Reflections on Our Cyber Selves

“Just Google it.”

You’ve probably said it a thousand times (more if you’re prone to arguments over who pitched Game 6 of the ‘86 World Series or which 90210 star had a reoccurring appearance on Saved by the Bell), but have you considered the implications of your actions? Since the inception of Google in 1998, the world defined by the term “internet” has exploded into every corner of our lives. The internet is instant knowledge at our fingertips, and it gives us the ability to share anything to anyone at any time. This is good, right? The answer is…who really knows? The speed at which humanity’s methods of communicating and learning have changed so quickly that there are massive moral and societal questions that are just being asked now, a full forty years after what became the internet was created. The Cyber Revolution brings with it philosophical questions that are at least as pressing as those that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, and that little societal upheaval spawned everything from socialism to mass urbanization. We are rapidly approaching a crossroads in which some really difficult questions must be addressed, and as USD-christened “global leaders,” I think the Cyber Revolution is an area where our unique blend of ethical, global-oriented business decision making can have a lasting, positive impact. There’s a few areas I’ve found particularly interesting, so I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts and a truckload of links to give some food for thought, and perhaps even generate some Schoultzitian debate.

Google=Dumb (?)

Nicolas Carr, the author of the seminal Atlantic article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” has expanded the premise of the piece to a book, The Shallows. Basically, he asks if the incessant flow of information available online, and our relentless jumping from page to page, is rewiring our brains and preventing us from the long-term, contemplative thinking necessary for major endeavors like reading War and Peace. (As a personal aside, after reading this article I freaked out that I might be becoming dumb(er) thanks to my whippet fast web surfing. I purchased, and read, the entirety of War and Peace. I’m not sure if doing so saved my brain, but I mention it in every job interview since.) While we all know that widespread internet use hasn’t been around long enough to conclusively (read=scientifically) prove that our brains are being fundamentally rewired by the web, even the idea, coupled with your own personal experience, should be enough to make you reassess how you are reading, thinking, and understanding since the Cyber Revolution. You might decide to take a few hours a week and hide the iPhone, instead challenging your brain to some old school heavy lifting.

Links=Dumb (?)

Mr. Carr also has a fantastic blog, which I highly recommend. Recently, he posted a piece on hyperlinks, “Experiments in delinkification.” He, among others, posited that the ubiquitous hyperlink is both a symptom of, and contributor to, our web-based shorted attention span. The post created quite a dust-up (in internet dork terms) about the worth of mid-sentence links. If you’ve read this far (thanks!), you know I love links. Love them. Nothing upsets me more than when an article references something (anything- be it book, article, work of art, whatever) and fails to provide a link. I agree hyperlinks can create a scattershot reading experience, but it is reader-controlled. Personally, I generally hover over the link to find out where its sending me, and, if interested, open it up in a new tab to review at my leisure (generally when I’m done with the original article). Mr. Carr recommends positioning all relevant links at the end of the write-up, though I think you’ll lose some utility with that compromise. Having it mid-stream creates a mental link (wordplay!) between what you’re currently reading and the new page you’re being sent to. Although I disagree with Mr. Carr’s poor opinion of links, it is another example of how, often without us noticing, the easy availability of information is changing how we learn. In undergrad (lo, those long nine years ago!) I found a certain pleasure in searching though the dusty stacks of the Holy Cross library to find that one book I needed, an experience that is now largely superseded by a quick web search. We’ve replaced passionate persistence with careless ease, but what have we gained- and lost?

Bonus link: Mr. Carr interviewed on the Colbert Report

Extra super bonus link: NPR has a chapter of The Shallows for your perusal

Privacy=Dumb (according to Facebook, maybe?)

I’m on Facebook, and I’m willing to bet you are too. A major concern for the social networking site has always been the privacy of its users, with an oft-heard complaint (heard by me, anyway) being the site’s propensity for forcing you to share info with someone you would rather not share it with (or having that person share a little too much for your liking). Facebook’s privacy policies came to head over the past few weeks, as those policies became ever more byzantine and privavy control functionality more complex. This blog had my favorite graphical analysis of the shift in sharing over time. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, felt the need to answer criticism in a rather bland Washington Post Op-Ed; meanwhile, privacy policies and controls have continued to shift. The debate over what user information Facebook should either force you to share or be able to monetize with advertisers remains far from over. What I really find interesting is that any info Facebook has on its users has been voluntarily submitted to their site for free. With that in mind, do we the users even have a justifiable expectation of privacy? If you upload a picture of yourself binge drinking at work, are negative repercussions Facebook’s fault when your boss (who is in your network) sees it? What’s more, for Facebook to remain a free service, it has to make money somehow. Its one “tangible” resource? The massive amounts of user data that resides on servers Facebook paid for, and users voluntarily submitted.

Privacy concerns aren’t limited to your Farmville needs, of course. As the once wholly unregulated internet becomes more of a shared societal resource, akin to the radiowave spectrum or Antarctica, government regulation and monitoring becomes more and more of a necessity. (Probably.) That, of course, brings with it a whole new set of problems, from the level to which federal agencies should monitor web usage to the degree to which companies should cooperate with national security agencies. The Threat Level blog (another one I really recommend) had a good look at private companies using (or being coerced into using) the National Security Agency’s Einstein systems, which help detect cyber intrusions and then alert the government. In particular, “critical infrastructure” systems, like the power grid and internet itself, are both vital to the nation’s functioning and vulnerable targets- but are largely in private hands. As the government attempts to move into monitoring private networks, basic questions concerning ethics, oversight, accountability, and legal jurisdiction remain unanswered. Ultimately, these are long-term policy concerns that deserve measured, deliberate thought- but in the meantime, the problems at hand continue to grow.

Bonus link: Interesting Discussion of privacy concerns from a “small government” DC think tank

Cyber Threats: Overblown?

Speaking of growing problems, it’s not just privacy that needs to be secured online…it’s everything. Particularly since Google was hacked by probable Chinese actors, the vulnerability of everything online has gained visibility outside of network security circles. (Personal note: I entered those circles six months ago with absolutely no IT background. Suffice it to say I now have strong doubts about anything you consider “secure.”) As people open up more of their lives to the internet,  they are more at risk; somewhat more troubling, as governments grow to depend on web connectivity to get business done, they are more at risk from other nation-states both during times of crisis and (relative) peacetime. However, the nature and extent of even this elemental problem is still up for debate. Literally.

Tomorrow night in DC, Intelligence Squared is hosting a debate on the motion, “The Cyber War Threat has been Grossly Exaggerated.” Some heavy hitters are taking part, including former Director of National Intelligence, VADM (Ret.) Mike McConnell. VADM McConnell bemoans, in particular, the United States’ lack of a cohesive policy on the cyber threat; even action that could be taken now is not, since legal and politic concerns remain. Personally, I think we need to come to terms on some terms first; is cyber espionage the same as Cyber War? Can a line between the two be drawn? My initial response is yes, but things become much murkier when attempting to draw that line. Uploading malware on an adversary’s network, after all, can be seen as an offensive (wordplay!) act, but is it really an act of war? Does it depend on what the malware does? When it’s difficult to discern even what you’re talking about, you know you have an interesting problem on your hands. In this case, it’s a problem that has massive repercussions for the level of government intrusion in citizens’ lives, foreign policy, the nature of warfare, and international finance, just to name a few affected arenas. Problems are, of course, made to be solved- and that’s where we MSGLers come in.

TJ Mayotte was a member of Cohort 41 and is now an analyst for the Office of the Secretary of Defense Damage Assessment Management Office, charged with conducting damage assessments after Cleared Defense Contractors are victims of cyber intrusions. He lives in Elkridge, Maryland and currently blogs here. He enjoys adversarial comments and being longwinded.

A consultant’s view on MSGL first week

On Monday, May 17, MSGL Cohort 51 met for their first in house class sessions.  Although the course had officially started almost a month ago, this was the first time that all of the students would get to interact with their Professors and cohort members face to face.  These classes were also unique in that it would be only one of two times that all the students (to include the distance learners) would be in the same place over the next 15 months, and that we were going to jam 48 hours of classes into six straight days.  For me, this was an opportunity to get to know the people that I would be depending on to get me through this, knock off the academic ring rust that had accumulated over the past 9 years, and most importantly……learn something.

I was happy to see that our Cohort was made up of a great diverse group that bought several different perspectives on virtually every aspect of discussion.  The week was challenging and there were a lot of times where I felt I was barely grasping things.  Thankfully, we quickly formed into a group of people that were there to help each other and I quickly saw that the program was designed to do just that.

MSGL is a leadership degree and to learn how to be an effective leader you not only need to know what is being taught in the books and lecture halls, but how to successfully interact with people while serving in a variety of roles.  Just after a little over a month of instruction and one full week in class I already see myself positively instituting the principles and knowledge that I have already picked up in class in my professional life.  This is, of course, one of the main reasons why I signed up for MSGL and so far I have not regretted it.

Justin Parker is a consultant for Sentek Global and is currently enrolled as a student in MSGL Cohort 51.  Justin earned his undergraduate degree in Human Factors Engineering at the US Air Force Academy in 2002.  In his free time he enjoys running, cooking, and doing quizzes for MSGL 506. 🙂

The Story of a Distance Learner

Do you want to be more professionally successful? Do you want to advance your career? As individuals living and working in the Information/Digital Age, we need to set ourselves up for success. One option that you may want to consider is capitalizing on educational opportunities. Distance Learning (DL) may be a great option that would ensure success and advance your career, while not having to sacrifice being a busy parent, spouse, and business professional.

Many academics and thought leaders have written about distance learning and encourage individuals to consider DL programs that deliver education in a non-traditional classroom setting. As a mother, wife, and business professional, I am a prime example that distance learning can be used as a tool to enhance careers.

I have worked virtually for an executive education firm as a telecommuter for 10 years, including three of those years overseas while my husband was stationed abroad. Due to my work experience, I gained a unique understanding of the benefits as well as the challenges of virtual teams and distance learning. Although I was familiar communicating via email and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), obtaining a master’s degree on-line was still scary.

I had been considering obtaining a master’s degree for years; however, I could never find the time to drive to and attend classes. I knew that with working full-time and raising three kids (while my husband was serving a tour in Baghdad), the only way I was ever going to get a master’s degree was through a distance learning program. I chose the Master of Science in Global Leadership (MSGL) program at the University of San Diego because it was a perfect fit for me. I could do it on-line which allowed me to be at home with my kids and it offered three curriculum components I was interested in: (1) Leadership Development; (2) International Business; and (3) Project Management.

I started the program with a biased opinion that I would be “forgotten” by my classmates and professors since the school is located on the West coast and I was on the East coast. However, this was not the case. I was pleasantly surprised by the information sharing and discussion threads using Web/CT Blackboard technology, as well as with other technologies that were available. I could watch videos of my professors lecturing, interact with classmates using email and VoIP, and collaborate with teammates on papers using collaboration applications. My professors were readily available when I had questions and my teammates ensured I was included on discussions, decisions, and brainstorming sessions.

Upon entering the MSGL program, my primary goal was to be “learner-centric” versus “grade-centric.” I wanted to do well and make good grades but, more importantly, I wanted to learn as much as possible with the intentions of actually implementing the knowledge gained in the workplace. We each have a choice of learning for simply gaining knowledge or learning for using knowledge. I am confident in saying that I met my goals. The MSGL program gave me the knowledge to provide value to every task.

Since graduation, I now provide more value to my company because I use project management on a daily basis as well as use leadership development methodologies and theories in order to provide senior executives and high-potential managers with a globally relevant framework for improving performance, thinking, communication, and decision making. Furthermore, the most valuable aspect of choosing a distance learning program was that I could obtain a degree from across the country from out of my home, while not having to sacrifice being a busy mother, wife, and business professional.

The biggest misconception about distance learning programs is that on-line schools do not provide as good of an education as traditional schools. The truth is that distance learning programs not only allow students to learn from traditional classroom materials – books, journals, case studies, etc. – but also teaches students to interact using multimedia software and other technologies which help students develop additional skills and advance their careers.

Being a distance learner was a wonderful experience and enhanced my professional life because it gave me the opportunity to learn and collaborate in virtual environments as well as forced me to stay up to date with technology. Distance learning provided the capability to learn what I needed to know, whenever I needed to know it, without having to wait for a professor in a classroom. I believe distance learning is a tool for life-long continuous learning at all levels of an organization and could be a great option for those who don’t want to leave their homes to go to a classroom.

Parents, spouses, and professionals who are considering pursuing the MSGL program on-line should not let fear of the unknown get in the way of achieving that goal. Anybody can do it! Distance learning is a fantastic tool that provides an opportunity for work/life balance. We are all fortunate to live in a world where technology gives each of us the capability to learn and grow professionally, while raising a family.

Lane Fabby, MS (USD, 2008) works virtually for consulting firm Frew & Associates, which provides professional development services to the private and public sectors.  She is a proud military spouse and currently resides in Lakeland, Tennessee with her husband, Rick Fabby, and their three children.

RaptorCom Competes in USD Business Plan Competition by CEO Jerry Lang

RaptorCom, a Computer Networking company recently competed in the third annual USD Business Plan Competition held in the IPJ Theater May 7th. The Business Plan Competition was a good exercise in understanding what Angel and VC investors look for in a start-up.

The competition was a one-credit course covering an Executive Summary, Business Plan and Power Point presentation to several panels of judges. Each competitor received feedback on his or her plan over the course of three months and each competitor was assigned a Mentor based on area of need.

As graduate students in the Masters of Science in Global Leadership Program, Chad Faes and I co-founded RaptorCom after identifying a need to reduce the expensive costs of Cellular Roaming charges notably in the International arena after attending a study abroad course in Argentina covering Strategic Management and Planning.

RaptorCom partnered with Agito Networks to fulfill this need by offering a solution that pushes the cellular call over the free WiFi network eliminating the high cost of roaming charges while improving call quality at the same time. RaptorCom is working with several Fortune 1000 customers on this solution in the San Diego and Orange County markets.

RaptorCom is currently seeking a Social Media Intern focused on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. If interested, please contact us at 760-593-7510.