Monday, June 4, 2012
TWIF Chapter 1 Reflection
After you have read and taken notes on Chapter 1, "While I Was Sleeping," use one of the current events sources linked at http://mrsfridaysclass.wikispaces.com/Current+Events to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertions. Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to an issue addressed in chapter 1 of TWIF. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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ReplyDeleteIn the article Globalization, by National Geographic Education, it states "As people, ideas, knowledge, and goods move more easily around the globe, the experiences of people around the world become more similar." Globalization has been happening since people appeared on the Earth. Alexander the Great spread Greek cultures to countries such as Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey. India was the main supply of cotton to merchants and traders in Great Britain. Globalization hit an all-time high in the nineteenth century during the beginning of Industrialization when factories created goods that were shipped to all parts of the world as exports.
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to Chapter 1 of The World is Flat because Friedman explains that globalization is happening all around us. In India, workers are being trained to speak with different accents, such as English, American and even Australian in order to be able to take calls from around the world and offer technology support. Technology around the world is spreading to many countries, who build on it and send it to other countries. So this way, all countries are on the same page technology wise and are able to help other countries in that field.
Article Link: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/globalization/?ar_a=1&ar_r=3
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ReplyDeleteThe main idea in the article is President Obama talking about how cyber-threats are starting to come up. With terrorists and criminals having access to computers and the internet they can crash networks and cause many problems for the government and the citizens of the U.S. Cyber-threats will be one way in the future that countries or groups of people will be able to terrorize the U.S. without being in physical combat. There was a new version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 trying to obtain a council that could watch over cyber-threats.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to Diamond's ideas about Globalization 3.0 how it would work for everyone including terrorists and criminals. That idea of everyone being able to be connected to each other, even criminals, is starting to happen with groups trying to infiltrate the U.S. remotely and not physically. This is what Globalization 3.0 is, it's when technology allows people to become in contact with each other everywhere no matter if they are across the world or just in the same state as that person.
Title: Obama warns US on cyber-threats
Article:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18928854
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ReplyDeleteIn the article, Chains of gold:Modern supply chains are making it easier for economies to industrialise, it talks about how the improvement of transportation, and technology are allowing smaller countries to industrialize. It talked about how South Korea and Japan worked together on poor products, but where able to get them on the market all over the world, because it was easy to transport them. This then raises the amount of trade, and recuperating when in an economic down-turn.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to the first chapter of The World is Flat, because the author, Friedman, speaks of countries all over the world able to have products all over the world, but all in one market. An example is China, where an American product will be produced, then shipped for a low cost to America to be sold. Or in India where tax returns are digitally transported to be completed by an accountant. The book, and the article both display how the earth has more of a global economy, instead of an economy for individual countries.
http://www.economist.com/node/21559944
In the article, IBM's Project Match Draws Criticism, the author talks about how the company, IBM, is outsourcing to India. It says if a person's job is sent to another country than he or she should either move to that country or find other opportunities abroad. With the move to another country he or she would open an opportunity to become the trainer of the people hired in the new country.
ReplyDeleteThis corresponds to the first chapter of The World is Flat because the author, Friedman, talks about the company Reuters outsourcing from New York and London to India. With the outsourcing, the workers from New York and London lost their jobs. In the chapter it says that some of the Reuters employees moved to India and were hired as workers to train the new Indian labor force that was coming into the business.
Article
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100352096
The article, ‘Preparing for a Horrible Event’; The U.S. and Turkey Plan for Syria’s Collapse, demonstrates how the U.S. and Turkey are in the process of creating a new working group that will keep Syria under their observation. A Syrian official commented on utilizing chemical weapons against the rebels of Syria, or simply any detected threats. Interestingly, the country denies having possession of any chemical weapons. This gives the U.S and Turkey reason to monitor Syria’s actions in order to make sure their new statement is credible.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to the first Chapter in The World is Flat because Friedman had explained that the battlefield, and the world itself are being lowered, due to new technology, such as videoconferencing and email. The U.S. and Turkey are working in unison to monitor/stop this possible crisis with such technology. Generally this would be impossible considering Turkey is basically an ocean away from the U.S. as well as a developing country, but because of technology, this country is able to work at a field at the same level as the U.S. in this crisis, rather than alone.
Article:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/08/11/158622467/preparing-for-a-horrible-event-the-u-s-and-turkey-plan-for-syrias-collapse?ft=1&f=1004
The article "DC Thomson says Aberdeen Journals jobs could go" explains an example of outsourcing in news publishing. In order to keep up with the tough economy and involving press industry, DC Thomson, owner of Aberdeen Journals in the United Kingdom, says he may outsource his publishing. 59 staff members will be cut in the process of this transition. This change provides an investment towards the future for the company, but will cause suffering for some employees. Aberdeen Journals plans to work with the cut staff to help them overcome the change.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to the first chapter of The World is Flat, because Friedman mentions the oncoming storm threatening the staff of publishing companies. Many Journalism jobs have already been outsourced, so more jobs are constantly being redistributed and outsourced. Outsourcing saves companies money and flattens the world.
Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-19192981
In the article "Consumer goods in Africa: A continent goes shopping" the author explains how Africa's middle class is growing. In response to this growth more companies are shipping products to African stores. Though in the middle class, most African individuals are still not able to purchase name brand products, so they buy the cheapest ones. Companies are attempting to lower their prices and send their products to Africa in an effort to bring in money.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to the first chapter of The World is Flat because it explains how the economy is changing. Change is mentioned often in The World is Flat, and is something beneficial. The book explains how companies get work done where it can be done most effectively. This is what companies are doing in Africa. They see the oppertunity to benefit from selling their products there, so that is what they will do. This allows them to be a global company, selling their products everywhere around the world.
Article:
http://www.economist.com/node/21560582
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/globalization-and-the-income-slowdown/
ReplyDeleteThis article titled "Globalization and the Income Slowdown" talks about competition for similar services, and manufacturing and selling a similar product. They use flat screen televisions in the first paragraph as a prime example. The reason prices on them have fallen over the course of only ten years is because so many companies are making them now, that not one company can be more successful than another. Foreign workers also pose a threat to American workers. This article also talks about income for certain workers. On account of the fact that Globalization is rapidly spreading throughout the world, jobs in these fields are decreasing.
This relates to the first chapter of "The World is Flat" because it talks about how rapidly Globalization is spreading. More and more companies worldwide are beginning to distribute the same power and technology, which is discussed in Globalization 1.0 in "The World is Flat." Also, it relates to the changing economy, which is also a major topic in chapter one. When a product (televisions, discussed in article) first strikes the nation, and only a handfull of companies are selling it, they make a lot of monet because of the priducts popularity, combined with the fact that only a few are distributing it, and there is little competition. However, once more and more companies begin adopting and selling the same product, each company earns less because there is more competition. This economic scale is gradually decreasing.
In the article "How mobile puts business at the tip of Africa’s fingers" the author speaks of the great number of mobile phones in Africa. Because computers are too expensive, a mobile phone is becoming very handy. The use of these phones is providing Africans with a way to communicate with one another and conduct business all around the world. She also speaks of the "Mimiboard" which is a forum where business can be conducted in African communities. This is a great advancement because it provides the phone users to be in touch with their community and be able to conduct business without the need of an actual computer.
ReplyDeleteThis relates back to "The World is Flat" because it displays the world of business is becoming more horizontal because of technology. Although the people on these African countries cannot afford a computer, they still have an equal opportunity to be involved in business around the world. In addition, by being represented in Ad Business with Primedia Online, Mimiboard/Umuntu gain access to the worlds business and supports Friedman's idea that the business 'playing field' is being flattened by technology.
Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18643549
In the news article "Outsourcing is so Passe" is about how call centers/technical support from across the world is done. A new term "unsourcing" is when people find help online from other people who have already used the product the person is having trouble with. These are called online communities. These are designed by the companies of the product that people buy. They started to creat these communities because it actully cost the company less to run these then to hire people from India or other places in the world. Some of the companies have even saved up to 50% with using these online communities.
ReplyDeleteThis goes back to "The World is Flat" because in the first chapter "While I was Sleeping" it was saying that outsourcing was the more promenmit of companies that wanted to use less money so they would hire workers from different countries that would do the same amount of work for less money than in the United STates. So this article refutes the idea that outsourcing form the first chapter is not true for most cases anymore. Now most companies are going for unsourcing.
Article:
http://www.economist.com/node/21556094
In chapter 1 Friedman talks about how the battlefields are being leveled. In the article "U.S. Drones Reportedly Kill 18 Militants In Pakistan"
ReplyDeleteby The Associated Press it states how drones fired missiles into compounds. It also says how the U.S has carried out seven drone stikes the last week. This relates to chapter 1 because it talks about how someone not even at the battlefield can have affects on the battle. Thats how chapter 1 relates to the article.
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/24/159977750/u-s-drones-reportedly-kill-18-militants-in-pakistan?ft=1&f=1004
In the article "Globalization and the Income Slowdown" it talks about how globalization has spread miraculously around the world. Along with that also is technology. So in the article they state that because of the competition of all of the different technology companies that manufacture the same item, the prices drop. The reason for this is so the company gets the business.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to chapter 1 of "The World is Flat" because as I said before the article says that globalization is spreading throughtout the world. In the book the author explains that globalization has gone to a whole new level and how there were three eras of globalization.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/globalization-and-the-income-slowdown/
“Massive Cyberattack: Act 1 Of Israeli Strike On Iran?”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2012/08/24/159959300/massive-cyberattack-act-1-of-israeli-strike-on-iran
This article describes a possible attack on Iran. Supposedly Isreal plans to start a massive cyberattack on Iran, which would cripple the fabric of their very being. In the modern day, technology stands as the backbone of any urban society. With this technology hacked and destroyed, Iranian cities would cease to function and chaos would ensue.
This supports Friedman’s theory of global flattening, as nations interact with each other through technology. Nevertheless, this article exposes the dangers of Globalization 3.0. When a society becomes so dependent on technology to the point that it is ingrained in the the civilizations very being, it could easily collapse. Friedman barely touches upon this subject, but it is a matter that results from globalization and flattening.
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Business-process-outsourcing-in-India
ReplyDeleteThis article, entitled ‘Business Process Outsourcing in India’ is all about the new and increasingly popular job in India; with the BPO. This article describes how the BPO, the business process outsourcing, is growing, and becoming a more popular job for Indians. According to the article, the BPO is, ‘emerging as one of the key investment markets in the country.’
This matched Friedman’s argument in the first chapter of the book, ‘While I Was Sleeping,’ because he had predicted that outsourcing would become more popular, especially in locations similar to India where they are trying to improve their economy. The article also describes how there are increasingly more English-speaking Indians, so that they can reach out to a broader audience and do more business, as Friedman had also predicted.