As I mentioned in my previous post, the class that I am currently taking at Cardinal Stritch is called Computer Systems: How they work. In this class we will discuss the history of the computer, the different components of computers, the role of an operating system, the various operating systems available, viruses, and what makes up an ideal computer.
Last time I blogged about how the content in this course will give me the knowledge to become a better consumer and user of computers. This time I will focus on how I use technology now and how this course will affect my future usage.
I use technology everyday. I use it for all my work needs and I use it at home for social networking, media download and storage, and research. I have become technology reliant and I would freak if I were to lose my computer as a tool and resource. The most beneficial part of this course is that it has forced me to look at ways to prevent losing my valuable information due to a technology disaster. We will be researching a variety Linux OS and live cds,viruses and virus protection, a backup plan for a technology diaster, and various computer components.
I heard about Linux before this course started but I had not used it. This class required us to try out two different Linux operating systems. I was impressed with their ease of use and responsiveness. The best part about this project was that I learned how to make a live cd so that I can boot the OS directly from the cd without installing it. This is incredibly useful if the operating system on a computer fails because it will still allow you to access your harddrive and retrieve your files (this can also be done with an external hard drive case). I also liked that you can boot the OS directly from a usb drive. This lets you take your personal operating system with you wherever you go and on whatever computer you use.
Viruses have always been a threat to a computer and I have always tried to take the proper actions to prevent them from affecting my computer's performance. I am sure that when we discuss and research more about viruses, I will learn more information about them and how to prevent them.
The backup plan for a disaster will be a great assignment that forces me to rethink my plan in the event of a computer disaster. I will research uninterruptible power supplies, online storage, and networked storage devices. This will definitely prevent me from having a heart attack in case something goes wrong with my computer. I could not imagine losing all my work and media files.
The component research project will provide information on computer cases, power supplies, motherboards, graphic cards, monitors, windows hardware, digital cameras, network adapters, mouse and keyboard options, cd/dvd burners, sound cards, printers,processors, removable memory, storage devices, uninterruptible power supplies, and apple and microsoft operation systems. This information will help me troubleshoot any problems and replace any component if I have an issue.
All of the information that we will learn in the course will improve my usage of technology and prevent me from a freak out if it fails.
You bring up great points about the necessity of having a multilayered approach to back up and security. I look forward to seeing your disaster recovery assignment. What would you say is the most important part of the approach to protecting your data? I'd love to be able to make sure my strategy has the most effort placed in the right places.
ReplyDelete