CST300 Week 5

Part I

Taking the time to reflect on the educational and career goals of my peers provided invaluable perspective on the diverse pathways and aspirations in the computer science realm. I felt a profound appreciation for the unique challenges and ambitions that drive each individual. This exercise not only inspired me to refine my own goals but also emphasized the importance of supporting my peers in our collective journey. It reinforced the value of collaboration and shared experiences, showing me that we can achieve greater success when we learn from and uplift each other. I viewed the journal entries for all three members of my team and decided not to leave anyone out. My team member's journal entries can be found below:

• CS Digital Diary
• J Hammond CSUMB
• Gary Gigabytes

Part II

This week began with an introduction to the capstone projects created by previous cohorts in the program. It was amazing and honestly a bit overwhelming to see the talent and thought that were put into their creation. Some projects seemed like massive undertakings for small teams, while others set out to solve very specific problems, and most managed to impress both staff and faculty. Reflecting on these projects, I have formulated a few ideas for my own future capstone project that align with my interests and recent inspirations.

The ethics topic of the past few weeks and the direction of my paper regarding privacy and the Internet of Things (IoT) have provided inspiration to create a product that serves as a central command center for all IoT devices in the home. The idea is to give consumers the ability to manage all their smart devices and provide insights and control over what they are able to send over the internet. This project would require a combination of hardware and software capabilities. The device would act as an intermediary, with an interface to monitor network traffic to and from each IoT device and define rules on what they are allowed to transmit. An easy-to-use, multi-platform user interface would enable consumers to analyze, limit, and encrypt their personal data, addressing the concerns outlined in my ethics paper about the use of IoT devices in the home.

Another project that really appeals to me is developing a collaborative Integrated Development Environment (IDE), similar to Google Drive's document collaboration but in an IDE environment. This IDE would allow multiple users to work on the same codebase simultaneously, with shared access to dependencies and project files. The implementation would include real-time code editing, version control integration, and communication tools to facilitate teamwork. This project would not only enhance productivity and collaboration among developers but also serve as a powerful tool for remote and distributed teams.

Additionally, I am intrigued by the idea of creating a system based on blockchain technology to modernize the voting system. This project would aim to provide a secure, transparent, and tamper-proof platform for casting and counting votes. By leveraging the decentralized nature of blockchain, the system would ensure the integrity of the voting process, reduce the risk of fraud, and increase public trust in election outcomes. The project would involve designing a user-friendly interface for voters, implementing robust security measures, and ensuring scalability to handle large volumes of data.

Each of these project ideas presents unique challenges and opportunities to showcase my skills in software engineering, cybersecurity, and system design. I am excited about the potential impact they could have and look forward to the possibility of bringing one of them to fruition as my capstone project.

Part III

Being halfway done with CST300 and reflecting on everything I've learned in the last five weeks, I'm beginning to understand the value of this course. CST300 focuses on communication, collaboration, ethics, planning, time management, and goal setting—skills that are essential for professionals who are often the drivers of technological advancements that shape the future. The skills learned here are not just valuable in professional arenas but are a requisite due to the significance of the technologies computer scientists create. This course offers the kind of opportunity to grow and learn that you can carry with you for an entire lifetime. Given my interest in AI and machine learning, I am considering graduate programs. I realize that a Master's degree is almost a minimum requirement, with most professionals in this field holding PhDs.