Upon arrival at the University of Delaware, I was made aware that I had to take three courses in information technology. Courses I had steered away from as an undergraduate student. Nonetheless, I was eager to take on the challenge. Energized and nervous I went into the course with a sense of optimism.

We began the course with an overview of information technology. We grappled with its importance to society and explored its many uses in the public and nonprofit sector. IT plays a tremendous role in the implementation and creation of government policy. Policy makers communicate via email, Skype, instant messenger, twitter, facebook, and myspace sites to connect with voters and to rally for support on an issue. President Barak Obama during his campaign for president used information technology to gain young voters. Though innovative technological strategies he was able to collect small amount of money from ordinary citizen that helped him win the 2008 presidential election.

A first year MPA student, my interest in federal government spurs from a fascination and appreciation for democracy. Furthermore, I believe it’s our civic duty to demand government be accountable for its actions. For this reason and others, I’ve chosen financial management as my concentration. The internet enables citizens to have greater access to government doctrines and bill proposals from state and federal law makers. IT has become a powerful for citizens and lawmakers alike in a sense that both can use it to push their own agendas. For instance, the Forensic auditing and Special Investigations unit of the Government Accountability Office focuses on forensic auditing, security and vulnerability assessments, and special investigations. Investigators post their investigative finding onto the GAO website for public use and alert congressional members of suspicious activities. In turn community members can express their support of opposition in person or on social network sites like twitter, facebook, and MySpace. Furthermore, individuals have the opportunity to state their opinions on blogs such as this one and sites such as newsvine.com. Newsvine allows its members to create their own columns and write about news that is important to them. Advances information technology has provided outlets for individuals to express their thoughts on various issues. It is more evident today than ever before that information technology can change social norms. We live in an age of technology where email, texting, and cell phones are the primary sources of communication.

Although information technology has endless benefits such as internet banking, bill pay, direct deposit, and many others it comes with its share of dangers. In UAPP 677 I was not only introduced to technological terms, I learned the difference between Trojans, warms, and viruses. Having too much information on the internet can be dangerous. Once information is put onto the internet it is there forever. Providing a lot of information on the internet can make one susceptible to identity theft and other crimes. In class, I learned how internet crimes are committed. Having this knowledge helps me better protect myself from identity theft. I am amazed at how easy it is to commit crimes on the internet.

A major hurdle in the course was the final group project. I was a member of the financial management group and we create a business plan for the City of New Castle. We applied what we had learned in the course to come up with a real solution to a real life problem facing the city.

Overall, I enjoyed the course. The course exposed me to a new dimension in public administration that I will take with me after I graduate from the University of Delaware. The basic knowledge of information technology I learned in this course will help me become an effective leader.

I consider myself a visual and audio learner. The best way for me to get information is through a combination of both. To prepare for class I am required to do the readings but reading alone doesn’t help me fully understand the every concept. In class, the professor goes over the same material I’ve read which is very helpful. Examples or hypothetical situations in which  the concept can be allied helps me tremendously when preparing for an exam.

In preparing for our presentation this week, we wanted to help the audience get a good grasp on the problem at hand. By doing this we are able to show the drastic need for technological changes for the organization. When presenting we will keep in mind the different ways people learn information so we can cater our presentation to their needs. I believe you cannot simply stand in front of a class and speak for a long period of time and expect people to understand or be interested in what you’re saying. I’ve seen many presentations where individuals presenting are so into their topic  that they forget to engage the class. If the class is disinterested they won’t pay attention.

During last week’s class we quizzed ourselves to see how many technical terms we could define. Surprisingly, I defined more than one. I’ve always thought computer terminology was complicated. I was intimidated at first when I saw all of the abbreviations on the quiz but, I did my best. When we looked over all the terms in class, I found out it wasn’t so bad. I actually understood some of the terms. It’s easy to memorize definitions and regurgitate them back to the class but I actually understood how some of the terms worked together. After several weeks in this course, I’m beginning to enjoy learning about technology. I’ve been introduced to a number of terms and application that I will hopefully use in the future. The course has made me more aware of benefits as well as dangers of technology advancement. We’ve debated and discussed the threats and benefits of social network sites. Just yesterday, I received a random email and phone call from someone in Minnesota that had seen me at a wedding last month. In his email he said he found my phone number and email address by googling my name. I couldn’t believe it. Information I posted on the IPA website was intended for potential recruiters for internships and jobs, not for random people to contact me when they please. The incident reminded me of our discussion in class. I believe having too much information even if the intention is to market yourself for potential jobs in the future is dangerous.

Epic 2015 was released in 2004. The information on the video prior to that date I would suspect is true. However, the events leading from 2004 to 2015 I am spectacle about. The video stated that the New York Times would go paperless and onto an online news source. We’ve seen in recent years many newspapers, and magazines turn to an online system rather than the traditional paper copies.  New technology has forced the industry to conform to new consumer tastes, less consumers read paper copies of newspaper because it is more convenient to read online, the going green movement has also impacted this industry. The google search engine organizes information using key word from many different parts of the internet. According to the video this technology will lead to a copy right lawsuit between The New York Times vs. Google. Google wins the lawsuit, in response The New York Times will go off the internet and become a newspaper for the elite. This scenario is somewhat troubling for me. I can imagine future lawsuits against google because of its rapid growth and its technology to collect information from numerous sites. I don’t believe The New York Times will ever go offline because as technology advances the demand for online or more efficient or quicker ways to do things such as reading a newspaper will increase. To some degree The New York Times is a newspaper for the elite or educated today so that marketing strategy won’t work. There are hundreds of newspapers across the country most of whom are reporting the same things. What would make me want to pay more for a paper copy when I can find the information online for free? The video states we’re moving towards global broadcast, which enables people to broadcast their thoughts on the radio for everyone to hear.  I think this projection is true. Much like facebook, twitter, and myspace. Global broadcast radio from our home will be a social network mechanism that people will use like they use other social networking sites today.

New users publish their articles in “The Greenhouse” a section on the site where new users can be discovered and endorsed. “The Vine” as it is often referred to  is essentially a news site for the people written by the people. Members write about first hand experiences and current issues. This is a great tool for inspiring journalists and authors alike. In addition, writers can create polls to see how the people feel about their column or issues pertaining to their article. The “watch list” allows a person to follow a particular writer or issue. If you are a great writer you may have a couple of people following your work.

Furthermore, newsvine.com connects to other news cites across the country. There are over 450 regional and local news sites connected to “The Vine.” What makes newsvine.com different from other internet news site is that there is no editor in newsvine; the members determine what news is and what is not. This can be positive in many ways because you don’t have a major media company dictating what the people should hear and see on the news. On the other hand, it makes it very difficult to find credible sources of information if the average Joe without solid statistical data or information on an issue is telling us he knows it all.

There is an incentive for publishing good work on the site. The more users look and vote for your article the more likely you are to have your column posted on the front page, a move that can earn you extra cash. Newsvine.com tries its best to sell adverting around the site and the more popular your site is the more likely you are to be selected. If chosen you will receive 90% of the display advertising earnings from your own domain.

How does this relate to Public Administration? Public administration revolves around the public who vote and contribute to the well being of this nation. Though newsvine.com people get a chance to express their thoughts and ideas on a particular issue and they hear first hand testimonies to policies. The nation has embraced technology and people are using it to access information so they can make informed decisions. However, we have to keep in mind that everything we hear or read isn’t always true. To combat this issue Newsvine.com has created “Vinecacity” a measure of one’s overall contribution to the site to evaluate the relative productivity and credibility of the Newsvine user.

Do I agree? No.  Carr wrote the article in 2003 and said that there is no room for advancement in technology to the extent that had occurred in the past. However, from 2003 till now we have seen a dramatic improvement in technology that has given many companies competitive advantage in their particular markets. For instance, Apple developed the MP3 player with the addition of I-tunes to basically take over the industry. Apple continues to use technology as a means to gain an edge over its competitors. The company invests in research development to create the newest and best products to attract customers. On the other hand there are companies who invest a substantial amount of money into IT but receive little results. To these companies Carr says they should follow not lead.

Government and nonprofit agencies have gone paperless in an effort to save money, the environment, and time. In such agencies competitive advantage is not necessary with the exception of defense technologies.  Government needs technology to work efficiently but is held accountable for the tax payer money.  Carr’s suggestion to follow rather than lead would work for government agencies because it will allow agencies to substantially reduce risk and cost while achieving the maximum benefits for their investment. Overall, Carr’s article was insightful but lacked concrete evidence because some of his points have been contradicted with the development of technology since the article was written.

http://williamwood.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/why-do-we-pay-income-tax-again/#comment-174

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency under the legislative branch of government. The GAO investigates how the United States government spends its taxpayer dollars and reports their findings to the United States Congress. The agency acts as the eyes and ears of Congressional members. Its purpose is “to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people.”

My interest in federal government spurs from a fascination and appreciation for democracy. Furthermore, I believe its our civic duty to demand government be accountable for its actions. For this reason and others, I’ve chosen financial management as my concentration. I chose this website because it encompassed two of my passionate interests’ financial management and criminology. The GAO has many departments within the agecy. The Forensic auditing and Special Investigations unit of the GAO focuses on forensic auditing, security and vulnerability assessments, and special investigations. Investigators post their investigative finding onto the GAO website for public use and alert congressional members of suspicious activities. Democracy works effectly when agents of the government are transparent and honest in how they spend hard earned taxpayer money. If a government agencies or an elected officials were to be dishonest the American people would lose confidence in the governments ability to protect its citizenry.

The current economic crisis in the United States has thought the nation and hopefully the federal government many lesson. We need to live within our means and if we invest, invest in something that will give us the biggest bang for our buck. Budget cuts have affected us all and it is more important than ever to ensure every taxpayer dollar we spend is spent correctly. This is the job of the GAO and it is our job as informed citizens to hold the government accountable for its action.

When we began this course I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. However, the first class helped me ease some of those nerves.  I had never taken an IT course, but managed to acquire computer skills from trial and error. I believe the information I will learn in the course will be extremely beneficial to me in the future. The skills I will gain in the course will not only help me in my research assistantship, but also on future projects and courses. I look forward to new challenges in the course but am couscous not to overwhelm myself. I’m trying to adjust to my move to Delaware while joggling five courses and a research assistantship. Overall, I’m excited to have started my new adventure and will work hard to accomplish what I’ve come 1200 miles for.