Technology can humanize people...

Technology can be as humanizing, or dehumanizing, as each user wants it to be. All comes down on how the user handles technology, and what use is made out of technology on daily basis.

It's true that technology is a double-edged sword, since it can be used to enhance social interaction or thwart it. Yet this is not the fault of technology itself, since technology can not make choices for the user. At the end the one making choices on how it's used is the user, technology is just the medium that facilitates the action that derives from the choices made by the user.

The argument that technology is the origin, and end, of all what's wrong with society is shortsighted to say the least. It doesn't take into account a host of other factors that make people use the technology they use they way they do. Or how we can give people the tools to avoid the pitfalls that comes with any technology.

At the other hand, technology by itself wont solve all the problems that humanity faces. There is no silver bullets that solve all problems, and no two problems are the same.

Technology is just a tool that facilitates a certain task, is up to the user to use it wisely. Yes, some people need more help than others to use technology correctly. So, lets make sure that people have enough information to know what tools they need, and how use them correctly.

Let's make it easier, and more rewarding, to use technology to humanize people's life. To make it part of how people interacts with each other, to find and build relationships while strengthening existing ones.

It all comes down on how people uses technology to relate to others.

FOSS true value...

One of the best things about FOSS(free and open-source software), is that users have choice over their computer experience in all aspects. With open source, software adapts to they users needs, not the other way around.

FOSS isn't about being free in the sense of having no monetary cost, or that developers can't have a profit from their work. FOSS is about the users freedom to control their software, and hardware, by being able to study, modify and redistribute any piece of software installed on their computers.

In many ways, is putting the users freedoms ahead of other concerns. It's about people and the communities they make to work on the same objectives, or people just getting together to share what they are passionate about.

It's time to put users freedoms at the forefront of software development, and not the interests of corporations and their profits. All software needs to protect the freedoms of its users as principle, and serve their interests as well. Any software that doesn't have these two points as a priority isn't one that deserves user's support.

All software companies should have their source code available for study, and to be modified. If any restrictions should be made, those should be limited on how any modification can be redistributed.

FOSS gives users the best weapon to protect their freedoms, since it's development is transparent and all can keep an eye on the source code. We can choose the software that best adapt to our needs, or find a way to adapt an existing one to whatever need they have.

If you want to protect your freedom, use FOSS as much as possible and help the developers as you can.

Understanding of science and technology...

The perception that science and technology are boring and hard to understand, are two persistent misconceptions.

Those perceptions steam from how they are presented to society at large, we are told that they are that way all the time. Adding the fact that our schools systems seem to be on the business of teaching it so it becomes boring, making it harder for our children to become interested on them. Since we remember how science classes where boring, it becomes evident that it becomes hard to understand because people had no incentive to study science in a way they can make sense of it.

Not only that, in many ways science classes don't tie what they teach with technologies, or other instances, on which what it's being teach is applied. So, many just don't see why science is useful, or how it's part of their everyday life.

If we want to keep moving science forward, and to benefit from its fruits trough new technologies, we need to give people at least working understanding of the basic scientific principles. That way having science research open to the public to revise, and to participate in, becomes a reality. People wouldn't feel left out, or resent having a group of people talking about thing they don't understand.

Also, having people who understand scientific principle can actually participate actively on the development of technology. Or at least understand how the technology they use works, and how they can benefit from its use.

Science and technology are deeply intermingled, we can't have one without the other. Not only that, our modern world is deeply rooted on them. We wouldn't have much of what we have without them, so it's imperative we understand them, and for them to be open to society as a whole.

Science and technology can be our two of our greatest allies for making the world a better place. Yet, we need to understand at least their basic principles, and them to be open to all.

My laptop has to last for quite some time...

When I think about getting a new laptop, the first question that comes to mind is which design is one that I'll be happy to use for at least the next 2-3 years.

That is that minimum amount of time I expect any good laptop to last with the type of use I give to my laptops. As a matter of fact, I could use one up to 5 years before I need to change it because it can't be repaired or because the specs are not up to my everyday usage.

My current laptop has about 3 years, and I can safely say that could last about 1 more year. So, it's time for to start thinking about the replacement.

The only two factors that aren't subject to change are that it has to be able to run Ubuntu, and that the screen size shouldn't be less than 13". All other aspects are variable, and all depends on what offering are on the market that meet the prior two requirements while being something that I can see me using for at least 2 years.

I want it to last for at least that long because it's quite an investment, and because it's an extension of my personality. Not to mention that is where I keep some of my information, and the portal from which I keep in touch with friend and family. As such, I don't want to have to change my laptop often.

The longer it lasts on working order, the better. Points are added for looking good while doing so.

Finally on Ubuntu 12.10...

I've been using Ubuntu 12.10 for some time now, and I'm liking it much so far. I upgraded from the 12.04 version, and most of the things I use regularly have been improved.

The main thing that I've noticed so far, is that Unity has been improved a lot from what I was used to.

As it has been the norm for each time that I came to the latest version of Ubuntu, I've like it better than the one before. There has been some details with which I'd some problems, but overall Ubuntu has delivered on each release.

If work on Ubuntu keeps going as it has, I'll be a long term user of the OS. My next laptop replacement has to be Ubuntu compatible if I'll buy it, this requirement is not optional.

Now, I only need to change my smartphone to an Android powered one to have all my devices running on open source software.

Design and ease of use are companions...

Great design is not just about making software looking pretty, or about the ease of use. It's about both, since people judge both aspects at the same time. We like the software we use to look good, while it's easy to use and let's you do what you want without getting in your way.

Software needs to have both in order to be the best it possible can, if one is lacking it'll suffer as a whole. Being the best in one area is not enough to compensate for the lack of the other, no matter how well it's executed.

Yet, as with anything else that deals with people, there is no single implementation that'll be universally liked by all. There a few things that every implementation would have in common, but everything else will be different depending on the people using it.

That's why having different users interfaces on Linux is not a bad thing, since it let's people to choose the best one for their needs. If you don't like one, use another that better suit you. There is choice, and there are several great one out there for you to try out before settling for the one that better suits your needs.

Having options gives people power, since they can choose what they want to have and discard those things that they don't. Linux, and the open source community in general, give users just that. It's a user centric model, that allows users to choose what they want while having a say on the development of the software they use.

I prefer software built by a community, than software done behind closed doors without any feedback by a community of users. At the end users are the ones who are going to be working with the software, so our voice should be part of the process.

Invest on education and research...

When it comes to education, and research, I don't like when politicians say they'll increase or maintain the expenditure. Money given to those areas shouldn't be seen as an expense, it's an investment on our people and our future.

As with health care or security, education and research are areas that should have a big percentage of the budget assign to them. These areas are not just expenses, they are investments and the money assigned to them is going to pay back in the future when the recipients starts using their education, or when research bears fruits by advancing our quality of life.

Not investing on those areas don't just hurt the individuals who don't get access to them, the society as whole gets hurts because its members can't develop their full potential or have access to a better quality of life. Having quality education and research make society better as a whole, it doesn't just benefit a sector or the individuals who receive education, or do research.

So, let's change our mindset. Let's thing about education and research as the investments they are, so to promote that a bigger share of the budget is given to those areas. Both our communities, and ourselves as individuals, have a lot to gain from investing heavily on those areas.

They are investments on the future of all of us, and one of the best we can make.