Buddy's Blog

Welp, it appears we have reached the end… the conclusion of Freshman Seminar 50N: What is the Internet and what will it become? I have to say that I really enjoyed the class and learned a great deal!

This week, we discussed the blockchain and cryptocurrency. I remember, early this year, one of my best friends was talking about a thing called Ethereum. I remember thinking to myself “Ethereum..? What is that? Now that he stumped me, I knew that I had to go and look it up. As it turns out, ethereum is one form of cryptocurrency. I initially was a little skeptical, knowing a little bit about stock options trading, but I guess it has really worked out in his favor (to say the least!). It is truly remarkable how accessible these markets really are. My friends at home are buying Ethereum using an app called Coin Base, which makes the acquisition of cryptocurrency almost too efficient. I have also seen this in my time with options trading. The trading platforms that are out there these days are truly remarkable. I have instant access to a market where the difference between the bid and ask price is penny-wide. Unbelievable! For me, TastyTrade (https://www.tastytrade.com/tt/) and the influence of my father have really prodded me to learn more about the markets and various financial instruments. I have really learned a lot and have started to get my feet wet with trading. This year, though, has been miserable as a trader because the stock market has not been volatile at all due to the current upward surge. The platforms where the trading is carried out still to this day amaze me. The code and technology needed to gain access to instantaneous buyers and sellers is truly amazing.

I have really enjoyed my time in our class. I loved meeting and getting to know my classmates over the semester, and Professor Smith and Professor Waldo have taught me a great deal and have inspired me to learn more about the priceless tool that the internet provides us. Thank you all so much!

I really liked opening the discussion this past week about the question of the internet: is the internet our friend or our enemy? We each gave our initial thoughts, and I responded that the internet is indeed our friend. However, after reflecting further, I am second guessing my response. The week before last, we had the discussion about internet warfare and the implications of Russia’s actions on our most recent presidential election. Yes, the internet allows me to see what my best friend just tweeted, or to open that snap-group message,  but it also has lead to some pretty horrifying things. Ok… now that this consideration is over, I am still going to have to lean towards the internet being my friend. Even though it does bring some bad into society, I do not think that I could live without electronics and an internet connection. As I have told many people here at Harvard, I really miss my friends and family from home. Without the internet, I wouldn’t be able to frequently correspond with them in any fashion. A mere telegram or letter every once in a while would have to suffice. That doesn’t sound too good to me. I Facetime my parents at least once a day and the same goes for my best friend (they keep me sane during exam weeks!). Furthermore, the internet gives us immediate access to the latest news and holds reading material at our finger tips. Technology, I think, has allowed great advancement in our society, and I am excited to learn of what is to come.

Hooray! My blog site is back up and running… quite a scare we had there. Luckily, I am back to write about an interesting topic this week that we covered in 50N which was cyber warfare. This topic really got me thinking… especially with the recent events that occurred in the most recent presidential election. It is interesting to learn of the United States’s passive role in fighting this recent “attack.” How are we to set a strong precedent if we allow the Russians to conduct such activity without any repercussions? Truly mind boggling. I was asked in class about my stance on this issue, and now that I have had some time to reflect, I have come to a conclusion. I believe that the actions carried out by the Russians are a form of warfare (violence for that matter) against our country. An election is an extremely important process, and ANY kind of sabotage should not be tolerated. This makes me think of all the negative things that can be spread with one click of a mouse. The internet is now being used for much more than searching for one’s preferred clothing brand. An email chain, with a certain “bad” link can lead to destruction. My dad always told me when I was younger not to open any email from a person or company that you have never heard of. As it turns out, his warning was indeed rational. He instilled this in me about 6 years ago; good thing I got a head start on this prevention because this has become an increasingly detrimental issue.

I thought our conversation this week was quite stimulating, and I enjoyed hearing all of my classmates’ opinions on the issue with Russia. I am looking forward to our next discussion!