Part II of Core 1

Inevitably, the use of technology has become a part of our everyday lives. From sitting in an auditorium using a 'clicker' , to being at the workplace and placing an order online to restock inventory, technology is all around us, no matter where we are or what we are doing. I just recently changed my major to International Relations (IR) which entails working closely with our government and interacting with nations and states, as well as the international society as a whole. This major accomodates a large spectrum of academic fields, giving me the option to
pursue my dream of working for the government abroad as a diplomat in an American embassy.

After conducting some research, I discovered the well known fact that I will be travelling a lot, as diplomats do venture into places the every day man off the street cannot. As Eva Holland writes in her journal entry speaking of her diplomatic father, "Diplomats go where the average traveler can't, from full-on hot zones like Iraq andAfghanistan to more stable, impoverished places like Haiti or Chad" (Holland 1.) therefore, the work-oriented technologies I will be using will revolve around a Global Positioning System (GPS), a telephone, and a computer.

It is important that I understand how to correctly operate a GPS because life overseas is just as unpredictable as the future. One never knows where they will be headed tomorrow, and when time is money, you can't afford to get lost. Another technology vital to the success of a diplomat is a phone. Whether it be to ring over to another embassy or to even get in touch with a family in the US if someone gets hurt/killed abroad, telephones are a key player in the world of international relations.

The last significant technology in my future workplace is the computer. Obviously, working for the government, there will be a plethora of classified documents for official eyes only. This is why it is imperative that I must understand what to and not to click on to stay away from viruses and internet hackers. I want to understand how to use a computer safely if it means preventing harm to our government. Just recently, a Chinese spy network hacked into "classified documents" on government computers in approximately 103 countries by having GhostNet system download a Trojan onto effected computers (Harvey 1.)

To perform my job to its fullest extent, I want to understand how to properly use all the above technologies.


Works Cited

Harvey, Mike. "Chinese hackers 'using ghost network to control embassy computers'" Times Online [London] 30 Mar. 2009.

The Life of a Diplomat. By Eva Holland. Usa. 1 Feb. 2010. Performance.