Module 2

Module 2:

 Admittedly “The world is Flat” is not the most exciting of books. None the less, Friedman continues to open my eyes to everyday processes that make up our era known as globalization 3.0. He continues to point out daily human-computer interactions that, despite my disposition as an Information Technology major, I take for granted. I never truly pay attention to the scenes, behind the works of my computer's doings.

Workflow software for example, is a technology that most of us unknowingly interact with on a daily basis. It is something that is quite complex and taken for granted. Friedman has actually been give us examples of workflow software since the beginning of his book. He is now just bring it to or attention. Workflow software is a software technology that enables the computers of the flat world to interact with each-other despite the platform they are operating on through standardized protocols and applications. For example, thanks to IMAP, POP3, and STMP I can access my email from an old AOL account or a new Google account despite the type of network I am on. But that's just the protocols. To demonstrate an example of workflow software together as a whole, I will incorporate something that I am truly fond of, my Utah Jazz!

My example of workflow software in action would be the steps, or process, required to purchase tickets online from the Utah Jazz web site. First you must log on to the Jazz website “http://www.nba.com/jazz/”. Once there, find the appropriate links to the online ticket sales page. Then you must enter data concerning your purchase (the game you want to see, your price range, the number of tickets, etc). This real-time exchange of information is accomplished by workflow scripts such as ajax or something similar. The Utah Jazz webserver then accepts your input and send a quarry to its seat-chart database server (most likely a different computer altogether) for seats available within the criteria you specified. Once that process has been completed, you must enter your credit card information for payment. Then the Jazz website will quarry your bank's database to validate your credit card and deduct the funds from your account. Once the approval process is complete, the Jazz website will not only send another message to the seat-chart database to ensure that those seats are reserved so no one else can buy them, but it also send a file to your computer so that you can print your tickets right at home. This whole process can usually be done and under five minutes and not a single human (other then yourself) has any intervention with any of the processes. Workflow software at its finest, you gotta love it baby!

Another eye opener for me was that of the open code software community. I am currently studying Linux myself so I am aware of what open source code is and the community thereof. Linux is much better refined then windows or Apple in my opinion. Linux and another open source code application have great advantages over Microsoft and Apple products. For example, if there was a problem with windows, true your computer could automatically take an evaluation of the problem and then send it to Microsoft to be fixed. However the problem that is that you have to wait for Microsoft to actually get of there butts to fix, test, and then the send the fix in the form of a patch or an update several months later. While on the other hand, Linux has a whole global community, brought together by the flattening of world, working on and refining the Linux kernel and applications all the time. This part I already knew. What didn't make sense was why someone would want to do all that work for free. Thankyou Friendman for pointing out it is the same reason that hackers in the hacking world pull of the incredible feats they do. FOR RECGONITION. Besides what company wouldn't want to hire an individual who's computer skills are awesome enough to accomplish a task like fixing bugs with the Linux kernel or writing applications for the same said kernel? It now all makes sense. Long live Linus Torvalds!!!!

Another aspect of globalization 3.0 which is very important is outsourcing. In a nutshell outsourcing the the digital transfer of work to another location, usually to the cheapest bidder. To me outsourcing brings the whole world together. It will help keep the world's economy flowing. It gives work to people who otherwise wouldn't have any. Also, it's my belief that if world peace is at all possible, outsourcing will be one of the underlying components. As Friedman points out, it sure brought America and India closer together!

Besides the newly developed American-Indian bond, I believe Friedman makes another important point. After the dot-com bubble burst, IT companies had to either file bankruptcy or at the very least cut spending to a bare minimum. Thanks to our ability to outsource, the same IT companies we able to get the smart people in India to do the grunt work at a fraction of the price it wold cost the same work to be done in America. Because of this, not only were they able to supply many jobs for the people of India, but even more importantly, many of the IT companies were able to save themselves. Its was a win-win situation for both countries!!!!!