Module 6

       Friedman now discusses free trade.  Free trade is in a sense merging two countries, trading between them jobs and opportunities.  Friedman gives a really illustrative example of this.  He compares it to two countries-America and China.  Imagine that the American economy has only 100 people.  Of those 100 people, 80 are well-educated knowledge workers and 20 are less-educated low-skilled workers.  Now imagine that the world goes flat and America enters into a free-trade agreement with China, which has 1,000 people but is a less developed country.  So today China too has only 80 well-educated knowledge workers out of that 1,000, and it has 920 low-skilled workers.  Before America entered into this free-trade agreement with China, there were only 80 knowledge workers in its world.  The American workers feel like they have more competition, and they do.  But if you look at the prize they are going after, it is now a much expanded and more complex market of 100 people to a market of 1,100 people, with many more needs and wants.  (Thomas L. Freidman, The World is Flat, pg. 266).  This really put it into perspective for me.  He further discusses how this market could be very beneficial for people with more of an idea type of business such as consulting, marketing, entrepreneurship, etc.  Having a bigger market means you can reach more people.  However for the individuals whose jobs are more labor driven, free trade would not benefit them, it would just bring more competition.  Labor jobs are easier to replace than idea based jobs.  I plan to become an entrepreneur, so I would like the thought of free trade to allow more of a market for my business.

       Friedman gives some counsel to those people who want to keep their jobs.  He says to become “untouchable”.  These are people whose jobs cannot be outsourced or automated.  One of the ways that you can stay untouchable and ahead of the curve is through personal customer service.  To add your “personal touch.”  He discusses three quotients; these are IQ, CQ, and PQ.   IQ, or intelligence quotient is more of a structured attribute.  An attribute taught in various schools.  Schools produce cookie cutter individuals to fit nicely into a corporate pyramid.  CQ, curiosity quotient is an attribute of becoming an untouchable.  It is an attitude of youth and the curiosity that they have, and seem to lose when we all get older.  The curiosity of wondering how things work, and how they would work if they were changed in various ways.  PQ, known as passion quotient is also very important.  When someone has a true passion for something it is hard to ignore, and even more contagious.  Have you ever been around someone who is passionate about a sport, project, hobby, or even work or school?  Have you noticed how their passion transfers to you?  I know I have, and it can be hard to ignore.  People with high CQ and high PQ are hard to replace.  They often earn that status of being an untouchable.  The best part about it is the fact that there isn’t a limit on obtaining these attributes.  Freidman lives by the equation CQ + PQ > IQ.  I completely agree with him once again.  I would also take an individual who is passionate about the work I give them, and has a sense of curiosity to help grow the business.  With this being said I would still hope that people and myself would focus on improving each of the quotients, benefits would surely follow.

Module 5

           During this reading Friedman discussed what he calls the triple convergence.  Convergence one describes how the world became an even playing field, as I already have mentioned in previous blog posts.  With convergence two, or horizontalization, He discusses how the command cycle went from the top down - vertical line - to more of a horizontal line in which allowed everyone to contribute in different ways.  We all know that it is easier to walk on flat ground for twenty feet than to climb a twenty foot wall.  I found this concept very interesting.  A new way of thinking had emerged.  People began to be successful from not only the top, but from where they were.  Why? Because everyone had access to all the resources they needed.  Convergence number three is comparable to the globalization phases previously discussed.  He discusses how it is an even playing field for people across cities, countries, and continents.

            On pg. 240 Freidman discusses an event between India and Indiana.  In 2003 Indiana put out to bid a contract to the state’s computer systems that process unemployment claims. Tata America International, which is the U.S.-based subsidiary of India’s Tata consultancy services Ltd. Tata’s bid of %15.2 million came in $8.1 million lower than that of its closest rivals, the New York-based companies Deloitte Consulting and Accenture Ltd.  No Indiana firms bid on the contract, because it was too big for them to handle.  In other words, an Indian consulting firm won the contract to upgrade the unemployment department of the state of Indiana! (Thomas L. Friedman: The World is Flat, pg. 240.)  From what I understand, I feel that this was a big mistake.  I feel that the exploiter was India and that the exploited was India.  Friedman lists various benefits that could have happened, but did not. 

                 The last topic talked about it intellectual property and how that has changed due to the events previously mentioned.  Intellectual property is a work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a manuscript or a design, to which one has rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright, or trademark.  With so many ideas springing up in the minds of just about every person, there was a need for intellectual property to protect those ideas.  Without patents and copyrights someone from across the world could steal your idea very easily.  It is hard to tell who first ”imagined” an idea, but once your imagination becomes a reality, it is wise to protect it.

Module 4: The Interview

I am not a brilliant kid when it comes to computer science. Yes, I can get by with the day-to-day assignments and work on the computer.  However, when it comes to building your own computer or developing websites, I am not the one for the job.  For this post we are going to take a break from the book: The World Is Flat and focus on an interview with someone I know who has some expertise on the subject of computers.

When I received the requirements for this assignment I was brought back to a few months ago.  It was October, 2014.  I had begun the first stages of my business plan.  A big part of starting a business is realizing what you can do yourself, and what tasks you need to pass on to other people.  I knew I needed a website for my business, but I did not know any of the languages required to create one.  Languages such as C++, Java, HTML, CSS, etc.  I thought to myself that I would buy a book about one of those languages, learn it real fast, and be on my way.  Well, I bought it, but I did not have the patience or desire to read through it!  I decided the better option would be to find someone already experienced in this field.  I checked through my network on LinkedIn.com to find someone that I could talk to about what I wanted on my unique website.  I was fortunate to find someone I went to High School with a few years ago.  We weren’t best friends, but we occasionally talked.  I decided to set up a meeting with Jon to talk about the options that I had.

Jon had his degree in Computer Science as well as some experience building websites.  During the meeting we discussed costs, design, and other options.  It was nice to meet with someone I already knew in my network.  I felt that the information was honest and sincere.  I realize now that he could have charged me a lot of money, and since I was pretty ignorant to the subject, he could have easily gotten away with it.  I asked him what we would need to do in order to avoid problems regarding what I wanted, and what he would give me.  He told me that I should create some sketches of the website that he could work off of.  He told me of a time when he designed a website for a lady and they did not sign an official agreement.  So, when the product was finished by Jon it met her specifications.  However, she thought that he would continue to make updates and other needed work on the website as time progressed.  Jon thought that once the website was finished he was done.  I could tell that he learned a lot from this experience by the way he communicated with me.  After telling me that story we agreed that it would be important to sign an agreement if I ended up choosing Jon to complete my website.

Even though my experience with Jon was fantastic I chose to go with a host company.  I chose to use Shopify.com to use for my business.  This was cheaper, and since I am a college student I was interested in that path!  My interview with Jon was a great learning experience.  I learned various things about the options I have when it comes to creating a website.  I learned more about the languages you need to learn before you undertake the task of creating something from nothing.  I am sure it takes a lot of patience.  I am sure it takes a lot of creativity to be able to imagine an end result and start at the beginning in order to create a living, working, website.  I admire those who are web developers and designers!