Content Posts

Paving the Internet

Susan Flander

creative virtuosity®
boundless

In 1964, Paul Baran created the theory of a distributed network. The theory was proposed as part of research for Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) by Rand Corporation, with the intention of creating a communication network with no command point to prevent nuclear attacks on its airborne fleet(s).

Within ARPA’s research, the concept of a packet switching network was introduced by Leonard Kleinrock who used it to send a message from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to Standford. In 1965, Lawrence Roberts, a chief scientist for ARPA research, designed a small-scale network infrastructure that allowed two computers located in two different places to communicate. The two computers were linked using a single phone line and a modem enabling the transfer of digital data called “packets,” thus, ARPANET, now called the Internet, was born.

Bob Kan and Vint Kerf expanded the theory of “packet switching” in 1974, with the introduction of Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP / IP). The concept of digital data transferred in packets would later be described by Vint Kerf (2007) as, “the infrastructure that gets things from point A to point B.”

In 1983, the Domain Name System (DNS) was invented by Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel at the University of Southern California (USC). The purpose being to create a centralized system that converts domain names into internet protocol (IP) for Internet communication.

ARPANET’s research was later refined and expanded through the use of communication standards such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) by Tom Berners Lee, eminent of the World Wide Web (1989). The concept exploded into internet browsing applications when Marc Anderson created the first widely used Mosaic browser.

ARPANET was decommissioned in 1990; however, the Internet landscape created in its wake now reaches space in its imaginative creation, crossing earth and country borders with limitless boundaries through remote satellite driven technologies.

Product Vision

Susan Flander

Proven Productive

In a world where “all things cloud” are connected; you can reduce overhead costs of onsite labor. According to American Community Survey (2021), “remote workers are substantially more productive than onsite workers.”

Read more…
US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Apr. 2025) | Percentage of laborers working all hours remotely
Wage and salary workers 20.0
    Private industries20.8
    Government15.5
       Federal18.2
       State21.9
       Local9.4
Self-employed workers35.9
    Self-employed workers, incorporated39.7
    Self-employed workers, unincorporated33.2

The one-man development team

Susan Flander

creative virtuosity®
the terrible half face

Recent technological advancements caused some major cataclysmic events that forever changed the way we work in our environments. Therefore, we have designed our web pages to remedy the social behavior of those – not so security conscious.

In our move toward newer technology, our experience in programming languages and technical writing has managed to get us through the simple stuff. Today’s technologies just are not known to be feature rich and cost efficient. Our page travels assessed web content for mobile and desktop environments. We found many cross-platform challenges.

As a viewer of our web pages, you may not see everything you expect in bold magazine style layouts. The fact is, as a one-man development team, our basic box-style pages just are not any different than what the big boys let us develop. But…, the vision is here – in our maps, web forms, content style, and video.

StyleTake

Susan Flander

Remote Labor Workforce Survey
creativevirtuosity.com

Video Player Tips

We like our videos to be viewable to all. By default, the videos on our pages are set to auto select quality. Set your video player to the best quality for better visuals.

How To:

  1. On the YouTube video player, click the Settings wheel located to the lower right of the screen.

  2. Click the Quality setting. A Quality selection panel displays.

  3. Select the appropriate setting: 1080p50HD. Once the Quality is set, objects display with clarity.

    creativevirtuosity.com


Big Tech Layoffs (2025)

Susan Flander
creativevirtuosity.com
Carnivàle de Technology

In 2024, there were some major corporations in Big Tech that had layoffs. The layoffs were said to have happened to reduce budgets in certain areas of businesses where Artificial Intelligence could be implemented as an alternative to a human labor resource. The businesses involved in this advancement to Artificial Intelligence included companies like Intel, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Fiverr, ZipRecruiter, Salesforce and more. Based on statistics shown on Layoffs.fyi, “approximately, 551 companies committed to layoffs in the year 2024.” Comparatively, in the year 2025, approximately 208 companies committed to continued layoffs.

We queried U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on four major counties in Texas for unemployment data and found that in August of 2025, Dallas County shows to have a 4.4% unemployment rating, Travis County shows to have a 3.9% unemployment rating, Bexar County shows to have a 4.4% unemployment rating and Harris County shows to have a 5.0% unemployment rating. Maverick County, specifically Eagle Pass, Texas currently holds rank as one of the United States’ highest in unemployment rating at a shocking 8.9%. Texas overall has a 4.1% unemployment rate, which is -0.1% than in the year 2024.

As US laborers continue in their employment search, the gaps in their resumes have become harder to explain to those who are ignorant of the current employment market conditions. Based on a resume study released by LiveCareer.com, “the number of candidates in the US with career gaps is approximately 52%.” While the IT employment market continues pushing US employment opportunities to recruiting companies overseas and promoting H-1B visas, future employment opportunities for US citizens who have been recently laid off does not look bright in Texas.

According to US Department of Labor, on September 19, 2025, “an H-1B enforcement initiative went into effect that seemingly promotes the employment rights of highly skilled US laborers.” However, this initiative does not create employment opportunities for US citizens with undergraduate education. Furthermore, the initiative does not indicate any specifics as to whether “highly skilled” labor refers to only Masters’ and PhD level education with absolutely no experience in the field of Information Technology.

Layoffs in Federal Government

On January 20, 2025, the President officially entered into action, “Return to In-Person Work;” the presidential action is found on the White House’s government website and specifically targets the executive branch of government. Per the presidential action, “Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements.” However, the termination of remote work arrangements for federal laborers does not specifically apply to all areas of government. According to Layoffs.fyi statistics, “approximately 182, 528 federal departures occurred in the year 2025.”

Knowledge is Power

The time it takes to advance ourselves matters. We believe our non-standard approach to meeting personal knowledge goals keeps us well-rounded.

Is Artificial Intelligence really a threat?

Susan Flander

creative virtuosity®
artificial intelligence

The threat of artificial intelligence rears its head as recent phenomena targeted toward courtroom proceedings. Its story, covered by DailyMail.com on September 22, 2017, boasts scientific design of “a machine-learning algorithm that can accurately predict over 70 percent of Supreme Court decisions. “

So how much of this technology is artificial intelligence and a threat to society? We can assess this based on previous courtroom decisions.  In 1977, the Supreme Court of the United States vacated and remanded decision in Gardner v. Florida. “The Petitioner was denied due process of law when the death sentence was imposed by the Florida Supreme Court, at least in part, on the basis of information that he had no opportunity to deny or explain,” stated Justice Stevens. The information utilized in the case was an informational report which held information of which Gardner was unaware.

On July 13, 2016, a similar report was utilized for sentencing of Eric M. Loomis and evaluated on appeal by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  The report was comprised of a proprietary algorithm utilized by the COMPAS system which scales violence and recidivism risk principles as part of case triage.   In its opinion, the Wisconsin Supreme Court stated, “The court of appeals certified the specific question of whether the use of a COMPAS risk assessment at sentencing violates a defendant’s right to due process, either because the proprietary nature of COMPAS prevents defendants from challenging the COMPAS assessment’s scientific validity, or because COMPAS assessments take gender into account.”  The court determined, “if used properly, observing the limitations and cautions set forth herein, a circuit court’s consideration of a COMPAS risk assessment at sentencing does not violate a defendant’s right to due process,” further explaining its reasoning for decision was supported by other independent factors; thus, the risk assessment use was not a determinate.

Highlights on the use of artificial intelligence were issued by the New York Times on May 1, 2017; in a conversation with Chief Justice G. Roberts Jr., a reporter asks, “Can you foresee a day when smart machines, driven with artificial intelligence will assist with courtroom fact-finding or, more controversially even, judicial decision-making.”  The article discusses in minor detail, the outcome of State of Wisconsin v. Eric M. Loomis (2016); finalizing statements of concern on secrecy and technology impact on the judicial society.

Based on the concept of use shown in State of Wisconsin v. Eric M. Loomis, the technology discussed, is not artificial intelligence in composition.  The COMPAS report requires human interaction from the offender and runs on a set of pre-determined risks which may or may not fit the offender taking the assessment. Today’s concept of Artificial Intelligence, implies “a machine that thinks for itself;”  this is not quite the same as machine-learning in scientific standards of robotics versus assessment tools.  Data is gathered through human interactive processes and stored in the machine’s memory.  Data is then run through human interaction and provides comparative results. Analysis tools like COMPAS have always been in circulation; prominently shown in discussion surrounding defense attorney Susan Flanders in Harrington v. State, No. 05-1351 (2007); State v. Harrington, 03-0824 (2004), a case which innovated criminal litigation’s use of the trial and mental competency assessment in its wake of judicial decision.

Employment Abasement

Susan Flander

Job applicants routinely spend hours completing online applications requesting demographic information, including gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, education credentials, and eligibility for tax-credit programs.

By the time the application process is complete, many candidates are left wondering whether employers are more interested in gathering information and eliminating applicants than identifying talented individuals who can actually do the job.

The result is a hiring process that frequently places greater value on background investigations, credential screening, and demographic reporting, than on the qualities that determine the potential for effective performance.

Have Employers lost sight of the Purpose of Hiring?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals unemployed for 27 weeks or longer accounted for approximately 28.2% (not seasonally adjusted) of the unemployed population in September 2026. This trend has significant implications. Based on research cited by Refolk “extended employment gaps may trigger automated screening systems or employment-gap filters, reducing opportunities for employment; [refolk].”

However, these gap analyses fail to account for the structural realities of contemporary hiring practices, including multi-stage interview processes and prolonged background screening procedures which can extend hiring decisions from 2 to 8 weeks. This is a contributing factor to periods of unemployment despite actively seeking employment. [leon], [voxbooster].

Consider the current state of the selection process:

    creative virtuosity
    Bachelor of Arts

  • • Approximately 94% to 96% of employers conduct background checks on applicants. [npbsa]

  • • A 2017 study cited by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) found that 61% of hiring managers rejected otherwise qualified candidates because they lacked a four-year degree. [ncsl], [hbs]

  • • Research cited by AARP found that qualified older applicants receive approximately 40% fewer job offers than younger candidates after in-person interviews. [aarp]

  • • Mobley v. Workday Case No. 3:23 cv 00770, N.D. Cal., filed in 2023 states that Artificial Intelligence screenings discriminate based on age, color, and disability. [courtlistener]

  • • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states, “job and employment agency scams tripled between 2020 and 2024, and losses rose from $90 million to $513 million; [ftc].”

Cultural Engineering

Enforcing a shallow employment culture driven by excessive screening, appearance bias, and age discrimination limits the concept of equal opportunity. For years, employers have treated education, appearance, specialized skills, and experience as liabilities rather than assets.

Individuals are commonly encouraged to earn degrees, acquire specialized skills with certification, and refresh existing education to advance in their chosen career paths. Yet when economic downturns, layoffs, health concerns, or industry changes force them to seek lower-paying work, those same qualifications become barriers to employment.

The result is a labor market that excludes applicants at both ends of the spectrum. Applicants without degrees are often rejected for lacking credentials, while applicants with experience and credentials are overlooked because they are perceived as retention risks.

For individuals attempting to return to the employment market, the employment pursuit can be a humiliating experience. Employers often unfairly scrutinize individuals seeking to address résumé gaps by applying for jobs in low-paying, high-turnover industries that experience elevated rates of employee theft and attrition. Consequently, applicants may perform poorly during interviews or provide inaccurate responses, reflecting an unconscious struggle to accept the impact of their employment decision(s), which could hinder their employability within their chosen career path.

Is the Education worth it?

According to a 2023 report published by Dallas College, “the relative advantage of a college degree is less pronounced, and public confidence in the value of a college degree, particularly as a pathway to well-paying employment, has diminished significantly; [dallascollege].”

Though this statistic introduced by Strada Education Network, known as the Research Institute for Dallas College, does not directly consider the recent impact of Artificial Intelligence into mainstream educational markets, it does indicate that “40% of community college interns are over the age of 25.” Therefore, it highlights a broader vertical trend in the vocational education market.

Stanford University reports that, between 2024 and 2025, enrollments for Computer Science majors decreased approximately 11%. Comparatively, the statistic also indicates master’s studies in Artificial Intelligence rose approximately 17% between years 2023 and 2024; [hai.stanford], [stanfordonline].

Based on these educational trends, one could assume that any education achieved through both formal and non-formal formats would be valued by employers. The technology industry provides a notable example, given its rapidly evolving landscape. Many technology focused employers recognize that a degree does not indicate job-ready technical competence.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) research indicates, “degree inflation constrains the labor market by limiting the number of jobs available for workers without a diploma and the number of applicants organizations could consider in their talent pool; [ncsl].” The research merely suggests that educational credentials alone may no longer serve as the primary differentiator in hiring decisions.

However, education and experience have long been considered together when determining the most qualified candidate for entry-level positions. “Employment outcomes are strong for individuals that participate in internship programs, regardless of degree completion; [strada], [nace].” Therefore, the absence of a complete bachelor’s or master’s degree at the time of hire does not reflect an absence of education.

Comparatively, the proposition of employment without proven skills or competencies beyond entry level presents a practical and conceptual quagmire for employers. Drexel’s research states, “professional positions that require a certain degree (e.g., JD for a lawyer) do not have equivalency language and that accepting equivalent experience can increase the size of an applicant pool and the chances of finding the best available candidate; [drexel].”

A broader scope…

Comparisons of educational attainment across generations should account for the market conditions under which the applicants or candidates hold education. Generation X generally encountered lower tuition costs but had fewer consumer protections and limited access to programs designed to mitigate student loan debt or address institutional misconduct. [prnewswire].

Comparatively, Generation Z faces a substantially higher cost of attendance; however, have broader access to financial aid, scholarship programs, internships, diversity initiatives, and various forms of student-loan relief. Additionally, there is more accessibility to Pell Grants which are minority specific and an increasing integration of internships involving corporate, state and federal employers.

Realistically, the lower sticker price of college tuition from 1989-2000 cannot be compared directly to today’s dollar amounts without adjusting for inflation. Additionally, “the average college GPA rose from 2.81 in 1990 to 3.15 in 2020; [bestcolleges.com].” While this trend in grade inflation may statistically favor recent graduates, it also reflects technological advancements in education, such as increased access to virtual learning environments and the ability to apply certification hours as credit toward degree-granting programs. Therefore, GPA alone is insufficient to measure astute judgment, practical competence, or success in real-world situations.

In either case, the stakes are high when economic downturns impact businesses and employment opportunities. Consequently, there is a certain amount of fear involved when attempting to complete education or internships while working in deadline intensive environments.