The Internet...

Yesterday, in my electronic communications class, we watched this movie about the Internet. It talked about how the Internet started, and why Bill Gates is so rich (I always love learning about how people get rich!). I learned that Bill Gates plan was definitely not fool proof though. I remember seeing him be in trouble for something on the news, but I wasn’t sure of why he was being sued.

Come to find out, he illegally offered Internet Explorer for free to compete with the first MAJOR Internet Service Provider (ISP) Netscape Navigator (unfair competition in the marketplace). This is why Bill Gates had to forfeit over a billion dollars in legal costs.

I’ve really been intrigued with the marketplace lately. I’ve been paying attention to monopolies, and fair commerce. I’m reading a book that you should all check out. It is called “The Tipping Point.” It is about how epidemics and trends start. I like reading books like this because I have the opportunity to figure out how to start my own trend. Hopefully I will be a billionaire one day.

I am happy my teacher made us watch that movie in class today. As a communicator, I think it is essential for us to know about the Internet. After all, that is the medium most of us will be communicating and working through for the rest of our lives. The movie also talked about how American's will have a lot of competition in the future, and already do have a lot of competition from other countries. For instance, many Indians learn from grade 8 how to do computer programming and speak English. Many American Internet companies hire Indians to do their computer programming because they will work for lower wages. Although we are technically the super power country of the world now, I am not sure that we will be in the future (based on the growth of the internet).

Other things that were included in this movie were interesting too:

-History of the Internet (How it began, WWW beginning, Hypertext, Networking)-E-commerce availability, browsers, JAVA (Netscape first big ISP, E-world, Excite, sex drives internet)-Advertising (the Montley Fool, books on Amazon.com)

I am loving school this semester. I am such a geek, I swear.

Update on social life:

Scott and I are doing VERY well. We are both excited to go to Florida in about two weeks. Scott is working on remodeling some of the rooms in his house. They are looking VERY nice. He is seriously one of those guys that can achieve anything when it comes to home improvement. Don’t you just love guys that can work with their hands?

Anyway, my sister Emily’s birthday is tomorrow. HAPPY B-DAY Emiline! I am looking forward to the weekend, but I have LOTS of reading to do.

I’ve been really impressed with my staff writers at the Westminster newspaper this semester (www.westminstercollege/forum). We have had some GREAT stories hit the press. Our readability is up, and the stories are getting better. I am so proud… so proud. To bad this is my last semester on the paper! Oh well, maybe you will see my name on Utah newspaper by-lines one day.

I love you all!