Ode to Technology

For the last 5.75 years I have worked at the Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at UC Irvine. My job involves fund-raising, alumni relations, corporate relations, and a bit of everything else - notice that most job descriptions include 5% duties "as assigned"... all in an environment where technology changes daily.

The very cool thing about working here, other than the flexible and casual environment, is the fact that I am surrounded by technology. Now, I don't consider myself extremely techy or technologically savvy, although I do have a certain level of comfort around things like computers and the Internet, and I love the access email has given me to stay in contact with friends around the world, and the convenience of instant messaging. All that considered, I assure you that workig at this school also has given me a pretty good idea about just how ignorant I am.

There are incredible developments going on around me every day, and good luck if I can describe most of them in detail. Fortunately, I understand enought about many of them to skim the surface and let the experts do the talking. Where was I going with all this? Oh, yes. I love technology. Some days I hate it too, but for the most part, I love it. I don't understand it on an intimate level, but I understand enough to be grateful for it and embrace it, because it simply makes life easier and some times better.

And that's what started this whole blog. At a visit last week, part of our tour included the "Technology Garden", which I think is a really cool application of computer science from many aspects - for one, there's that biology component of sensors measuring CO2 and O2 levels in the room where plants are displayed. On the other hand, there are sensors that measure the moisture of the soil, and one can monitor the plants in the garden remotely... how cool is that?!? For a woman with a hidden geeky side like me, this is just the answer to all my phitodilemas (just created another word...) I can now aspire to have real, live plants that survive past the critical two-week period, after which all their predecesors have found sure death at my hands... I can be green! I actually have asked them if they need a beta tester off-site, and it looks like the answer is yes. In almost-feverish anticipation, I have gone ahead and purchased a plant - a lovely thing (campanula) that seems to work as ground cover, currently potted on my desk, with a wild profussion of vibrant purple blooms amidst the deep green of its foliage. And I think this one may actually survive my care... I'm so excited!

Aside from this new-found source of excitement, and in addition to using email, I have instant messager - four different ones to be precise. I am on linked-in, wayn, and who knows what else. I have an Avatar on Second Life (my name is "Berangaria Beaumont"), I blog with certain regularity, satisfying my need to write something without having to be Louisa May Alcott ("Little Women", for those of you rusty on your lit), and getting things out of my system. And now I'm about to jump on the bandwagon of Voice-over IP and start calling from my computer for a fraction of the cost, thus making the world a little smaller and the distance between me and those I love a little shorter.

All this said, the day I figure out how to post pictures on this blog in vertical fashion, as opposed to the horizontal default, I will be happier, and I will have conquered yet another frontier...