons for technology use in the business world, is it making us humans stupid in the personal world? This does not only apply to the internet or computer software for businesses. A perfect example is this: during this weekend, my parents went to Lowes. The salesperson didn’t know her times tables, at least not without a calculator. I work in retail, and you might be surprised at how many people don’t know how to do percentages. I am often asked if an item is 105% off, because it is already 65% off and you get an extra 40% off when you use a coupon. Come on now, really think about it, that would mean that we would pay you to take an item off our hands. These examples have to do with calculators, which nowadays can be seen as a somewhat pocket sized computer. You can play games and write messages to other people using these special “scientific” calculators. Why learn basic Mathematics?

Another example: right now I am typing this blog on Microsoft Word and then I will copy and paste onto the “bloggers. Com” website. As I am writing, different words are presented with a green squiggly line underneath the word, meaning wrong kind of sentence, but what it doesn’t know is that I wrote the sentence for a reason. This allows people to type in incorrect sentence structures without worrying about it ending up incorrect. The document will correct itself. So why learn English?

So, I ask for the millionth time: is technology ruining the world? It is definitely taking many basic skills and making them unnecessary. How scary is that?

Here are a few different videos on some of the basic skills one should learn:

Percentages:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR8crYu0HiU&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVlm72hDVq8

Sentence Structure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR8crYu0HiU&feature=channel

It has truly been a pleasure to entertain you for the last couple of months,
Elizabeth King


This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice

HTTPS

“Going forward in 2011,” he says, “we are concentrating on some of the other technologies that will be a growing part of the payment-card industry, including point-to-point encryption, mobile-pay systems, and payment cards that have integrated chips.

In my previous blog, I talked about how unsafe it may be to provide personal information on the internet. But now, it is safer depending on what web site you go to. You want to look for “https” in the website. This is the use of a Secure Socket Layer or a Transport Layer Security. It was developed by Netscape to protect people from those people who like to steal personal information by “eavesdropping” on a person’s transactions that requires personal information be provided.

It has become a requirement for merchants who accept credit cards,
 online or offline, no matter how big or small their business is, to comply with the PCI Data Security standards. The reason being that there is nothing more important than keeping the customer’s information  private, this mostly applies to keeping the payment data secure. However, the compliance requirements may vary a little bit based on the size of the
 business. The PCI Security Standards Council was formed in 2006 by MasterCard, Visa, and other networks to manage the evolution of the payment-card industry.

In 2011, things will change a little bit when it comes to the use of credit and debit cards. Restaurants and other businesses who capture and store the customer’s credit and debit card data in their system will be required to meet the updated security standards. Unfortunately the update information is not provided yet. It will be discussed on November 16, 2010 (Tuesday). The latest standards were developed in response to thousands of comments from merchants, banks, processors, and others, and after a pair of community meetings in the U.S. and Europe.

If you are interested in learning more, visit:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7130470471741831613#

https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/

“Today, if you are not PCI-compliant, you are considered to be backward”

Until Next week,
Elizabeth

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice 

One of the biggest things that merchants, including restaurants,

need to understand is where the cardholder data is on their

network.”

Lies in technology

Have you ever felt that the information posted online may be lies? Of that the information is posted to get you to open something that can make your information less safe? If not, you should really rethink that. Information is not always correct on the internet.  Just think about it. Anyone can make a website and put any information on the site that he or she wants. There is nothing to protect you from the lies. But you also have to worry about the people who know how to hack into your websites and place information on your website that would ruin your reputation as well as cause mountains of trouble.

A great example of how these hackers can destroy everything you work for is Mr. James Udohs story. Mr. Udoh started a small scale online marketing business in which he sold information products and help his clients in the advertising of their blogs, products and services for a specific fee. But his business was hurt when someone hacked into his website and began posting negative information about his clients for the public to view. Mr. Udoh swears that he had never given out his password to a third party before. Some of his clients went so far as to threaten to take him to court over this offending information that was published on his website. He lost all of the clients.

Since it began, the internet has transformed from being just a scientific network into a global platform that enables all types of businesses to reach their customers with just the click of a few buttons. Although these businesses are helped by this new invention, these same businesses are facing the increasing threat of hackers who have gained the knowledge to access the important information. Their intention is to defraud. But one thing that hackers can do that may not only destroy your reputation or business but also you computer are viruses. There are currently an estimated 58,000 computer viruses that exist worldwide. But there are approximately 500 new viruses born each month.

According to an ICT Security and Risk Management expert, there has been a 65% increase in the security threats to information systems within the last few years.

You may ask how hackers can break into a company’s system, but they are usually very thorough in their investigation. They may call looking for advice, offering flattery in the attempt to gain the employees' trust. They use this connection to talk their way into getting information about the security and programs your company has in place. They sometimes prey on the employee's confidence in the network in order to gain some of the specific details and shortcomings about your system operations. By using social engineering to obtain even small amounts of information about how your system operates and what programs you use, the hackers can run software on their end that will not only give them greater detail on your system, it can show them how to get inside. manipulating an individual isn't the only social engineering method hacker’s may use. Some hackers are far more direct.


who would have thought that getting access to a  company's system could be so easy, but it can and does happen. Using these tricks are actually quite common.

If you want to read more about this subject you should go to:
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010042816731

I hope you enjoyed this blog!
Until next week,
Elizabeth.

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice 

Is the Internet a Good Shopping Tool?

Have you ever bought anything online? Of course, that may sound like a stupid question. With the number of department stores closing around the United States, people are now being forced to turn to the internet to make their purchases. However, there are others who actually enjoy shopping online instead of going to going to a department store to purchases the same thing. In fact, it can be cheaper to shop online. A lot of websites give a great discount for looking online. You need a new cell phone? Go to the provider’s website and get it absolutely no charge. You need school books that would cost you at least $100? Go to Amazon and find a slightly used book for $37. With the economy the way that it is, people are looking for any ways to save money, and so they are willing to wait the short term while the product is on route to his/her house.

But the million dollar question is: is it safe to shop online? You have to give a lot of personal information, such as: credit card number, name, address, phone numbers, etc. You open yourself to your identity and personal information to be used by someone else. A 2001 National Consumers League poll found that consumers’ feared the possibility of their credit card numbers stolen. It is actually the safest way to pay online, because the liability that you are responsible for is limited to $50 dollars under the Fair Credit Billing Act. And many credit-card companies have a $0 liability policy, which protects you from being accountable for any fraudulent purchases. Of course, there is always fine print. For example, MasterCard’s $0 liability policy only covers U.S.-issued cards, you must have no more than 1 disputed purchase in the last 12 months, and finally the account must be in good standing.

In this world, “eBay” has become like a verb as well as a way of life for many shopping enthusiasts, which use great resources for the online payment, an example of such payment services is; PayPal. Services like PayPal allow you to fund an online account and make payments from that account without exposing your real credit card or bank account information.

These types of services allow you to send money to anyone with an e-mail account, which make them useful for more than auction sites. These payment services have differing fraud protections. In order to dispute a purchase made with PayPal, you have to file a complaint within 30 days of the fraud. You of course, can still file a complaint with the credit card you used to fund your PayPal account.  However, your card's fraud policies may not cover third-party payment services. Because some credit companies view the initial funding of your account as the purchase you made on your credit card. This could mean that if PayPal can't get your money back for you, you might never recover those funds.

 These are a few things to keep in mind when you purchase things online. But here is a video clip about another great way to save money using the internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4giyJRGnQIo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjTDvKTEPVw

Until Next week,
Elizabeth

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice 

Banks and technology

Along with being a paralegal student and cashier at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, I am a bank teller at a bank. Everyday I watch as people put money into their account, which is then managed by technology. You walk into the bank, give your money to the teller behind the line, where you lose sight of the money. You are then printed a receipt, which you must trust includes correct information. You wouldn't believe how many times a teller gives the wrong receipt to a customer, which would explain why balances and account numbers are not provided without proper identification. When you open an account, you usually recieve a little plastic card with a secret pin, which is your money. You want to buy something? Swipe your card/ input your numbers into the spaces (if shopping online) and press a few buttons, and VOILA! you have just been charged. Money has been taken out of your account. This actually causes more people to overdraft their accounts, because many people don't know how to balance a checkbook and they make too many purchases with money they think they have, when in reality they are already in the negative. This can be a huge problem for many people.

Now what about that little plastic card? What if you have a neighbor who watches for your mail, because they are snooping or maybe they are intending to be kind and bring it in for you. They see that little envelope, which anyone cn tell holds something extremely valuable. And most people know that the pin will arrive a few days later. That same person keeps an eye out for the mail everyday and finally gets their hands on the pin. BAM! they now have instant access to any money that you put into your account. And unfortunately mny people don't watch their account and so do not realize that money is being taken out.

And finally, what about those machines that people use to get money, ATM's. Everyday the tellers go out to the ATM to make sure that it is running properly. While doing this, they must check the machine to make sure that there are no cameras on the machine. Now that is a scary thought! someone places a camera and scimmer on the machine, they get your card number as it goes into the machine and the pin number as your fingers go across the keyboards. Another way someone has access to your money. I've heard that many stores have had similar issues. An employee at a Walmart changed out the credit/debit swipe machines with a fake one that would store all card numbers as well as the pin that goes with it and they had instant access to the money.

Now, I know that I have used the same words over and over again "they have instant access to the money," but these are only a few ways that a person can get money from your account without your knowledge, or at least immediately. I didn't mention the shady employees, the fake on-line vendors, etc.

But for now, I hope that you enjoy the video located at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zq1oIq87pY&feature=related

Until next week,
Elizabeth

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice 

Is technology destroying the need for teachers?

I thought that I would discuss a very big issue that has taken over many of my family discussions over the years: is technology hurting the education world. Many people that I talk to are scared that the use of technology will destroy the need for teachers in a classroom. But, I feel that technology is not necessarily destroying the education of our future generations, but helping them.

Through the use of technology there has been a change in the teacher-student relationship. Students are learning the importance of communication with others. The student is no longer playing a passive role in his/her learning, but an active role. Teachers are now able to provide resources for students to find information on their own instead of just giving the information to the students, which teaches students the importance of research. As a paralegal student at Sinclair, there is never-ending research to be done, and in the paralegal/legal world every second costs a rather high price. So if a person enters into the legal world without years of researching practice, they would be completely overwhelmed. This tool (research) is not just used in the legal profession, but it seemed like a good example, most businesses require some kind of research. But while it is the student doing the actual research, the teacher is able to walk around the classroom and answer questions or point the student in the correct path.  The role also changes in that today more students have become more knowledgeable about the different tools technology has to offer, that he/she can teach the teacher different things.

But there is another upside to technology in the educational world. Teacher and students are now able to access information that has recently changed right then and there. If there is a major event that has happened today, the teacher can pull up the channel on a TV or even using the internet in order to give the students the information right as it occurs. It used to be that they could read articles printed days later or wait until the information is provided in history books before trying to teach about it.

And so although, there may be many fears about the constant decrease in the need for teachers in a classroom, there is still a need for them to direct the students down the correct path.

You can read more about the effects of technology on classrooms and its students at www.20ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

Until next week,
Elizabeth

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice 

Movies and Technology

I have to admit that it was the movie industry that really made me realize that technology has played a major role in the damage of several businesses. But looking back, it is hard to believe that in 1977, the beginning of video rental stores, people in the movie industry fought the rental of movie cassettes, because they feared that it would hurt the selling of those films. If only those people saw how technology has changed, and what damage it has caused the film industry.

What used to be a very popular place to go, to get 2 hours of entertainment in our homes, Blockbuster, has now gone bankrupt. This is what made Jessica Vascellaro, Deputy Bureau Chief of Wall Street Journal’s Media and Marketing Bureau, state that “Technology is killing the video-rental store-and a piece of American culture with it.” Because people enjoy the delivery of what they want to them, they have turned to Netflix and on demand. You don’t have to get into your car and drive to a packed video-rental store to find that the movie/TV show that you were hoping to find, has been rented out, resulting in a wasted trip. Although Blockbuster has just now announced their bankruptcy, we have seen a change in the video-rental stores industry for the past decade. Just in 2007, the number of stores had decreased from 23,036 (in 1997) to 16,237. Video stores have been described as inconvenient.  

Although video stores have seen more damage, they are not the only area of the movie industry that has been damaged in the technology craze. It is now just as easy to go online and download a brand new released film to be watched for free. The act of viewing the film online, for free, illegally is damaging the revenue that the film studio would receive from the sales of the tickets to see said film. But why would people want to go to the movies, pay a high price for a ticket, just to end up watching a movie that he/she absolutely hated? Also, why wouldn’t people want to watch the movie online in order to see if he/she liked it enough to pay the even higher price to buy the movie?

In order to really get a feel for these arguments about the damage that technology has caused the movie industry, you really need to visit: "How Piracy Threatens the Movie Industry" at http://www.helium.com/items/1023440-how-piracy-threatens-the-movie-industry
as well as, watch the short movie "Watch digits: Technology Killed the Video Store via MarketWatch Online" at http://www.yidio.com/digits-technology-killed-the-video-store/id/2479605106.
Hope you enjoy!
Until next time,
Elizabeth

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice

Change in Decades

Over the last few decades, we have witnessed a variety of growths. The most dramatic growth occurred in the world of technology. It doesn't seem that long ago that technology had the ability to make our jaws drap to floor in awe. There were no laptops, no cellphones or HD televisions. No one knew what "aspect ratios" were or how they mattered in televisions. There wasn't even internet. Wow, how the world has changed.

Technology has no a become a never-ending competition between companies. A competition that none of the competitors involved will ever win. A competitor comes out with a new product, and its amaizing, but another competitor comes out with almost the same product, only it is better. It has more options, it has more memory, etc. It just has more. Sometimes, a competitor will deliver a product to the consumers, and we are wanting more. Do you see what I mean by a never-ending competition? A no-win situation.

To make matters worst, we do not have to wait for a delivery of product. We now have the ability to buy a product before it is out simply by selecting a few options on a thing called the internet. The internet was something designed as a source of information, which has grown as well as the products that gains us the access. I can go to amazon.com and pre-order a hot item. I can get in my email, where I recieve information concerning hot ticketed items (or at least highly demanded products).

The internet and other technologies have hurt businesses around the world, but then again they have helped others. That is what I will be focusing on for the next nine weeks. But until next week, I will have to leave you this bit of fun information. You can find a timeline of our world and the technoloy growth on the following website http://www.web-friend.com/help/general/tech_history.html.
I hope you enjoy!
Until next time,
Elizabeth

This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business or personal advice