“You can’t trust your best friends software any more than you can trust his or her bodily fluids (326).” While it might seem dramatic to compare a computer virus to AIDS, I think this quote encompasses this fine line between reality and imitation that we discussed in class when we talked about plastics. This quote shows a major culture shift in America where an invasion of a device one processed was parallel to an invasion of his or her body. Though this was in 1988, I see a foreshadowing of present day technology with IPhones and computers filled with such large amounts of classified personal information that if hackers got a hold of it or if a virus took it over, the owner would feel extremely invaded of privacy or lose a lot of vital information like banking accounts or schoolwork. I know I would. -Kelsey Dean

Ross’ article compares the AIDs virus to how Americans see computer viruses and hackers at large. Ross argues that industry producers benefit from the virus crisis while delinquents, or hackers, are seen by Americans as deviants. He describes the word ‘hacker’ connotation changed to negative because of the virus crisis. In the 1980s, hackers were romanticized as part of the counter-culture. When legislative action began by criminalizing hacking, many saw it as a way of cracking down on the counter-culture. These deviants encouraged more government legislation and in turn more surveillance. Ross describes Americans saw surveillance as symbolic towards a ‘system’ and these hackers challenged that ‘system.’ (334) — James, Emily B. 2017/04/19 12:38

I found the article in Pursell to be interesting for several reasons. For starters, I never would have thought about how a computer virus acts similarly to that of a human virus. On page 327, it talks about how biological cells need a host cell, but computer viruses need a host program. This makes sense to think of how similar the two behave. I also found it interesting that this article spent time talking about the benefits that can come from hacking. Typically, all we ever hear about is how terrible of a thing it is to do. Yet, this article shed light on the fact that the people who hack are the people that are best equipped to handle making the software safer so that it cannot be hacked. Because of hacking, there have been many progressive developments in software research (330). -Emma Baumgardner

“The equipment in this digital cemetery come mainly from Europe and the United States, sometimes as secondhand donations meant to reduce the ‘digital divide’ – the disparity in computer access between poor nations and rich.” (Slide 5) This quote stood out to me because though these donations are supposed to reduce this “digital divide” the scavengers in Ghana don’t want anything to do with these computers other than the metal inside of them. These donations in my opinion also wouldn’t reduce the digital divide, because donations that people give are usually due to a certain technology either not working anymore or it being out of style. Where does the equality come in giving Ghana these computers that we wouldn’t use in Europe or the United States due to them not working or being the latest fad? -Jessie Cavolt

The photos in this slide were very powerful. To me, it spoke even more to America’s throw away society. Or the masking of the throw away society through the pretense of donations. As slide 16 says, “the waste arrives as a gift.” How often do we donate items merely because we don’t want them anymore? How often do we actually think,”this can be of actual use to someone else” instead of “this is taking up too much space in my home?” The breaking down of the technology for the pieces that make it up also really illustrates the mortality of technology. Individual pieces of technology do not last forever, especially today, when the focus is on the next new thing. What we covet today, becomes pieces of scrap to someone else tomorrow. - Shannon K.