JJAD Technologies

The open source is that the application and his source code are available to the public.  It is free and it can be share.  It is protected under the GNU Public License.

I think the must popular language is C, but other as popular is PHP (my favorite), Perl, Ruby, Python, etc.

Open source is about choices that is perhaps why is open source is not popular thru the main population, because easy is having one way of doing things and hard is having many choices. Open source provides more stable (less spaghetti programming) more software to choose from without having to worry about expensive license fees.

Because open source is protected thru the GNU Public License one of the thing is you cannot profit directly thru the software, but you can profit thru services or providing to package other software that normally you would have to put together and compile yourself.

Open source code is available you can get different functions from multiple sources and create your own package.

There are many pros for this type of concept some of what I already mention, but there are also down side of the open source.  One is that because is open source, some hardware manufacture’s do not want to waste their time writing drivers for their hardware. For example I have an AMD 64 bit, and came with Windows XP 32 bit, so I load it in the same hard drive Ubuntu Linux 64 bit.  All the applications are 64 bit and it screams, but no all my hardware is working with it.  I have a SoundBlaster X-Fi Platinum with a front panel.  The sound card works but the front panel does not. I have to work hard to get 80% of my hardware working because I have specialized hardware.  There is a time that I will get it to work 100%, but no today.

As time passes, we begin to notice that we are forgetting things—is this normal? Does it mean the same when I’m 20, 35, 55, or 80 years old? The truth is that there are different causes and different ways to confront forgetfulness.

In the case of the elderly, whenever they forget something, they have two ways to justify themselves: 1. the simplest reason, that they are getting older, 2. but the most frequent, the feared Alzheimer’s.

In either case, the question is, are there ways to avoid that terrible stage in our lives that robs us of our memories? Yes, there are indeed many things we can do, such as having a healthy diet, good lifestyle, and a good exercise routine, that could keep us healthier.

Nevertheless, the majority of people do not adopt these habits at a young age, and they only do it when they are adult and become ill, a reason why the “routine” becomes a load, and this changes the lives of many people and their habits.

In the case of exercise, it has been proven that it plays a key role in avoiding many diseases, including delaying Alzheimer’s. Similarly, exercises that stimulate the mind (such as reading, games, or any other intellectual activity that allows that wonderful organ, our BRAIN, to be in constant motion, expanding and creating new neuron networks), allow us to learn more and more things, and through these means, we will have an important mental reserve that serves us as protection for the forgetfulness disease.

At the present moment, the technological advances surprise us more and more with cell phones, computers, and of course, the Internet. These advances have allowed for the communication of millions of people around the world, where they can get to know each other, exchange information and even memories. This is how I consider the opportunity to use those devices to practice “Mental Fitness,” to help us not only establish contacts with other people, but with Our Network of Neurons that this technology puts in practice.

Perhaps the recommendation would be to start using these tools earlier as if to make it a daily routine, as if it were a part of life, the same way eating healthy, avoiding fats and excess sugar are. When a young person has good habits, he/she will most likely be a healthy adult. Just like that, if an adult has the possibility and desire to learn new technological advances, the individual will make it part of his/her life and by taking advantage of it, it will work as a constant environment for brain stimulation—making a routine of mental exercises that could help slow FORGETFULNESS.

Written by,

Dr. Clara Isabel Ramírez, Professor of the Andes University, Chair of Neurology. Venezuela.

Physician, Neurology Specialist, Researcher

English Translation by: June U. Perez

In my recent writings on the use of technology, one could gather a few ideas on factors that influence a person’s decision to use his/her computer. One wide-spread theory on the elements that affect the use of technology states that there are several components that effect a person’s decision to use the Internet (Davis and Cols. 1989 and Venkatesh and Davis, 2000). Two of the most important identified factors are: 1) the person perceives how useful the technology is and, 2) the person perceives that the technology is easy to use.

Another considered component is the degree in which a person acknowledges that the use of the technology will improve his/her image and acceptance in the individual’s social group. Basically, a person’s attitude, which can be influenced by the beliefs of people around him/her, plays a large role in that individual’s use of technology. Curiously, age, the element many would consider relevant, did not appear to be a decisive factor, especially in a context where everyone has equal access to technology. Nonetheless, it is important to note the relationship of a person’s social environment to the individual’s use of the technology.

How people learn to use the computer is a different matter. An interesting study exposed that it is not necessary to learn to use computers via a formal education. The truth is that much of what we have learned about computers has happened informally. We have learned by doing, solving small problems on a day-to-day basis, and communicating with each other. However, it is not a “one-day-learning” process, but a lifetime, a cumulative process that allows us to learn new things while still reinforcing that which we already know. In this learning process, we acquire new knowledge while also unlearning in order to insert in us new technological paradigms.

Though these arguments may seem remote in our daily lives, they are significant when we want to establish an education system in our company, in this case, we speak of a new technology that our employees must learn. It is a change in the way we learn because we do it under a new model of learning using the computer as a tool, and it is a change in the way we are accustomed to use the computer, which in a virtual class becomes an interactive medium.

My experience as a consultant in the online systems implementation taught me that success has little to do with teaching a new technology correctly and much to do with the way we prepare our employees for the change. Like any process of change, the new development of formative schemes within the company, must cover certain requirements that provide the foundation for success. Here is some advice:

1. Notify the employees in advance about the training plan of the company, the new online system friendliness, and how this is linked with the organization’s vision. Communicate the purpose of the company’s mission and verbalize any idea on how these goals are connected to the goals of each employee—this will offer a clear perception to your employees on the benefit of the project.

2. Lead and show support. Get involve in the project and promote it from within the organization. Processes of change that include the use of new new technology require a convinced internal leadership who can promote the importance and usefulness of the project. Once the project is set up inside the organization, employees will gradually join in, as this implies group acceptance and a betterment of his/her image.

3. Involve your staff in the development of the project. For example, they can offer you their opinions on details such as, the best time for simultaneous virtual sessions, contents vital for better performance, what kinds of groups work better for the study, etc. Having your employees become involved from the beginning will make it easier to make the project theirs, and it will be a great step toward success.

4. Taking into consideration your employees’ experience with computers, or with any other field, is an advantage that will help you start the project quickly. Nowadays, the on-line education systems utilize interface that are user-friendly and retain the design and functionality of well-known programs—this is why the introduction must be small. Do not give a long-winded introduction; once you know that your employees know the basics, start with the on-line training plan. As the employee enters the formative process, he/she will gradually be able to use the more complex features of the system. It is important to monitor and support the system during the first week in order to illustrate that the program is indeed easy to use (this is especially important for employees who have little experience using a computer).

5. Finally, it is as important to learn use the program correctly as it is to recognize the key points of an education model based upon virtual interaction and group participation; this requires clear communication, accountability, and ethics between the student and the instructor. This is also a method of learning built through practice and rooted on competition between those involved, and these aspects can be reinforced and pushed from the project’s induction.

Written by:

Dr. Silvia Garcia, Venezuela, Guest Research Professor at Indiana University.

English Translation by: June U. Perez

Sources:

Alrafi, A. (s/f). Technology Acceptance Model. http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/inn/RIP2005-4.pdf

Davis, F., Bagozzi, R., y Warshaw, P. 1989. User acceptance of computer technology a comparison of two theoretical models. Management Science Vo. 35 no. 8

Nadler, D., y Tushman, M. 1997. Competing by design: The power of organizational architecture. Oxford University Press.

Selwyn, N., 2005 The Social Processes of Learning to Use Computers. Social Science Computer Review 2005; 23; 122