Week Fourteen: Clear RAID

In enterprise computing, storage demands are just a little greater than in personal computing. Enterprises have vast amounts of data, much of it critical to the operations of the organization. If the data were to go missing or the computers were out of commission for even a short period of time, there could be catastrophic effects on business.

By using a combination of RAID0, 1, 5, and 6 storage methods, nearly all businesses can have an adequate and relatively cost effective method of protecting their data from hardware failure.

Just a few weeks ago when I was home for Spring Break, my father was trying to explain to me how "cool" this new 5 terabyte backup device he had just purchased. As it turns out this device he bought uses a RAID system, but at the time I didn't understand how this 5 terabyte device only had 3 terabytes of storage available. The moment I watched the lecture addressing this topic, that moment instantly came back to me and it all seemed clear.

Week Ten: Clear LAN and WAN

LAN and WAN. It sounds like a progressive band name. While they were progressive in their time, LAN and WAN is not a band name but area networks of connected computers. Nearly everyone who has interacted with a computer has accessed a LAN, and most people have encountered a WAN without even realizing it. 

A LAN is a local area network and connects network devices over a relatively short distance. They can typically be found in office buildings, schools, and homes. As the term implies, a wide area network or WAN spans a large physical distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning the Earth. A common interaction with WAN's is through bank ATM's.

Week Nine: Clear- Relative and Absolute Cell Addressing

My first introduction to relative and absolute cell addressing was in the introductory required computing class CGS 2531. We had a MONSTER Excel project to complete. At one point a friend who was in the class with at the same time as me consulted the Microsoft Excel help desk because she was stuck and even the professional could not figure out the correct formula!

I revisited relative and absolute cell addressing this past summer at my internship where I used Excel on a near daily basis. One of the projects I was working on required me to write several complex formulas using data over several worksheets. I created a workbook that gave the results and my analysis of a market research survey I conducted. The knowledge I gained from that killer CGS 2531 project and referencing Excel Bible got me through the project with ease and certainly wowed by bosses with my above average understanding of Excel =).

Week Seven: Clear Disk Defragmentation

Once upon a time there was a teenage girl who was given her very own computer for the first time. This girl loved music and quickly began uploading her CD collection and downloading tracks she didn't already own. Before long, her computer was running slow and she barely had any space left on her mere 60 GB hard drive. What was a girl to do? Luckily, the girl in our story had a father who was very knowledgeable about computers and told her to run a disk defragmentation. The first time she ran this tool it took a very long time- nearly two hours- because all the files on her computer were spread out. The defragmentation tool bar looked like it was a rainbow because of all the separated files! Almost immediately she found her computer was running faster and she visibly had more available storage space on her computer. From then on she regularly ran the disk defragmentation utility to keep her PC at a high level of performance. The End.

The girl in the story, well, she was me. In high school I learned the value of regularly running a disk defragmentation after downloading waaay too much music. To this day, I still run the utility on a regular basis and like to think that this small conscious move will help expand the life of my computer.

Week Five: Clear Voice Input

I LOVED the segment on voice input and software to accomplish that task. My favorite part was the video of the NY Times review of the product with his hands tied behind his back.


The advances in voice recognition technology is truly amazing. I had been using voice recognition software to help further my practice with learning Mandarin and it was certainly a love-hate relationship. The "training" period with the software was longer than I expected and I would frequently lose patience and close the program for the day.

After watching this lecture and seeing some examples of its recent developments, I would highly consider using this kind of software again if I ever found a need.

Week Three: Clear- Wi-Fi

As a marketing major, I understand the value and importance of strong branding. When wireless internet was first being introduced, the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance hired Interbrand to come up with a commercial name for wireless internet. the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance selected the name Wi-Fi, a meaningless phrase, from a list of potential brand slogans. The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance took it upon themselves to add the tagline "The Standard for Wireless Fidelity."

They thought that by adding the tagline, it would make more sense to the consumer.The phrase "The Standard for Wireless Fidelity" has no true meaning. Wireless fidelity, what most people commonly believe Wi-Fi to stand for, are just two words that seemingly fit the abbreviation.

The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance's attempt to clarify their product actually diluted the brand and confused the customer. They promoted false information which is still a common belief ten years after its removal from the marketplace.

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