The Digital Backpack

Although uploading through the cloud is the most versatile thing to come from technology to date, I have to say the flash drive is the closest thing you will have to private files. Flash drives are great, not only do they allow you to expand your computer’s memory, but they are portable as well. I personally enjoy keeping most of my large files not only on the cloud, but on my flash drive specifically. This is because a flash drive provides quick access. Unlike the cloud, you do not have to wait to transfer files when you have a flash drive. A flash drive is a one time purchase, while some cloud services are either a subscription, or have expansion services that need to be paid. I usually like having the convenience of having a quick transfer rate regardless of my internet situation when working on any type of projects.

One thing I did learn from Chapter two, surprisingly, was the eject feature for external flash drives. I did not know the importance of protecting the corruption of files until now. In the past, I always used to unplug my flash drive without using this feature. I have not had issues in the past with doing so, however, it is better to be safe than sorry when dealing with large and important files. Especially when it could be for work, assignments, or projects that have a deadline in the future.

Quality Matters More Than You Think

Over the summer, I picked up a new passion. I hope to one day succeed with my new clothing brand. For context, I was shopping around to update my wardrobe as I pondered about something. Why were the clothes so expensive? Anything I looked at that looked halfway decent always came at a price. As I thought about it more, I knew one thing for sure. To put it short, we are getting scammed. Clothing costs way less to make than we may think it does. All the while, these big-name companies mark up these products to sell for outrageous prices. I decided to do something about it. I started printing onto shirts with my own brand name and design. You can bet your bottom dollar it will be affordable and high quality. 

On the topic of quality, images are very important in printing. The image type, quality, and origin all matter. It was not until I actually did IS101's first homework section that I started to realize something. I had to focus on vector images rather than raster images for my printing business! Apart from my brand, I have to make money somehow to fund it. I decided I would take special requests from friends and family to create custom t-shirts. In this process, sometimes I would be asked to replicate an identical design. I would simply save the image from the web and erase the background until I was satisfied with the final product. This process was tedious and time-consuming. This is because the raster images take every individual pixel and quality gets sacrificed. In the end, this means more pixels I would have to erase to make the design look decent. In the end I took the advice on the 1.1.12 section in particular, and I'm glad I did. What would have taken me hours initially turned into mere seconds. This is because the vector image was created by me in the highest quality using the original font source. I am glad to have learned this skill from this section, and I cannot wait to see what else I learn!

First Impression of IS101

In my first tasks given, I did not have a hard time completing any of the actual work that was required of me. I had some confusion in the steps to follow along, of course, but this is why classes that require any type of computer work are better in-person. A simple clarification via teacher or fellow student's input can mean the difference between hours of work to minutes or even seconds. In person there is a clear understanding of one's issues that one can simply not obtain via any other means. I never expected this class to be formatted the way it was presented today. The only thing I wish to have done is to have been on top of any posts before the first day of class.

One thing this class has taught me thus far, is to treat anything in life (not just this class) with respect. Had I been on top of this class as soon as the class was loaded into Canvas, I may have left on time the Saturday I am writing this post. Not only this, but I may have had some bonus points in my back pocket as well. Being prepared can put you ahead of everyone else, this is a skill I hope to hone not only in this class, but outside of it as well. Moving forward I will take a life lesson to heart. Life can be easy or hard, the choice is up for you to decide.