Excel

Over the course of the last week, I have learned a lot about Excel. My previous experiences with Excel were very limited, so this week I found myself covering a lot of things that I did not know how to do. The exercises that we did making conversion charts, financial organizers, and income statements were very useful for me to learn more about Excel. Because of all the exercises we did, I recognize how Excel can be widely used for various purposes. Excel can be utilized for a range of purposes, be it keeping track of personal finance data, travel expenses, to organizing business accounts.I know that I will continue to use Excel because it will help me stay organized because I like that it keeps a running update of what you want it to (for example, we are using Excel to keep track of our grades).

Copyright and Creative Commons Lecture

I found Jason Hardin's visit to our class to be really interesting and informative. Hardin gave a lecture on copyright in our society and the various issues regarding copyright. The main reasons why I found Hardin's lecture so interesting was because I have never known too much about copyright and all the logistics of it. I knew the basics, but his lecture really introduced me to many new concepts. One of the main things that I learned was that it is a felony to commit a copyright infringement involving more than 10 copies and a value of more than $2500. A big issue that is relevant to many college students today is how it is illegal to download music without paying for it. Hardin informed us how many college kids ignore the fact that downloading music is illegal because they believe since everyone does it, then they can too. However, strict repercussions ensue if one is caught.
One case that serves as a reminder that such actions can lead to harsh consequences is one situation that a Boston University student found himself in. In 2009, the student was ordered to pay a staggering $675,000 for illegally downloading thirty songs. The student was ordered to pay four different record companies for the damages he caused them. While many believe such a sentence is harsh, the companies view this as a reminder to all who participate in illegal downloading that they will not tolerate it. Companies lose money when people do not pay for the work that they produce. So, from a business standpoint, they sue those who "steal" from them in order to make up for the damage illegal downloading causes them.
From a students perspective, this can be viewed as an unnecessary, extreme consequence. From this perspective, one can believe that they are not really causing any harm by downloading music illegally. Oftentimes, those who produce the music are already filthy wealthy, therefor, not paying $1 a song is not that big of a deal. Why make the rich richer? Especially if you can get it for free? I side with the student on this issue. I think that is not a huge deal if people illegally download music because those who produce music are creating art, and art is something that everyone should be able to benefit from and appreciate, regardless of their ability to pay. Also, don't fans pour enough money to these music starts when they throng to their concerts and purchase other merchandise? Somehow, I don't find myself feeling too guilty when the people I "steal" from are still earning 7, 8 figure salaries.





Copyright and Creative Commons Lecture Response by Andrew Crook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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Trinity Network Diagram

My network diagram will hopefully be an informative resource to help one better understand the complex computer system. The ITS employee who gave us a tour in Halsell was very thorough in describing how the network functions. I found that making this diagram was a good learning experience because I discovered the vast intricacies of the Trinity's network.

Trinity Mystery Spot

I decided to take a picture of this particular elevator because it is a place that I visit everyday. It is a significant location on campus. I'd say that a large portion of the sophomore class visits this location on a daily basis. I edited this photo because I thought it would make the picture more interesting. I changed the colors because I found the colors in the original dull. However, in my edited version,the contrast in colors make the image more captivating. I think it has a mysterious look to it, especially with the word "danger" in the bottom. Can you guess where on campus this photo was taken?