IT 1OO

  When designing an app or program, the main goal is often thought to be to focus on the problem or task at hand. Ideally, all that is required to consider the final product a success is if the application performs the desired function in an efficient manner. However, there is another layer within the design that is often ignored: the humans that have to use the program. It is the second component of design that is often left out.  Designing while ignoring the people for which it is supposed to help can render the final product useless. If the person using it has no idea how to use the app or finds it confusing, then the app fails to serve its primary purpose because users won’t be able to make use of it thereby marginalizing the user. Therefore, when creating apps, users’ abilities need to be taken into account. One must research both the users’ wants and needs, likes and dislikes. It needs to be remembered that ultimately the users are who the apps are being designed for. Th...

Every day we wake up and one of the first things we do is grab our cell phones and catch up with friends and acquaintances. We often scroll through our feeds on our choice social media platforms and various points throughout the day. These tasks seem very ordinary to many of us; however , we don’t stop to think that it is actually a benefit we have that others don’t have. Cell phones and the internet may seem to have been around for a long time for the youngest of us. The reality though is that these are still fairly new technologies. As such, they are still premium items . A majority of the functional smartphones we use every day come with a price tag of above $300 a piece plus a monthly service charge that can cost upwards of at least $25. A majority of our society still doesn’t have the means to be able to afford to pay for these things. They don’t have access to them, and it is getting harder for those who don’t have access to gain access. The obstacles that exist could be as...

       The mechanical age is nearing an end. While this time may never truly become extinct, the dependence on mechanical devices is on a downward trajectory. We are seeming to be going through a rapid transition to devices that have a more electronic basis. The simple lightbulbs we use every day are a prime example of this transition.  The old incandescent forms of these used to use a filament that slowly burns away creating light. Now we have progressed to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to produce light with many of our lighting fixtures substituting these bulbs in for incandescent variants. The LEDs are the electronic features that are replacing the mechanical burning of these old bulbs. If one assumed that was as far as we could go with modifying one of the earliest inventions, they are severely mistaken. We are scratching the surface of what we can do with them. Light bulbs are now making the transition to being smarter. Chips and sensors are now being insert...

       Often it is thought that we are products of our community. Communities used to be seen as a positive influence in our lives. For certain parts of our lives, this is true. Many of our rituals and histories are shared within our communities. It was even once believed that it took more than just 2 parents to raise a child, it took a whole community. Good values, behaviors, and communication skills are developed within communities. Unfortunately, it seems now that communities are not being seen in the same way anymore. If there is one "bad apple" that comes out of our community, our community is looked at as bad. It can be tagged as either undesirable or even racist. However, as a community member, I don't believe this is the way things should be. We can't control every action that comes out of every person that has ever been associated with a community. There may be barriers that the person is experiencing that is not apparent.  Actions are of individuals ba...

               On a nearly daily basis, I always hear at least somebody in my inner circle complaining and blaming somebody else for their troubles.  I admit I do this occasionally myself. However, whenever we do this, we display that we don’t have ownership of our own lives. It's all part of the education of how to live our lives. Education isn't just achieved through school  We need to educate ourselves to understand that many of us are “renting” our lives and making them subject to others’ decisions. We all need to take back ownership of our own lives and make our lives less dependent on others. Ownership is something we all should be striving to do with our lives. Now, this is not anything easy to do by any means. To do this requires commitment. If you don’t put in the effort, you can’t claim any credit and pass the blame. We need to learn to self-reflect and ask ourselves if we really did all we could do to avoid the bad situat...

     When sifting through many job postings, one of the main key characteristics many employers are seeking is the ability to critically think. As soon as I see this, many questions pop into my mind. Am I a critical thinker? Why is this valued so much and how is his skill evaluated?   By definition, a critical thinker has  the skills of questioning, analyzing, and evaluating. I think I do that every day. Whenever I receive a class assignment, I think I regularly display critical thinking skills. I always question why I am being assigned this and what value will this have towards improving my skills. In addition, I also proceed to analyze every aspect of the assignment that I am given. After I finish, I always evaluate to see if I felt was worth my time.  By definition, I have practiced my critical thinking skills by just thinking about an assignment a professor has assigned me. However, I wonder if that is enough to qualify me as a critical thinke...