Thinking of my WORTH as IT Professional

Considering myself as an IT professional, I can say that there still something I should obtained to be considered as one. IT professional is not just you’ve got a degree on Information Technology and probably have plenty of ideas on innovations and inventions that one can contribute in the future. As of now that I’m still a student, I’m still confused on what the role I’m going to perform in the future to be considered as responsible IT professional, though I know that I have technical knowledge and skills as an IT, still it needs to be improved and develop. In terms of my character, I still need to be responsible in all my actions. For me to be considered as IT professional is one not only knowledgeable enough on IT but also responsible enough on the innovations one can contribute. This is what I need to comply to be worthy enough to be called as one.

As IT we are intended to contribute innovations on present technologies that primarily would improve the quality of life. In our Future Tech meetings, there are a lot of technologies and innovations presented. The timeline of such technologies where it originate and the concept as the basis of its creation and how relates to present technologies. From that we can really say that innovations happen as technologies passes from one generation to the next. Future technology is innovations on the present technologies and due to competency among inventors excel in the world market. And because of this healthy competition among competitors, sad to say that not all future technologies are invented to improve the quality of life, a lot of it is for war and destruction. From that, I can’t help myself to imagine a future that I don’t want to come, but who am I to stop it?

Thinking of what innovations/technologies I can introduce to improve the quality of life, I considered the E-Waste Management which presented by the group of Gorgonio and Orquillas. I personally have been a user of electronics products that cause of electronic waste as million of people around the globe do. And some of the products that I have used before (which of no used) are just stocked in one side of the house. Looking on that, realization comes into my mind on how it would properly dispose so that it will be less harmful as its number is rapidly increasing.

E-waste management would be of great help not only today but especially for the future. This will not only help protecting the environment but the human race as well. E-waste is an electronic equipments/products such as computers, televisions, VCR’s, stereos, copiers, and fax machines. Most of these can be reused or recycled, but due to advancement in technology, styles and status, these products can easily become obsolete. That’s why e-waste or electronic wastes have become the fastest growing segments of almost every nation’s waste stream, that cause a very alarming effect on human health and environment. E-waste are considered and proven to be dangerous because of its hazardous content.

Improper disposal of e-waste have been everybody’s practice. User’s concern is only on how to maximize the use of these electronic gadgets but hands off on responsibility on properly disposing it, not realizing the threat in can cause. Improper disposal of these materials such as computer waste that are landfilled can leach toxins into soil, air and groundwater which later enter into crops, animals and human body system causing entire contamination and pollution. According to experts, personal computers contain components with highly toxic substances, gases, and heavy metals. Trash from other electronic materials such as refrigerators, mobile phones contains lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and barium among others which can are very harmful to human health and environment. Melting computer chips can cause acidification of soil if disposed in the ground. Water and food resources will eventually affected and shortages on associated need will come after.

E-waste management that bring about proper disposal of electronic waste would be of great contribution not only in the field of IT but all the countries around the globe that have been affected by fast increasing number of e-waste in one way or another. This innovation on e-waste management will focus on how to lessen and prevent the rapid increase of e-waste. With these, guidelines and promotion on proper handling of electronic waste will be advertised globally for all to have awareness. E-waste management would probably pass into re-design, reuse and recycle. Redesign because at present electronic materials are designed to last only in short period of time probably 4 years, and after that those products would be obsolete and considered to be of no use leaving the consumers of no choice but to junk the old one and have to buy the new and latest one, maybe of its usage and capacity as well as not being left behind by the current trend. This kind of settings encourages the rapid increase of electronic wastes. From that, we already aware on how its number be multiplied with on the next ten years, for instance. But if we left it as ease and do nothing about it, its number on the next future is more than we can imagine as of now. With that the threat in could cause would also be more than we can imagine. Can we allow that to happen? No, of course, all of us had wished to have a better world to live in, in which contradicts on what the worlds turn into. Inventors and developers will be encouraged to redesign their products to have a long span of usage time and contain reusable and recycled materials that are easily disposable and cause less harm in the environment. With these, if properly implemented in every place in the world, the effect would be very beneficial, from the human health alone, unexpected body system damages and illness can be avoided as well as natural resources and environment contamination and pollution. As an IT professional, this is the least that I can contribute to improve the quality of human life and preserve the environment.

There are so many that one can contribute to improve the quality of life, I just can’t explain it in detail but there’s a lot where innovations can be applied. In medications and healthcare for instance, we are all aware that in this technological age, there so many illnesses that come out, which have not encountered before. This is due to the high technology substances that our body is interacting and forcing our immune system to adopt to the threat this technology brought. Innovations on the field of medicine that provide possibility to uncurable illnesses to be cured in the future, such as acute cancer of some part of the body. Early detection of such illness in human body has be made possible, which is second to prevention. Medication and treatment will be done at early stage so the chances for the patient to get well be achieved. Furthermore, innovations on hospitals facilities particularly in emergency section be designed to respond on possible fastest capacity cause time matter most in saving one’s life in this room.
Another innovation would be a disaster detection technology that would detect the natural calamities such as typhoon, landslide, tsunami, earthquakes, etc. With this, the country would prepared enough and have enough time to escape from the huge adversity cause by that calamity. Innovations also on rescue operation technology, in which is always in the state of emergency cause life or lives is the issue and the most priority. Say for instance, in fire brigade, its technologies should respond on their need to get the information on what and where is who needed their help as soon as possible. As well as the gadgets that would enable them to get there in the shortest way possible and time consumed. Availability of such machines that would perform their task in a situation that they were advised not to perform their task job to waited danger. That machines will serve as their substitute, with that their job is still performed without risking volunteer’s life. The way of transporting all the help and relief goods for remote areas primarily affected by such calamities have to find no hindrance on sending those help even if in a signal no. 4 typhoon, still it can travel by air, water, land or by any means.

Innovations also on the building architecture and engineering that their standard of design would be able to stand in a very strong typhoon or earthquake. As I have heard on news before, I cant remember the date, its all about the earthquake that strike China and making several buildings to collapse and cause many lives to death. I just think of possible innovations that can be applied in the field of engineering and architecture. Maybe in the near future, no one building will collapse because of the same natural calamities. All its design will not only focus to stand a very high storeys buildings but its resistant on the calamities that might come.

As I have mentioned several times, there’s a lot of innovations one can think if we say improving ones quality of life. However, these innovations have not to retain in our imagination but have to be implemented to make use of its benefits and advantages. As of present time, we can say that the need of those innovations is urgent, primarily for the objective to prolong the time we have to spent in getting into the future the we don’t want to reach.

We have been in the stage in which all our concern is to have all the innovations and technologies
we want to satisfy our unending gratification on technologies, without considering the effects it would cause in the environment and human health. Because of that attitude that we’re used to, we are on the alarming stage on the threat of these technologies bring about. But still most of us though aware are pretending to be unaffected and doesn’t even care to give their attention and cooperation.

These innovations if not implemented can be considered as worthless, the true challenge is in there. How one may able to make it possible and implement it. This will be reflected on what character we have as an IT. Back on the sermon that Sir Randy have given, its true that knowledge and skills in contributing those technologies are worthless, if we are not responsible and matured on our actions (thanks sir for making us realize..we’re so grateful). That’s why responsibility is the primary requirement. As IT, the responsibility is in our hand to make it possible. We’ve got the knowledge and skills to start it, so there’s comes great responsibility for us to finish it.

Anyways, most of us are little bit scared of the future because of undesirable effect of technologies that we foresee that might happen in the several years. What’s in our mind is that based on our observation and awareness, all the innovations that takes place in technology are bring about by the active competitions of inventors and developers of technology to excel in the market and can get over from one another. This scenario ends up with war and destruction in the future. However, if there a chance to change of direction and leading to the path where biggest competitors whom have a bigger contribution on the field of Information Technology compete on making their product or technologies innovative in a way of improving the quality of life, not to destruct one’s life. They will be competing on how to make their innovations human and environment friendly. In this situation, there’s bigger chance to regain what have we lost because irresponsible usage of past and present technology, though we won’t be able to regain it all, its still a big achievement. What’s going to be important is, there is a bright future awaits for us, not the kind of future that we don’t want to come. That if there’s a chance to change a direction.