CS class now prereq for graduation

I recently read an article that claims only 28% of computer science graduates are female.  Only?!  That was a curious word to my eyes.  If I had to guess the national percentage based on my perception of the BYU computer science program, I would peg the number closer to about 4%.  I don't pretend to know why this is the case, but it seems clear from the people that I have talked to that few really know what computer science is.  I had a guy knock on my door yesterday asking if there were any computer science majors in our apartment.  When my roommate and I proudly offered our services, he gladly stated his need.  "Do either of you have a Windows XP installation CD?"  He clearly did not have a sound understanding of what computer scientists do.  At the university there are classes required for graduation.  I had to take Chem 105, English 115, and American Heritage.  I've studied biology, astronomy, calculus, music, religion, cooking, atmosphere and weather, bowling, tennis, music history, physics, dance, psychology, choir, and statistics.  I'm sure I'm not different than the normal student.  In light of the world in which we now live, I think CS 142 should be a required class for graduation.  Maybe when everyone gets a look at how cool programming can be, there will be a more even distribution of the sexes in the field.

Is it Time to Release Our White-Knuckled Grip on Windows XP?

Today, Microsoft releases its new version of Windows, and the initial reactions seem to be positive.  According to CNN's article "Windows 7 born from Vista's frustrations," Microsoft approached the creation of its latest operating system with a new business model.  Instead of building the entire system from the bottom up by themselves, they have turned to the big PC producers for input and suggestions.  Doing so has helped them create a product to compete with new Apple computers, whose advantage lies in having both hardware and software built and synchronized in-house.  Still to be seen is whether the great many who currently use Windows XP will make the migration to the new operating system.  It will also be interesting to observe the release of Google's Chrome OS and the effect this will have on Microsoft's dominance of the PC world.  For now, Microsoft should be pleased with the positive noise about their new OS, and glad they took the time to consult PC makers.  It turns out two brains are still better than one.  

Guns and Keyboards

I recently watched the movie Becket, a movie staring Peter O'Toole as King Henry II of England struggling to govern the Saxons in the mid-1100s.  There is a scene in the movie depicting King Henry and his chancellor, Thomas Becket, hunting on horseback.  It seems to have been the mark of aristocracy back then to be able to go hunting.  What began as a matter of survival became a sport, and it continues to this day.  When I lived in Colorado, I saw firsthand the modern manifestation of this ancient tradition.  It is a ritual of preparation, with guns, bows, camouflage, maps, and vehicles.  Though I have not personally been hunting, I believe I understand what draws man to the hunt.  There is a thrilling emotion that the activity evokes in a person.  Should it surprise us then that in the complexities of modern society, many new avenues are found and traversed to induce such adrenaline?

Cliff Stoll, a PhD recipient in astrophysics and a self-proclaimed remnant of the 60s hippie movement, is far removed from any trait that could be linked to the stereotypical hunter.  He came to work at LBNL as a computer network support employee.  This would have been the sum and total of his work life, but things changed when a routine error correction lead him to the trail of what turned out to be a German hacker.  His natural-born instincts kicked in, and he joined King Henry and a thousand others as man on the hunt.  Though the pursuit lasted many months, he kept detailed records and worked tirelessly, even at times against his boss's wishes.  He interrupted his personal life and in all things gave precedence to seeking out the elusive hacker.  The enemy.  With ingenuity beyond expectation he sought to capture his prey.  Why did he care?  What made him act the way he did?  What we can conclude from this story is perhaps obvious, but it is still interesting.  There is deep within the human psyche a natural desire to triumph, to overcome.  To identify the enemy and defeat him.  We seek to pit our intelligence against the odds and come out victor.  This was the case for Cliff Stoll, and unless I have missed the mark, it is the case for all of us.

The Internet, a Common Language

My great-grandfather was a translator on the USS Missouri as Japanese officials surrendered to the United States.  His knowledge of the Japanese language had been acquired while serving as a missionary in Japan prior to the war.  Without translators, communication between countries would be impossible.  In our day and age when "the world is flat" and by all appearances will continue to flatten, who will provide the communication link among the nations?  For now, the work rests on the shoulders of professional translators case by case, as my great-grandfather in Japan; but other options are emerging.  Enter two familiar names: Facebook and Google.  They both have their own ideas of how the work of translation should proceed.  Facebook says volunteer translators will bear the burden of bringing their website to far-off lands, with the supervision of hired professionals.  Google, as befits their custom, is determined to create a solution using software ingenuity.  Both companies tote signs of success.  For both, the future is translation of user-generated content.  What are the implications?  Do I want the scope of readable blogs to increase several factors?  I don't pretend to have the answers, but one thing is clear.  Whatever side effects of nationality that exist because of common language may soon become null and void.

Family History

It certainly is no trivial task to identify every soul belonging to the human family.  The pursuit is difficult on many levels.  There are thousands of records to pore through.  There is the issue of deciding when two references in two different documents refer to the same person.  How is this information best stored and manipulated?  How do you make a system simple enough to provide functionality to those not familiar with computers, and yet supply ample tools to the more experienced?  I don't claim to have any great knowledge in this field.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a responsibility I assume to become fluent and able in the topic.  I know I should be doing more than I am doing.  One frustration I have experienced, though, is that every time I have tried to get a start into family history, I have not been well guided; I quickly get lost, irritated, and give up.  Now, it's probably my fault.  But, it seems that if the church is going to really get the membership of the church involved, it needs to have a way of bringing on board all who approach with even a modest interest.  Those who can no more than desire to believe.  Those who exercise a particle of faith.  I guess my question is, where is the "Hello, World!" equivalent in family history work?