Module 13: What Have I Learned?

      I chose this class because I was interested in the effects technology had on our society. I did not realize just how wired our society is. Technology and the way we use it is not only a tool that we use to our advantage to learn and innovate, but it has changed how we communicate and interact. It constantly changes who we are. I did not just learn enough to pass this class, but I learned more about who we are as a society and what it means for our future. I learned how the world is changing and what it could look like in the next years to come. And I learned about the opportunities and potential available to everyone together and individually. 

      The first thing I learned was how different the world is than I thought it was. When I was reading Friedman’s descriptions of the flatteners I recognized most and remember being a part of a few that I experienced first hand. But there is a lot more to it than I expected. I did not realize how important the Berlin Wall was or that I was using workflow software without know it. I did not know how effective supply chains and insourcing was. It is hard to imagine that the entire world is flattening. As an American, I kind of just expect to go to WalMart and find everything I need right there. I did not consider the amount of innovation and collaboration it took just to get the products there. I think I got my first taste of how the flat the world was in early 2008. I somehow managed to win an auction for an iPhone on ebay for a hundred bucks. Most were going for about four hundred, but mine had a cracked screen and the buttons were broke so I got a good deal. When I put my flip phone in a box in the back of my closet I realized I would never be able to go back. We have to keep updating and downloading to be relevant and current with the world around us. The world becoming flat does not mean that it reached a certain point of globalization, but that it continues flattening everyday. 

      The second thing I learned is that, in order to be successful, it takes more than the skill to perform a job, but also the personality to create a job. Most people used to be employed based on their labor. Companies needed more bodies to complete a bigger job. Now, there are so many tools to create value in an idea that the thing on demand is a great mind to create a job in its own niche. The second half of Fireman’s book is about the type of people that are getting jobs and what the competition looks like now that the world is flat. A new strategy to consider to during my education is that passion and curiosity quotient is greater than intelligence quotient. 

      The third thing I learned is that there is unlimited potential for the amount of collaboration and innovation we can create in the world today. There are more and more ways to work together with people near and far to bring new ideas to life. There is also a new playing field that opens the door for even the individual to grab their own piece of the pie. In the past, it was more of a command and conquer system to provide the things you needed and wanted. By working together, we can actually provide more that then we need and include more people in the benefits.

      Education is key. It is important to know how to use the tools of collaboration because we are working more and more with people over greater distances and with different backgrounds. You have to try to keep up with technology. Things change so fast. What you feel comfortable with right now will change soon and the new way of doing things is already deep into development without you even knowing. I will be coming out of this class with a broader world view and better understanding of how it works from entire countries down to each individual person. 

Module 12: The Future

The future doesn’t need us, but it will take a lot to get rid of us. In an article in Wired Magazine, Bill Joy talks about it concerns of our future and the possibilities that technological advances could lead to the extinction of the human race. The idea is simple, ever since man stood out among other living things on Earth as intelligent we have been trying to invent machines to make our lives easier. These may someday become so advance that they can actually perform our human functions better than we can ourselves and our presence is just simply not necessary. One day a caveman said, “My feet hurt and I don’t want to walk anymore,” and then he started rolling around on wheels. In the near future someone might say, “My brain hurts and I don’t want to think anymore,” and then we will have machines that think for us. The problem is that they could think better than us and decide that they do not need us around. Joy points out some things that many people either ignore, do not understand, or do not know about that could completely change life or end it all together. We have spent so much effort trying to make our lives easier but may not know the consequences of developing out of our limits. 

Joy uses a great description to show the difference between the twentieth century and the twenty-first century. He says that the twentieth century was the century of weapons of mass destruction. That makes sense, with the World War II and the Cold War, the advances in technology were driven towards finding the biggest bomb to gain power. It was not until the end of century that things really took off in the computer world and led into the twenty-first century that is the century of genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics. These new ground breaking technologies were hard to regulate so it was and can be easy to abuse them. Nuclear bombs were used to scare people for power and were used to kill a lot of people. The technologies in the twenty-first century are very useful but can easily be used for destructive purposes. If there was an accident with an atomic bomb, it could cause a lot of damage, as well as if something happened with robotics or nanotechnology that we did not expect, we may not be prepared to defend ourselves. Technological advances really means we can manipulate our surroundings more and more. With genetics we can change and affect living things. Nanotechnology has the power to perform huge tasks with little effort. Robots will do anything we want them to, for now. Bill Joy’s concern is that, as humans, we are focused on developing and keep designing and building without considering the consequences that may arise in the future. 

It is hard for me to think of machines that we built becoming superior and eventually replacing us. It seems goofy that humans with bodies, minds, and feelings would be an unnecessary accessory to the machines, but I do not think Joy is suggesting that they will becoming evil and turn on us like iRobot. I do not think that will happen, maybe because I do not want it to. He is suggesting that if it does get to the point that humans as they are now will not be of value, then it will happen gradually over time so that we will have already accepted it bit by bit when it actually it happens. I do think that could happen. We already rely on machines so much that whether or not we need more efficient and capable ones is not even a question. We will continue to build faster smarter machines and make them more affordable so that everyone in the world has access to the benefits.

I think Joy is correct in thinking that there are problems on the horizon that we are not ready for. All the time, we are continuously amazed by the new products and abilities we come up with. The thought of inventing things we are not ready to handle is not too far off. Most advances and ideas are created for money and physical gain. New products worth a lot of money can easily block out important considerations for effects it could have on society. What we need to do is study all angles even looking may years later if this is something really worth the cash. Moral considerations may slow the process but the thing that worries me is that it is going to happen anyway. If we can imagine it we will find a way to bring it to life, even if it means jeopardizing our own.

Module 11: Film Review Essay

What if computers distracted us from important things in our life? Could we spend too much time trying to innovate and manufacture new products to perform tasks for us, to make day to day work easier, that we forget to preserve and replenish our life and environment on Earth? Maybe, we could spend so much effort on making computers more capable that they actually start to think for themselves above our control and pursue their own agendas even though they were designed to help us accomplish our goals. These are some of the questions I was asking as I watched a movie about Earth several years in the future. It takes place at a time when humans had produced and consumed so much that they ran out of resources and room for excess to the point that they had to vacate the planet, leaving behind robots to clean up the mess. In Pixar’s Wall-E, I think it shows a world a lot like our own; a world where humans are distracted by the advancements in technology to neglect their own and the planet’s needs. And, in search of making machines more capable of thinking on their own, created a computer that turned against its original design and opposed the safety of the humans. 

One way I see computers being used in the film is the way people interact with each other and their environment. Wall-E finds a space ship full of humans that are glued to the screen on their hover chairs and never looking away. They take care of any functions they need to from there like ordering more food and choosing where they want to go. Other passengers on their chairs are sitting right next to each other within feet and they do not even realize other people are there. What they do most of the time is chat with each other over a video call but the ironic thing is that they are talking to the person right next to them. This is exaggerated for most of us today, but I think some people get caught up in the world on-line or just entertained with new technology that they forget the world outside of that network. Some of us today are becoming less active because it is so easy to sit in one spot. Those on the hover chairs became so accustomed that they never got out of them and could not even move on their own. They would go hit virtual golf balls, which meant telling the computerized robot when to hit the ball for them. At one point, a lady was knocked out of her chair and was forced to look around for herself. She notice a nice big pool and did not know it was there. 

The other side of the effect of distractions from real life by computers is the environmental impact it can have. The show starts by showing the clean up of Earth after we filled it up with enough debris and toxins that it was inhabitable. Since the movie portrayed the humans as ignorant and lazy, we can assume that they were that way to begin with, therefore they must have not taken the time to try to solve the problem before it got out of hand. Realistically, I do not think we are going to bury ourselves in garbage, but we already are polluting the planet and using limited resources that are changing the appearance and functionality of the Earth. This is probably because of two reasons: we are getting lazier and do not want to clean up our mess, and we are advancing so fast in technology and developing distractions that we are not taking time to plan for the future and to preserve the environment that  we may not be able to enjoy forever. 

The final way I observed the importance of computers is the capacity to think for themselves. Auto, the autopilot for the ship, was the control wheel that took care of whatever the captain needed to run the ship. When they found a plant on Earth, proving life was sustainable there, Auto tried to get rid of the evidence and keep them from going back. There was a secret file showing that it would not be safe to go back, but he turned pretty evil by choosing for himself which orders to follow, against the current captain’s orders to go back to Earth. I am not sure how realistic computers causing a mutiny is, but if humans become that dependent on them for everything they do, then there may be a day when they could be able to decide what is right. He was really trying to protect everyone by not taking them back to an uninhabitable Earth, but it is the thought of a robot preventing our curiosity that was wrong. 

Module 10: A Logic Named Joe

Will Jenkins was way ahead of his time when he wrote A Logic Named Joe. I don’t know if other people were making predictions as accurately as he did at the time but I think he was pretty spot on. I could try to picture what things will be like in ten or fifteen years, but with all the resources coming together the possibilities are endless. To put yourself in a place thirty years later and have a good idea of the actual scene is amazing. There are some themes occurring in the story that you could analyze but I think Jenkins was simply documenting what he thought the future of the world, including these new thinking machines, would be like. He imagined the possibilities and realized if computers progressed the way he saw it, then there would be some serious consequences to be weary of. 

When Jenkins wrote the story in 1946, computers were huge machines that filled a warehouse and could barely perform some simple math. He predicted that eventually they would shrink and become more powerful at the same time. Everyone in the story had a logic at home and used it for more than just math. They made phone calls from it, watched TV on it, and searched for information from it. Now, almost everyone has a computer and it is probably where we spend the most time at home. I not only make phone calls but can make video calls on my computer, just like they do with their logics. I watch TV over the internet. Any TV shows I want to watch, I watch right from the website or watch games and news being streamed live. Computers are the connection to the internet and if I use it right, I can find information on whatever I wanted to know more about. 

One interesting thing logics were used for was finding that specific information, anything you wanted. In 1946, television was just taking off but was limited in the content. Whether you were twisting your rabbit ears to get a certain channel or finding a a radio station clear enough to understand, you were still only subject to whatever they played for you at that time. Now, if you don’t like what’s on, you find the channel with the specific subject you want or Tevo it and catch it later. If you want to know how to build a working tricycle out of popsicle sticks you can find a series of videos to explain the details on Youtube. Jenkins thought of a network of information that the logics shared and that they could search for and share information. Even though computers were just developing the internet was further down the road. 

Our computers may not be able to solve problems for us but they can kind of think on their own. You can teach a computer how to recognize certain bits of information so that it can collect it and organize it in a more useful way and help answer questions. I do not know of any computers that have committed a crime but I read an article once of a police project where they used logarithms and formulas involving passed information to predict where possible crimes will be committed. 

Along with the day dreamy, fun future stuff, Jenkins realized that with all that power there would still be a down side to oppose the advantages. Adults were using the availability of information for irresponsible use, children were being exposed to content that would probably keep them from developing in a healthy way, and the machines themselves began to think they had better ideas than the humans. I see these things evident in our world today. A lot of people are involved too much in each others private lives with the transparency of the internet. Anybody, whether it be children, criminals or terrorists can find information that could lead to more harm whether they found it on purpose or stumbled on it by accident. And finally, robots have not turned against us yet as a superior life form but I think some of us can rely too heavily on the information and capabilities of our computers. We get wrapped up in the real time updates of the internet and forget to look around solve issues in real life. 

Along with Spiderman, Jenkins understood that with great power comes great responsibility. I would like to go back in time and show him an iPhone.

Module 9: Chapters 13-17

The computer company Dell has an ingenious system of providing computers to the public. Though, computers are a complicated machine, Dell has simplified the production process into an incredibly efficient supply chain. So efficient that every individual part is stocked for a purpose and supplied with precision timing. Someone yearning to grasp their part of the flat world will see an ad for Dell begin the purchase like this: a customer orders a computer providing contact information, shipping information and payment. Also, at order, the customer customizes exactly what hardware and software they want included in their system. When the initial order is complete Dell sends it to one of the six factories it has in different parts of the world. That factory then sends orders to suppliers with warehouses near the factory for all the specific parts to be delivered within an hour and a half. Those suppliers must keep enough supply on hand in order to not lag when Dell demands the parts it needs. In order to protect against falling behind, Dell uses many different manufacturers for each component to make up for any issues that one supplier may have. As soon as the parts arrive at the Dell factory, they are unloaded and sent to certain assembly lines where each computer is built specific to the customers order and loaded with the requested software. Finally they are packaged for shipping and loaded onto a plane to start the delivery of the final product to the new owner, all in a matter of days.

            Al-Qaeda understands how a supply chain works and uses it to its full potential. A supply chain is a way for someone to collaborate horizontally with other people to get the things they want even if it is on the other side of the world. By using a supply chain someone can organize other people to produce something, ship it around the world and put it to use without ever leaving that spot. The flat world allows them to do that by shrinking the world to being easily within their reach. Al-Qaeda put their supply chain to use to carry out the 9/11 attacks. They obtained any supplies and funds they needed over the internet, tapped into talent and services offered in other countries, gained the education necessary to deliver the final product, and the leaders gave the go ahead safe from their office on the other side of the world. Wal-Mart proves that they can collect goods from all over the world and distribute them to their stores without ever leaving Arkansas and al-Qaeda can collect information from all over the world distribute fear to their targets without ever leaving their base as well.

            The curse of oil is a type of tunnel vision. Countries that have been drilling and selling oil for so long are stuck with it because that is all they know what to do. They make so much money that they do not need to venture out and take on more responsibility. I am sure when Bahrain ran out of oil and were forced to consider other options of income, they were glad to get out of the hole of oil because they had a reason to improve their economy rather than rely on one thing because it was easy. The worst thing someone could let happen to themselves or even a country is becoming blocked from innovation because of their inability to use their imagination. In conclusion of the book Thomas Friedman says, “The most important competition is now with yourself” (Friedman 635).

Module 8 Computers in Education

I grew up in a small town. One where we compared our town to the next one over based on how many traffic lights we had. It was pretty exciting when a computer repair store opened up. My brothers and I would ride our bikes there and pay per hour to play computer games. The elementary school I went to jumped on the technology train right away and got a couple of those black and green screened Apple computers with programs to practice math problems and word games. From then on computers in school became part of the curriculum rather than a useful tool. At first, they were helpful to hone skills like math and English that we applied somewhere else, but eventually the focus was turned directly to the computer itself and improving computer skills because jobs in the future would require that as well.

I witnessed some of the old ways being updated to the new ways. Since I grew up during the time that education was really making the switch to the computer age, I saw classrooms being turned into computer labs. In my seventh grade English class I was required to use pen for everything and always write in cursive. Then I would go to my typing class where I needed to get faster and more accurate because my teacher told us that soon every document for school would be typed. I remember thinking that wouldn’t happen because computers were for games, but now I can tell which one stuck. I was always drawing and coloring when I was younger and when my mom got a computer at home for school I began drawing on the computer. In middle school I took a drafting class and learned how to make prints with a pencil, compass, and ruler and it was hard to draw a perfect circle. Then, in junior high, I had another drafting class where we used a computer and it was impossible not to draw a perfect circle. I used to make flip books and short cartoons with pencil and paper. When I finished high school, I wanted to be an animator and started learning more computer animation, especially in 3-D. As I grew up, it seemed like technology was evolving right under my finger tips. Now that a lot of my education was centered around a keyboard, it really was. 

Not only was the way class was functioning changed, but the material being taught as well. The internet opened up so many new resources and huge amounts of information. Before, if we had to do a report on a country and two kids picked the same one, then the same report was given twice because there was only one encyclopedia the library. A few years ago, I took an auto repair class and we had to do some research to explain how different systems of a car worked. When we shared what we found in class, even the teacher learned new things because the were so many different sources each student was using from the internet. 

The computer has even extended my education. Before, when I was done with class and not at the school, I was done learning. Now, if I have more questions or still curious about something, I can continue learning at home. I can look up websites and articles, find local events or business associated with that subject, and even find more information in the library’s catalog and request a book from a different town to be delivered to my local library. 

We will never be without computers again, so we will continue to update and improve our education along with the technology. I agree with Thomas Friedman that individuals have the power to compete like they are big in a flat world. Computers have made that possible so our education is not only more reliant on computers and the tools they offer but it is essential that we collect as much of that power for ourselves as we can. Computers have sped up education and created more depth in the amount of information we are exposed to, so we have to work harder to keep up with the ever changing technology.

Module 7: Ch. 10-13

            Globalization is having different effects on different countries. The countries quickest to act on a level playing field are reaping the greatest benefits while countries that used to have more economic are fading into less significant contributors. Each country has different advantages over the others like location and resources but even one that lacks in some areas can still thrive in others. There is no secret recipe for success, but there are consistencies in the most productive countries that are a good direction to start with. The best strategy sets priority on infrastructure, education, and government.

            First of all, in order to compete in a flat world you have to be flat yourself. Some countries are upgrading their technologies and the way to connect within the country and outside it better than others. Those with the most internet availability and the ability to use it will have an advantage over those that do not. Next, since jobs are being handed out to the lowest bidder, it is better to have more education. Cheap manufacturing jobs and those that require labor but not a lot of brains are going to those with the cheapest prices. The jobs where the money is at are for collaboration and innovation that require more education. The countries with the best education system in place and taking advantage of education available around the world will have an advantage over others. Finally, companies need support getting the resources they need to run a successful business while consumers need help to ensure good prices and business practices. An assertive but not overbearing government will set some countries above the rest. Some governments are only interested in their personal gains while others understand that the right amount of regulation will encourage a strong economy in the country and out.

Globalization 1.0 and 2.0 were top-down systems. The elites in charge chose what everybody got and that was final. Globalization 3.0 gives more power to the individual and the tools to talk back. Consumers are the ones making decisions now. They are the “self-directed consumers.” Rather than walking into a store and taking the only option off the shelf available, now the customer can get exactly what they want from anywhere they want. The flatteners make it easier and cheaper to customize what you buy. The customer can search for other stores nearby that might have a better option, or they can find someone in another country that offers what they want even at a cheaper price. The way they really have power to affect the business they want to deal with is by giving feedback and opinions. The internet has made companies more transparent and easy to track and learn about. It has also made them more accessible and easier to submit feedback or praise which the company may not have though of themselves and incorporate a change into its model.

Other countries will feel the pressure of American culture on them as globalization grows. Globalization is not happening just because of America but Americans are spreading it the fastest. Because we have the freedom to think of new ideas and push our imaginations to the limit, usually it is an outward push of American culture that begins here because we are at the forefront of the global economy. America stands out as the first one to take advantage of it so for a while other countries will adopt more American traits. But, as more people in different cultures get connected and flatten with the rest of the world, it will be easier for them to preserve and spread their culture as well. American culture will be popping up in other countries and more of their culture will be present in America. It will become more balanced out with time.

Module 6: Ch. 5-9

            As Friedman wraps up all the ways that the world is flattening and what a flat world looks like, he is now curious how the global markets will change and what jobs will be available. 200 years ago, David Ricardo purposed that countries will specialize in an industry and trade for specializations of other countries, but now it seems like other countries are specializing in taking work away from the United States. More countries are opening up their doors to trade with others in the world and it is allowing for more trade of goods and services including the jobs that go with them. Free trade is what allows transactions to go back and forth so fluidly. It is free because instead of strict taxes and restrictions on products, rules are loosened on the exports and imports making it easier for companies to be free to buy and sell to whoever they want.

            Free trade is important for how the world works today. The markets to sell new products are limitless because when everybody buys the latest thing an even newer one is just coming out, ready to bring in the next round of profits. The openness of free trade allows ideas to spread further around the world which will benefit more people. Something made in America could be sold in China that will inspire someone there to create a new product and sell it in America. If we were stuck with customers in the same area, new ideas would not be on such high demand. This cycle that includes more people inspires more innovation and creates new opportunities where we did not know they existed.

            In this new market, it takes more than just a strong back to survive. There is more demand for a strong mind and personality. Machines are replacing people in the workplace all the time, whether it is a robot that can work faster or a computer that can “think” faster. With globalization 3.0 the individual has to prove why they are valuable rather than just holding a job at a company that is valuable. A company that designs a product can hire someone to make it, but now they can choose who and where is the cheapest to get the work done. A middler is someone trying to find a way to stay valuable. They are untouchable because they are unique in a way no one else can copy. The way middlers survive is their ability to adapt quickly in a fast changing market and work with others well. They need to always be improving their skills and upgrading their education in order to keep up with the markets. They also have to be well rounded with more than one skill so they not only can adapt to changes quickly but also apply more than one way of thinking to solve an issue. With so much power in the hands of the individual, the other opportunity middlers are taking advantage of is helping other people get in on the globalization. They are explaining how to use the technology or finding ways to connect a new small business to the rest of the world. It’s the face to face personality that machines cannot replace. At least, not yet.

            Middlers are creating value by breaking out of the box of being just a laborer. They have found that passion and creativity are more valuable than just book smarts. Friedman suggests the formula: PQ+CQ>IQ, passion quotient plus curiosity quotient is greater than intelligence quotient. Why has the economy made this shift? Tangible goods and services that take brains are being shipped off to the lowest bidder. The one thing that creates value, and in turn more jobs, is an idea. The best ideas come from taking what we already do to the next level. Employers are looking for people that are passionate about their job and curious enough to investigate further for innovation. Innovation is what drives the market. So, be ready to put more imagination and effort into earning a paycheck.

Module 5 200-260

Friedman describes the ten flatteners in the first part of the book as the force that flattens the world to Globalization 3.0. The triple convergence is the point when the global market changed into what it is now that involves any country that wants to compete instead of just the few with the power and education themselves. Before, it was mostly America, Europe, and Japan that saturated the markets and the triple convergence opened the door for other major contenders to get in on the markets.

The first part of the convergence was actually a convergence on its own. It was when the ten flatteners that had been developing for a few years started to overlap with each other and combined to level the playing field. As the flatteners were introduced into the way we do business, it created the second convergence. The second is the new way of doing business in a flat world. Business changed from a top down method to a horizontal strategy of working with each other. People started working with each other to benefit both sides instead of staying safely within the boundaries that company already existed. The first two elements paved the way for the third convergence to occur. When the barriers between countries and companies broke down it introduced many people to the market especially from China, India, and Russia. 

The combination of the flatteners and the way we do business allowed for billions of new laborers to enter the global market. The triple convergence is important because it is shaping the future and its happening fast. As we entered Globalization 3.0 we started collaborating with each other more and becoming more productive, but now, with a much bigger labor force, it turbo charges it and those that were ahead have to run faster to stay ahead. It’s like feeding a fire: the more wood you add the hotter it gets and you have to keep adding fuel to keep the flame as big as it is. Globalization 2.0 seemed like it went slow now. You could take time to build up your company and establish your name but now, with the speed of communication and ease of collaboration, you have to make your make fast or you’ll be old news. The triple convergence was like the gun at the beginning of the race and if Americans want to stay in the lead we have to be the best at using the flatteners, the new way of business and the labor force available to our advantage. 

In the story of Indiana and India, it is hard to tell who is being exploited. Much like the chicken and the egg problem, it could be argued from either side. Indiana was taking advantage of the cheap labor India had to offer and India was taking advantage of the need that Indiana had to get a job done quick and cheap. I think Indiana is to blame here, not directly but as a result of America in general being a self centered culture. India was just trying to make use of the new technology and find work from whoever offered it. Indiana overlooked the fact that its own residents didn’t have jobs while they were outsourcing the work that kept track of who didn’t have jobs. The money even came from taxes that, since people in Indiana were not working, they were not getting back. Americans have become people that want more raises and compensation without even considering where the money comes from. I think if all the unemployed people in Indiana were not receiving comfortable assistance from the government they would be more willing to chip in to work for the state even at rock bottom wages. The American money would go back to American’s and benefit the state of Indiana. 

Intellectual property is an intangible asset, like an idea or invention. It is becoming more important to keep track of where new ideas are coming from because so many lines are being blurred. Companies are spreading throughout more countries and more people becoming involved in the innovating process that is hard to determine the origin of products of value. It is becoming more of a legal issue to decide who gets paid from the success of an idea when so many people are involved. Pretty soon we will have a global patenting office and mind recorders to date stamp every thought that we have so we can keep track of who came up with an idea first and exactly when. 

Module 3 136-199

        The world is becoming flatter as more people are taking advantage of the technologies being developed. Small businesses, smaller countries and individuals are stepping up to the level of bigger companies and trying to find ways to compete. The things everyone is looking for, big or small, are cheaper and easier ways of conducting their business. In search of help, more of them are turning to outsourcing and offshoring.

The difference between outsourcing and offshoring is the effect they have on the jobs left at home. Outsourcing takes a part of a company, like paperwork or service calls, and contracts a different company to do it for them usually for less money. The advantage is that both companies are more productive. The domestic company frees up the labor for different or more skilled jobs, and the other company has specialized workers to focus on the one major task fully. Another advantage is that a lot of outsourcing goes over seas, so much of the work can be done in the night during the down time of the companies in the U.S.

Offshoring could have a bigger effect in either the positive or negative direction for us, I think, because it is affecting a bigger part of the business. Usually dealing with manufacturing, when a company offshores it lets another company completely handle a process of the business to get cheaper costs. Materials can be processed to a rough degree quickly and cheaply and then shipped to the U.S. for the precise finish work that requires more skill and training. Just like outsourcing, the advantage is getting more done for less and supposedly reserving the more educated workers jobs at home. The difference between the two is that outsourcing is supposed to streamline a company’s productivity while offshoring removes a large portion of the company and gives it to someone else. I am skeptical about the benefits this will have on American companies in the future but I do agree with Friedman that as it boosts other countries’ economies that it will in turn bring more money our direction. The U.S. just has to stay on top of its innovation and continue being a major producer. 

There was a time when all the inventory a store had was what was on the shelves. Wal-Mart created a system that was a never ending inventory and adapted quickly to change. It designed a supply chain system to get goods to the consumer from the supplier as fast and cheap as possible and they are always updating and improving it. The idea is to keep a low inventory by predicting what and when people will buy and then getting that product to the shelf as efficiently as possible. The less extra costs go into warehouses and extra shipping, the less the price is. The amazing thing is that Wal-Mart never makes anything themselves. They find the supplier and figure out the best way to get the product to the stores. Wal-Mart’s advantage is that they can sell anything from anyone and it opens up the world of producers and consumers to their business. 

The advances through communication and collaboration digitally over the internet has stimulated the economy all over the world and provoked brand new thoughts from people. I think  fifty years ago everybody thought an electric calculator was cool but nobody could imagine what the world would be like today. Just like then, it’s hard to think about the world getting much more advanced than we already are, but it is the ability to learn at a high rate that will push innovation further. Google is one resource that is affecting the future this way. It is so easy to find information about anything we want and even things we didn’t mean to find. The knowledge and inspiration available to us now will continue to grow and we will build off of each other to improve business models and realize new ideas. Google is like a big instruction manual for the future, but once you finished the first billion steps there is twice as many new ones that weren’t there before.

Module 2: 77-136

            As Friedman continued his research of a flat world, it was as if it was continually being smashed with a hammer with every piece of the story that he found. One of the biggest steps toward Globalization 3.0 was the introduction of the PC to peoples’ homes, but at first, it wasn’t much more than a file box and a printer. Documents were transported by hand and creative digital ideas were only shared with people in the same room. Things started to pick up when the internet came along and computers could link to other computers allowing digital content to be shared with anyone anywhere, instantly.

Workflow software is what allowed productivity to soar. It allowed people to connect no matter where they were as if they were in the same office. People could collaborate on projects together that, otherwise, they might even not have met. I think workflow software was important because it proved that the computer age and linking together globally was a real and worth while thing. At first, only those that spent the time to learn how to use a computer could do anything useful with it, but then as more people realized that they could digitize their ideas, share it with the world and get instant feedback, everyone wanted on board. Now our whole world is run on computers because we can connect with each other in so many ways.

Workflow software is not only used by a business to develop a product and market it. It just allows people to do what they would have done together in the same location, now separated by a great distance but linked with computers.  It can bring people together with a new way of doing what they have for a long time. For example, to watch sports you had to be at the game or receiving it on TV. Now E-sports, video game competition, is becoming popular. You can not only watch a live game but participate as well. I can watch a match between two players live on the internet being cast from a team of commentators in California and the players themselves are in Korea and France. Thousands of spectators can discuss the match on live chat while it is happening. 

Another priceless tool is open source software. It is based on free collaboration with anyone over the internet to build, improve and share software. Software companies were trying to design programs to use on computers, but it seems like new software was too complicated to be designed as fast as it was being demanded. Regular people with the know how decided they could make software themselves and share it for free. The top engineers at the biggest companies could not keep up with the brain power of thousands of enthusiasts pulling their ideas together. Open source software was important because it got a lot of people involved in community projects and showed the value in utilizing many brains for endless creative solutions. Open source software drove us further into the future of technology because got people thinking creatively instead of just what was going to make money.

The next thud from the hammer was outsourcing to places like India. Now that business could connect all over the globe and be more productive, it was time to find the place where they could get the most done with the smallest amount of money. A lot of American companies sent the “grudge work” to India where they were willing to gain the business and no better place to put their education to use. One reason it was such a great idea was because it allowed companies to work around the clock easier because of the time difference. I think it was so important because as the world was learning how to use the new technology of computers, it forced us to find creative and cheaper solutions to take advantage of a distance shortening tool.

Module 1: ix-77

Thomas Friedman shares his experiences as he travels around the world about the different ways people communicate through business and commerce. He obverses that where at one time a king would tell each person exactly where they fit into the world, people are thinking for themselves and creating a space to fit into with their own ideas.

The three stages of globalization are about who has the power to choose where they conduct their business. In the early, pre-Columbus years, rulers and the people they ruled relied mostly on themselves for everything they needed. When Columbus was seeking for a new trade route to trade for east Asian goods, he helped make the shift of power to countries and empires to control what other countries they traded with. As technology progressed and companies grew, they began to reach out internationally and claim their own business without their governments or leaders telling them what to do. Eventually, near the end of the twentieth century, the power trickled down to the individual to carry out their own ideas and sell products to customers across the globe as efficiently as a large company could. Friedman describes it as “leveling the playing field” but I picture it more like a network of resources that raise the little guy up to the level of the biggest competitors. Friedman thinks the flattening of the world is driven by business and economic powers deciding with whom and where they do business. The difference between the 3 stages of Globalization is who holds the power to make those decisions. 

Many developments in technology during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries helped create a few economical powerhouses like the U.S. While business was booming in some places, it was suppressed in others. Communist Russia was limiting itself by not letting it’s people connect with others and sharing ideas and knowledge. When the Berlin Wall came down, it was a welcomed symbol of the world opening up between each person. It opened up the idea of sharing more knowledge and came at the perfect timing of when the best information sharing tool was just becoming popular, the internet. People could communicate with anyone else easier than ever,  and feed off of each others ideas. Friedman thinks the breaking down of the Berlin Wall reminded people of what was right in front of them the whole time: a world of collaboration instead of separate countries in competition.

One thing I did not realize before I started reading “The World is Flat” was how different the internet and World Wide Web were. Few had access to the internet and even less knew how to use it, and even then it was not very useful. Then, along came the web with the most important tool: browsers. Netscape made it possible for anyone to connect with anybody else and take advantage of several resources. This created a boom in demand for software and hardware to take advantage of the internet. Netscape was important because it made the leap from being able to digitize and manipulate our own information into being able to share that information with anyone else, anywhere in the world.