Everyone's becoming a Programmer?

Seriously, what's with this push for everyone to become programmers? Is this the next big job trend? A couple years ago it was nursing and before that it was accounting and before that it was business. But at least those trends kind of made sense. These days, colleges are pimping their programming classes like no other. I guess computing in general is the next big job trend, so people figure that "hey, programming is related to computing! I bet it will be a very lucrative field of study. If it wasn't lucrative, why would every college is a compsci professor be promoting it like it's going out of style?" Yeah, I guess. And, hell, don't get me started on all those "Learn Python in 7 days" courses that cost $7,000. They better be beaming that information into my head and have a job set up for me in Caribbean at that outrageous price.

But the push does make a little sense, even if it does seem to come out of no where. Computing is one of those fields of work that just seems to grow nonstop. Everything getting computerized, so we'll need technicians to maintain the infrastructure and designers to design the next big gadget and compsci professionals to figure out why gmail is running like crap. But that doesn't justify the size of this push. I haven't seen colleges push an education curriculum like programming in...ever. And if there's one thing I've learned from that economics class I took five years ago, all these future programmers are really going to lower the wages of your average programmer. Competition will be immense. As if the life of a code monkey weren't hard enough, now there's going to be a flood of them filling the market and competing for the low-rung programming jobs. 

I guess this is good news if you are an established, or startup, business owner who needs programmers. They can now justify paying their programmers dirt-cheap wages because there will always be another programmer to fill the role. If you want to get conspiratorial, I've heard claims that Silicon Valley is behind this push in order to drop programmer wages in the future. All speculation, but it does make you go "Hmm...". Barring conspiracy theories, this new influx of programmers will certainly make the field less lucrative. Whatever is a programmer to do? 

I'm no life coach and I'm certainly no career coach, so don't take what I say seriously. But, if you were to ask my opinion, I recommend that programmers back-up their programming degree with other computing-related degrees like networking, security, computer science, and database management. Gotta make yourself standout somehow. 

But what does this influx of programmers mean for our society? I think we're in for some exciting times. With all these new programmers on the market, who knows what we'll see in the next few years in terms of new technology. All it would take is one rather ingenious person to gather all of the excess programmers and do something great with them. Of course the programmers would go along with the deal, there isn't a whole lot of other work for them. I can see someone getting very rich off this entire trend, if only the colleges and independent courses cashing in on the trend. 

We may also be in for a shift in thinking. Remember that article I once wrote? Sure you do, you read it didn't you? Of course you did. Anyway, programmers think differently than most people. Programmers tend to frequently use logic and, therefore, have brains accustomed to using logic. Does the incoming flux of programmers mean a more logical population? Will the scales tip to favor the logical man over the emotional man? That has yet to be seen. But, as of right now, both men tend to be welcomed by different parts of our society and I figure it will be that way for a long, long time. However, it does seem the logical man is becoming more valued within our society. Given our ever advancing technology, it isn't hard to see why a premium is being put on logical people (of course this will all, eventually, balance out with all these damned new programmers entering the market). And what happens when a population becomes more logical? Do standards of living increase? Is society improved? I would like to think so, and it would seem so to a reasonable person, but that is yet to be seen. 

Whatever the future holds for us, one thing is certain. The markets are going to get hit with tons of programmers. What eventually comes of that is anyone's guess. The best we can do now is speculate. And speculation is good fun. 

It’s the Future and there are no Hover Boards: Where did it all go so Wrong?

There was once a running joke on Facebook that suggested we would have hover boards by the date October 21, 2015. That date wasn't arbitrary. Well, it wasn't completely arbitrary. In the movie, Back to the Future II, Marty McFly is taken to the future in order to right some future wrong. I won’t get into it here for fear of spoiling the movie for people who haven’t seen it yet. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should probably take some time out of your busy schedule to watch it. It’s a cult classic at this point. Anyway, at the movie’s date of October 21, 2015, there are hover boards. The Facebook joke suggested that we should have hover boards by Oct. 21, 2015. It’s one of those jokes that’s only funny when its tacked onto an image. I think the reason this joke is funny is that it pokes-fun at our expectations of the future. The movie was made back in 1989 and they had some pretty grand expectations of the future. Of course, grand expectations of the future are not new. Every age has some fantastic interpretations of the far-off future. Usually these interpretations are reflective of the age itself. In Back to the Future II, the presented future looked very...80s-like in its fashion and culture. It was basically the 80's with more advanced tech, and hover boards. Speaking of grand expectations, look at our favorite bit of retro-futurism: cyberpunk fiction. Most of the stuff in cyberpunk fiction never came to pass in the expected period. And we currently have some technology that far surpasses cyberpunk's predictions.  

But why didn't we get hover boards by October 21, 2015? It isn't like movies lie or anything. My parents once believed we would have flying cars by the year 2000, but that idea never really took off. The idea just isn't practical with our current technology. People like the believe future tech is closer than it actually is. Humanity misjudges humanity's technological progress (or rather the direction of that progress), and then everyone gets disappointed when the cool, new, envisioned tech never becomes a reality. 

But the future isn't all that technologically deficient. Today we have smartphones and tablets. My memory of Back to the Future II may be hazy, but I'm pretty sure they were still using Walkmans in the movie. Heh, using a Walkman while riding a hover board, how retro-futuristic can you get? That brings me to my next point.

While people's expectations of the future may be far-fetched, the future does bring some things that people don't expect. In the 1930s, people believed we would have flying cars by the year 1970. The flying cars never materialized, but what did materialize was something few people thought could exist: a network that would span the globe and allow people to trade information in the fraction of a second, the internet. The future brought something few people imagined could exist and it is still one of humanity's greatest achievement. What will the future blind side us with next? 

So we may not have hover boards, but we do have a bunch of other cool, useful stuff that the writers of Back to the Future didn't foresee. The future will continue to surprise us with plenty of cool and exciting things. And, perhaps, we shouldn't be the passive recipients of all that cool junk. Maybe we should go out there and make it happen. I think that is the cyberpunk way. Well, that and raiding mega corps, but let's just do one thing at a time.

FBI Refuses to Hire Pot-Smoking Hackers

In one of the funniest articles I've read in a while, FBI director James Comey laments the current hiring situation for the FBI. As most people know, the U.S. government isn't the friendliest when it comes to pot-smokers. Marijuana has been illegal in most states since the 1930's, and only a few states where it is completely legal to possess and ingest. While many states allow for consumption of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and other states on the verge of completely decriminalizing the drug, the U.S. government is still beholden to its old views on marijuana. Especially when it comes to hiring U.S. government agents. 

Therein lies Comey's trouble. The U.S. government has admitted that it isn't the best when it comes to computer security, therefore, the FBI is seeking to hire new blood in order to better combat cyber criminals. Here's the rub. Most of the young, talented hackers out there smoke pot, or they have smoked pot within the last three years. Which means they are barred from becoming the super-hacker crime fighters the FBI so desperately needs right now. 

So, what will Comey do? Will he relax the hiring standards for new recruits or will he stick to tradition and hope to fight off some of the smartest hackers on the planet with his current staff? Though Comey has stated that he is "dead-set against using marijuana", his personal feelings (if those really are his personal feelings) won't mean a damn thing if the U.S. government loses critical information to skilled cyber criminals. I believe the FBI has realized this as they are still considering this issue and they are encouraging stoners to still apply. Additionally, given that many states are considering decriminalizing the drug, it seems the entire country is headed toward the eventual legalization of marijuana. Considering this, the FBI would be especially foolish to refuse hiring skilled hackers in honor of traditional laws that are quickly going out the window. 

Looks like the pot-smoking hackers still have a chance at becoming feds. They need the money anyway to pay for their habit. Quality marijuana isn't cheap. If the feds do relax their hiring standards, it will be a win-win situation: the feds get their skilled hackers and the skilled hackers get lucrative jobs, which they can use to finance their drug habit. There is a right answer to this issue and I believe Comey will make the right choice. 

The Homeless Hacker and Portable Tech

No, this post isn't about the critically-acclaimed Adrian Lamo a.k.a. The Homeless Hacker. It's about a relatively new lifestyle that has been on the rise over the past few years. Lately, people don't seem to be content with settling down in one location and building a life from there. These people desire a more adventurous, uncertain, life. They desire to travel and travel frequently. Moving from city to city, town to town. This rogue-like lifestyle brings with it a sense of adventure and novelty, but there is one thing these rogues struggle with, money. Its tough to find a job that permits such frequent travel. Most jobs want their employees to stay in one city, the city where their employer is located. So these rogues must look for alternative means to make money while they travel. Hence, the rise of homeless hacking. 

Simply put, homeless hacking involves working online and writing script or code for anyone who would hire you. This definition is rather strict, and homeless hacking can also involve offering IT support and penetration testing services over an Internet connection. 

Given the prevalence of public WiFi hotspots and secure transfer protocols like secure shell, homeless hacking is a viable way to earn a bit of cash while traveling. Some people even make full-blown livings off of it, which I assume is their goal. These people are free to travel anywhere there is an internet connection, even if that means setting up one of their own by using their smartphones. And those people who can't quite make a living off homeless hacking will find that coding while traveling helps to cover at least some of their expenses, giving them more freedom from their stationary job.

Interest in homeless hacking has grown in recent years. People are no longer content to sit in a 5x5 cubicle day after day, listlessly tapping away at a keyboard while looking forward to a coming weekend or vacation (If they even get weekends off! Not everyone is so fortunate). More people now desire to take their lives into their own hands and take their work onto the road, and homeless hacking is how they intend to do it. So rather than listlessly tapping at a keyboard in a confined office-space, they'll adventurously type at a keyboard while traveling the country! Sounds like the better option of the two. 

Homeless hacking is more than just a new trend, it's also symbolic of the liberties that new technology has given us. Gone are the days when having a computer in the office meant that you couldn't stray ten feet away from it. Today, we can remotely plug into that computer and get the same amount of work done, without being chained to a cubicle. 

But there is even more to this! Electronic technology was once seen as something that sat in one place, made a bunch of beeps and boops, and did some calculations when prompted. Cell phones changed this. All of a sudden, people could take their technology out into the world and have it pull wonders for them. And next came laptops, which added functionality and power to portable tech. And soon thereafter came WiFi, which provided a freedom and utility like few gadgets before it. And the trend continues with Laptops getting smaller and more powerful, smartphones coming onto the scene, computers being remolded into tablets and iPads. Today's dominant electronic trend is portability, whereas in the past it was simply power and functionality. Put your tech in your back pocket and take it with you anywhere. Use it here, there, anywhere. 

To be clear, we still want powerful and functional computers. There's a huge market for those computers. But portable tech is a major player in today's world. We're taking our tech outside the house, these days. And its being used for just about anything. Photographs, recordings, flashlights, payment processing and transactions, internet browsing, fact-finding, video-viewing, basic calculations, daily planning, messaging, making phone calls, gaming, linking, wasting time, and a bunch of other stuff I don't have the patience to mention. 

Can this be related to cyberpunk fiction? You can bet your ass on that!

In cyberpunk fiction, technology is ubiquitous and ever present. So much so that it is one of the hallmarks of the genre. We are currently living in a world where technology is becoming ever present, spurred on by all of this portable tech. Think of technology as a tree. Well, the roots of that tree are growing and growing and growing. Spreading into cracks and crevices. Burrowing into infrastructure and concrete. Technology is reaching into places where few people thought it would. And it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. At this point, we've just got to accept it and live with it, and take the bad with the good. There's no escaping, even if you wanted to escape. 

I do love tangents, don't I? I've strayed quite far from the original topic, but that's half the fun of writing. Never know what's going to pop up. Anyway, I wish the homeless hacker all the luck in the world. Though, he doesn't need it. The homeless hacker is a master of this trade and has all the freedom in the world. With a life like that, who needs luck? 

Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie briefly explain UNIX at Bell Labs

A brief look at two men who were critical to the development of the modern computer. A shame more people don't immediately recognize their names while "Steve Jobs" is a household name. These two men have gravitas like few others in the world of computers. Their importance cannot be emphasized enough. Even though the media seemed to simply gloss over the death of Dennis Ritchie, let it be said here that both of their names are sacrosanct. 

In the video below, Thompson and Ritchie touch on how UNIX is used at Bell Labs, its design and makeup, and the purpose behind UNIX. You'll even catch a few hints of the UNIX philosophy in the presentation. Needless to say, the UNIX philosophy is the touchstone and guiding rod for UNIX development and improvement. The principles are timeless. 

The video is only a couple minutes long so it warrants a few viewings. 

The Beauty of the Text File

While working on another post, I decided that I could get more perspective on the subject by visiting one of my favorite websites: textfiles.com. For those of you who don't know, and shame on you for not knowing, textfiles.com is a website dedicated to archiving the many textfiles distributed in the 1980s. Even though the website now archives files before and after that time, its purpose has remained the same. It's purpose is to preserve the works, ideas, and culture of the early web-runners. The website continues to be both a useful resource and inspiration to me, and it does help me generate an idea or two from time to time.

While browsing through the old files, I made a rather novel observation. These files, while containing text and text alone, are fascinating to read. And I'm not necessarily referring to the topics or ideas contained in those files either. These files are a pleasure to read even though they don't contain any images, sounds, or animations. Hell, the text isn't even formatted in most of these files! Yet, they are still beautiful. 

But why are text files beautiful?

Needless to say, text files are all about the text. They don't have any images, animations, or sounds. Just text. So how does an author capture a reader's attention without resorting to stylized themes and color schemes? The answer is simple enough. To capture the reader's attention, the author must write well. A finely crafted text file is a wonder to behold. And is as yummy as an 8 oz. sirloin steak, cooked medium-rare. The authors weren't virgins at their craft either. They were veterans whose mettle had been routinely tested on the BBS battlefields. After all, they did receive feedback on their posts. And the feedback wasn't sugar-coated.

Additionally, text files, by their nature and aesthetic, seem very direct and honest. What you see is what you get with a text file. No clandestine tricks or hidden fees. No ads or bullshit. A text file is just the author's pure, undiluted opinion on a subject. Not to everyone's liking, but this frankness is very refreshing to me. Sincerity is hard to come by today.

In addition to the above, text files are an iconic part of computer and tech-culture. Kind of a stretch, but hear me out. Text files, perhaps more so than any other part of Internet culture, including BBSs, fully capture the spirit of the Internet and its users. And really, what would the Internet be like if its users didn't exist? Likely a very boring, sterile place. People create culture and, on the Internet, they create culture by creating content. Content packed neatly within a text file. Hence, text files not only perfectly capture the spirit of the Internet, they are the spirit. Beautiful.

And, finally, text files work as excellent preservers of the past. Since they are often written from a first-person perspective, they wonderfully capture the author's ideas, notions, and perspectives of the time at which the file is written. But text files also cover a large variety of subjects like hacking, anarchy, politics, sociology, human nature, economics, programming, and more. They can, and often do, reach outside the world of computers and the web. While these files are equally important in the preservation of the past, I still prefer the text files that deal solely with computing. Keep in mind the authors of these text files are de facto historians. They likely had no idea that their writings would, one day, be seen as windows into the past. Nevertheless, text files from decades past expertly chronicle the times in which they were written. And for that reason, if for no other, we should respect them.

Sadly, text files as a means of communication and expression have gone by the way side, but they aren't gone completely. Still, text files are on life support. You won't find many current ones. However, you can find files written within the past few years on textfiles.com and, unbelievably enough, they fully capture the spirit of the text files of old. Indeed, I can hardly tell the difference between a text file written in the 80's and a text file written in 2014. Of course the technology has changed, but that radical and rebellious spirit is still alive and well. So there's hope!

No matter how big the Internet gets and no matter how much animation, features, and Javascript flood it, text files will always have a place on the Internet. They are as inseparable from the Internet as wet is from water. I encourage anyone reading this to visit textfiles.com and even pen your own text files. Don't worry if you can't write worth a damn; most of the writers of the 80's couldn't either. Yet, they still wrote and textfiles.com has preserved their legacy. So take up the pen...er keyboard and add to this legacy. You've got nothing to lose but a few minutes of your time and you might just enrich this generation and the next with your works. 

Body Hacking: The risks, the rewards, and the pointless

Biological augmentation is one of the hallmarks of cyberpunk fiction, so I just couldn't let this topic go by untouched. In the United States, there is a small group of people who are interested in biological augmentation. Within this group, there is an even smaller group of people who actually perform such augmentation on themselves. These people are called "body hackers". Put simply, a body hacker is a person who modifies their body in some way, typically by means of surgery, in order to gain an ability they hadn't possessed before. For example, a common body hack involves inserting a magnet under ones skin, typically on a finger tip, in order to "feel" electromagnetic fields. Does that sound a bit "out there"? It is, but we should dismiss body hacking immediately without first considering a few things.

Human beings are unique animals. We are unique in that we go to extremes in improving ourselves and our environment. We're always looking for ways to better our lives and live to the fullest. Exercising our bodies and our minds is simply a manifestation of this desire to improve ourselves. And body hacking is just another manifestation of this desire. But why? Is body hacking really going to improve the human body or is it merely a novelty? And at what cost? 

Okay, what are the costs of body hacking? Pain. Yes, surprisingly enough, physically modifying your body can be very painful. Body hacktivists urge anyone who is going to hack their body first ingest a fair amount of alcohol. This doesn't really inspire confidence, however, it does speak volumes about the commitment these people have to their art. Another cost of body hacking is permanent damage to the body and, possibly even, death. This of course depends on how invasive the hack is and where on the body the hack targets. Additionally, body hacktivists risk serious infection by performing these hacks. 

But, what are the benefits of body hacking? Now, I know what you're thinking, "How could there possibly be any benefit to body hacking, especially given the costs and risks you so expertly listed above?" The risks and costs can be very high, depending on the hack. However, body hacking isn't without its silver lining. Body hacking, like most underground movements, pushes the envelope. Body hacktivists boldly trudge into uncharted lands, in pursuit of human growth and improvement. Body hacktivists are the likely forerunners of all kinds of future body hacking. It took Thomas Edison 1,000 attempts before he managed to invent a working light-bulb. I view body hacktivists much the same way. They are paving the ground for all kinds of useful body hacks and augmentation. Yes, there are licensed and skilled professionals with far more years under their belt who are doing much the same thing, but the more the merrier, as the expression goes. And the backroom body hackers have an advantage over the licensed professionals. The body hackers aren't restricted by standard and law. Which means more risk to the subject, but it also means more room for experimentation and innovation.

But what benefits do body hacks give to the body hacker? Well, I've yet to find a benefit that couldn't have been gotten by other, safer means. Body hacking is still a primitive art form, so there aren't really any hacks that will give any unique benefits. If you want to know about some of the more well-known body hacks, including the one in the image above, see this article by Oliver Wainwright.

Now, I'm all for pushing boundaries and taking risks, but there are right ways and wrong ways to push a boundary. And some of these risks seem completely unnecessary given the desired benefit the action is intended achieve. But its not my body on the line. And I can appreciate people who risk their own bodies and lives in the name of innovation.

If you are considering hacking your body, give yourself plenty of time to consider the costs and risks involved. Don't just jump into this kind of activity. Body hacking isn't like getting a tattoo on impulse. Even superficial body hacks carry significant risks and consequences. For that reason, I do not endorse body hacking. And just what kind of technological baggage does body hacking bring with it? It would depend largely on the hack, but every hack would carry some kind of baggage. Just another thing to consider before implanting that microphone into your forearm.  

With that being said, I would like to tip my hat to all of the body hackers out there. It's been said that Cyberpunks are superficial posers who don't have what it takes to commit to the tech-fueled lifestyle. May the body hackers prove the naysayers wrong.