Class Journal Week 3

Katie Miller

Reflection Questions

1. Pull out a quote from the first two sections of “What is Code?” that you find particularly interesting. Explain why this quote is particularly resonant for you.
2. What is something from the first two sections that you need further explanation of or that you want to know more about?
3. Also, out of the four databases you accessed for this assignment (SGD itself, NCBI Gene Database, Ensembl, UniProt), which did you like the best, and why? Which did you like the least, and why? (Refer back to the question about differences in content or presentation that you noted on your gene's wiki page.)

References

Ford, Paul. (2015). What is Code? Business Week, https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-code/

Kmill104 (talk) 17:09, 31 January 2024 (PST)

Natalija Stojanovic

Reflection Questions

1. A quote that really stood out to me was “Samsung makes computers that look like TVs, and Tesla makes computers with wheels and engines. Some things that aren’t yet computers–dental floss, flashlights–will fall eventually”. This quote stood out to me because it reminded me how much we have developed as a society in both positive and negative ways. The quote talks about how there are very few’ things that aren’t yet computers’, I feel like we have replaced so much with technology and it is upsetting to see because we have started to overuse and misuse it. It has completely taken over our lives, wherever you turn around there is some sort of computer. However, it has also greatly benefited us, people are able to do things so much more quickly and efficiently. Our daily lives have never been easier because of the help of computers, what used to take days and hours could be done in a matter of minutes or seconds.
2. I didn’t understand what the author meant when he said “If you can sell the software, if you can light up the screen, you’re selling infinitely reproducible nothing. The margins on nothing are great–until other people start selling even cheaper nothings or giving them away”. When I first read this, I thought that the author was talking about the prices of softwares and how there is always someone that can make the software for cheaper or for free. I’m particularly confused as to why he calls them ‘nothings’.
3. I liked the UniProt database the most because it was the easiest to use. All of the information was there and the page setup was extremely easy to navigate which was beneficial for someone like me that firstly knows nothing about the gene and secondly never used a database like that. I liked the large subheadings and informative subheadings. They described complex things in easy ways that I could comprehend and use in my research of the gene. My least favorite was Ensemble. It was so hard to navigate and understand what I was looking at. I felt as if there was nothing useful and half of the time I didn’t even understand what information they were providing me. It wasn't as user friendly and I probably would not use it again.

Nstojan1 (talk) 20:16, 31 January 2024 (PST)