Broader Issues on the Impact and Control of Computers Chapter 9 Broader Issues on the Impact and Control of Computers Computers and Community Information Haves and Have-Nots: The Access Issue Loss of Skills and Judgment Evaluations of the Impact Computer Technology Prohibiting Bad Technologies

9.1 Computers and Community How do computers and telecommunication affect human interaction and community?

9.1 Computers and Community The Problems There is a worry that computers have a negative impact on us, our children, and our society Hurts local community vibrancy Causes isolation from neighbors Erodes family life On-line commerce affects real stores and community-based professionals Face-to-face gathering Emphasis on individual rather than community May lead to underdeveloped social skills May lead to internet addiction

http://www. cnn. com/US/9706/16/briefs. pm/internet. neglect/index http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/16/briefs.pm/internet.neglect/index.html

9.1 Computers and Community The Positives Allows for new ways of doing old tasks Teleworking Automation E-Commerce Research Greater range of communication Online convenience = Real World Freedom Greater depth in communication

9.2 Information Haves and Have-Nots: The Access Issue Is having equal opportunity to access information a far-fetched goal?

9.2 Information Have & Have-Nots Information Access Current State of the Digital Divide Impact of the Digital Divide Possible Remedies Future of Information Access

9.2 Information Have & Have-Nots Digital Divide: Refers to the gap between groups of people with regular, effective access to Digital and Information Technology, and those without. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide

9.2 Information Have & Have-Nots Factors contributing to the Digital Divide: Status of country (LDC/MDC) Individual wealth Physical disabilities Gender Politics Sara Baase, “A Gift of Fire”, 2003, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide

9.2 Information Have & Have-Nots According to Nielsen/Netratings 74.9% of American (US) households had access to the Internet in 2004 (an increase from 57% in 2001). About half of those Americans had high-speed/broadband connections. Internet access (by age): 82% of women between the ages of 35 - 54. 80% of men between the ages of 35 - 54. 77% of women between the ages of 25 - 34. 76% of men between the ages of 25 - 34. 75% of young adults between the ages of 18 - 24. http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_040318.pdf , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_access_in_the_United_States

The Opte Project, Internet Map 2003.

9.2 Information Have & Have-Nots Hierarchical Diffusion of the Internet From MDC’s down to LDC’s Global Impact Cultural Interaction and Diffusion Communications Act of 1934 Telephone companies are required to provide telephone service to poor people at low rates …

One Laptop per child (MIT Media Lab), XO-1.

Intel’s World Ahead Program, Classmate PC.

9.2 Information Have & Have-Nots Various efforts are being made to break the hierarchical diffusion pattern. Libraries Internet/Cyber Café s Public Hotspots Donations (public/private) Government / Non-Profit Organizations Open content, software movement AMD’s 50x15 Initiative “The 50x15 mission is to enable affordable, accessible Internet connectivity and computing capabilities for 50 percent of the world's population by the year 2015” - http://50x15.amd.com

9.3 Loss of Skills and Judgment What is the impact of computing on the individual?

9.3 Loss of Skills and Judgment Skills vs. Automation Loss of Skills Loss of Judgment Loss of Responsibility

9.3 Loss of Skills and Judgment Writing, Thinking, and Memory I have a spelling checker. It came with my PC. It plainly marks four my revue, Miss steaks aye can knot sea. Eye ran this poem threw it, I’m sure your pleased too no. It’s letter perfect in it’s weigh, My checker tolled me sew. -Jarrold H. Zar, “Candidate for a Pullet Surprise” From the Journal of Irreproducible Results Jan/Feb 1994, 39:1, p. 13

9.3 Loss of Skills and Judgment Loss of Judgment “The problem isn't that Wikipedia itself is flawed, say supporters; it's that many Net users don't understand how it works. The system allows anyone to post or change an entry. On Monday Wikipedia changed the system so only registered users could post, but registration requires only creating a username and password. Identities are still not verified.” -USA Today From USA Today, “It’s Online but is it true?” By Janet Kornblum, 12/6/2005

9.3 Loss of Skills and Judgment Loss of Responsibility Approval of loans or insurance coverage Assessment of educational progress Arrest of certain individuals How to make a particular business decision Treatment of disease with a particular medicine Application process for a college or job

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Is computer technology overall beneficial to us or harmful?

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Luddites In England in 1811-1812, people burned factories and mills in efforts to stop the technologies and social changes that were eliminating their jobs.  Many were weavers who worked at home on small machines.  They were called Luddites. More recently, Luddite has been used to describe people who oppose technological progress, and has been adopted as an honorable term by critics of technology.

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Criticisms Causes massive unemployment and deskilling of jobs We use them because they are there (not because they satisfy real needs) Causes social inequality Source of social disintegration; they are dehumanizing Separates humans from nature and destroys the environment Benefits big business and big government Thwarts development of social skills, human values, and intellectual skills in children. Solves no real human problems.

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Who Benefits Most? Eliminate jobs to reduce costs of production Capitalism survives by convincing us to buy products we do not need Buyers are manipulated by advertising, work pressure, or other forces beyond their control Technology has made no improvement in life The main beneficiaries of computers is government and big business Has little value for the ordinary workers

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Benefits of Technology Reduce the effort needed to produce goods and services. Food prices have dropped worldwide Raw materials are more abundant and prices of natural resources have declined Wages and salaries have risen in both rich and poor countries New substitutes for natural resources have been created New forms of crop management Improved transportation of food from field to table More diseases now treatable or eradicated Improved, safety-minded products for home, school, and work

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Technology Benefits Spreading to the Poor Cox and Alm, Myths of Rich and Poor, Pg. 15

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Terrence McKenna Raymond Kurzweil

9.4 Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Courtesy of Ray Kurzweil and Kurzweil Technologies, Inc. Singularity Countdown

9.5 Prohibiting Bad Technologies How should computing technology be controlled to ensure positive uses and consequences?

9.5 Prohibiting Bad Technologies Technology Critics Technology is not “neutral.” Big Business and governments make decisions about technology. Once created, technology drives itself. Technology Advocates People can choose to use a technology for good or ill Influenced by society, technology does more than it was designed to do. People adapt technologies that give us more choices for action and relationships.

9.5 Prohibiting Bad Technologies "Although a technology does not drive human beings to adopt new practices, it shapes the space of possibilities in which they can act." -Peter Denning “The Internet After 30 Years,” by Peter J. Denning The Internet Besieged, Addison-Wesley, 1998, p. 20

9.5 Prohibiting Bad Technologies The Difficulty of Prediction The telephone is so important, every city will need one! -Anonymous My personal desire would be to prohibit entirely the use of alternating currents. They are unnecessary as they are dangerous. -Thomas Edison, 1899 I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. -Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 Computers in the future may… only weigh 1.5 tons. -Popular Mechanics, 1949 There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home. -Ken Olson, pres. of Digital Equipment Corp. 1977 The US will have 220,000 computers by the year 2000. -RCA Corporation, 1966 (The actual number was close to 100 million.)

9.5 Prohibiting Bad Technologies The Gift of Fire The key to properly harnessing the power is ours. Technologies should: Be decentralized and noncoercive. Produce what people want. Work well despite difficulty of prediction. Respect the diversity of personal opinion. Be relatively free of political manipulation.

Discussion 1. Should the Internet be something that everyone can access from everywhere? Is Universal Access a right? Is it even possible? 2. What can we do to prohibit bad technology? How can we make sure that technology is used positively without hindering its progress? 3. How do we prevent our society from being overly dependent on computers and technology? Is this a bad thing?