The Personal Computer - EOTO Blog Post #4

Have you ever wondered about the history of computers and how they came to be? The very first computer was invented in 1822 by a man named Charles Babbage, who made a significant impact on technology and computers today.

However, these computers were only really meant for practical use in businesses, such as for mathematicians or scientists, and were not mass-produced to the public.

It wasn't until 1975 that the first personal computer was invented by John Blankenbaker, who's invention---the Kenbak-1 Computer---has been called 'the world's first commercially available personal computer.' This was revolutionary at the time because it placed a huge emphasis on personal interaction.

John Blankenbaker was born in 1929 at the start of the Depression, in Oklahoma. He grew up in a farming family, growing mainly dairy and cotton, and lived in a town that wasn't very sophisticated. Ever since he was was young, he was always interested in machines and the mechanics of things. One day, he took apart his mother's washing machine and put it back together again. This is what stemmed his spark in technologies, which eventually led him to create the Kenbak-1 Computer.

One of the main reasons why Blankenbaker created the personal computer was because many of the new technologies of that time period were only manufactured for businesses. This caused Blankenbaker to want to create something for many people to enjoy. 

Thus, his release of the Kenbak-1 Computer was a radical view of the potential benefits to the individual, rather than the business.

As far as the personal computer itself, it was very complicated. All of the parts for Blankenbaker's computer were made by hand, which posed a threat to mass-producing the product. This was a huge problem that he ran into, and since the computer was made with thousands of parts, it took very long to build.

Blankenbaker's invention was the pioneering device to modern computers today. It was the cornerstone for other innovators to create more advanced products, including Steve Wozniak's Apple 1 computer.

Eventually, with the mass-production of more personal computers, the U.S. in the 80's was moving more towards a modernized and technologically-based society, and it was all thanks to Blankenbaker.

However, there are many major negative health effects that developed from this invention that has an impact on people today. Computers break people's social interaction with friends and families. They also will eventually cause other health problems, like depression, anxiety, back problems, etc. With the further advancements of computers, these problems will likely continue to get worse.

Looking beyond the cons, the Kenbak-1 Computer solved many problems in society. One in particular was that the computer implemented a memory that the user can refer back to. This was revolutionary at the time because it allowed more data to actually be stored, and would become a precursor to stored memory in modern computers today.

When looking at other countries around the world, many places in Europe were also advancing in their computer industries, specifically in the office and electrical industries.

Similar to the U.S., Europe had many universities that were also advancing in their scientific capabilities. However, other countries like Japan were lagging behind in their computer industries.

Communication in general is forever changed, thanks to the Kenbak-1 Computer. Due to the development and evolution of the computer, we can now communicate with people online from across the globe. Ultimately, the Kenbak-1 Computer set a standard that would be the foundation for modern computers today.

The Eight Values of Free Expression - Key Blog Post #3

The emergence and evolution of the First Amendment was a process that developed in the span of about 200 years, which involved many twists and turns that ultimately shaped the government and our rights today. 

The idea of the First Amendment really started to emerge with the building of the Constitution, where there were pressing differences between the states about how to deal with slavery. In the end, the Northern and Southern states came up with three compromises involving slaves, which would lead to them receiving more representation and rights in the future.

Later, in 1789 the Constitution was ratified; however, not all of the states at the time wanted it to be ratified because it did not have a Bill of Rights, which angered many people, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They believed that a Bill of Rights was crucial in addressing the rights of the people. Madison's principles are a cornerstone that established Free Expression later in history.

The Eight Values of Free Expression are theories that are developed in order to recognize people's rights to freely communicate ideas, beliefs, and feelings, which are listed below:

Marketplace of Ideas

The Marketplace of Ideas is a theory that the truth will emerge in the competition of ideas, and that falsehood will ultimately lose. This grappling back and forth between ideas will also end up making the truth even stronger. In general, people tend to desire the truth in ideas, rather than what is wrong or untrue, which causes an overall acceptance from the population of ideas that are true.

John Milton was the person who created this value in order to defend people's freedom of speech, specifically in requiring a license to publish or print books. This allowed people to have accountability in their works, and protected them from libel, which is a false statement of fact that is presented as true.

I personally believe that this theory has a strong connection to social media today. Many posts and videos that you see online are fake news, false statements about people, rude and unnecessary comments, etc. This is why Milton's value is so important in order for us to be protected from these types of things.

Participation in Self-Government

Participation in Self-Government is the idea that people won't make wise decisions in elections if candidates and certain policies are restricted in their ability to communicate. This encourages free press and the opportunity for fair elections, as well as being able to have all ideas represented.

Today, we see this idea played out in many elections, whether that be for general, primary, or special elections. There are certain people who's job is to fact-check the ideas and policies that are being communicated. This is very important, especially for the Presidential Election, as these ideas will determine who our next President will be.

Stable Change

The Stable Change value suggests that alienated people are allowed to speak their minds in order to prevent violence. By allowing these people to speak freely, it allows the government to better monitor dangerous groups. However, it is the government who ultimately allows alienated people to speak their minds.

I believe this resonates with our country today in the fact that we have so many immigrants coming into the United States seeking refuge from conflict in their own countries. These people feel alienated and isolated because they are in a new country, unaware of how it functions, so they feel like they have to express their ideas more.

Individual Self-Fulfillment

Individual Self-Fulfillment is the idea that free speech enables people to express themselves, thereby creating their own identity. Freedom of speech ultimately becomes an aspect of human dignity and autonomy. We see this prominently in society today, especially in the forms of protests and social media. People are free to publicly express their beliefs that reinforce their identities in these ways.

This value definitely feels the most personal to me because being able to share my thoughts and ideas makes me who I am, which is not someone who hides away and never shares what they are thinking. I believe this is very powerful in companies and businesses today as well.

Check on Governmental Power

The Check on Governmental Power is where the freedom of the press enables citizens to learn about the abuses of power, allowing people to take that abuse into consideration when voting during elections. We as a society are part of the checks-and-balances system that restrains government power and abuse of power.

I believe out of all the Values of Free Expression, this is the most important because if we did not have this kind of system, our government would be too powerful. This could lead to more of a dictatorship rather than a democracy, leaving less freedom to the people.

Promote Tolerance

Promote Tolerance is the value that promotes a tolerant society in which protection of things like hate speech can teach us to become more tolerant in other aspects of life. The First Amendment is what protects these kinds of free speech, mainly in order for society to learn lessons from them.

There is current news today about hate speech, and how many social media apps like Facebook, X, and YouTube have agreed to do more to tackle online hate speech in Europe. In this country, there have been many instances of illegal hate speech.

Promote Innovation

Promote Innovation is the idea that a community where free speech is valued and protected is more likely going to be a more creative and energized society. This will most likely happen because citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways.

I believe this value most resonates with me because on my basketball team, we always promote the sharing of ideas, which ultimately brings our team closer together.

Protect Dissent

The value of Protect Dissent is where the First Amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular they may be. We as citizens have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government. In fact, it is our patriotic duty to criticize the government.

Similar to the Check on Governmental Power, this value is highly important in our society to make sure that the government does not get too powerful, and that we as citizens have a right to disagree with something that the government does or enforces.

Diving into the U.S. Supreme Court - Blog Post #2

The United States Supreme Court is the most powerful judicial body on earth. They heavily rely on the Constitution in making sure that it is always upheld and, most importantly, make decisions based on the good of the people. The Supreme Court has been crucial in the way that the United States' government functions. Out of the three branches of government, the Supreme Court has the ultimate say in the matter.

Reflecting from the videos about the Supreme Court, there were many facts I learned that I had not previously known. Some things in particular that I found interesting were that every time a new justice arrives, the court has to take a group photo. Another thing to note is that in all of American history, there have been about 100 supreme court justices, each serving an average of 16 years. However, many justices tend to serve twice as long. One of the most important facts that I hadn't known was that the President nominates the next chief justice, which differs from my belief of thinking it was U.S. citizens who made the nominations.

The most important take away to know about the Supreme Court is that when there is a court case in progress, the judges come together to discuss their differing ideas, which is beneficial for the good of the case. The chief justice is not the only person making all of the decisions. It is the collective of the judges that all come to one conclusion together. Although there may be arguing taking place, the judges still drive to make the best decision for the people.

The most surprising thing I learned was the Supreme Court receives more than 100 new cases every week, about 7,000 a year. Most of these arrive as petitions for certiorari, which is the power of the Supreme Court to choose which cases they take. As you can probably imagine, the Court accepts only a small number of cases for full consideration.

The videos ultimately changed my perspective on the Supreme Court. The staff, the judges, and most importantly, the chief justice does a lot more work than I thought previously. They take the citizens of the United States into full consideration and treat every petition with the same respect.

My Top Five Sources of News & Information - Blog Post #1

With the addition of the internet, online news has become a beacon for people of all ages to learn and explore new things about the world around them. We turn to many different sources that provide information to us in an instant, and what source we use can depend on many different factors, such as our age, political and economic status, ethnicity, etc. Listed below are my top five sources of news and information:

#1 Google

Google is first on my top five sources of news and information mainly because I use Google every single day, whether that be for looking at school assignments, shopping on Amazon, or just looking up anything that comes to mind. I learn that Google to be quite accurate when finding news and information, especially when it comes to delivering relevant results. Also, if I want to read about a current news story, I can simply type in exactly what I want, and Google will give me a variety of sources from different news websites. Using Google Scholar is also very useful and provides me with many scholarly authors and a wide variety of articles. If anyone has never used Google before, I would highly recommend doing so in order to personalize your search and get news in an instant.

#2 Instagram

Instagram is second on this list, and like Google, I use Instagram every day. Since 2010 when Instagram was released, it has changed in many ways, especially with the new addition of "reels," which are short videos that can be compared to those on TikTok. I enjoy scrolling through Instagram to see what is new in terms of celebrities, cooking, innovations, etc. I would recommend this social media app to not only connect with friends, but also to learn something new about what is going on around you.

#3 Fox News

Fox News is another source of news and information that I look to. Although I do not use this source as often as some of the others on this list, I still believe it is a good place to find current news about politics. I enjoy watching Fox News with my parents, especially when there are big political events or elections that are taking place. Since I am still relatively young, I mostly enjoy obtaining news through other sources such as Google because sometimes political topics can be overwhelming. However, I will still recommend someone to Fox News because people trust it as their main source of political news.

#4 Mail

Last but not least, the fifth source of news and information on my list is the mail. Mail is still very important today, as we need it for many things like delivering packages, bills, letters, cards, etc. Much of the mail that I receive is either from family members or important letters from my school, and I still really enjoy the process of receiving mail and then opening the package/letter.

#5 Family and Friends

While most of these sources are online, getting news and information from family members and friends mainly takes place in person. I love to catch up with my family and friends to see how they have been doing and learn about what is going on in their life. It is refreshing to talk with them face-to-face and is a nice break from the digital world. I would highly suggest taking the time to talk with family and friends, especially so you can grow in your relationships.