***ORIGINALLY POSTED 13NOV07***
...GIGO.
For those of you that may not know what that means, let me enlighten you. I first heard this at some point in elementary school, but started understanding this concept more when learning how to fix computers. The concept is thus: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Let me speak on this a bit more so you can begin to see where I am going with this. Your computer does nothing on it's own. It is merely a collection of parts and pieces that can do amazing things with the right input. If you think of it at its most basic level the computer is merely a box that interprets your input via the keyboard and/or mouse to give you a desired output via your monitor. For example, when you give it the three finger salute (CTRL+ALT+DEL) it gives you the Task Manager, or allows you to log on to the computer/network. You have given it a command, and it interprets what you tell it and gives you an output based on it's programming. Programming is just another kind of input. It tells the ones and zeros how to line up to get the computer parts to do what the programmer wants them to. An example of bad input causing poor output would be Windows 98. This is a very oversimplified explanation, but you get the point.
Since learning of this concept, it has stuck in the back of my mind, ever present when growing and maturing. I start realizing that there is a whole lot more to this concept of Garbage In, Garbage Out. My daughter has helped make some great points to this for me. I have the mouth of a sailor. Actually I have made sailors blush with some of the profanity that comes out of my mouth, especially when I am driving. One day when Piggy (my now five year old) was around 18 months, we were driving in the car on our way to the store. My wife and I were trying to have a conversation and Piggy just kept singing louder and louder trying to get our attention. Finally I had had enough and told her to shut up. She immediately fires back with "FUCK YOU!!! Yeah, what now?" I don't think I have ever laughed that hard. I know, I know, that isn't very appropriate, but when you think about it, an 18 month old that not only used a curse word but used it in the appropriate context, that was freakin' amazing. Why do I point this out? Garbage In: my cussing like a prison inmate, Garbage Out: my not even two year old using the same language on me.
This concept is all around us. We live in the most obese nation on the planet and look around as you drive down a street. I challenge you to go more than 2 miles in any city (suburbs not included, although are soon coming to this) and find me less than 3 fast food restaurants that specialize in fat and salt. Garbage In: Big Macs, Garbage Out: Fat Asses.
Garbage In: Downloading "free" music and "free" porn
Garbage Out: Popups, spyware, viruses, and the computer going POOP
Garbage In: Bush elected
Garbage Out: War in Iraq to finish what his daddy started
Garbage In: Teachers getting paid between $14 and $16 an hour
Garbage Out: Average literacy level in the U.S. is 5th grade
Garbage In: The Bible
Garbage Out: Well... I'll let you think about that one for a bit. Just remember in whose name every war in history has been fought.
No comments:
Post a Comment