Tag Archives: computer developments

Modern Day Journalism

Our world is constantly developing and changing. From the readings, we can see how the internet evolved to lead us to where we are today. It is not going to stop here and as our demand increases, the urge to create something new is a requirement. As our world becomes more complex, the problems we face do too. Computational thinking is a critical way to solve such problems because we need to understand and assess the situation before taking a stab at solving it.

I found it very interesting to learn more about the importance of our mindset behind learning how to code. As PR professionals, we understand the importance of digital platforms and how crucial it is to utilize them as best as possible. A couple of years ago, I was working for a tech company that helped couples plan their weddings. One of our main goals was to constantly update our mobile app to make it as user-friendly as possible. Consumers are always on their phones and we need to meet such demand. We must understand human behavior to understand their needs. Journalism is evolving and in order to do better journalism, we need to incorporate innovation and technology. We must look at a matter as a whole then dissect it into small pieces, in order to find patterns and understand what the issue is made up of.

 

Evolution: Coding and Communication

Link to Github profile: https://github.com/amaliaks

It was interesting to see the developments of the computer starting from Konrad Zuse’s first binary code computer to Hopper’s involvement in creating COBOL or moving from numbers to words to control what a computer does. In 50 years, the internet, computers and programming has advanced dramatically. From someone who has not lived without computers and internet, it’s hard to imagine a time when computers and the internet did not rule technology and everyday life. Now, we are dealing with net neutrality laws and internet equality.

As the world of journalism, news cycles, and under the current administration, it is important to constantly be rethinking our thinking. It is no longer viable to be comfortable with your current skillset, you have to evolve, change, and adapt to new technologies and be conscious of societal values. In order to be successful as a communicator, today, I think it’s an important skill to understand the world of coding for professional growth and the success of your clients. I am new to coding and it can be overwhelming to look consider learning a new language and applying that to the work that I do everyday. At the same time, I know I have to rethink the way I approach content and strategy and have a full understanding of the different coding and framework methods to be successful; I hope to get that out of this class.

I have used WordPress in the past, but have never considered the rights or why the site was created. It is another platform to be able to connect people. While posting, it’s important to keep in mind WordPress’s bill of rights or core freedoms: The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.

  • The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.
  • The freedom to redistribute.
  • The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.

Main takeaways from what distinguishes free software from nonfree software:

  • The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).
  • The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
  • The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
  • The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Free software is where the world is going—collaborating to create better and more useful for users around the world.

Reading the article “Basics of UNIX Philosophy” left me with the most questions. I am lacking the context of how to apply this philosophy without being able to see it first hand.