IS 376Ubiquitous Computers: Issues and Effects

Dr. Musonda KapatamoyoNovember 6, 2014

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Contemporary State of Computers

• Invisibility, integratedness and embeddedness into a variety of real-life situations.

• High degree of connectivity.

• Cheap and miniaturized.

• Applied to everything.

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Issues and Themes

• Crime

• Loss of privacy

• Errors

• Alienation and customer service

• Unemployment

3

Information Revolution• Rapid technological shifts started in the second

half of the 20th century. Some of its characteristics are:

• Production focus has shifted from goods to services & information.

• Creation, distribution and consumption of information have become the dominating activities in society.

• Computers are the key tools (digitization of information).• Growth and domination of the information (new)

economy.• The hallmarks of the information revolution are the

personal computers, tablets, Smartphones and the almighty Internet.

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Post-Industrial Society

• The dramatic rise in the service sector and the decline of the manufacturing sector in the information age has led some to call it the post-industrial society

• Information, knowledge and creativity are the key raw materials of the post-industrial society

• Prominent role of science and engineering in society

• Elevated importance of the technological intelligentsia (Nerds rule!)

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Access Everywhere

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President Barack Obama receives the Presidential Daily Briefing from Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration, in the Oval Office, Jan. 31, 2012.

Part of the briefing was done using a tablet computer.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

What’s Next?

• The second information revolution perhaps?• That will be the center of technological innovation

for the next several years.• Also called Web 2.0

• While the first information revolution greatly expanded the amount of information in society, the second information revolution focuses on easy access to high-quality and highly customized information to users anytime, anywhere, and in a manner of the user’s preference.• Key terms include: cloud computing, wikis, file

sharing, social everything, etc.

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Web 1.0 Vs. Web 2.0• Web 1.0 referred to static web pages

that provided information, supported by the use of e-mail as a means of communication.

• Some referred to Web 1.0 as the read-only web.

• Web 2.0 (the read-write web) refers to how the Internet is used as a platform to create social networks and online communities, as well as online services and interactivity.

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Web 1.0 Vs. Web 2.0

• In a Web 1.0 environment only technically savvy individuals could author (create) content, but Web 2.0 makes it easier for anybody to contribute and participate in creating content on the Internet without having any web design or technical skills.

• Web 2.0 is therefore characterized by sharing, discussion, and collaboration.

• New terminology that presents this phenomenon are Social Software, Social Media, and Social Computing. The key word is 'Social'!

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Collective Intelligence

• Web 2.0 era businesses harness the collective intelligence of people through:

• Hyperlinking• Portal• Organic growth• Critical mass (users and buyers)• User engagement• Trust in content creation (e.g. Wikipedia)• Folksonomy (using collaborative

categorization of key words, tagging)• Viral marketing

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Data Ownership

• Who owns the data?• Data is monetized.

• In Web 2.0 environment, Companies who control data are the success stories (or powerful – see NSA). For example:

• MapQuest, • Google, • Amazon, • eBay, • Facebook, etc.

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12

Future of the WorkplaceOptimistic Outlook:

The educational system adapts rapidly to create newly trained workers.

Technology can be used to retrain displaced workers.

Pessimistic Outlook:

Advanced software will eliminate many jobs requiring high skills.

Automation and the Web will lead to mass unemployment.

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Effects on Employment

Some jobs have been eliminated.Some skills have been outdated

(deskilling)Other jobs have been created.Repetitious or boring jobs are now done

with computers.There is more time for creativity.Some workers “telecommute.”Employers can better monitor their workers.Health issues have been associated with

computer usage.

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UnemploymentComputers and Unemployment:

Automation leads to loss of jobs.

Computerization eliminates some jobs.

Computer efficiency means fewer jobs.

Increasing volume of online shopping reduces the need for store clerks.

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EmploymentComputers and Employment:

The need for computer designers, builders, graphic designers and programmers creates jobs.

Growing computer networks creates jobs for administrators.

The need for training, sales and technical support creates jobs.

In general, computers make many products affordable to more people . Thus, more jobs are created to make those products.

16Technology Takes the BlameThe Industrial Revolution in the 1800s

The Luddites burned weaving for fear that they would take away jobs. But this did not happen.

The Great Depression in the 1930sHistorians and economists attribute the depression to

these factors: “business cycles,” Federal Reserve’s manipulation of interest rates, and corporate “greed.”

Likewise, Neo-Luddites fear technology will eliminate jobs in the 20th century.

The US population is now about 4 times as high as that at the start of the 20th century. However, unemployment rate has dropped from about 9.5% (of people over the age of 14 seeking employment) to under 6% (of people over the age of 16 seeking work).

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Globalization of the Workforce

Some jobs moved from wealthy countries to less wealthy ones.

Pay rates are lower in less wealthy countries.

Outsourcing—not only in the manufacturing industry but in telecommunications and IT as well.

Implications for current workers and future prospects.

The Internet and Web reduce the need for transportation of people (e.g. teleconferencing) and paper (e.g., e-mail and attachments).

The Internet and Web make it easier for information technology (e.g., software updates) and some service jobs (e.g., technical support) to be far from customers or employers.

Flexible Work ArrangementsVirgin workers to take as

much vacation as they need.

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TelecommutingBenefits:

Flexible schedule and work options.

Reduced overhead.

Where satellite offices are used, rents are cheaper in the suburbs than downtown.

Reduction in transportation and parking resources.

Problems:

Less productive or overworked employees.

Lack of belonging & lack of visibility (social isolation).

Potential distractions are counter-productive.

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Impact on Communities

IT allows people to take a more active role in their community affairs.Or will they?

Zoning and labor laws.Hard to enforce?

Home businesses are harder to regulate and tax.Headache for politicians.

Dispersed workers are harder to organize.Challenge for unions.

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Effect on Businesses

Smaller businessesMore independent consultants and contractorsMore self-employmentSmall businesses operating globallyMulti-national (stateless) corporations and mergersDecline in number of employees per firmFlattened hierarchiesEmpowered workers

Or are they?Use of email at work makes it easier to communicate

with all levels of management.