Advice

My best pieces of advice would be to show up to class every day, do all of the homework assignments, and for major projects, do not wait until the last minute. Most importantly, enjoy learning and applying all the wonderful technology skills you learn!

Favorite Websites

Although all the websites were well done and quite unique, my three favorites would have to be Christian, Morgan, and Courtney’s websites.

Christian’s website is incredibly professional, including a clean layout, neutral backgrounds, and excellent font choice. I also like how he put a “contact me” link at the bottom of every page, which allows visitors to easily email him from wherever they are on his website. Moreover, the pictures are all great quality and the links work fine. After looking at Christian’s site, I want to actually visit Honduras.

Morgan’s website is so well done, especially the home page. Specifically, the image map she created is fabulous and the backgrounds she chose enhance the overall professionalism of her site. Furthermore, the concept she chose regarding Converse is novel. I might consider buying a pair of converse.

Courtney’s website is amazing because of her great use of pictures, an appropriate background, and a wonderful home page. Particularly, I thought the snake was a creative way to incorporate links onto the page. Lastly, she provided a good amount of information to complement her pictures.             

My Website

Please visit my website at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~vupadhya/

Creating a website was much easier than I originally anticipated. I was afraid it would involve primarily hand coding, something I have experience with, and hence know it is quite tedious. In addition, I was happy to discover we could use Kompozer or Expression Web to create our sites. Specifically, I used Expression Web to create my site. I started out working with Kompozer; however, I wanted to insert hot spots onto my image map. For this reason, I switched to Expression Web and ultimately found I preferred it to Kompozer because it was easier to work with.  

Although I am proud of all the pages I created on my website, I am most proud of my biography page because I spent a good amount of time setting up a proper layout. I also like this page because of the contrast created by the white text on a filled black table, which is on a white background. As far as changes go, I would expand my favorites section if I had more time.  I initially wanted to include favorite foods, quotes, and TV shows, along with favorite movies and books.  

My biggest technical challenge was probably getting some of the links on my thumbnail images to function. Eventually, it all worked out. My biggest design challenge was creating the image map in Photoshop because I decided to put individual fonts onto the map and wanted to choose pictures that truly reflected what was on the page. Thus, it took a long time to find the right images and fonts.   Moreover, another design challenge was trying to get every page on my site to be unique, but at the same time, maintaining a consistent layout and font style. I hope to share my site with my family and friends. In general, it is always good to show what you have created to as many people as possible because they can make helpful suggestions.  

Lastly, I do not see myself making a site for another class in the future because I am taking all science classes and am assuming that it is unlikely I will have to construct a website. Nevertheless, it is still possible I will have to help make one for a student organization I join, or maybe a non-science (common curriculum) course I take.  Either way, I am glad to say that I know how to make a website, because that is an important skill to possess in this technologically advancing world.      

Larry Hechler's Tips on Hardware and Computer Maintenance

Hardware and Technician Supervisor, Mr. Larry Hechler provided important information regarding computer hardware and system maintenance.  After listening to this talk, I truly enhanced my knowledge on different parts of a computer, as well as how to properly sustain computer life. Specifically, I learned that you should not use acetone, chlorine, alcohol, or ammonia to clean the LCD because it can destroy the monitor’s external membrane. Mr. Hechler suggested using either techspray or springcleaner. Moreover, he mentioned that you should never spray anything directly onto the monitor itself, but only on a cleaning cloth that is lint free and non-abrasive. One small drop of cleaner on the system board can result in one large investment in a new computer. Mr. Hechler also revealed that Dells are probably the preferred choice when making a computer purchase because the Dell company offers a four-year care package and in general, Dells are much less expensive to repair. Apparently, any computer hardware with an apple on it (i.e. Macs) is much more expensive when it comes to making repairs. In addition, Macs are harder to repair because they have special screws that require a special screwdriver. Another useful  tip Mr. Hechler shared was how to maintain a laptop’s battery life. Particularly, when your computer is detached from its power cord, you should run the laptop all the way down until a message appears, warning of low battery, which is usually at 5 %.  I will be sure to do this with my laptop from now on. Lastly, Mr. Hechler ended with an incredibly crucial tip, which was that you should always back up your data. You never know when something could go wrong and everything on your computer could be permanently lost. That is a situation nobody should experience, and so it is best to have some type of backup system. Ultimately, I am glad I was able to obtain insight from Mr. Hechler’s talk and will surely apply all of these great tips.  

PowerPoint Critique

I believe all the PowerPoint presentations given in class were unique and incredibly informative. I learned something new from every single presentation, and there were often times when I wanted to know more about the subject.  Personally, I chose a topic within the subject of neuroscience because I find neuroscience extremely fascinating. The complexities of the nervous system and specifically the brain are really intriguing to me and I always want to discover more.  Particularly, I decided to discuss the medical case study of Phineas Gage not only because it was an interesting story to share, but also because of the significant impacts it had on neuroscience research regarding the brain’s role in behavior. Certain aspects of my PowerPoint I admired included the overall setup of the title slide, my use of images, and my transitions and animations. I actually worked hard on my title slide because it involved the incorporation of sound, animations with the words, and an animated graphic. It took some time for me to first choose an appropriate sound and then coordinate the sound with the exact timing of the title words animation. Moreover, I spent a good amount of time creating the animated graphic and was ultimately proud that I did it successfully. Creation of animated graphics with Photoshop is a new skill that I learned and will continue to apply in future presentations. Finally, I liked the images I chose because I believe they communicated my message clearly; I also enjoyed the animations and transitions I used throughout the presentation because they created a sense of unity and flow between the slides. Another skill I learned was how to embed a YouTube video into the presentation, which was very helpful to know. If I had to change anything, I would probably include another video to express my point and possibly add subtle background music during my presentation.

Although all of the presentations were wonderful, my two favorite ones were Kayleigh’s on Mutualisms and Coevolution and Arielle’s on Monsanto. Kayleigh had amazing animations and transitions all throughout her presentation, enhancing its overall quality. I loved how she explained the process of pollination and the development of mutualisms by using a series of images with transitions. It was a smart idea because most people are visual learners and thus they are more likely to absorb the information if it is presented through images and graphics. In addition, her topic was really interesting and made me realize the importance of the relationship many plants and their pollinators share. Arielle had an awesome presentation layout and presented her topic equally well. She spoke clearly and her knowledge of the subject revealed how much she cared about it. Specifically, I loved the title slide because it embodied a perfect combination of music, animation, transition, and images. It had such a powerful impact. Furthermore, I enjoyed the videos Arielle showed and felt they conveyed her point successfully. At the end of her presentation I wanted to go and research more on Monsanto and other companies that exhibited similar roles.  After witnessing all these great presentations in class, I have much more faith in PowerPoint as a presentation tool and believe that it can truly be effective if utilized correctly.       

    

Pictures that Lie

Photograph manipulation has not only transformed images themselves, but also the views and actions of modern society. Usually, what we see on magazine covers, billboards, and various other publication types, is only refurbished reality, in other words, a non-existent ideal. Specifically, fashion magazines tend to utilize photo alteration, making models look thinner or perfecting other forms of their outlook. Readers of these fashion magazines, especially young women, are constantly exposed to these images, ultimately considering themselves far from the ideal look. For this reason, numerous young women experience eating disorders that stem from their desire to portray this idealistic version of beauty. However, some may contend that this form of image manipulation is an artist’s way of expressing imaginative notions, liberated from the dullness of reality. The article I selected examines this very issue, claiming how the technology responsible for digital photo manipulation “pits the moral principle of protecting artistic freedom against the moral principle of protecting public health” (Yun, 2004). Where can we draw the line between the two?

Particularly, the article discusses a research study conducted to evaluate magazine readers’ opinions regarding photo manipulation. The results of the study suggest that “although aware of the prevalence of digital editing, readers disapprove of its use in rendering models thinner, and judge it to be unethical and unfair” (Yun, 2004). Hence, there is substantial evidence that the majority of readers disapprove of major image modifications; however, shouldn’t we also respect the artistic whim of the magazine and its photo editor? Personally, I believe that the psychological and medical consequences experienced by readers outweigh the chosen modes of expression by the photo editor. It is true that artistic expression should not be restricted; nevertheless, there should be some limits when considering public health.  

For my specific photo manipulation project, I began by selecting a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge as a background because it is one of my favorite attraction sites in San Francisco. Moreover, I not only admire its commanding structure, but also the combination of natural and industrial scenery that encapsulate it. After staring at the image for some time, I realized it would be interesting to show someone sliding down the bridge’s main cables, or even better, skate boarding down them. Thus, I found an image of a skateboarder, slightly cropped it, and then used the magic wand tool to extract the background. I meticulously placed the skateboarder on top of the cable, creating the illusion of him sliding down. I obtained both photos from Stock Exchange.

In terms of manipulation, I adjusted the hue, saturation, and brightness of each individual image. After manipulating the skateboarder image (which I already described) and placing it onto the bridge, I decided to change the overall picture to make it more interesting. I scanned through the numerous photo effects possible under the edit tab (examples include distort, noise, sketch), trying many along the way. None of them truly made the image special. Eventually, I reached the stylize category and selected the glowing edges option, applying it to the skateboarder and the background. I liked this transformation that best because it completely altered the atmosphere of the picture and the skateboarder truly stood out. After these modifications, I adjusted the hue, saturation, and lighting as the final touch. Hence, all the photo manipulations were based off my personal artistic whim, and were not used to alter the outlook of a person. For this reason, I believe the manipulations are not harmful in any way because they are the result of pure artistic expression. There are no alterations of people like those seen in several magazines and so there is no promotion of the non-existent ideal. I did not make the skateboarder extremely thin or modify his looks in any manner, but rather I just altered hue, saturation, and lighting of the entire image and added an effect.  

My Photo Manipulation: 

        

In relation to the article, my photo manipulation serves as an example of artistic expression with certain restrictions to protect public health. More specifically, this photo manipulation exemplifies the compromise I earlier proposed that photo editors should make when digitally altering images. Basically, they can still express their creativity, but they should keep the psychological consequences of their image changes in mind. Therefore, when I was manipulating this image, I expressed my creativity in terms of the placement of the skateboarder, addition of an effect, and changes in hue, saturation, and lighting of the skateboarder and background; however, I did not manipulate the skateboarder’s outlook in any way.

If only magazines truly realized the impact their photo manipulations had on people, especially photo manipulations of celebrities and models. If only they realized that “exposure to the thin ideal tends to reduce body satisfaction, increase self-consciousness, and reduce self-esteem” (Yun, 2004). If only.    

Reference:

Gi Woong Yun, et al. "If Looks Could Kill: Digital Manipulation of Fashion Models." Journal of Mass Media Ethics 19.1 (2004): 56-71. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 2 Apr. 2011.

The Right Way to Search the Internet

Assistant University Librarian, Chris Nolan enlightened our class, discussing methods to accurately search the web, as well as techniques to determine the academic credibility of articles encountered. His focus was on utilizing popular search engines to find information on desired topics, and certain modifications one can make to a search to obtain the best possible results.

Specifically, something new I discovered during Mr. Nolan’s talk was that there is presence of an invisible web, which you cannot find using search engines. Thus, an example of something that would be a part of the invisible web would be any type of database. Another concept I learned was search engine optimization and how it is a serious issue that popular search engines have to confront. Basically, search engine optimization involves improving a web site’s ranking on a search engine with the intent of attracting more visitors. I really liked the example Mr. Nolan gave regarding this issue. He explained how JC Penny actually paid a company to make numerous fake websites so that it would appear more often on results pages and consequently make more sales. Although JC Penny was successful, Google immediately changed its algorithm so that JC Penny would no longer show up on recent result pages.  Ultimately, what surprised me were the different ways you can limit your search, such as searching by “site: usgs.gov” or “site: trinity.edu”. There is also an advanced search tab that allows a person to limit the search by domain to avoid commercial sites. It is incredible how easily you can narrow your search results.    

PowerPoint Presents Problems

Although PowerPoint is often viewed as an incredibly useful tool with limitless possibilities for methods of presentation, it definitely harbors some blatant disadvantages. If not utilized correctly, PowerPoint can become extremely monotonous, leading to audience members fighting the urge to fall asleep. As a presenter, one of the main goals should be to engage the audience; however, many who employ PowerPoint tend to do the exact opposite. I recall enduring the wrath of PowerPoint during an academic seminar I once attended. The audience was essentially forced to sit through an unfortunate mixture of poor slide design, horrible fonts, overwhelming text that was practically spilling off of the slides, and the added monotony of the presenter’s voice. Moreover, the presenter decided to take advantage of the unlimited number of slides feature that PowerPoint offers, spending almost two hours boring everyone to tears. Unfortunate enforcement of PowerPoint (like in this miserable scenario) can only lead to people in the audience yawning more and applauding much less.           

I have presented five aspects of PowerPoint that I personally find worth hating.

1.       Excessive use of animation

I think it is wonderful that PowerPoint has this feature; nevertheless, like a dangerous weapon, if it is placed in the wrong hands, only disaster can result. I have witnessed PowerPoint presentations where speakers have used so much animation that I was certain I had a dizzying headache by the end of the event. I am not saying people should never use animations, but rather, animations should be used subtly if truly desired.

2.       People who read directly off of their slides (Don’t do it!)

PowerPoint can sometimes lead to the speaker just focusing on the slide and alienating the audience completely. What is worse is when the speaker reads the text right off of the slide. There is no need to do this. I am quite sure that most of the audience members can read at an elementary level. Also, who likes being read to (besides five-year olds)?

3.       Too much text on slides

A slide overflowing with text is not only daunting to the human eye, but also a sign to the audience that the presenter is not well informed, completely relying on the slides as the source for all his knowledge. The purpose of PowerPoint is to serve as a presentation aid, not as a substitute for the ill informed.   

4.       Poor choice of fonts and backgrounds (The worst is a combination of the two)   

Using Distracting backgrounds that makes text hard to read is a common PowerPoint flaw that people tend to exhibit. In addition, selecting obnoxious fonts is equally irritating. Nobody wants to stare at Comic Stans or Monotype Corsiva for extended periods of time. I acknowledge that sometimes the presentation might have a theme and certain fonts might reflect that theme; nonetheless, it is always safe to stick with the standards.     

5.       Limited audience interaction

PowerPoint is no doubt a great presentation aid, but I have noticed that it tends to prohibit interaction between the presenter and the audience. The presenter concentrates on conveying his/her message, while the audience just sits and listens. I have always enjoyed PowerPoint presentations where the presenter posts survey questions, interesting quotes, or really anything that leads to audience participation. Participation-based presentations with Power Point have a much stronger impact on audience members than the usual presentation style.   

CLT Visit

I always had a general idea of what the first floor of the Coates library housed, including an extensive media collection and of course, more books. However, I never knew that the AT&T Center for Learning and Technology (CLT) was its ultimate asset. After our visit to the CLT, I now understand why several students scurry down those spiraling stairs to the first floor. This extensive resource center consists of 14 Macs and 12 PCs, inviting both types of computer users. Moreover, all of the computers contain specific types of software, ranging from audio and video editing to graphic design. According to the Instructional Support Manger for Trinity University, Mr. Robert Chapman, the CLT staff is willing to download additional software onto computers if students truly need it for academic purposes. He further communicated that some of the CLT staff members can even give basic training to students who have never used the software before. Not only does the CLT offer advance computer software on all of its computers, but it also serves a checkout center for anyone who wants to borrow necessary technological equipment such as digital cameras, video cameras, tripods, headphones, and USB microphones. What impressed me the most during the CLT visit was the high definition video conferencing room. Along with its modern and chic feel, this room boasts the ability to connect students and faculty to other parts of the world. Mr. Chapman mentioned this amazing system is often used by students or faculty traveling abroad who want to converse with friends at the University. Furthermore, it can allow fifteen people to engage in a teleconference at the same time.

    After this informative visit, I am fully aware of all the resources CLT provides and definitely see myself taking advantage of them for both class and personal projects. Since this class involves aspects of media design such as photo editing, I can come to the CLT and use its graphic design software to complete any necessary assignments. I also discovered during the visit that the CLT provides the lecture capturing system for certain classes, and I am lucky to have that resource for my Integrative Biology course. I usually watch the lecture feeds when I am studying for tests or if I need to go back and take notes on certain parts of the lecture. Hence, I am indebted to the CLT for creating and monitoring the lecture capturing system. Lastly, I was happy to learn that the CLT also has scanners. Now, if I ever need to send personal emails with scanned documents or pictures, I can do so. I must say, this visit was quite influential on my view of library resources. I find myself incredibly fortunate to have access to the CLT and all that it offers.                                                                                                         

Here is a self-portrait that I drew and scanned using one of the CLT scanners. Please excuse my limited artistic abilities J.  

 

Reflections of Excel

So far, I believe my experience with Excel has been excellent (no pun intended). Before, I had a general idea of Excel functions, including making graphs and basic tables. However, now I have learned so many of Excel’s incredible functions. I now know what a running balance is and how to calculate it, as well as specific formatting options available to make an excel document appear professional. In addition, I am so glad that we learned what the auto fill function was because that saved me hours of time when I utilized it for my Biology lab assignment. I think in future classes, the methods of graphing, formatting of excel documents; use of formulas, and the wonderful auto fill function will be extremely helpful. In terms of real life, I think knowing how to calculate a running balance and loan Amortization will be useful, along with all the skills I already stated that would be helpful for my future classes. In general, I feel anything I learn about Excel in this class will stay with me forever and therefore will be helpful in my real life. Ultimately, what I like about Excel is its ability to save a person so much time with a variety of functions. With Excel, any calculation can be done if there is a formula and the auto fill function can easily apply that formula to all necessary cells. Moreover, Excel is a great organizing tool not just for business purposes, but really for any academic or personal purposes as well. The only aspect of Excel I do not like is that because there are so many functions available, it is easy to become overwhelmed and forget how to execute a specific function. Nevertheless, I know the more practice I receive with this program, the more comfortable I will be.    

Internet Ethics: Image Manipulation

I chose the image revealing the condition of Lebanese capital Beirut after an Israeli air raid. I selected this picture because of its surprisingly deceptive abilities. The manipulation present is practically unnoticeable. I think if I were to view this picture in a magazine or newspaper, I would never detect its illusory alterations. This image was actually manipulated to display an excessive amount of dark smoke, which seems to be consuming the entire city. The Reuters news agency put this false picture on its website, but eventually took it down after discovering that the original version had been manipulated. Personally, I believe this image was manipulated because the photographer might have felt that modifying this picture would lead to prominent magazine companies advertising it. Thus, I would assume this is primarily a matter of personal greed on the photographer’s part. This type of manipulation can be quite harmful, especially because it is so subtle. For instance, citizens of Lebanon could have seen this image and become overly worried about the situation. It is obvious that the air raid must have resulted in numerous injuries and some deaths; however, depicting an image of the air raid to communicate worse consequences can have an overall negative impact on people’s psyches. It is interesting how even scenes of a catastrophic event can be altered to obtain specific reactions from people.      

This video, although brief, shows the transformation of a real looking woman into an artificial version of what we usually see in magazines. There is a small portion at the beginning of the video displaying what occurs prior to a photograph being taken, including heavy makeup and hair treatment. However, the actual manipulation is the portion detailing the use of Photoshop to enhance the woman’s natural features and correct any flaws. In this case, the woman's transformed image is mounted onto a billboard for even more people to view. I support the message this video is conveying, which is that society’s view of beauty is entirely misconstrued. This type of misrepresentation can lead to normal girls feeling as if they must look this way, which is actually impossible. Ultimately, image manipulation of this sort can lead to body image and self of steam issues in girls.                

One Blog-One life: The Dark Side of the Internet

Source: bamablogunite.blogspot.com

Unfortunately, the internet is the equivalent of a double-edged sword. It can help us, serving as a vast cyber pot of knowledge and discovery, or it can harm us, doubling as a dark bottomless pit of dangerous information made available to innocent minds. Moreover, the internet is portrayed as an open forum for people to express their constitutional right of free speech in the form of personal websites, social networking accounts, and blogs. Specifically, blogs seem to be the ultimate platform for anyone (not just the stereotypical “computer potato”) to express a variety of personal aspects, including their opinions, helpful advice to others, and memorable moments of their life. Thus, blogs are similar to journal entries, except for the crucial fact that they are open to anyone who has access to the World Wide Web to read. Whatever actions an individual commits after reading the blog is solely up to the individual, making him or her responsible for those actions, not the blogger. However, if the individual is not entirely stable psychologically, then the family of that individual is responsible for that individual’s actions.  To understand how important this statement truly is, let us dissect the interesting case of a California medical student, who wrote a blog entry that would end one life, and ruin two others.    

The first year medical student posted an entry on his personal blog, which was hosted by a weblog content provider. The entry consisted of detailed instructions on an assisted suicide with the primary intention of “serving the rights of competent, terminally ill adults.” Now, the first questions that emerge from this scenario are “Is this act legal?” and rather, “Is it ethical?”. I believe that this act is both legal and ethical. It is legal because it is a form of free speech and it is ethical because it exhibits a concrete purpose of helping the terminally ill. The medical student did not state the purpose as “aiding those who want to die” and therefore did not have any bad intentions when writing this entry. Terminally ill patients have an incurable sickness that will eventually lead to death, and so the medical student might have figured that he really wanted to assist these people in achieving a proper end to their lives. Hence, this is in no manner unethical, but rather quite noble. The medical student was most likely aware of the risks of posting this entry; nevertheless, he ultimately did it for a good cause. If that is not ethical, I really do not know what is.   

Moving on to the meat of this case, we come across a clinically depressed teenager in another state who reads the medical student’s entry and ends up surrendering her life to an overdose of drugs. In addition, the teenager explains in her final note to her family that the blogger assisted her in successfully completing this task. This brings us to the chief question, “Who is responsible for this tragedy?”.  One’s first response would be to blame the medical student for committing the crime of assisted suicide. However, it is important to realize that there is a clear difference between a decision and a well-informed decision. Keeping this in mind, I did some research, wanting to know what factors make assisted suicide a crime in the United States, particularly in California. According to the Patients Rights Council, a credited source addressing all “end-of-life issues”, the general assisted suicide law for the state of California is “Every person who deliberately aids, or advises, or encourages another to commit suicide, is guilty of a felony.” [i] For this reason, legally speaking, the medical student has not committed a crime because he did not intentionally assist the teenager in committing suicide. As I stated earlier, his only intention was to help the terminally ill. Because no crime has been committed, nobody should be prosecuted. Although nobody is legally responsible, we still need to determine who is technically responsible for this tragedy.   

Personally, I find the parents of the teenager entirely culpable for all that happened. They should  have been aware of the fact that their daughter could possibly be experiencing suicidal thoughts, one of the likely symptoms of depression. Furthermore, the parents should have kept a close watch on their daughter’s internet usage, such as sitting with their daughter as she used the internet, or placing parental controls of some sort. I acknowledge that no parents can monitor their child at all times; nonetheless, when the child is clinically depressed and could take his or her own life at any moment, it is at least important to be with the child as much as possible. It does not seem right to leave a depressed teenager unaccompanied at all, let alone with a computer, which supposedly has all the answers to one’s questions.

Consequently, it would not make any sense to blame the medical student for this tragedy because, as I discussed earlier, he never directly intended to write this for the depressed teenager. Moreover, blaming the teenager would not be fair because she was not in a proper psychological state to make decisions on her own. In fact, she was very vulnerable and therefore easily influenced by whatever she read. Some might claim the weblog content provider is responsible, but that too would not be right because the provider had no actual reason to disallow the medical student from posting the entry. The entry was not inappropriate in any way, it did not directly hurt anyone, and it was for a good cause. For this reason,  prohibiting the medical student from posting it would be a violation of his right to free speech. That brings us back to the parents, who in my opinion, are exclusively responsible. I am certain that if they were more involved in monitoring their daughter, they would have saved her life.             

Reference:

[1]  “Assisted Suicide Laws." Patients Rights Council . 2011. Web. 13 Feb 2011. <http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/assisted_suicide_laws.htm>.

Copyright and Creative Commons

Mr. Jason Hardin, Manager of Access Services, came to talk to our EIT class about important issues regarding copyright, including what copyright actually is, when an action is considered copyright infringement, and what we as students can do to avoid breaking any copyright regulations. Something Mr. Hardin mentioned that really sparked my attention was the legal standard for copyright. He discussed how a person’s work must be in a “fixed tangible medium” for it to be considered as copyrighted. I never realized that clicking save on my computer essentially copyrighted my work. Before Mr. Hardin mentioned this point, I always assumed that even if I did not save my work and someone else were to copy it, I could sill argue that my work was copyrighted solely based on my personal statement. However, now I understand that if I do not save my work, it is open for anyone to copy and claim as their own. I guess now I have another strong reason to save and save often.

Another point I learned from Mr. Hardin’s presentation was that college students can actually receive take down notices from major music, movie, and entertainment industries.  Take down notices are basically letters by rights holders to let colleges know that file sharing is taking place. I think it is amazing how these industries have professional hackers just to watch out for any file sharing that is taking place.  Mr. Hardin further expressed that these industries can recognize a person by his/her IP address and ultimately, the college can figure out that person’s identity by the IP address. As a result, he explained how Trinity could easily track a student committing the file sharing because the industry includes the IP address in the take down notice.  

One copyright issue I find quite intriguing is the one about Fair Use. What actually makes a usage of something fair? Title 17 of the U.S. Code includes this policy, stating four factors that should be considered when determining whether fair use is justified. The four factors are the following:  1.) Purpose of the reproduction 2.) Nature of the reproduced work  3.)Amount of the reproduction  4.) Effect of the market from the work. Specifically, Mr. Hardin communicated that under these guidelines, a professor is allowed to make several copies of a work and distribute that work to the class for educational purposes. The professor could claim “Spontaneity of Usage”, conveying that the timing of his particular teaching schedule restricted him from asking permission for usage. Some would not consider this as a good enough reason for claiming fair use, arguing that limited time should not be used as an excuse for fair usage. Conversely, others might think it is a perfectly good reason because the professor is making the copies for an educational purpose. Personally, I totally agree that the “Spontaneity of Usage” reasoning is legitimate and should be considered as fair use because the professor actually does not have the time to seek permission of the rights holders and also,  the act of making and distributing copies of the work is for the purpose of education. Moreover, the amount of reproduction is not too great and the effect of the market from the work is very minimal. Thus, all four factors of fair use are considered and satisfied.   

Copyright Blog Entry by Vedanti Upadhyaya is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

My Trinity Network Diagram

This diagram explains the inner workings of Trinity’s Local Area Network, highlighting how information travels from various locations such as students’ personal computers and other important buildings.  It also identifies buildings on campus that serve either as the core of the entire network or as backup systems. In addition, it reveals the types of wiring necessary for proper signaling to occur between buildings. Ultimately, this diagram conveys the message that it is no surprise Trinity University’s network system is top rated.       

      

Best Tech Tip

Mr. Joe Hatch discussed several important aspects regarding computers, including the significance of the TU Secure network, how a computer declines in efficiency over time, and where students can go on campus to obtain computer assistance. One of the best tips he gave was how you can remove all the excess junk that is present on your computer. He explained how a profile is where you log into your computer and open up your desktop.  Thus, every folder and icon is unique to your profile and every time you log in, the data you consistently put on your profile eventually keeps building. Mr. Hatch emphasized that this affects the computer’s efficiency because it has to bring up everything every time you open your desktop. He also mentioned that a computer can become less efficient over time primarily due to malware, poor software, and a hard drive that does not function properly. For this reason, he suggested downloading CCleaner, a program that removes additional junk from your computer. Something I did not know that Mr. Hatch mentioned was that CCleaner not only helps with Windows performance, but it also helps remove information that hackers use about your browsing habits. There is also a similar program called Onyx, which you can use if you have a Mac. I really learned some great tips from Mr. Hatch’s talk and will definitely apply them  to my future computer use!       

     

Trinity Mystery Spot

 

When walking by this area, I usually run into some familiar feline friends that tend to roam the Trinity campus. I chose this location because it has a very cozy feel to it and is a nice place to hang out with friends. Also, I think the true purpose of this location is quite unique. I altered this picture using Picnik to give it a more eerie look, hence making it less recognizable. Specifically, I increased the concentration and saturation levels to bring out the harsh red in the bricks, and overall, just make the photo stand out more. I then added some text (Sue Ellen Francis Font) to one of the bricks to provide some background to the picture. My last modification involved adding a cartoon of a cat, changing its color to a bright orange, and placing it behind the dog as if it were hiding. The addition of the frightened cat to this picture actually signifies the recent attacks on Trinity cats by stray dogs.    





Network Server Diagram

 

The diagram above displays the harmonious interactions between different parts of the Trinity University network, consisting of a combination of specific folders and drives among all students and professors. There are two main drives called the Y: Drive (private storage for students) and the N: Drive (place for professors to import and modify assignments), and a shared folder called the Groups Folder (shared among both students and professors). Overall, this system is incredibly effective because it not only allows professors and students to maintain privacy and control of their own documents, but it also provides the option of sharing documents. 

All About Me!

Greetings Everyone! My name is Vedanti Upadhyaya and I live in Schertz, Texas, a small town located on the outskirts of San Antonio. My parents are originally from India, making me a first generation immigrant. Born in Odessa, I have lived in Texas my entire life. I went to a private high school in San Antonio called Saint Mary’s Hall and my graduating class had only 84 students.

I like to read and write, hang out with my friends, go to theme parks because roller coasters are a total adrenaline rush, travel to different countries, and meet new people. My favorite movie genres include comedy, Sci-fi, and action. Some of my favorite movies include Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure, Dark Knight, GATTACA, and the 2009 hit Sherlock Holmes. My favorite books include the Harry Potter Series, the Percy Jackson series, Beloved, As I lay Dying, and Life of Pi. Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, and Macbeth are some of my favorite Shakespeare plays and some of my favorite authors and poets include TS Eliot, Faulkner, and Woolf.  

Moreover, I enjoy photography and took it as a course in high school for three years. Specifically, I like to photograph portraits, still life scenes, and natural landscapes. My secret fact is that I learn Classical Indian Dance, and have been learning it since I was six years old. I just love to dance and am always eager to learn new styles. Recently, I participated in a Bollywood group dance, which was performed during the Diwali event hosted by ASU and HSU.   

As a first-year student at Trinity University, I am currently an intern for the Mirage and a member of ASU, FIMRC, HSU, and AMSA. I like participating in community service activities and thus want to join more service oriented organizations such as TUVAC. In addition, I am pre-med and plan to major in Biology.

I have an adequate knowledge of computers; however, I believe there is still so much more that I could learn. In middle school, I engaged in a computer skills class focusing on HTML and had to make a website as my final project. It was a challenging task, but in the end, I was proud of all the work I had accomplished. In high school when I took yearbook, I acquired basic Photoshop skills and gained experience working with a designing program called InDesign. For this reason, I would like to expand my knowledge of Photoshop and learn more techniques in media design. I am excited to take this class and develop computer skills that will last a lifetime!

Feel free to email me at: vupadhya@trinity.edu