Piracy is a crime according to present day laws. It is the modern day “thievery” that caught the attention of major software companies and even private professionals who have rights to own and sell their work and artistry.

Is piracy really a crime? There are many issues involving its status to be actually considered legally a crime. Some netizens believed that there is nothing wrong of downloading softwares or files in the internet. For them, it is actually a freedom of information because they have the right to the information contained in these materials. In the first place, internet was created because of the notion of sharing and networking. Until this is proven, still international law dictates that piracy is a crime.

In the Philippines, piracy is really not a major issue to people who engage in such acts. The only thing that Philippine government fought to stop is the piracy on movies and music selling in a cheaper price in almost every streets and market in the country. But as to internet crimes, Filipino people do not really care at all.

Philippines is a developing country; a third world as all economic theory say.  But besides this condition, our country is still striving for modern technological advancement including the use of internet even in the remote areas of the country. Knowing that we can access the world wide web, Philippines is not behind when it comes to internet use and we are capable and even guilty of practicing piracy online. Downloading movies and softwares are just practical acts to save one self from spending too much money on these materials.

Why spend if you can download them for free? This is a true thinking of a Filipino online pirate. We are not really thinking of copyright concerns because these products are very expensive but the presence of torrent and file sharing sites make us think that they are just for free – everyone does it, so why is it a crime? You are a fool if you spend money on these materials if you can have it for free.

Many organizations and offices use pirated applications in their system because normally their IT professionals advise them and even programmed them in their computers intentionally. For me, in order not to fall behind in the growing IT trends, organization must compete and perhaps they will do everything to have these applications even if it is a product of piracy. Everyone does it, why can’t I?

In my own opinion, I do not blame organizations who use pirated applications because it is a practical way to save money and still be updated in the latest IT trends. Partly, software companies really do have a hard time lowering their prices but, for me, the blame is on them. Organizations are just striving to compete in the global trend; they are just following the rule of efficiency – producing quality service and product while spending less. Using pirated applications is a practical way of spending less but still achieve the best results in your work.

For me, the only way for software companies to combat their problems on piracy is to somehow lower their product prices. We really cannot combat the wide use of modern hacking techniques to pirate a software or even music and movie files. If they are really serious in getting rid of piracy then they should find ways of creating security measure imbed in their softwares – a powerful security algorithm that will not be penetrated by hackers.

Piracy is a crime but modern society thinks otherwise. Once and for all, we should resolve this issue and find practical ways to have a win-win situation between the producers (software developers and artists) and consumers (netizens). I know in the near future this issue of piracy will not even exist and I hope I could be there to witness an incredible leap to the true meaning of online sharing.

Knowledge Management is the process of harvesting useful working knowledge and experiences of employees and storing them in a systematic way for sharing and transferring purposes of the organization. Essentially, knowledge management is the recording of everybody’s knowledge regarding their work in the organization into a database in order to be shared and accessed by other employees. This system is useful in order to record and improve existing knowledge for organizational use.  

In a manager’s perspective, knowledge management must be part of the operations of an organization. It is a useful practice for the purpose of transferring knowledge to other members of the organization or to potential members in the future. This tool must be observed for the fact that knowledge must not just belong to one person but it should be shared especially when it comes to improving organizational competency. Moreover, codifying knowledge into one database will also aid the organization to keep track on their everyday operation. Operational manuals, for example, could be a product of knowledge management because this recorded knowledge must come from employees who have experiences codifying it in order to be accessible to other employees.

Knowledge management could always be hampered by employees who hoard knowledge for themselves. This kind of employees does not want to share their personal knowledge and experiences making it impossible to store their information. For me, this is the most common barrier when it comes to knowledge management.  This could be solved by implementing a policy that would make them share their knowledge or suffer consequences for not cooperating. Moreover, the lack of support from the top managers of the organization could also be a barrier for knowledge management. The “there-is-no-time-for-that” mentality could always be a significant reason not to pursue KM. Managers should always think that this practice of recording knowledge can benefit their organization in the future. What can we lose if we record knowledge and store it? I think there is none. It is just like making book for future reading of other employees in your organization in the future.

Knowledge is power but, even greater than that, knowledge sharing and transferring is empowerment. We all know that sharing knowledge can transform a person or even society. What good can it bring if we know something and not sharing it? In today’s modern world, sharing of information is a usual practice. We cannot live alone because every human being has to share something in order for society to sustain itself.

Your goal as a part of an organization is to develop yourself and build your own knowledge but, as a whole, you can empower everyone by sharing your knowledge. 

As what we have experienced as young professionals, our modern world paved the way for a technologically driven organizations. Organizations in this era must be inclined in all technological advancements that would further their purpose to achieve their goals. This is the rationale behind business intelligence tools as means to make employees more competitive in terms of extracting,  translating, integrating, analyzing, and presenting essential organizational data by the use of modern computer softwares/applications for office use.

Without doubt, organizations must use business intelligence tools to compete in these changing times.  They can encourage the use of these tools to their employees by providing them supplementary trainings and education to advance their skills in these tools. This is true when it comes to the financial departments of each organization. They must provide skills advancement in order to enhance the skills of their financial handlers in using their chosen financial database softwares. Moreover, organizations can encourage the use of these tools by providing their employees useful licensed softwares necessary for their work. Each employee must have essential softwares that could encourage them to explore and use these softwares for their work advantage. Organizations could also provide their employees the latest computer gadgets and sofwares that would aid them in each of their duties. This would encourage employees to update themselves in the latest technological trends and skills that would eventually force them to explore the use of other Business Intelligence applications. Lastly, they could hire employees with enough skill to handle business intelligence tools. In this way, the organization will just supplement these skills and use them to advance their organizational goals.

A fine strategy to encourage the use of BI applications is the reward system. This system can be the best motivator because it provides a sense of fulfillment for the employees based on their own performance. Employees of each organization are rewarded by updating and advancing themselves in using such tools. They are rewarded if they can attend special trainings and symposiums that could advance their knowledge in using these applications. Employees can also be rewarded if they perform well in using BI applications. This is measured by how fast they can produce the needed data in a period of time. In my opinion, employees can be rewarded a raise on their salary if they attain these requirements. For me, this is the best motivator for the success BI application promotion.

Modern organizations need also modern employees that could catch up in rapid technological changes. They are the most important resource in your organization and this why, as managers, we must continue to update them with the latest trends, especially with BI applications, that could aid them in pursuing our organizational goals. They can be good employees with the right strategies applied for their personal advancement.

Online shopping is one of the revolutionary trend that internet offered to mankind. It is a powerful tool that started the reality of a borderless world. With this tool, products from all over the world can now be accessed by just one click of the keyboard, mouse, and touchpads. Online market is possible through websites from the internet that offers variety of products that can be accessed anytime of the day from and can be delivered to our doorsteps in the span of 24 hours according to the customer’s will. This is an online trend that puts the word “convenience” to the top of internet’s major use to our everyday life.

Online Market is a perfect solution for people with strenuous jobs at home and businesspersons that have no time to visit local malls and market. Shopping online gives these people an easy access to products that they need. With just a click from their gadgets, they can access products from all over the world. This tool offers variety of products to choose from; almost everything can be bought from shopping websites that extends globally. Transactions are easier with the use of credit cards and Paypal; customers will not even bother to have cold cash when you can pay virtually using online banking system. Moreover, online shopping offers a stress-free experience for the consumer; costumers don’t need to walk, experience the heat and the cold environment, or even sweat to travel to nearest shopping malls. All they need to do is just access the internet, open their desired shopping websites and choose the products that they are satisfied with. Convenience is the key adjective when describing online shopping and, for today’s generation, this could be accessed everywhere.

If I am to choose products that guarantee my willingness to pay over the internet, I would choose the following items: (1) fast food, (2) home decorative products, and (3) softwares for my electronic gadgets. Online market also offers to deliver food and this items are guaranteed to be delivered in your convenience. Nowadays, fast food companies also have an online transaction that offers to deliver your favorite food in your doorsteps. For me, food products offered in the internet are of quality because food companies will not dare to fail their customers. Moreover, online shopping offers a wide variety of decorative products and sometimes these are not found in our local market. For me, there is no harm of trying out products from other countries besides it is not that important anyway. Lastly, softwares or applications are always needed for your electronic gadgets and personal computers. These are products that must be bought from the internet in order for you to use them. Sometimes, consumers have no choice but to buy this softwares product in order for their device to function.

From convenience, online shopping has its own flaws too. Because of its virtual nature, consumers cannot guarantee the quality of the product. Unlike our malls, consumers can check the actual product, test them, or even taste them but internet products can only be seen in the screens of our electronic gadgets and sometimes just a description of their appearance with no guarantee of its actual appearance. Moreover, security is sometimes a problem in internet shopping especially the security of your credit card and paypal transactions. Your passwords are at risk for threats of theft. Lastly, internet products have longer delivery time; costumers have to wait for weeks for their items to be delivered and they also have to pay for shipping fees too. One cannot also guarantee if their product will be delivered at all. When engaging in online shopping, consumers must be wise to choose trusted websites and third party businesspersons in order to ensure the quality of their desired products.

In my own opinion, these products are categorized as products that you might think over before buying in the internet: (1) electronic gadgets, (2) computer hardware parts, (3) clothes. Electronic gadgets and computer hardware parts are somewhat expensive products in our local market but you can see cheaper deals when visiting the internet. One must be careful in buying these items; make sure that your source is credible and the product quality is top of the line. Warranty can be a problem when buying these items in the internet; sometimes the source or the service provider does not have contact details when you decide to return their product for reasons of satisfaction over their product.  Clothes are somehow a tricky product in the internet. Costumers have no idea of the actual size, color, style, and quality of the product. There many cases that these items are returned to their source because they are not satisfied. If you could buy these items at your local store in a good deal, consider buying them there than risking your money over the internet.

For my strong suggestion, consumers must not consider buying these items in the internet: (1) musical instruments and gadgets, (2) medicine, and (3) appliances. I suggest that these products must only be bought in your local markets because of quality issues. These products must be tested before buying them and the internet is not capable of giving this desired test that we want. Musical instruments and appliances must be tested first in order for us to be sure of its quality. Medicines, on the other hand, must be prescribed and must not be handled by a mere online business provider in the internet.

Online shopping has its own advantages and disadvantages but, for me, it is up for the customer to decide whether to shop online or to shop in their local market. Convenience only applies when we are satisfied with the results of the service. Internet has no limitation and these tools must be use in order to make our lives easier and less complicated. We must control this tool and be responsible when using it. Remember, we must be in control and not to be controlled with these tools. We are the masters of our own technology and must remain masters until the end. 

Outsourcing is now the trend of modern business ventures. In order for the company to cut their cost on hiring and stabilizing their operation, it is wise to partner in the field of outsourcing services. But this kind of decision must be strategically decided by the top managers especially when they outsource important areas of their organization especially the involvement of an outsourcing service to their operation system or even their IT security system.

Companies nowadays outsource important areas of their organization but still the question on entrusting your security system with them is still a risk that companies have to face. Of course, there are reliable outsourcing services that offer to handle security systems of companies but to the extent of trusting them posts a threat to any company.  In my opinion as manager, outsourcing my security is a threat to my organization. Security is the core of any organization once it is sabotaged losses will be suffered by your constituents.

There will always be issues regarding outsourcing your IT security system but, for discussion, trust and quality would be the heightened issues once venturing on this project. Handling your security to, somewhat, foreign entity into your organization would always post a threat because you cannot guarantee their loyalty to your organization. The outsourcing service provider is also an organization itself and, as a manager, I will not entrust to a group of people an important area of my organization. If I can, I still chose to entrust my security system to a loyal employee that would gain my trust. Quality will serve also a threat. One miscalculation on my security system could lead to greater amount of damage and exposure to hackers and competitors. Still, hiring a regular and loyal IT employee would mean a close monitored function for my security system.

If a company would accept the cost cutting treat of outsourcing their security system, I suggest that they would specify that only one person could know the security codes of your system. This will ensure that the IT expert will be obliged to be loyal to your organization and to ensure the secrecy of your organization’s operations. Additional provision would include the understanding of punishments, probably monetary payments, once the outsource IT service will fail to comply negotiated responsibilities.

No organization can be secured forever this is the reason why we need a strong security system that could prevent and protect us for a longer time period. This will only be achieved if the security provider will be a loyal part of your company and a trusted individual in your human resource.

We are now living in a world where everyone is thirsty for information. Every minute, people are convinced to look for information that can nourish their thoughts and satisfy their craving for more. The question is: what is that “more”? For me, there are two possible answers of what people need in this time of fast pace living; and that “more” could be referred to knowledge and power.

When they first coined the term information technology in the late 1950s, what did people think about? People think that information could be shared through a speedy network of systems that could work from one place to another. The continuing evolution of modern technology can be based on this notion that, through the help of electronic technology, we could transfer and share information from all corners of the globe. Television and telephone are the first technology that awakened human perception of searching for a better way to transfer information. Today, internet, computer hardware, computer software, and social media gave way to what I call the fastest mediums of sharing information; and for these mediums people continue to satisfy their need of knowledge through transfer of information.

Through modern technology, we are capable of knowing everything. My professor once said that students have no excused of saying in class this obsolete phrase: “I don’t know”.  All can be viewed, share and listen through the help of the world wide web or commonly known as internet. We all have information within the palms of our hands: cell phones, laptops, smart phones, tablets and many more and these are all mediums that could access the world’s largest information guro: internet. By knowing something or even everything, people are empowered and by being empowered, people have that sense that they can grasp power.

In today’s world, we are all capable of having power through sharing of information and this is our edge from the people living in the past. We can gain knowledge through scanning and just pressing buttons from our computer. Within seconds, we know something about anything under the sun. Sometimes, I think that books are obsolete and all information can be accessed through the web.

Who can tell me that they do not need technology in this modern era? I admit that I cannot live without accessing to information necessary to fulfill my livelihood, thirst for knowledge, and the need to know what is happening around me, locally and internationally.

I need knowledge and from this, I gain that power. This is the reason why I could say that information technology made my life easier in this era.  What would be the next step in information technology? We can all be excited to look for answers now.