Before college, most English classes I had taken were pretty much the same. We read a book, the teacher went through the whole book during class, and then we wrote a paper about it. Some teachers also made us take quizzes on the readings, which I did not enjoy at all. But the assignments were very easy, so I didn’t mind doing those assignments. All of these teachers also had “rules” for writing papers of any kind. Using the word I just wasn’t allowed.
The only exception to this was the College Writing Class I had taken senior year. That class was very different from any other we had taken. My teacher focused on creative writing. At first I did not enjoy this because it was hard improvise and come up with things write on the spot. But throughout the semester, I started to enjoy a lot of the assignments that were given. I think this class would have prepared me more if I took more creative writing classes in college, but it did in fact help me out. I realized that writing took a lot more thought, it wasn’t just a bunch of words written on a page. The meaning of those words are very significant.
English 102 was different from those other classes. Engaging the texts covered in this course, was one of the main goals we covered. It is important to realize what the author meant by their writing, why they wrote it and who was the intended reader. This was something that I did not have to do in the other English courses, like I said before; my teachers basically told us what to write in our paper. English 102 also didn’t have the “rules” like my previous English courses. This course was more about focusing on my understanding and the text we read and my opinions of the text. So right off the bat, I knew this course was going to be way different and a lot more challenging than the courses I took in high school. Throughout this semester, I have learned that writing is based off of the choices that we made.
Walking into class on the first day, I learned that the topic we were going to be focusing on was technology. This was another thing that factored my already, not-so-psyched-for-this-class kind of feeling. I had no clue how I was going to survive a whole semester of writing and talking about technology. Technology was definitely something that I was not very interested in discussing. So I figured that writing a 10 page research paper would be torture.
After reading the Human Factor, by Kim Vincente, I realized that maybe this semester wouldn’t be so bad after all. Human Factor discussed the effects that humans have on technology. A plan for the use of technology can be perfectly planned out, but if the person operating it does not fully understand how to use it, then the plan is not going to work out flawlessly.
One of the main points that Vincente discussed that stuck out the most to me was that technology does not have to be complex. Anything that makes life more efficient and helps an organization or business function can be considered technology. A work Schedule is one of these tools that can be considered a simple technology. David Nye also discussed the simple things in life that can be considered technology. He also agreed that simple things, like an ax or a happen can be considered technology because they are used to make thing easier.
In Technology Matter: Questions to Live with, Nye also discussed how technology was getting way too advanced. He analyzed different stories, where societies were being controlled by Technology, be it had become way too advanced. Technology was being created that completely eliminated the need for human workers. One of the novels Nye discussed was Player Piano. Reading about this was very interesting to me. Is it possible for a society to become way too technologically advanced, that eventually machines will be created that completely eliminate the need for a working class?
Doing research on this topic was somewhat challenging. I didn’t realize at first that papers that I wrote throughout the course of English 102, would come so handy in writing my final research paper. So I tried starting from scratch. This was difficult. I did not know where to start or what kind of research I was looking for to back up my topic.
I turned in my first attempt at this paper and like I thought, it was not a quality paper. So I tried again, this time using the information and the texts that were analyzed throughout the semester. Using the other material from the course made things so much easier. There were different topics that Nye, Vincente, and Vonnegut covered that related to my topic.
The Disney/Pixar movie Wall-E, was another source I used for my paper. I actually did not come up with using this as a source, my teacher actually suggested that I consider using Walle-E in my paper. Discussing Wall-e actually fit pretty well with my topic. But I never would have realized that because I didn’t think that using a Disney movie would be a legitimate source for a college level paper. But then I realized that writing a paper is a way for a writer to really express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I actually enjoy Disney movies, so I was very excited to used something like this in my research paper.
Throughout the semester I learned that writing is a lot about the choices we makes. There are not certain rules to follow. A writer has to decide what is best for their paper. A paper, essay, short story, novel, etc. are just ways for a person to express their feelings.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Technology and Human Labor
echnology is very helpful and it makes so many things in life a lot easier to do. But it can be a bad thing at times as well. Technology keeps advancing; something could eventually be created that lessens the need for human labor.
Kurt Vonnegut wrote Player Piano in 1952, which is a novel about Technology taking over the need for human labor. U.S. society was over looked by the engineers and other people that created the technology (42). Humans were given everything they needed, and they did not have to work. You would think people would like being able to do whatever they wanted and not have to work. However the people in Player Piano did not like this. They got bored and restless (76). So Paul, a member of the lower class, leads a revolt against the engineers ( 153). Vonnegut wrote Player Piano based off the fears that many people had after WWII.
This novel gave me the idea for my topic. What impact has technology had on human labor? In the future, is it possible that the U.S. Society will become so technologically advanced that there will be no need for human labor?
A technological advancement that was created is assembly lines. Assembly lines were created in 1908 by Henry Ford. This machinery increases the production of automobile parts. Automobiles were being made at a faster pace. But assembly lines reduced the need for human labor which caused some job loss.
Technology will never be able to fully take over the need for human labor because technology isn’t flawless. Computers crash, batteries die, and any type of technology can break easy if it is dropped or misused. So people will always have some sort of jobs that technology cannot replace because when these things happen, people that help create technology and anyone in the working force will have jobs fixing the technology that is created. Mechanics are there to repair cars when they break down or when something go wrong, computer technicians fix computers that crash. Human labor will always be needed. Technology makes thing so much easier and more efficient but it cannot fix itself, so if anything goes wrong, workers will there to fix it. Also people are always changing and so are there demands. So there will always be the need for new thing to be created that keep up with the demands of a changing society.
Leo Marx, author of Technology: The Emergence of a hazardous Concept is about things that go wrong with technology. Marx discusses how technology is a threat to society because people have turned technology into something apart from people who people who invent it. He sees technology as something that is outside of society’s control. He is concerned that technology is being way to advanced. He is afraid that technology is going to get way out of control for our society to handle (13).
Why are people so worried about technology if it is supposed to be there to make our lives easier? Technology breaking can be frustrating.
Technology may lessen the need for human labor but it will never take over the need for it. Like the working in Player Piano, workers is the U.S. society would not be able to live idle life without work. During World War II there inventions that made the production of clothes happen faster because the fabric and cloth could be spun faster (Freeze 249). A lot of people found this invention useful and they were happy that things were being produced faster ( Freeze 250). People did not mind that it lessened the need for human labor because it was efficient.
The invention of new technology for the purpose of making life more efficient is all bad because even if the technology does lessen the need for human labor it will never completely to replace human workers because people will always have to replace or fix the technology.
Kurt Vonnegut wrote Player Piano in 1952, which is a novel about Technology taking over the need for human labor. U.S. society was over looked by the engineers and other people that created the technology (42). Humans were given everything they needed, and they did not have to work. You would think people would like being able to do whatever they wanted and not have to work. However the people in Player Piano did not like this. They got bored and restless (76). So Paul, a member of the lower class, leads a revolt against the engineers ( 153). Vonnegut wrote Player Piano based off the fears that many people had after WWII.
This novel gave me the idea for my topic. What impact has technology had on human labor? In the future, is it possible that the U.S. Society will become so technologically advanced that there will be no need for human labor?
A technological advancement that was created is assembly lines. Assembly lines were created in 1908 by Henry Ford. This machinery increases the production of automobile parts. Automobiles were being made at a faster pace. But assembly lines reduced the need for human labor which caused some job loss.
Technology will never be able to fully take over the need for human labor because technology isn’t flawless. Computers crash, batteries die, and any type of technology can break easy if it is dropped or misused. So people will always have some sort of jobs that technology cannot replace because when these things happen, people that help create technology and anyone in the working force will have jobs fixing the technology that is created. Mechanics are there to repair cars when they break down or when something go wrong, computer technicians fix computers that crash. Human labor will always be needed. Technology makes thing so much easier and more efficient but it cannot fix itself, so if anything goes wrong, workers will there to fix it. Also people are always changing and so are there demands. So there will always be the need for new thing to be created that keep up with the demands of a changing society.
Leo Marx, author of Technology: The Emergence of a hazardous Concept is about things that go wrong with technology. Marx discusses how technology is a threat to society because people have turned technology into something apart from people who people who invent it. He sees technology as something that is outside of society’s control. He is concerned that technology is being way to advanced. He is afraid that technology is going to get way out of control for our society to handle (13).
Why are people so worried about technology if it is supposed to be there to make our lives easier? Technology breaking can be frustrating.
Technology may lessen the need for human labor but it will never take over the need for it. Like the working in Player Piano, workers is the U.S. society would not be able to live idle life without work. During World War II there inventions that made the production of clothes happen faster because the fabric and cloth could be spun faster (Freeze 249). A lot of people found this invention useful and they were happy that things were being produced faster ( Freeze 250). People did not mind that it lessened the need for human labor because it was efficient.
The invention of new technology for the purpose of making life more efficient is all bad because even if the technology does lessen the need for human labor it will never completely to replace human workers because people will always have to replace or fix the technology.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Blog 8
For my research project the topic I have chosen is what are the affects technology has had on human labor and what could happen to human labor if technology keeps advancing. This is just a rough copy of my topic. I still have to breakdown this idea more so form a better some specific topic. I came up with this idea after reading the sources that David Nye, used in Technology Matters.
In Technology: The Emergence of a Hazardous Concept, Leo Marx writes about how technology has become so advanced and out of human control. He also discusses the things that go wrong with technology. The other source I read was Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut. It is about a society where technology takes over all need for human labor and society is controlled by engineers.
These readings helped me form my topic both sources talk about things that go wrong with technology and society. I became interested in this topic because after reading player piano I wondered what would happen if technology keeps advancing. Could it ever replace or reduce the need for human labor even more?
I think that technology could be created that would reduce the need for human labor. But nothing could be created to fully replace human labor. I believe that if a society like the one in Player Piano was created a similar rebellion would take place. I think humans would start a rebellion because they would not be able to remain powerless or idle.
Marx also brought up a good point by saying that technology has become so advanced because of humans. If humans did not choose to create new technology then our society would not be so technology dependant. But people chose to develop new technology and eventually there will become a time when it will grow out of society’s control.
As an engineer or someone that creates technology I would say that technology is not becoming too advanced. Technology is created to make things more efficient. But as a consumer I would say that technology is becoming advanced and we do not need all of the technology that was created to survive in our society.
In Technology: The Emergence of a Hazardous Concept, Leo Marx writes about how technology has become so advanced and out of human control. He also discusses the things that go wrong with technology. The other source I read was Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut. It is about a society where technology takes over all need for human labor and society is controlled by engineers.
These readings helped me form my topic both sources talk about things that go wrong with technology and society. I became interested in this topic because after reading player piano I wondered what would happen if technology keeps advancing. Could it ever replace or reduce the need for human labor even more?
I think that technology could be created that would reduce the need for human labor. But nothing could be created to fully replace human labor. I believe that if a society like the one in Player Piano was created a similar rebellion would take place. I think humans would start a rebellion because they would not be able to remain powerless or idle.
Marx also brought up a good point by saying that technology has become so advanced because of humans. If humans did not choose to create new technology then our society would not be so technology dependant. But people chose to develop new technology and eventually there will become a time when it will grow out of society’s control.
As an engineer or someone that creates technology I would say that technology is not becoming too advanced. Technology is created to make things more efficient. But as a consumer I would say that technology is becoming advanced and we do not need all of the technology that was created to survive in our society.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Assignment 7
In order to write the essay on Nye, I had to go through Technology Matters and find sources that I thought helped prove Nye ideas. I used Player Piano by Vonnegut and Technology: The Emergence of a Hazardous Concept by Leo Marx.
I think that the online peer editing was more helpful last time around. More people commented on my paper last time so I had different insight and ideas to take into account to improve my paper. But the comments left this time were still helpful. I find peer editing useful because the comments left on my paper usually have positives and negatives. I am told what to keep, what to expand on, and what to change. This is helpful because it shows if the reader understands the point I am trying to get across in my paper.
Writing this paper helped me understand how important using sources are. They help the writer prove the points they are trying to make and if the writer uses the sources to explain their ideas well then the reader will be able to understand more.
It is sometimes hard to find reliable sources that help get the writers ideas across. This is one thing that I think is going to be challenging when I am my research paper.
I think that the online peer editing was more helpful last time around. More people commented on my paper last time so I had different insight and ideas to take into account to improve my paper. But the comments left this time were still helpful. I find peer editing useful because the comments left on my paper usually have positives and negatives. I am told what to keep, what to expand on, and what to change. This is helpful because it shows if the reader understands the point I am trying to get across in my paper.
Writing this paper helped me understand how important using sources are. They help the writer prove the points they are trying to make and if the writer uses the sources to explain their ideas well then the reader will be able to understand more.
It is sometimes hard to find reliable sources that help get the writers ideas across. This is one thing that I think is going to be challenging when I am my research paper.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
paper 2- assignment 5
Both the novel Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut and Technology: The Emergencies of a hazardous Concept, by Leo Marx bring up interesting points about technology. Vonnegut writes about a machines taking over the U.S. society and Marx writes about how technology is becoming way too advanced. Both of these sources connect because if technology keeps advancing, something could eventually be created that lessens the need for human labor.
The novel, Player Piano, is set in the United States in the future. The U.S. society is highly technologically advanced and most human labor is eliminated because of the use of machines. Engineers keep the society running and they regulate the machinery that is being used. Eventually a conflict between the upper class, the engineers, and the lower class emerges. The lower class is upset because they were replaced and their jobs were taken over by machines. Paul Proteus is the leader of the rebellion against the machine society and eventually they are able to defeat the machine society. The title Player Piano is used because it was one of the first applications of automation being used.
Nye writes about Player Piano in Chapter 7, Work More or Less, Better or Worse. He uses this example because he was talking about our society being taken over by the use of machines and other forms of technology. Nye states that “Vonnegut depicted a future in which most people are idle, purposeless, and powerless” (121). The fear of machines taking over the need for human labor was a major concern from 1930-1980 (120).Vonnegut wrote player piano in 1952 to show what could become of the American society if everyone’s fears came true. But some jobs have already been taken over by the use of machinery. Assembly lines were created to make jobs go faster. The need for human labor did not disappear because of the use of assembly lines and other technology. In Piano Player, people were watched over by the engineers and they were taken care of and given what they needed to survive. But there was a rebellion because not everyone was content with this situation. A society like the one is player piano would not be possible because I don’t think people could live an idle life without a purpose or power. But new technology is always being created so, could something that took over the need for human labor eventually be created?
Technology: The Emergence of a Hazardous Concept, is about things that go wrong with technology. Marx discusses how technology is a threat to society because people have turned technology into something apart from people who invent it. He sees technology as something that is outside of society’s control.
Nye writes about Marx in the Chapter 1 of Technology Matter. Nye discusses what technology and what type of objects can be considered technology. Technology: The emergence of a Hazardous Concept, was used because Marx describes how technology is becoming so advanced that is could cause problems in our society. Technology has become so advanced because people in our society have made it that way. Nye also used this novel as an example because Mark’s discusses how technology is getting out society’s control because it is getting so advanced and eventually most people will not understand how to use it.
The novel, Player Piano, is set in the United States in the future. The U.S. society is highly technologically advanced and most human labor is eliminated because of the use of machines. Engineers keep the society running and they regulate the machinery that is being used. Eventually a conflict between the upper class, the engineers, and the lower class emerges. The lower class is upset because they were replaced and their jobs were taken over by machines. Paul Proteus is the leader of the rebellion against the machine society and eventually they are able to defeat the machine society. The title Player Piano is used because it was one of the first applications of automation being used.
Nye writes about Player Piano in Chapter 7, Work More or Less, Better or Worse. He uses this example because he was talking about our society being taken over by the use of machines and other forms of technology. Nye states that “Vonnegut depicted a future in which most people are idle, purposeless, and powerless” (121). The fear of machines taking over the need for human labor was a major concern from 1930-1980 (120).Vonnegut wrote player piano in 1952 to show what could become of the American society if everyone’s fears came true. But some jobs have already been taken over by the use of machinery. Assembly lines were created to make jobs go faster. The need for human labor did not disappear because of the use of assembly lines and other technology. In Piano Player, people were watched over by the engineers and they were taken care of and given what they needed to survive. But there was a rebellion because not everyone was content with this situation. A society like the one is player piano would not be possible because I don’t think people could live an idle life without a purpose or power. But new technology is always being created so, could something that took over the need for human labor eventually be created?
Technology: The Emergence of a Hazardous Concept, is about things that go wrong with technology. Marx discusses how technology is a threat to society because people have turned technology into something apart from people who invent it. He sees technology as something that is outside of society’s control.
Nye writes about Marx in the Chapter 1 of Technology Matter. Nye discusses what technology and what type of objects can be considered technology. Technology: The emergence of a Hazardous Concept, was used because Marx describes how technology is becoming so advanced that is could cause problems in our society. Technology has become so advanced because people in our society have made it that way. Nye also used this novel as an example because Mark’s discusses how technology is getting out society’s control because it is getting so advanced and eventually most people will not understand how to use it.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Blog #6
The novel, Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut, is set in the United States in the future. The U.S. society is highly technologically advanced and most human labor is eliminated because of the use of machines. Engineers keep the society running and they regulate the machinery that is being used. Eventually a conflict between the upper class, the engineers, and the lower class emerges. The lower class is upset because they were replaced and there jobs were taken over by machines. Paul Proteus is the leader of the rebellion against the machine society and eventually they are able to defeat the machine society. The title Player Piano is used because it was one of the first applications of automation being used.
Technology: The Emergence of a hazardous Concept by Leo Marx, is about things that go wrong with technology. Marx discusses how technology is a threat to society because people have turned technology into something apart from people who people who invent it. He sees technology as something that is outside of society’s control.
I think Nye uses Player Piano as an example because the book discusses what could happen to the United States society. New technology is going to be created So Vonnegut was saying that eventually technology could get so advanced that it could take over the United States. Robots or other machines could be created to takeover the need for human labor. Assembly lines and other things were created that reduced the need for human labor so could a society described in Player Piano eventually come true?
Technology: The emergences of a hazardous Concept, was used because Marx describes how technology is becoming so advanced that is could cause problems in our society. Technology has become so advanced because people in our society have made it that way. Nye also used this novel as an example because Mark’s discusses how technology is getting out society’s control because it is getting so advanced and eventually most people will not understand how to use it.
Technology: The Emergence of a hazardous Concept by Leo Marx, is about things that go wrong with technology. Marx discusses how technology is a threat to society because people have turned technology into something apart from people who people who invent it. He sees technology as something that is outside of society’s control.
I think Nye uses Player Piano as an example because the book discusses what could happen to the United States society. New technology is going to be created So Vonnegut was saying that eventually technology could get so advanced that it could take over the United States. Robots or other machines could be created to takeover the need for human labor. Assembly lines and other things were created that reduced the need for human labor so could a society described in Player Piano eventually come true?
Technology: The emergences of a hazardous Concept, was used because Marx describes how technology is becoming so advanced that is could cause problems in our society. Technology has become so advanced because people in our society have made it that way. Nye also used this novel as an example because Mark’s discusses how technology is getting out society’s control because it is getting so advanced and eventually most people will not understand how to use it.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Assignment 5
Vonnegut, Vincente, and Nye all talk about the human factor. Human error can cause major disasters. Vincente made it clear that human error can occur if someone is not completely qualified for the job they are hired to do. Something can be planned out perfectly but if the person following through with the plan does not fully understand what they are doing, then it is not going to turn out. It seems that Vonnegut also believes that human error is a huge factor in what is wrong with technology. But he also writes about how carelessness can cause human error and in the end cause disaster.
Nye writes about human error in a different way. In Chapter 9 of Technology Matters,
Nye talks about how human intervening with technology can cause more disasters. But Nye is talking about natural disasters. Nye states that “at the risk of unforeseeable accidents increases, some consumers reject innovations not due to the definite knowledge of risk, but rather because of a generalized fear of the unknown” (166). Accidents happen. But some people are so afraid of these unknown accidents that they do things to try to stop things from occurring. But in the end the human factor could make things worse and cause more error or disaster.
Humans do not mean to cause problems or disasters. Unforeseeable things can occur if an unqualified person steps in or if a person tries to stop something from happen, they can actually cause more disaster to occur.
Nye writes about human error in a different way. In Chapter 9 of Technology Matters,
Nye talks about how human intervening with technology can cause more disasters. But Nye is talking about natural disasters. Nye states that “at the risk of unforeseeable accidents increases, some consumers reject innovations not due to the definite knowledge of risk, but rather because of a generalized fear of the unknown” (166). Accidents happen. But some people are so afraid of these unknown accidents that they do things to try to stop things from occurring. But in the end the human factor could make things worse and cause more error or disaster.
Humans do not mean to cause problems or disasters. Unforeseeable things can occur if an unqualified person steps in or if a person tries to stop something from happen, they can actually cause more disaster to occur.
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