Computer Languages

Differences in computer languages is a topic that many people are not familiar with. I was one of those kinds of people before I started researching on this topic. There many different computer languages and each one of them are similar in some ways, but are also different in other ways, such as: program syntax, the format of the language, and the limitations of the language. Most computer programmers start programming in languages such as turbo pascal or one of the various types of basic. Turbo pascal, Basic, and Fortran are some of the oldest computer languages. Many of today's modern languages have been a result of one of these three languages, but are greatly improved. Both turbo pascal and basic are languages that are easy to understand and the syntax is very easy and straightforward. In Basic when printing to the screen you simply type the word 'print', in turbo pascal you would type 'writeln'. These are very simple commands that the computer executes. To execute a line of code in a language such as C, or C++, you would have to type in much more sophisticated lines of code that are much more confusing than the previous two. The format and layout of the various languages are very diverse between some, and between others are somewhat similar. When programming in Basic the user has to type in line numbers before each new line of code. In an updated version of Basic called QBasic, numbers are optional. Turbo pascal does not allow the user to input numbers, it has preset commands that seperate each part of the program. This is similar to QBasic, but is much more sophisticated. Instead of using the command gosub in Basic, the user would make a procedure call. Another new language is C. C is a spinoff of turbo pascal but is capable of doing more things than turbo. The format and layout are similar, but the syntax is much more complex than turbo is. When C first came out, there were many major flaws in the language so a new version had to be put out, C++. The main addition from C to C++ is the concept of classes and templates. Many other small flaws were fixed when this new version of C came out also. Many of the languages have different limitations on the tasks that they came perform. The newer the language, the more things you can do. Things that are being accomplished today, were thought to have been impossible 20 years ago. Despite the differences between the many languages I have mentioned, and the others that I have not, the limitations are starting to go higher and higher as technology improves. This is a subject that one could write on and on about the minute differences between the many languages. After researching these main languages I found out that there are just as many simmilarities between languages as there are differences.

Computer Programming

Choosing to do a research on a career can be a little easier to do when you have some or a general knowledge a particular field of work. There are many different types of jobs one can decide to undertake, one of which is in the most popular line of work today: Computer Programming. Although this line of work might seem a little tiresome but you might find it enjoyable by people with lots of patience and the will to do long and tidious work. Most programmers in large corporations work in teams, with each person focusing on a specific aspect of the total project(AOL). Programmers write the detailed instructions for a computer to follow. A computer programmer carefully studies the program that best suits the employer needs. They may also work for a large computer corporation developing new software and/or improving older versions of these programs. Programmers write specific programs by breaking down each step into a logical series of hours of writing programs, the programmer must follow. After long hours of writing programs, the programmer must thoroughly testing and revising it. Generally, programmers create software by using the following a basic step-by-step development process: (1) Define the scope of the program by outlining exactly what the program will do. (2) Plan the sequence of computer operations, usually by developing a flowchart (a diagram showing the order of computer actions and data flow). (3) Write the code--the program instructions encoded in a particular programming language. (4) Test the program. (5) Debug the program (eliminate problems in program logic and correct incorrect usage of the programming language). (6) Submit the program for beta testing, in which users test the program extensively under real-life conditions to see whether it performs correctly(AOL) Programmers are grouped into two types: Application programmers and systems programmers. These programmers write the software that changes a basic machine into a personal tool that not only is useful for increasing productivity but also be fun and entertain the user. Applications programmers write commercial programs to be used by businesses, in scientific research centers, and in the home. Systems programmers write the complex programs that control the inner-workings of the computer. Application programmers are focused primarily on business, engineering, or science tasks, such as writing a program to direct the guidance system of a missile to its target (Information Finder). A systems programmer maintains the software that controls the operation of the entire computer system. They make changes to the instructions that controls the central processing unit, in turn, controls the computers hardware itself(FL View #475). They also help application programmers determine the source of problems that may occur with their programs. Many specialty areas exist within these two large groups, such as database and telecommunication programmers. Computer programmers can attend really any college or school because the employers needs vary. All programmers are college graduates and have taken special courses in the programming field. Most employers prefer experience in accounting, inventory control and other business skills. Employers look for people who can think logically and can have patience when doing analytical work(Information Finder). Then entrance salary of a new fresh out of college computer programmer ranges in the area of $30,000 in 1989(Occ. Outlook Handbook 115). The little more experienced programmers that have five to ten years experience earn about $40,000+ annually, but the professionals get nearly $60,000 per year (S.I.R.S. CD-ROM). Employers are looking for ways to cut costs, and minimizing on-the-job training is one way to do that. Many employers prefer to hire with previous experience in the field. To have the best chance of becoming a skilled computer programmer they must learn many computer languages to land the job of their choice. The Shuttle program, for example, consist of a total of about half a million separate instructions and were written by hundreds of programmers.) For this reason, scientific and industrial software sometimes costs much more than do the computers on which the programs run. Programmers work mostly at a desk in front of a computer all day. They usually work between 40 to 50 hours a week and more if they have to meet crucial deadlines. Programmers might arrive at work early or work late occasionally, depending on the circumstances at the work place. The employment outlook of the computer programming field is very good and growing fast through the year 2000(Occ. Outlook Handbook 115). Most of the job openings for programmers will probably result from replacement needs. The need for computer programmers will increase as business, government, schools, and scientific organizations seek new applications for computer software and improvements already in use. The computer programming field is not an easy line of work to be successful in nor is it a easy one to get into. This job requires a lot of demands as a person such as: working late hours, writing complex programs that sometimes don't always work properly, the patience, and the time needing to be a successful computer programmer.

Computer Pornography

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.(Wallace: 3) A statement from a document that a group of individuals put together to ensure their own ideas and beliefs would never change. The group of people was the forefathers of the United States of America and that document: The United States Constitution. That phrase was put into the Constitution because our forefathers wanted to protect their freedom of speech. Something they cherished and something that in days previous was squashed by ruling government. Today our freedom of speech is in danger again. The Government is now trying to censor what ideas go onto something we know as the Information Superhighway. The Internet is now supposed to be regulated so that it will be "safe" for everyone to enter. The Government passed a law known as the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In the TA there is a part called the Communications Decency Act or CDA. This part of the bill arose because of the recent surge of pornography on the Infobahn. The CDA criminalizes indecent speech on the Internet(Wallace: 1). The CDA describes indecent speech as anything "depicting or describing sexual or excretory acts or organs in patently offensive fashion under contemporary community standards." First take the word "indecent". This word is used because of its vague definition. Not only does this word ban sexually explicit materials, it also bans sexually explicit words too. If this were applied to the real world some of the greatest novels would be taken off the shelf. For example there is the great lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness by Radcliffe Hall. In that book there is a line t hat states "And that night, they were not divided." Clearly that would be a sexually explicit phrase(Wallace: 2). Now the words "depicting or describing". The word "describing" translates into anything with pure explicit text. That would include any book converted and placed on the Internet with outspoken words or phrases. This goes against the first amendment. Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer and James Joyce's Ulysses would not be able to possibly be posted online(Wallace: 2). "Sexual or excretory acts or functions": This would relieve anything from sleazy bestsellers to 19th century classics, such as Zola's LaTerre and Flouber's Madam Bovary, to nonfiction books on disease, rape, health, and sexual intercourse from our shelves. This phrase is again unconstitutional(Wallace: 2). Another phrase in there is "Patently Offensive". This is very subjective. These words mean that a jury can decide on what is offensive and what is not (Wallace: 2). If there is a very conservative jury you get a very conservative verdict, but in the same respect if you get a very liberal jury you get a liberal verdict. Would that be considered a fair trial? And last "Contemporary community standards". There is an easy example to understand under these words. In 1994 two California sysops [system operators] were found guilty of putting offensive material on their BBS [Bulletin Board System]. Their BBS was accessible by people all over the world as long as whoever wanted the information called the California number they had setup. Someone one day out of Memphis, Tennessee called the number and found something disturbing to themselves. The two sysops were convicted because of the community standards in Tennessee not the ones in California(Wallace: 3). There is no reason to treat the electronic and written word different especially because of the big conversion(Wallace: 3). More and more often people are looking to the Internet to do reports and research. It is one of the biggest resources in the world today. If the TA bill stays in effect many of the books listed will not be downloadable. Mark Managan co-author of the book Sex states, " A law burning books by Miller, Joyce, Burroughs, and Nabokor might also protect children who might get a hold of them, but would be completely unconstitutional under the First Amendment (Wallace: 4)." In 1994 a United States survey showed that 450,000 pornographic pictures and text files were accessible on the Net around the world and that these files were accessed more than 6 million times(Chidley: 58). This is one reason why the government passed the CDA. The Government rationalizes the CDA because of two reasons. One, the protection of children. Two, they claim it is constitutional because the Internet is like a telephone or TV and can be regulated. The protection of children is not an issue the Government should handle. Proponents of the CDA have completely forgot that a credit card number is needed to be given to an ISP [Internet Service Provider] to get connected to the Net(Wallace: 4). Passwords may be added security. Parents let their children "veg out" in front of the TV all day so of course you would figure that those same parents are going to let them surf the net when they want to(Bruce: 3). Donna Rice Hughes, formerly with Sen. Gary Hart but now a born again Christian and President of Enough is Enough!, anti-pornography on the Net organization, states, " Any child can access it . and once they've seen it, it can't be erased from their minds(Jerome: 51)." First, modem communication on a phone line is just static. A computer, modem, communications software, and Internet access is needed. This a child cannot purchase. Second, there are many securities on a computer so that a child cannot access certain parts of the home system(Lohr: 1). If the parent is responsible enough they should know more about the PC they purchased than their child. Third, This quote sums up the biggest argument: " And it is not as if cybersurfers are inundated with explicit images. Users have to go looking for the images in the unorganized and complex network, and even need special decoders" to translate what is written into a file(Chidley: 58). Jeffery Shallit associate Professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and Treasurer of Electronic Frontier Canada, an organization devoted to maintaining free speech in Cyberspace, says, "Every new medium of expression will be used for sex. Every new medium of expression will come under attack, usually because of." the previous sentence(Chidley: 58). If the regulation passes there will just be another way of getting around it. One example is encryption. This is a form of false information sent to another person via the Net and translated on the other side. As Internet pioneer John Gilmore once said, " The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it(Barlow: 76)." I decided to try "trading" myself and was startled when I completed two online interviews with some known traders. The two persons "nicknames" I talked to were GMoney and BigGuy. First I needed to get on the chatlines. I downloaded a program called MIRC [My Internet Relay Chat]. This program is free. It downloaded in a matter of minutes. It was very easy to setup and before I knew it I was on an IRC channel. If a child new of this program it would have been very easy for them to access the channel I was on. The channel I was on was called !!!!SEXPIX!!!!. The side bar noted: " All the pics you want from horses to grandmas. " I decided this would be a good place to start. Inside the channel there were 27 other people. You can talk to each one individually or talk as a whole if you like. It's like sitting in a circle in a room full of strangers. The first of the two interviews I did was with GMoney. I first asked how often he traded pictures. He said usually once or twice a day. He told me he tried to do it fast so his mother wouldn't catch him. So I immediately asked how old he was. He replied, "13/M I guess I shouldn't be doing this but I just think these things are cool. Once I started I can't stop now. People are so f_cked up it's unreal." I then asked why he traded and he responded, " I think its just to see what screwed up things are really going on." I also asked if he would try anything he saw in the pictures. He wrote, "God no you see what goes on. I would never do any of that weird sh_t. Now some of the things I see being done to girls. I think I'll enjoy... I don't think that's that bad though." The other interview with BigGuy was not much better. BigGuy was a 25 year old female. She said that her husband was the one who usually did it and he ran a web page with pornography on it. When asked what she thought of the CDA she typed," It's ridiculous how could anyone think that censorship could stop the trading of pornography on the Internet." I later asked if they some how had a check to see if minors would access their web page. She responded," No I wont let him. We have a theory. We ask for their email address. They must have one. We then email them and tell them the password to get into the board. We figure that the children won't let us email them in case their parents find the letter. It's not fool-proof but it stops some of it. " The CDA hits smaller ISPs harder that the larger ones because of the different types of users on each system(Emigh: 1). The bill has good points and bad ones. Steve Dasbach, Libertarian Party Chair, states that, " This bill is censorship. This bill threatens to interrupt and curb the rapid evolution of electronic information systems. This bill isn't needed. This bill usurps the role of parents("CDA: LP calls new bill `high- tech censorship'.": 1)." Clifford Stoll, a renown Internet scientist and author of the 1989 bestseller The Cuckoo's Egg, when asked "Are you concerned about the abundance of pornography on the Net?" said: Well, I can't get worked up over it. Some people say, `Oh no, my kid just downloaded this image that has explicit sex in it.' Yeah, sad to say, it's true. Sad to say that just like every place in society, there are reptiles who will exploit children. Certainly, the child molester will find a way to use the computer networks to find victims-just as child molesters take advantage of cars and ordinary roadways to get around. But the concerns with cars and roadways go deeper than simply the fact that child molesters use them(Chidley: 59). The computer industry describes the CDA as unconstitutionally vague and it subjects computer networks to more restrictive standards than any form of written work such as books, magazines, and other printed materials(Chidley: 59). When it comes to anything basic ethics are broken everyday whether it be in business, on the Internet, or in your own home (Lester: 1). There will always be someone who finds a way around the rules. The CDA, as written, gives no guidance but instead tries to ban Internet pornography (Wallace: 1). As stated by Steve Dasbach, "The Communications Decency Act is a case of 20th-century politicians using 19th-century laws to control 21st- century technology("CDA: LP calls new bill `high-tech censorship'.": 1)." Two easy cures for this unorganized, uncensored, uncontrollable Internet are: First, Promoting the use of child safe Internet Service Providers and second, the use of local screening software(Wallace: 5). The Government should not be responsible for censorship. If so they must do it as a whole and this would be unconstitutional. Eliminate the problem by choice not by force.

The Computer Revolution

If I were to make a history book of the years from 1981 to 1996, I would put computers on the cover. Computers, you may ask?, Yes computers, because if there were suddenly no computers on the world, there would be total chaos. People could not; communicate, commute, make business transactions, purchase things, or do most things in their daily routine, because power plants use computers to control the production of electricity. Computers have evolved extreme rapidly in the past fifteen years. Ten years ago, all that you could do with a computer, was primarily make mathematical calculations and type documents, but doing that required typing in a series of complex codes that took a great deal of training to learn. Then the Apple computer company took this complex computer language and evolved it to a simpler system of computer language using words that made sense in their context. This system was called BASIC. BASIC was a major development in the computer industry, because it made computers accessible to the average American. This helped greatly in proving that computers were no longer just toys and they had a very useful purpose. Most people still felt the cost was too great for a glorified typewriter. Several years after they introduction of the BASIC system, Apple introduced a new line of computers called the Macintosh. These Macintosh computers were extreme easy to use, and were about the same price of a computer that used BASIC. Apple's business exploded with the Mac, Macintosh were put in schools and millions of homes proving that the computer was an extreme useful tool after all. The Macintosh made such an impact on the computer industry that IBM and Microsoft joined forces to produce the MS-DOS system. The MS-DOS system was the basis of the Windows program, which made Bill Gates the multi-billionaire that he is. With windows and the Apple system, the modem which had been around for several years, could be used for its full potential. Instead of linking one computer to another, now millions of computers could be linked with massive main frames from on-line services such as; American On-Line or Prodigy. People finally had full affordable access to the World-Wide-Web and could communicate with people across the street or across the world. The internet is used by millions of people across the world each day for a vast variety of reasons from getting help with homework, to reading a magazine, to getting business information such as stock quotes, to planning a trip and making reservations, to send and receive e-mail, or even listen to music or watch a video clip. Businesses would come to a grinding halt if their computers suddenly stopped. Business men would not be able to communicate with one another, because they could not use phones, pagers, cellular phones, fax machines, or e-mail. People could not write documents because many offices do not even have a typewriter. Business is not the only aspect of our lives that is effect by computers, we could not by things at the store, use most appliances in our homes, drive our cars, or even get electricity, because the power commands use computers to control the flow electricity. In the future, computers will play an even more important role in our lives. Computers will link the citizens of this country with the government, some day making it possible for the citizens to directly vote on each bill that is up for vote. This will make America the first true democracy since the Greeks.