COSC 1P50 Exam Prep

Chapter 1: Unwrapping the Gift

Overview

  • Based on slides prepared by Cyndi Chie, Sarah Frye, and Sharon Gray.

  • Fifth edition updated by Timothy Henry.

  • Copyright © 2018, 2013, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter Structure

Topics Covered:

  • The Pace of Change

  • Change and Unexpected Developments

  • Themes of Technology Challenges

  • Ethics

  • Copyright © 2018, 2013, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Key Quotes

  • Michael Rothschild: "In a way not seen since Gutenberg’s printing press that ended the Dark Ages and ignited the Renaissance, the microchip is an epochal technology with unimaginably far-reaching economic, social, and political consequences."

Historical Technological Milestones

  • 1940s: First computers were built.

  • 1956: First hard-drive disk weighed a ton and stored five megabytes.

  • 1991: Space shuttle had a one-megahertz computer; ten years later, automobiles had 100-megahertz computers. Now, speeds of several gigahertz are common.

Human Capacity and Technology

  • Betty Friedan: "It is precisely this unique human capacity to transcend the present, to live one’s life by purposes stretching into the future—to live not at the mercy of the world, but as a builder and designer of that world—that is the distinction between human and animal behavior, or between the human being and the machine."

Cell Phones Evolution

  • 1990s: Cell phones were relatively few in number.

  • 2011: Approximately five billion cell phones worldwide.

  • Uses include:

    • Conversations and messaging

    • Taking and sharing pictures

    • Downloading music and watching videos

    • Checking emails and playing games

    • Banking and managing investments

    • Smartphone apps for practical tasks like monitoring health and finding resources.

Cell Phones: Concerns and Challenges

  • Privacy Issues: Location tracking and cameras affect privacy.

  • Personal Interference: Cell phones can disrupt solitude, quiet, and concentration.

  • Safety Risks: Talking on cell phones while driving is dangerous.

  • Negative Applications: Includes sexting among teenagers and organizing illegal activities.

Technology Control: Kill Switches

  • Allows remote disabling of applications and deletion of files in devices.

  • Mainly for security purposes but raises concerns about user autonomy.

Disconnection Paradox

  • Jim Hightower: "While all this razzle-dazzle connects us electronically, it disconnects us from each other, having us 'interfacing' more with computers and TV screens than looking in the face of our fellow human beings. Is this progress?"

Social Networking Development

  • 1995: First online social networking site was Classmates.com.

  • 2003: Myspace founded with 100 million user profiles by 2006.

  • Facebook: Originated at Harvard as a student directory, gaining massive popularity.

Business and Activism through Social Networking

  • Platforms enable businesses to connect with customers and organizations to seek donations.

  • Groups can organize volunteers and protests, while individuals can engage in crowdfunding activities.

Social Networking Challenges

  • Negative aspects include:

    • Cyberbullying and stalking

    • Jurors tweeting about trial cases

    • Socialbots simulating human interaction.

Evolution of Communication

  • 1980s: Short emails almost exclusively text.

  • Current preference trending towards texting, tweeting, and social media over traditional email.

Blogs and Video Sharing

  • Blogs began as personal expression outlets, now are significant news sources.

  • Increased accessibility to video tools has led to amateur content creation, with a risk of copyright infringement.

Telemedicine

  • Remote medical exams and procedures, including surgeries, are made possible through technology.

Collaboration in Technology

  • Wikipedia: A crowd-sourced online encyclopedia.

  • Informal communities developing free software and crime investigation efforts.

E-commerce Growth

  • Amazon: Began in 1994, now a leading commercial platform.

  • eBay: Facilitates online auctions with the direct selling model gaining traction.

Trust Issues in E-commerce

  • Consumer Reluctance: Initial hesitance over sharing credit card information led to the rise of intermediaries like PayPal.

  • Payment encryption and secure servers grew out of safety concerns.

Free Services Online

  • Various email programs, web browsers, and online functionalities available for free due to advertising support.

  • Donations sustain platforms like Wikipedia, while some businesses provide services for public relations.

Information Collection and Privacy

  • Many free websites track user data, often selling it to advertisers to maintain operations.

Artificial Intelligence Development

  • AI aims to carry out human tasks, with many applications existing in pattern recognition and speech recognition.

  • Turing Test: Concept where computers strive to convince humans of their human-like qualities.

Risks and Ethical Challenges of Emerging Tech

  • Discussion revolves around ethical implications of replacing human roles in critical scenarios like medical procedures or decision-making processes.

Robotics and Smart Technologies

  • Robotics are increasingly performing functions traditionally held by humans, especially in hazardous environments.

Workplace Changes Due to Technology

  • Companies face mass unemployment fears and employ monitoring technologies to focus on productivity and efficiency.

Telecommuting Effects

  • Offers flexibility but can weaken corporate loyalty and affect work-life boundaries.

Global Workforce Dynamics

  • Outsourcing, offshoring, and inshoring redefine labor market situations, including new skills required in the domestic job market.

Risks Associated with Monitoring Communications

  • Employers traditionally monitor employees, blending personal and work communications raises ethical questions.

Privacy Expectations in the Workplace

  • The expectation of privacy is often low given the invasive practices of workplace monitoring and surveillance.

Legal Framework and Consequences for Employers

  • Courts often rule based on ownership of company systems while balancing employee expectations of privacy.

Chapter Transition

  • Introduction to a new chapter on privacy precedes themes on security violations and responses.