Ruben Thinks

I am a huge proponent of open source. I really believe that Open source and free software allow an incredible level of innovation. Open source allows everyone to contribute and secure a program. Even still, Red Hat (RHEL) going closed source is a good thing. Why?

The honest truth is... a product that is sold is considered of higher value. This is why Apple, and Microsoft are successful, people have an innate desire to pay for quality. In Red Hat's case it is the standard in the server space. Red Hat is not truly for hobbyists, its for real world production.

The Linux community is worried that this will reduce the transparency and trust of Red Hat, and that it will create a barrier for people who want to use or contribute to Red Hat without paying (jessevas, 2023). This is true, yet it will increase innovation, because now the community has to design ways to go around depending on Red Hat. Plus it will give a push to other distributions of Linux to be used or be developed for servers. The community being dependent on one sole version of Linux, stifles creativity.

Red Hat will continue to provide and incredible platform and increase its focus on its specific use case. As Mike McGrath (2023) explains in an official Red Hat post: "Simply rebuilding code, without adding value or changing it in any way, represents a real threat to open source companies everywhere. This [...] has the potential to revert open source back into a hobbyist- and hackers-only activity". None of us want Linux to be just a pile of discs, usb keys, or ISOs that are just passed around between a small amount of niche users. In order for Linux to progress, it needs grow, even if it hurts.

References

jessevas (2023) Spice works. Has anyone else heard anything about RHEL becoming closed source? Retrieved from: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2488635-has-anyone-else-heard-anything-about-rhel-becoming-closed-source

I was so excited to build my own PC. I had been planning it for weeks, and I had finally ordered all the parts. But when the parts arrived, I realized that I had forgotten to order a few key components. So, my new PC was out of commission until the missing parts arrived.

That evening, I had a Zoom meeting that I couldn't afford to miss. I quickly scrambled to find a computer that I could use. I remembered that I had an old ThinkPad laptop in storage. I dug it out and hooked it up to my monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Then, I installed Zorin OS Pro, a Linux operating system.

Zorin OS Pro is a user-friendly Linux distribution that is designed to look and feel like Windows. It was easy to install and set up, and it had all the software that I needed for my Zoom meeting. I was up and running in an hour, and I was able to join the meeting without any problems.

I'm so glad that I installed Zorin OS Pro. It saved my bacon when my new PC wasn't ready to use. If you're looking for a user-friendly Linux distribution, I highly recommend Zorin OS Pro.

References

Zorin OS (n.d.) Zorin OS Pro.

Many times when we buy a product, or research it we base our decision on a review. The issue with many reviews and reviewers comes down to the way you quantify the value of the product. Another determining factor is time, something that has value now can lose its value.

For example a first gen iPhone had value when it first came out, but we can no longer say its on par or value of today's phones (Marques Brownlee 2022). Another question to pose is the ratio between buyers and product rating. On Amazon for example, you may have one product with 200 people rating it a 4.5 out of 5, while a similar product with 1000 people rating it is 4.0 out of 5. Another issue is the spam bots or people that are payed to make false ratings, which can affect our perception too.

A third issue is the oversimplification of a rating system. In the past YouTube had a star rating system, but now it has reduced it a thumbs up and down, while Tiktok and other platforms rate engagement as a rating system. So even if you hate a video, if you watched it more then once or finished it all the way through it will impact the algorithm.

Although their is no way to fix all these issues at once, its important to realize that initial impressions of a product and its ratings do not necessarily connect to its value.

References

I work in an environment where I am surrounded by people from many cultures and beliefs who dedicate their lives in pursuit of science. I am impressed that many of them consider themselves religious. I began to think about this subject and had some interesting findings.

According to the Pew Research Center (2009, November 5) about 51% of Scientists in the US believe in God. This fact alone is a very important, since it shows that science and faith can work together. Even Francis Collins, winner of the 2020 Templeton Prize, believes in God and prayer (John Horgan 2020, May 20).

Clearly faith and science can work together. The Bible briefly talks about Abel, and its of note that his faith did not come from a written book, but rather the observation of creation. From this we can connect it to the meaning of science, which is defined as (Oxford Languages n.d.) : "systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment". Abel can be considered a scientist and also a believer in God. Science itself should makes us believe in a higher power.

To me it is not possible to have one without the other, you need science to correlate things mentioned in the Bible, and we need the Bible to understand the creator.

References

Pew Research Center (2009, November 5) Scientists and Belief. Religion and Science in the United States. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/

John Horgan (2020, May 20) Scientific American. One of the World’s Most Powerful Scientists Believes in Miracles. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/one-of-the-worlds-most-powerful-scientists-believes-in-miracles/

A few weeks ago I got to see a friend from Germany, who I hadn't seen since 2017. It was awesome to hang out and to spend time around the NY area. One of my favorite parts about hanging out with my friend was getting to see his very broad perspectives. It is clear to me that, Europeans are very developed in many cultural, and social aspects.

My friend for example outlined some wise advice. Going into great detail would take a long time, so instead here are some bullet points:

• When your in your 20s, find a way to travel. One week away in another country equates to two years of personal development.

• Take care of your health, and hit the gym. Walk (He was disappointed with the lifestyles in Houston Texas).

• Say what you mean.

• Be empathetic towards others, and don't be quick to assume. Remember that mistakes we make dont define us or others.

Whenever we buy a product or a book, typically we may see it on a list. For example the best seller list. But many times these lists mean very little to the consumer. A product that sells well doesn't mean it is necessarily a good product. Nor does a New York Times best seller book, means its content is of any more value then another book.

The best seller bias, really can have an impact in what entertainment we consume. Barely Sociable (2022, June 3) explains in his video that the music industry is influenced by external sources, and many times songs are paid to be played. This is what causes those number to be on certain charts such as the Billboard charts, YouTube charts, and others. Is it fair? Not at all. But this type of manipulation happens everyday and very rarely do we notice it.

So I encourage you, be a contrarian and change the status quo.

References

As humans we desire companionship. Yet we are terrible at the whole dating thing, but why is that? Why is making connections (especially romantic ones) so difficult?

There are many reasons, but I have found that a lot of times its a (1) lack of altruism. For example many focus on what THEY need, or THEY want. By this I dont mean this is not important rather, it is an egotistical point of view. (2) Another reason is a focus of testing the person. Putting pressure on them by having the misconceived idea its THEIR job to figure US out. (3) The next misconception that is very persistent has to do with the misrepresentation of what love is by the media. Making it seem like every waking moment is a thrilling part, and that toxic behaviors are more important because "love". (4) The final one, is lying to yourself, not only saying things like "I can fix them", but also dishonest things that make you feel better but are not entirely honest. Like "I just want them to be happy", which in all honesty, you just want to be with them. All these are traps we have all fallen into.

These ideas only serve to undermine the true meaning of love. Popular media spreads misinformation when it comes to romantic love. Love that should be thoughtful, committed, and active. Yes it's an all encompassing emotion that has depth. Which comes with realizing how important honesty is in a relationship.

Love is also intellectual. Anna Akana (2022, August 8) explains that people who "commit to work on the self" show a "growth mindset". Growth is what we all want out of a relationship, especially a romantic one.

References

As you may have noticed I haven't written anything profound recently, the reason being I have been incredibly busy. July has been full of unexcepted surprises and challenges. But I have noticed a change with how things have changed in the way I process things. In the past I would have been frustrated if things don't go as planned, or I would be mad if my expectations would not be met. Normally my process has been to go from A to B. But now I realize life is much, much more complicated. It is not a good practice to focus on all the reasons things won't work, much rather it is better to think about the reasons things will work.

Recently I have been watching and listening to the sound advice that Simon Sinek gives. Two pieces of advice that I find extremely useful are as follows:

■ (Inspire Street Productions 2022) "There's two ways to see the world. Some people see the things that they want, and some people see the things that prevent the thing that they want. [...] You can go after whatever anyone wants, but you can't deny anyone else to go after whatever they want" .

■ Simon Sinek explains that Blockbuster's limited scope, and unwillingness to change its business model lead to their demise (Simon Sinek 2022).

I take this sound advice to heart, since change is good, and a lack of risk does not lead to any satisfying conclusion. When it comes to people and relationships, sometimes its a waiting game. Not necessarily to get the result you want, but to have a solid resolution to the matter.

References

Inspire Street Productions (2022) Go for what YOU want! by Simon Sinek. Retrieved from [YouTube]: https://youtu.be/iVq3JY1JMzw

People immediately get uneasy with the term AI. Many think that its some type of future doomsday at the hands of this technology, but honestly this is a terrible misconception. AI will be an extension and one of the greatest tools.

Recently Dr. Michio Kaku (2022 May, 23) gave a speech where he theorizes that AI will not eliminate blue collar jobs, or jobs that require creative intelligence or human interaction. He added "AI won't be able to design gardens [...] AI wont be able to pick up the garbage [effectively]". The real purpose for AI is to solve difficult equations, or learn certain patterns to protect against fraud, it could also automate certain repetitive actions. But in no way will it replace the need of human interaction.

For example during the pandemic many of us where jumping from zoom call too zoom call. But did that replace real world interaction with people? Of course not, but zoom was a tool in a time of need. AI is in the same boat, its a tool in a time where we need innovation.

References

For years Mexican cinema was on a downward spiral. Some of the most amazing pieces of Mexican cinema happened between 1936 and 1956, but after that the creativity and state sponsored assistance disappeared.

Actually in the 1990s the (Kraul C. Darlington S. 1996, Jan 8) LA Times reported that "Mexican film industry [was] a victim of Hollywood’s overpowering influence, changing tastes and the stultifying effects of a government film monopoly that took over production, distribution and theaters in the early 1950s".

In recent years streaming has made it possible for smaller films to be distributed across the world, and for investments to be made in many Hispanic countries. (Layton M. 2021, April 23) Netflix for example ordered "50 original productions to be made in Mexico, following its previously announced $300m investment into the country". This move will revitalize cinema in Mexico, and help it leave the tentacles of the dreaded soap operas. This will also help creators and writers to leave the cliche drug lord/mobster type of show or film set in Hispanic America.

This week I was pleasantly surprised by watching two different Mexican films that show the potential of Mexican cinema (both on Netflix):

■ Anonymously yours (2021)

■ Tell me when (2021)

If you have some time watch them, especially if you like light hearted films/coming of age films. Support Mexican cinema by making sure to like them on your Netflix account.

References

Kraul C. Darlington S. (1996, Jan 8) Mexican Cinema Is Fading Out. LA Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-08-mn-22325-story.html

(Image from Wikimedia under the Creative Commons)

One of my favorite devices out there has released the specific schematics for the device. You can find this on Github. Framework is an incredible project, and its awesome to see that they care to release the specific component and what each one does. I commend this incredible move.

Louis Rossmann summarizes this milestone as a "step on the right direction".

References

Framework (2022, May 12) Framework Computer. Github. Retrieved from: https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/Mainboard/blob/main/Electrical/Mainboard_Interfaces_Schematic.pdf

Tech devices are less and less of a niche. Back in the early 2000s people had barely adopted the home computer, but now many people and even kids are exposed to tech. Sadly modern technology is less and less repairable. You may say "ok, but why should I care?". You should care because the monopolization of repair eliminates jobs, increases e-waste and is an attack on curiosity.

Open platforms on the other hand foster a desire to learn and tinker with devices. Where would Apple be if Steve Wozniak had not been tinkering with his own boards? They definitely would not be the success they are if it weren't for Woz and his hacking skills.

(Klosowski T. 2021, July 21) "Intentionally or not, manufacturers employ all sorts of tricks that make repair difficult, such as using proprietary screws, declining to publish repair documentation, or gluing parts together. Sites like iFixit (which also sells some of our favorite repair tools) have sprung up over the years to offer product “teardowns” and documentation for user repair."

Having access to schematics, and specials tools will lead to better device repairs, and will encourage others to not be so scared about opening their device.

Yet, you may say "But I have never wanted to open my device, I'll just buy a new one". That's fine, but its about having the choice to do so. At the moment what I have mentioned applies to mainly electronic devices, but I'm not the only one directly affected.

(Gray A. 2022, March 9) Farmers for example are not allowed to fix their own tractors. This means that they have to hand over a ton of money to fix any mechanical issue on their equipment. Clearly we need a solution.

We need to have devices that are repairable and are open to modification. One device that is the epitome of this is a device I am looking into buying, and stands with the idea of right to repair. The Framework Laptop (https://frame.work/) is a device that is fully open, even including schematics. This device is an essential step in the right direction.

References

Klosowski T. (2021, July 21) What You Should Know About Right to Repair. NY Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-is-right-to-repair/