HW9: Reflections

The first thing that really jumped out at me in the article was the author's belief that consoles will continue to replace PCs. I agree with this opinion to a certain extent. I assume when the author says consoles, he includes smart TV devices like the Roku and Apple TV and mobile devices like smart phones and tablets. I assume this because the author emphasizes that the consoles will replace PCs in home for use as entertainment systems. I agree with the author here. Many people, like my mother and grandparents, only use PCs for basic things like email, social media, and media streaming. Consoles will replace PCs in this realm. However, with new applications for PCs in the business world, I think PCs will remain popular for a long time.

I thought the author’s statement about data analysis and how it relates to the past election was interesting. He points out how many pundits were quick to dismiss data analysis after the predictions were incorrect. I have been interested in data analysis in sports for a few years now and see this same dismissal on a regular basis. I agree with the author that data science will continue to grow as the methods of prediction become more refined with more data to compare. While no one should rely solely on data analysis, I believe it will be a useful tool in many industries and it should not be ignored.

I disagree with the author on interfaces getting more complicated. The initial UI designs for new technology will always be ugly and clunky, but with time they always become refined and minimal. This is seen in smart phones and how swiping has been utilized more and more in the last ten years.

I too worry about the implications of the law on new technologies. There is an interesting contrast is people being worrying about the invasion of their privacy while at the same time willingly giving personal information to the likes of Facebook and Google. However, I also worry that laws that allow invasion of privacy by authorities will be passed by those who do not completely understand the technology they create legislation for.