As a group discuss which information technology has had the greatest impact on your personal life and which has had the greatest impact on your working life.
Individually post your group’s findings and whether you agree with them (or not) and why.
As a group, Kirsten, Juan Pablo and myself were able to discuss the personal use of IT. We can all agree that because of IT, we have online communication platforms that allow us to stay connected. For example, we actually used canvas and GroupMe to discuss and stay in touch. Should there be any group projects for this course, there are apps, like Kirsten mentioned, where we can all work together in real time. We’re able to use our own devices to access these sites along with many more. It can however, cause distractions at times. We also agreed that IT plays a big role in our work lives, as we need technology to carry out our various duties. Like Juan Pablo, who works in a collections firm, we all use various systems to work. Kirsten also brings up a valid point we discussed, about fraud being a risk with sensitive information being online. As long as information is safeguarded properly, it can be avoided. Overall, IT is crucial to the world we live in today, and without it we wouldn’t be able to do so many things that are first nature to us.
Kirsten:
In my personal life, I also agree that IT has simplified things. It’s easier to keep in touch with people, without having to even be in the same country. I often use WhatsApp to keep in touch with family members internationally.
It’s quick and convenient and available all through our mobile phones. Many apps can also be accessed through other devices. Just like with Canvas, we are able to communicate here on group discussions, and take our communication elsewhere if needed. Not only are we able to send messages to one an other, but we can video chat, or jump on a phone call to avoid misinterpretation. There is also the internet, where any questions/ concerns you may have can be answered within seconds using a search engine.
Currently, I’d say the internet has had the biggest impact on my personal life. The reason being is that l’ve never gone a day without using it, whether it be googling something I may not understand, or simply accessing online social media. I’m also able to access my billing statements and pay payments online. Without the internet, I’d be missing out on accessing a lot of sites that are necessary for me, like the FAFSA form for school financial aid.
In my work life, I’m able to work remotely and access all work systems and files from the comfort of my own home. I connect using a secured VPN and I’m able to communicate via outlook, Webex, and other communication systems
l also use excel a lot, and files are on a shared drive for the entire company, making it easy for others to look up any documents they may need for reporting. Communication platforms like Webex has had the biggest impact on my work life. I take at least 3 meetings a day via Webex for work. Whether it is discussing our departments needs, goals, or forecasts, we always prefer to jump on a quick video call via Webex, where we’re able to speak in real time, share our screen for trainings, and record meetings for future reference. My job would not be the same without Webex, as I would receive a meeting invitation for a Webex call before receiving a call to my work phone.
Juanpablo: Hello everyone! My name is Juanpablo and I work as a portfolio manager for a collections firm.
I use a wide array of IT within my daily life especially that in which includes the ability to communicate. As Kirsten mentioned the usages of communication apps within different platforms is quite helpful when working on group projects, and to add further especially when it comes to communicating with family members and or individuals who are abroad and or a distance away!
Kirsten mentioned the application Whatsapp is a great platform for reaching long distance relatives or friends, but can double up as a massive benefits for companies that do overseas or international business. This platform makes it so that a company can be easily reached and can reply to customers within regards to product availability and or shipping questions. As this application allows the feasibility of overseas communication without an international phone line plan it is favorited by individuals and businesses to keep costs down. I have traveled quite a lot within my life and see various forms of applications as such implemented in various businesses within many countries. Within my job I use various financial IT tools that help my day to day operation and keep my firm working. These IT tools stand from lending application to payment processing applications. These tools enable my firm to process payments and applications with a breeze all throughout a virtual platform making us completely paperless. I agree with Kirsten in regards to fraud, this is something my firm sees on a day to day basis and is a down-side of the various fintech that is implemented within my firm.
