Me and the Flat World

Growing up our family was centered on two cherished ideals: Christianity and Apple computers. My father’s hobbyist fascination with emerging technologies exposed me to the reality that every day our lives are more dependent on computers, whether or not we choose to understand their inner workings. Seeing how much the world was ameliorated by the development of computer science, I was convinced that understanding those inner workings was essential to my life’s fulfillment. As a result, I traded in my ambitions for a degree in Medicine for a degree in Computer Science. I did this despite being much less adept with computers than with the biological sciences. I struggled to understand principles and terminology that seemed universally understood among my colleagues and often wondered if I could ever compete professionally in such a field.

What I came to realize as I read Thomas Friedman’s book, is that even though I had entered the realm of Computer Science relatively late (many CS students have been programming since their middle school years or earlier), I can have great hope for my potential in the Flat World for three reasons: first, the Flat World provides equal opportunity to newcomers and veterans alike; second, I have many unique skills that are valuable in the Flat World; and third, my chances at success in the Flat World are highly favored by my life’s circumstances.

In the Flat World the early bird still gets the worm, but so does the late bird. Friedman cites numerous examples of companies springing up in remote locations whose business was spawned by a sudden discovery of the devices of the Flat World. Though I’m not a small business, the principle is the same. As remote as I sometimes feel from the rest of the CS community, with Google and Wikipedia all the information in the world is a few keystrokes away. It’s free, it’s convenient, and once equipped with the knowledge, the ability to communicate with the Flat World is as available to me as to the business owner who has been at it since before I was born. As Friedman pointed out, whether a giant firm or a solo practitioner, “the technology and software are so empowering that it makes us all look the same.” Though relatively new to the Flat World, my potential is not limited by my lack of experience.

Besides affording equal access and opportunity, the Flat World rewards more than just computer expertise. Friedman cites Marc Tucker who said, “software engineers who are also musicians and artists will have an edge over those who are not.” When I first entered the CS program, I was alarmed to find how different I was from the other students. Many of them would have no problem spending days in front of a terminal in some basement on the BYU campus. They eat, sleep, and breath PCs. While I enjoy working with computers, I have a lot of other interests away from the monitors that are equally important to me. I teach italian, I arrange music, I sing in an a cappella group, and I make movies. To find that these hobbies are not a boon to my success, but rather make me a more viable candidate in the Flat World is a very pleasant surprise. I am thrilled at the prospect that I can “use the framework in one [field] to think afresh about the other.” My hopes for success are bolstered by the fact that there are skills that I have developed that are rewarded by the Flat World.

Aside from advantageous skills, my circumstances favor my prosperity in the Flat World. These circumstances are threefold: first, my american heritage; second, my religious background; and third, my involvement in the CS department at BYU. If you are going to be late in entering the Flat World, America is the place to do it. “The nucleus of creativity is here, not because people are smarter–it is the environment, the freedom of thought. The dream machine is still here.” I feel greatly blessed to be in this country. Another great benefit in the Flat World, where people want to collaborate with the best individuals they can find, is maintaining a reputation as a person of integrity and faith. Growing up in a strong LDS family has benefited me to be able to create a very reputable personal profile. Lastly my participation in the CS classes at BYU has exposed me to the Flat World and taught me how to succeed in it. The ethics class I’m taking now has been an eye-opener to what my possibilities are. It has not only proposed the issue of what is good and bad, but also the issue of what is good, better, and best. My preparation for and exposure to the Flat World has been highly benefited by my environment.

One must maintain a degree of reservation when subscribing to another’s idea, particularly an idea as radical as the world being flat, but nevertheless I am confident that what Thomas Friedman is saying in his book is true. I’ve seen first hand many of the developments that he discusses and though I previously felt unconnected and unequipped to participate in this global arena, his insights have made me realize that I have skills and advantages that could make me highly effective in the Flat World, even with my late debut. I’m excited to put my ideas to the test, to find ways to contribute, to be the next chapter in “collaborating so mankind can achieve its full potential.” I feel I can have great success in the Flat World.