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Integration and Computing Technology

Computing technology is the driving force behind the changes to the institutions, professions, and other disciplines. It is re-shaping society at least as profoundly as the industrial revolution did in its day. It has become essential for decision making, knowledge acquisition and representation, and for the functioning of communications and commerce. This technology is, therefore, by its very nature, interdisciplinary, and its proper study and application require broadly educated and experienced practitioners.

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Technology and Social IsolationBy Chris Barylick

Like any possible addiction, accepting technology as the main component of your existence becomes easier over time. And you hardly notice what's missing. Everything is there with the technology; people who share your interests, hold similar opinions and are always ready to talk at any time of the day. There get to be fewer reasons to go out and actually deal with the world No matter how interesting the game, how fascinating the online conversation, how fast the net connection or how new the hardware, you're still just a person typing on a keyboard in front of a computer screen. The geek culture is cool beyond belief in controlled doses and provides some amazing toys to play with, but it doesn't beat g Today's technology is unlike anything that's ever existed to date, and despite its cold exterior, can be a warmer and friendlier place with fewer jagged edges than the world around us. it's a means to an end, not the end to all Some psychologists believe being plugged in all the time can create a disassociate attitude to the real world. Everything's good in moderation, and the important thing to find a balance between the real world and technology, even if one is more comfortable than the other

http://www.arjay.bc.ca/EthTech/TThe Fourth Civilization-Technology Society and Ethics

Fourth (2002-2003) Edition

by

Richard J. Sutcliffe

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The most severe is outright termination, leading at least temporarily to unemployment. A worker's job may cease to existexpectation of obtaining a nearly equivalent position with another company. However, in changing times those other companies are reducing staff, for the problems encountered by the original employer are common to the whole economy. Many jobs lost during the periodic downturns in economic activity are never regained; the companies involved each time introduce new techniques and new efficiencies to reduce their labour needs

expectation of obtaining a nearly equivalent position with another company. However, in changing times those other companies are reducing staff, for the problems encountered by the original employer are common to the whole economy. Many jobs lost during the periodic downturns in economic activity are never regained; the companies involved each time introduce new techniques and new efficiencies to reduce their labour needs A third kind of dislocation, job growth, is more subtle, for it may be visible only in retrospect. Here, the job holder and the job are mutually transformed over a period of time. Managers who wish to foster it must ensure that workers have a degree of independence and job control that enables them to plan their own change and growth as employment conditions demand. Managers who wish to foster it must ensure that workers have a degree of independence and job control that enables them to plan their own change and growth as employment conditions demand

Workforve ic changing as professional (white collar )replaces blue collarSuch education must be focused on the ability to change and adapt over a person's working years, for jobs may well come and go at a rapid rate--this may be at least a medium-term feature (if not a permanent one) of the information age. If most people are faced with changing jobs or professions repeatedly, they will have to be broadly educated beyond any narrow speciality in order to cope Such education must be focused on the ability to change and adapt over a person's working years, for jobs may well come and go at a rapid rate--this may be at least a medium-term feature (if not a permanent one) of the information age. If most people are faced with changing jobs or professions repeatedly, they will have to be broadly educated beyond any narrow speciality in order to cope

There is less need all the time for people to collect data and then filter and summarize it on paper for the attention of senior management. Already, decision makers can obtain such summaries and form projections on alternative decisions easily, more quickly, and more accurately from computers on their own desks.Decision makers will be the ones assigning meaning to the data; they will not need to rely on mis-managers. Those who fail to obtain the necessary technical skills for making computerassisted decisions will join their less capable middle managers on the unemployment rolls.except in imp situation f2f communixation is not needed. Reasons to automate-salary,uniformity on work,fill oit the skill shortage,hazards 5. To increase output from a given factory floor area,strength,precision Computers introduced into offices allow employees to do more in less time. o managers to forget that principal assets are its people not its machines. Continued, this attitude could destroy the enterprise. o Technology developed for peaceful purposes can also be used for warfare. o Governments are constantly faced with demands for increased social spending. If they fund technological developments instead, they may have to trade off certain short term social pain for the hope of long term prosperity. However, the intellectual and material gap between the consumers of high-tech goods, and the creators, sellers, and managers of such products is considerable.For most

people, understanding is not a prerequisite for participation in a machine-oriented society. It should be noted, however, that in the next (information based) society it may become increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to function at all without a substantial technical background Society is maintained on communication, and it in turn requires acknowledgment and understanding of common ground The new will still depend on machines, on techniques, and on speciality knowledge, but these will exist and operate in the background of society, rather than by being its sum and substance. People will tend to the needs of other people for more of their time than they spend watching over machines, and they will concentrate more on ideas and somewhat less on technique. . It means that the population as a whole must have better access to and better opportunities to participate in what have in the past been called "academic" activities, and that the intellectual elitism of the past will continue to diminish. It therefore means that there must be a better and more broadly educated population. . Environmental problems, for instance, require scientific, economic, social, and

the idea of the "priesthood of all believers" is making yet another comeback, as part of a new conception of the essential spiritual equality of all humans under the sole authority of God o the trend away from large corporations toward small entrepreneurships, o the increase in participation of women at management levels, o the corporate provision of contracted child care, medical and dental programs, health and fitness facilities and counselling services--in order to attract and maintain workers, o the new emphasis on company loyalty and involvement in the decision making process, o the new commitment to extensive retraining and job satisfaction, o the provision of flexible hours and benefit packages, o the extension of ownership to the employees in recognition that they are the enterprise, o the merging of university and corporate interests as each grows more like the other, and o the opening, broadening, networking, and general demystifying of management.

An individual professional can become a team player in these big-league enterprises because it is already possible for anyone to maintain a seven day/twentyfour hour office accessible to the entire world, and do so without secretarial assistance. a networked model must depend far more on the a priori assumption of ethically reliable behaviour than it does on a posteriori threats of legal action over non-performance. To put it another way, the costs of law suits cannot be allowed to continue growing, or they will swallow the entire world's production. In sum, there will be practical economic and professional reasons for ethical behaviour; its rewards will promote it, even if no intrinsic value is perceived. . The assumption will not be that a professional knows everything about the field of current practice, but that such a person is equipped to find out what is necessary quickly and efficiently, and can effectively integrate it into the whole project at hand because of a wide-ranging knowledge and the ability to grasp interdisciplinary work as a whole. It has become the practice to do so only by asking questions. But, while a questioning and healthy doubting attitude are necessary for intellectual maturity, questions alone too often constitute a destructive criticism that leaves the student empty and cynical. Since the imperative of the fourth civilization will be the finding of practical answers, students will need to be taught how to do so. Thus, universities must become places that do not just teach to question, but how to find answers, and having found them, how to integrate them into the total person and society. It has become the practice to do so only by asking questions. But, while a questioning and healthy doubting attitude are necessary for intellectual maturity, questions alone too often constitute a destructive criticism that leaves the student empty and cynical. Since the imperative of the fourth civilization will be the finding of practical answers, students will need to be taught how to do so. Thus, universities must become places that do not just teach to question, but how to find answers, and having found them, how to integrate them into the total person and society.