The Legacy Effect

While i was listening to a podcast focusing on Microsoft and Windows in general, they started discussing the "legacy effect."  The way I understand it is that in places where infrastructure for certain technologies were created earlier have a harder time upgrading and maintaining the state of the art standard.  This is because people build applications that rely on other applications written before it that require older technologies.  By doing so, it forces the infrastructure to continue to support older ways of doing things.

For example, let's say that we've built an incredible infrastructure allowing people to use their phones to sign up for classes. This system has been in place for several years and nobody sees any reason why it needs to be changed.  Then an alternative way to sign up for classes comes around and its much faster, more reliable, and easier to use.  However, instead of rewriting the system to use this new technology, we decide that it would be easier and better to just simply overlay the new system on top of the old.  Rather than take advantage of everything that the new technology has to offer, we degrade the new to work with the old. (For those of you who recognize this analogy to telebears, good job).

For a more realistic example, we can look at Japan.  When we think of Japan, we think of their robotics and incredible technology that just seems to keep pushing out.  Look at the Wii, it came out, sold a bunch, was amazing, and now, almost 2 years later, XBox and the PS3 are just now starting to copy it.  In the meantime, Japan holds the fastest average for internet speeds and their cell phones receive television.  In fact, many Japanese don't own high-end personal computers.  Some look at the iphone and say, that's it? Why is it that a country whose "industrial revolution" was so late, or at least several decades later than others, is able to outpace even the U.S.?  Perhaps its the legacy effect. Japan was able to start off on a firmer footing.  Not needing to build an infrastructure on mere whim but on a tested and improved foundation.  In short, you can say that a late start may be more beneficial when it comes to infrastructure.

Why do I care about this, you may ask?  Why would I write such a lengthy post on such a subject?  It is because I feel that I have become slow.  A legacy artifact.  Why make myself build on top of a system that has yet to mature?  My previous blog, Collections, seems to have been a step backward in that respect.  Perhaps it is time to start fresh again so as to avert the legacy effect.

Hacker's Ethics

I was listening to a live stream of my favorite podcasting station, TWiT @ http://live.twit.tv, and they were recording the next episode of Security Now which is one of the greatest security podcasts ever made.  Something that the host said caught my attention.  Before, hacking use to be done for fun, now, hacking is being done for money!

If you think about the evolution, hacking was originally just how slow can you make a computer or make it do things to creep the user out.  Now, hacking is being done to destroy people's lives by taking over their bank accounts, stealing their personal data, and maybe even exposing companies (which may or not be a bad thing).  Another piece he said was that the amateur hacker targets computers but the professional targets people.

Ever since we have started relying on computers more and more to get through our daily, rather mundane lives, it has been making it easier for hacker to target larger demographics of people.  No matter how secure or how blocked off we make a computer, if the user doesn't know how to use it, it's practically useless.  So the weakest link is going to be your mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, sister, and maybe even you.  Try to be informed, there's lots of information floating out there to help you become more secure.

Now, be aware, not all hackers are bad.  There are hackers that work to make sure that YOU aren't hacked.  In fact, you can say most security researches are hackers.  Many antivirus companies probably hire hackers to help develop their software.  Every year, there are countless security conferences to make sure that all hackers are up to date.  So don't just go up to someone who claims they're a hacker and think badly of them, they may be the next person to save you from something bad.

Some advice, despite what anyone says, make sure you update your operating system, whether mac or windows.  Make sure that your browser is up to date as well.  Lastly, make sure you have an antivirus.  The biggest headache most people have is with their antivirus but trust me, its worth it.  If you're running windows, I'd suggest the Microsoft Antivirus.  Totally free and headache free.  Just install and it works.

Big thanks to Steve Gibson for bringing this kind of stuff up.  Catch him and the whole TWiT team at http://twit.tv

Cutting Down

I love being a minimalist.  It may not seem like it though.  If you've ever walked into my room, I got stuff all over the place, most of which seems super redundant.  The problem with me is that I'm a minimalist but I want to be efficient.  You might be thinking that simplifying stuff makes that stuff more efficient.  Sometimes, I don't think so.  There are times when I try to simplify my computer by just completely reformatting it but end up with more or the same amount of junk that I already had on it.

I guess here's what I want to say.  I may be a hypocrite and just say that I'm a minimalist but actually am not.  OR.  I may be a minimalist but still find that my minimalistic ways doesn't directly transfer to being efficient.  I may get rid of more stuff but the more stuff I get rid of, the harder it is to do other things.