CST300 Week 2

Review and Reflect Learning Strategy - The Future is Now

Welcome back everyone! I am now well into week 2 of the computer science program at CSUMB and I am excited for what lies ahead. Module 2 opens with discussions about topics I am passionate about, the future and current trends in technology. Peter Diamandis, a prominent technology entrepreneur, offers his insightful perspectives in the video "The Future is Faster Than You Think", by Singularity University. He highlights the accelerating pace of change, driven by factors like Moore's Law, communication and capital abundance and the democratization of technology. Diamandis envisions this leading to an age of abundance, where everyone will have access to the best resources. 

What resonates with me most about this video is the inherent difficulty of predicting the future, even for our brightest minds. The future may be faster than anyone thinks, a sentiment that aligns with the concept of a technological singularity where advancement becomes so rapid, we lose our ability to anticipate change. Moore's Law indeed drove technological advance for decades, but this progress seems to have reached its limits due to quantum physical limitations and the costs that come with nanometer precision. While progress has been made in many arenas that were cited by Diamandis, Today, it seems as though the singularity is already upon us and its driving force is artificial intelligence.

The Stratoflow article, "The Future of Software Engineering," talks about some of the new trends that are shaping our field. It acknowledges the challenges of navigating an AI-driven future and the need for deeper technical expertise, the era in which coding bootcamps were enough to get started in the industry are behind us. In order to succeed in this constantly evolving landscape the engineers of the future must truly hone their craft.

Effective Study Skills

Reading through "Effective Study Skills" by Dr. Bob Kizlik allowed me to reflect on some good habits I have, but it also shed light on some areas where I need to increase my efforts. The three areas in which I feel i did well are:

• Making a schedule: There is no way around it for me, with my combined workloads having a schedule helps me chip away at coursework by getting started early. My routine doesn't allow the flexibility to fall behind and shift all my efforts in specific direction to meet a deadline. 
• When to study: Having a schedule ensures that you are ready and able to do so. 
• Taking notes: I have learned it is much better to do this by hand as you have a heightened tendency to be mindful of what you are writing. Typed notes are not as effective for me. 

Areas where I need to increase my efforts are:

• Studying for no more than 30-40 minutes a stretch: I feel like that is the minimal amount of time for me to build the focus to get into a workflow state. However, sometimes I lose track of time and it will be hours until discomfort forces me to take a break.
• When to study: (Studying 30-90 minutes after a meal, studying within 30 minutes of going to sleep): I am good about the start times, but studying ends up as the last thing on my schedule of things to do. I often cut into sleep times and eat between studying. 
• Minimizing distractions: This is an area where I want to make a change urgently. As I mentioned it takes 30-40 minutes for me to reach a workflow state and too frequently a distraction pulls me out and the journey to acquire that focus starts over.

Time Management Skills - Our Most Valuable Resource

Balancing family life with three wonderful kids, the demands of my professional responsibilities, and the challenge of achieving my academic goals has been both more challenging and more rewarding than I had anticipated. The journey is teaching me a lot about myself and the value of time. I have doubled up my course load here at CSUMB alongside pursuing an AWS Solutions Architect credential. The combined endeavors in my life require meticulous planning in order to succeed.

The wise words often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," have become a guide for navigating the waters of seemingly endless responsibilities. In the spirit of this sentiment and in the hopes that it may help guide you, I am sharing my weekly academic schedule.

Project Management Basics

The module this week continues with four videos on project management. The project management video from the lecture is included in this segment. Here are the main takeaways of each video:

• Introduction to Project Management, by 365 Financial Analyst, begins with an explanation of what a project is: "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result." This definition is followed by an examination of the key attributes of a project: time, scope, and cost. These attributes are represented as an interrelated triad where a change in one element impacts the other components. Next, the video cites seven business triggers that initiate project development, including market need, business need, technological advancement, customer request, legal requirements, social needs, and ecological considerations. Additional topics covered include project priorities, selection, portfolios, analysis, and highlights of project member roles and skills that can facilitate project outcomes. The video concludes with a brief history lesson on project management, expands on details of the project management profession, and provides insights into the life cycle of projects.
• Introduction to Project Management, by Knolskape, sheds light on the basic fundamentals of project management. It begins by defining the term "project": A temporary endeavor, with a defined start and end date, designed to achieve a specific goal. In contrast, operations are ongoing and repetitive endeavors that aim to sustain businesses. The video expands on the topic by introducing the project life cycle, which comprises 5 phases: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring, Controlling processes, and Closing. The video concludes by addressing some of the reasons why projects fail, such as time management, cost management, scope management, and quality management, and highlights the skills that a project manager must possess to avoid these pitfalls.
• Project Management: What is a Work Breakdown Structure?, by ProjectManager, delves into the topic of how projects are structured. Jennifer Whitt, Director of projectmanager.com, defines a project "Work Breakdown Structure" as a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by a team to accomplish project objectives, with the goal of creating the required deliverables. The purpose of the structure is to organize and define the total scope of the project.
• Project Management: What is a Gantt Chart?, by umnWritingStudies, discusses the reasons why Gantt charts are critical tools for project management. Gantt charts, a type of bar chart used in project management, illustrate project schedules. These charts contain start and finish dates for the summary and terminal elements, which are derived from the work breakdown structure. The unique visualization provides information on the dependencies and relationships of individual project elements that can help in organizing priorities. Additionally, it aids in determining the time required for project completion. It is a useful tool for time management and work precedence that increases efficiency and organization.

Capstone Projects - Finding Inspiration Through Legacy

This was my favorite segment in this week's module. The Cohort 14 Capstone Slides offered invaluable insights and inspiration that will guide our path in creating our own projects near the end of our journey in this program. I selected three projects based on several factors, including personal topic interest, project quality, presentation, and exceptional innovation. The following are three projects that stood out, and my reflections on them.

1. AI Capwn - CSU Monterey Bay - Cohort 14, by Justin Nguyen: AI Capwn is a proposed blockchain security auditing platform that aims to leverage artificial intelligence and automation to revolutionize blockchain security. Justin starts off by familiarizing the audience with some industry terminology and presents the challenges of traditional security in the blockchain technology space. The solution? Incorporate artificial intelligence to:
   
   * Identify vulnerabilities in smart contracts, Docker containers, and blockchain nodes.
   * Integrate with bug bounty platforms to benefit from the expertise of ethical hackers/researchers.
   
   The impact of artificial intelligence on cybersecurity is profound and multifaceted. Areas where drastic improvements can be seen include threat detection and response, the automation of security protocols, predictive capabilities and behavioral analysis, and the ability to manage increasingly sophisticated attacks.
   
   It is evident that there is a market for AI integration into the blockchain sector for the purpose of enhancing security. However, I would have liked to see a greater emphasis on the areas that can create vectors for cyberattacks. While not entirely foolproof, blockchain is innately secure by virtue of decentralization, immutability, and transparency. Smart Contract Audits are more about contractual/legal vulnerabilities rather than cyberthreats. An emphasis on third parties like wallets and exchanges, networks, and interfaces, through models for shared intelligence, standards for security protocols, and diversification in application across the sector would increase the viability of this proposal.
   
   
2. Forzenbook Final Project, by Hamdan Syed: Forzenbook is a very interesting concept for a capstone project and it clearly reflects a significant amount of effort and technical proficiency. The concept appears to be a robust social media application template that incorporates modern development practices and the latest libraries available at the time. A program that enables content sharing to all social media platforms, how does this not already exist?
   
   The first thing that comes to mind if there are any barriers with API's that would allow the app to interact with social media platforms. Are there any restrictions due to security concerns like user authentication? There would be plenty of appetite from consumers for an application that can save time by posting content to several platforms to maximize exposure.
   
   Obviously the application UI would need to be much more streamlined and there would need to be a monetization strategy to be a middle man between social media platforms and content creators, if the matters could be addressed this product could actually see daylight.
   
   
3. High Sierra Electronics Camera Integration, by Anna Bellizi: Far an away the most impressive presentation. The project's viability seems strong given the practical necessity of maintaining and updating existing road safety systems. The approach taken addresses a real-world problem that affects public safety, making it not only viable but essential. The methodical process of analyzing, developing, documenting the solutions outlined in this project are apparent in the professionally composed presentation.
   
   I commend Anna on her technical and project management skills, ability to integrate and test systems, and methodical documentation of the entire process. Her project is an example of how engineering can directly improve public safety and efficiency. The scope and complexity of her project is impressive.

Evaluating these projects proved to be a incredibly rewarding exercise. The diverse range of innovation, dedication, and technical prowess displayed in each project not only inspired me but also sparked a deep curiosity about the outcomes. I am motivated to dig deeper into past projects and discover which were impressive enough to receive special accolades. I am humbled and inspired by the expertise, hard work, and creativity of my peers.

Summary

Reflecting on my second week brings an appreciation for diligently adhering to a schedule for my academic endeavors. It has been a game changer, allowing me to tackle a seemly endless to-do-list efficiently without feeling overwhelmed. I am eagerly awaiting the completion of my AWS certification courses near the end of the month which will help enhance my work-life balance.