1. CS5038 The Electronic Society
Lecture 1: Introduction to CS5038
Course Organiser: Frank Guerin
f dot guerin at abdn dot ac dot uk
Course Website:

2. "we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”
Slavery of machine and implications
Marshall McLuhan,

3. What is E-Society About
How IT and (especially) Internet/Web are/could change society
E-commerce, e-government, etc
Non-technical issues that limit or affect this change
Legal, ethical, policy

4. E-Society in the News From BBC news web site
UK government responds on Phorm
Crackdown on 'suicide websites'
Computer games drive social ties
Web 'must separate rumour' from science

5. Topics Broadly a 2-way split Sectors Issues
E-commerce, e-govt, e-learning, e-health, e-science, e-entertainment
Issues
Legal, ethical/professional, organisational, policy, digital divide

6. Course structure Schedule Staff See web page
Tutorials: sign up via Web
Staff
Frank Guerin (course organiser, co-teaching)
David Pym (co-teaching)
Matt Dennis (demonstrator)

7. Reading Information page on course website Books, websites, seminars
All background/optional
No course textbook as such

8. Assessment 75% exam 25% coursework
Topics from lectures, tutorials, assessment
NOT just what's on powerpoint!
25% coursework
Two articles (25%)
Oral presentation – not marked, but could help article

9. Introduction: What is eSociety About?

10. Introduction: What is eSociety About?
Electronic
Technology
Human
Society

11. "we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”
Slavery of machine and implications
Marshall McLuhan,

12. Some definitions…
Technology: the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems
Technology: a broad concept that deals with a species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment
Society: an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
Society: a grouping of individuals, which is characterized by common interests and may have distinctive culture and institutions.

13. Technological and social developments through the ages…

14. Technological and social developments through the ages…

15. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Development of farming

16. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Settlement

17. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Settlement
They interact and feed each other – technological and social development

18. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Development of money

19. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Specialisation

20. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Specialisation
Some unexpected, like traders

21. Technological and social developments through the ages…
of Writing

22. Technological and social developments through the ages…
Specialist knowledge
Mathematics
Scribes
Education
Classes …
So technology is the motor for major social changes
Now technological change is so fast and profound  interesting times for society
We are only at the beginning of this social change

23. fast data transmission and processing large databases search
phone
screens
fast data transmission and processing
large databases
search
Encryption
Specific technologies were necessary for specific sectors
Sometimes one is driving the other
Much has been discovered very recently

24. Freedom of information Censorship Freedom of speech Blogging
Technology provides a new opportunity + society makes use of it (in unforeseen ways)
=Society changes
Society has a new need
 Technology fills the gap
Unforeseen – text msg
Or ebay/amazon
Or advertising

25.  Technology fills the gap
Music
Movies TV
Web 2.0
Again…
Technology provides a new opportunity + society makes use of it (in unforeseen ways)
=Society changes
Society has a new need
 Technology fills the gap

26. Why study eSociety? Learn about effects on society
Learn about new/old needs of society
Learn about non technical challenges
Looking at the big picture maybe you can see the pattern
helps you predict
how technology will change
how society will change
business opportunity (Google, eBay, Amazon, Youtube)
social engineering opportunity
Successful companies: google good example

27. Topics: Sectors E-Society sectors Potential benefits? Barriers?
E-commerce
E-government
E-learning
E-health
E-science
E-entertainment
Potential benefits? Barriers?

28. E-Commerce Potential benefits Issues Shop open 24/7
Customers all over world
Unlimited catalogue
Issues
Business models (organisational change)
Security/privacy/trust
Legal barriers to international sales

29. E-Commerce Potential benefits Issues Shop open 24/7
Customers all over world
Unlimited catalogue
Issues
Business models (organisational change)
Security/privacy/trust
Legal barriers to international sales

30. E-government Potential benefits Issues
Info is easily accessible to all
Easier tax forms, voting, etc
Issues

31. E-government Potential benefits Issues
Info is easily accessible to all
Easier tax forms, voting, etc
Issues
Unfair to people who lack access to web?
Poor, elderly, deprived

32. E-Learning Potential benefits Issues Distance learning
Material can be customised to student
Issues

33. E-Learning Potential benefits Issues Distance learning
Material can be customised to student
Issues
Ownership/use of material?
Many people want face-to-face teaching
Interaction with peers

34. E-Health Potential benefits Issues
Sharing medical information (eg, A&E)
Fewer medical errors
Detect disease outbreaks, etc, better
Issues

35. E-Health Potential benefits Issues
Sharing medical information (eg, A&E)
Fewer medical errors
Detect disease outbreaks, etc, better
Issues
Security/privacy of medical data
What happens when computers crash?
Natural diasasters?

36. Reflect: Systems Thinking
Systems, which perform functions and provide services, are complex assemblies and combinations of technological, human/social, economic, and policy components.
How can we organize our understanding?
How can model systems so that we can explore and reason about all of the interacting and conflicting components and requirements?
How do systems fail? Systemic failure, component failure, individual culpability?
Security examples.

37. E-Science Potential benefits Issues
Universal access to scientific papers and data sets
Better collaboration, sharing of resources
Issues
Organisational: researchers judged by research papers in conventional journals
How detect bogus material

38. E-Science Potential benefits Issues
Universal access to scientific papers and data sets
Better collaboration, sharing of resources
Issues
Organisational: researchers judged by research papers in conventional journals
How detect bogus material

39. E-Entertainment Potential benefits Issues
Much broader range of material
Interact with people around world
Issues
Privacy (esp of children)
Rights to material (IPR)

40. E-Entertainment Potential benefits Issues
Much broader range of material
Interact with people around world
Issues
Privacy (esp of children)
Rights to material (IPR)

41. E-Society Internet/web/IT can change society for the better
But these changes require many non-technical barriers to be addressed.

42. Standard for new tech To effectively use cars, society needs
Infrastructure: roads, petrol stations…
Public policy (speed limit, age limit)
Laws, regulations, licenses
Professional bodies (AA), training (BSM)
Mechanism to deal with failures
Police, ambulances, etc for crashes
Much more than actual vehicle

43. "we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”
Electronic
Technology
Human
Society
"we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”