The Social impact of the Computer

A HISTORICAL APPROACH • When did computers begin to have an effect on people?. • Users have moved from being an elite “professionally responsible” to a community with widely varying a

The Social Impact of the

Computer

J.A.N Lee Virginia Tech

A HISTORICAL

APPROACH

• When did computers begin to have an effect

on people?

• How have we been affected?

• What HAVE we done?

• Have we become too dependent on

computers?

• What can we do about it?

When did computers begin

to have an effect on

people?

• The early machines - one-off, isolated

• 1950: UNIVAC - the first multi-frame machine

• 1955: IBM 650 - the first University machine

• 1960: IBM 1620 - the first College machine

Early Programming

When did computers begin

– Programming by trial and error

• 1965 - The introduction of the mini-computer

• The beginning of the period of computing as a

When did computers begin

to have an effect on

people?

• 1970s - The microcomputer for enthusiasts

• 1975 - Computers in the office

• 1980 - The IBM PC

• 1984 - The Macintosh

• The period of the “HOME” computer

• And since then …

The INTERNETFor the Millions

When did computers begin

to have an effect on

people?

• 1940 - first computation over telephone lines

• 1960s - the MODEM and Timesharing

• 1970s - networking

• 1980s - ARPANet, NSFNet, BITNET, …

– News groups, LISTSERVs,

• 1990s - The INTERNET - WWW

– The period of ubiquitous computing

Ringing the Changes

Computer

as a Tool

How have we been

affected?

• The early days:

– “computerists” became addicted

– but proud and dedicated

BRAIN

– to the insiders - the dumb, recalcitrant, moronic computer

How have we been

affected?

• 1950s - the emergence of the HACKER

• 1960s - the identification of the user

– The computer replaces the slide rule

– The job of the “future”

– The era of job swapping

• 1970s - the connected user

• 1980s - the personal computer

• 1990s - the on-line millions

How have we been

affected?

• Users have moved from being an elite

“professionally responsible” to a

community with widely varying attitudes

• Very high level applications allow anyone

to develop a program

• Including the untrained, the untrainable, and

The stages of impact

• Direct replacement of an activity with little change in productivity

• Enhancement of activities by improvements

in speed and efficiency

• Extending activities to those that could not

be done previously

What HAVE we done?

• Created a “DIGITAL DIVIDE”

– The have’s and the have’nots

• Between schools, between school districts

• Between the old and the young

• Between parents and children

• Between male and female

• Between rich and poor

What HAVE we done?

• Look at almost any job description!

• Qualifications for a secretary:

(1) Working knowledge of standard office practices, equipment and word- processing software; ….

Preferences given for experience with spreadsheets and graphics software, Microsoft Word, Word Equation and Excel; experience editing and

proofreading complex documents

(2) Preferences given for experience working on a Mac OS, experience with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Banner, experience maintaining a database

1970 IBM Advertisement

Yesterday, Marion was a billing clerk Today, she’s a whole department.

Friden Advertisement

1965

What HAVE we done?

• WAREHOUSE SUPERVISOR:

– Must be computer literate to include word

processing, spreadsheets, web-based research, and email Must have a valid vehicle operator's permit and a good driving record

We have changed people’s lives

Informality vs the Archive

• The e-mail seemed so innocent "Betty, hi," he remembers cheerfully

typing to his colleague "I haven't been successful reaching you by phone,

so I'll try e-mail instead."

• And so Bill Lampton then an employee of a large hospital dashed off the rest of his note on some trivial of fice matter and hit the send button.

• Betty never got past the greeting

• "I have no idea what you mean about my not returning phone calls,"

Lampton recalls Betty firing back "To have you accuse me of ignoring your calls is unthinkable and inexcusable As to the purpose of the e- mail that you sent me, I prefer not to respond, as I dislike dealing with anyone who assumes the worst of me."

Have we become too dependent on computers?

• Have we become too dependent on:

What have we done to

Society?

• Collapsed time?

• Collapsed space?

• Broken down natural barriers?

• Intermixed incompatible attitudes?

• Invaded privacy?

• Made it vulnerable?

• Created an information overload?

What have we done to

What are the dangers?

• Using computers where simpler solutions exist

• Using software in critical situations

– Safety critical applications– Mission critical systems

What are the advantages?

• Using software in critical situations

– Safety critical applications

– Mission critical systems

• More easily upgradeable, replaceable

• Millions of new uses, new capabilities

What can we do about it?

• Should we become Luddites?

Should we have killed the

railroad engine?

Should we NOT continue to

develop the computer?

Progress, Development,

Evolution

• Whatever we do

– We will not stop progress

– We will not stop people using our products in ways that we do appreciate

– And we WILL find new uses and applications that will be advantageous

Stopping Progress

An Example

One last thought

• Martin Luther King:

“Our technology is outstripping our

spirituality”