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

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CS5038 The Electronic SocietyLecture 1: Introduction to CS5038Course Organiser: Frank Guerin

E-mail: f dot guerin at abdn dot ac dot uk

Course Website: www.abdn.ac.uk/~csc245/teaching/CS5038

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Marshall McLuhan, 1911 - 1980

"we shape our tools and they in turn "we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”shape us.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MarshallMcLuhan.png

Dr. Ehud Reiter, Computing Science, University of Aberdeen 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


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


Topics

Broadly a 2-way split Sectors

» E-commerce, e-govt, e-learning, e-health, e-science, e-entertainment

Issues» Legal, ethical/professional, organisational,

policy, digital divide


Course structure

Schedule» See web page» Tutorials: sign up via Web

Staff» Frank Guerin (course organiser, co-teaching)» Matthew Collinson (co-teaching)» Unconfirmed: ?Matt Dennis? (demonstrator)


Reading Information page on course website

» Books, websites, seminars» All background/optional» No course textbook as such» http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~csc245/teaching/CS5038/information/

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~csc245/teaching/CS5038/information/


Assessment

75% exam» Topics from lectures, tutorials, assessment

– NOT just what's on powerpoint!

25% coursework» Two articles (25%)

– NOT just what's on powerpoint!

» Oral presentation – not marked, but could help article

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Introduction: What is eSociety About?

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Introduction: What is eSociety About?

Electronic

TechnologyHuman

Society

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Marshall McLuhan, 1911 - 1980

"we shape our tools and they in "we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”turn shape us.”


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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.

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Technological and social developments through the ages…

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Development of farming

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Settlement

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Settlement

They interact and feed each other – technological and social development

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Development of money

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Specialisation

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Specialisation

Some unexpected, like traders

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Development

of Writing

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Why study eSociety?

Learn about effects on societyLearn about new/old needs of societyLearn about non technical challenges

Looking at the big picture maybe you can see the patternhelps you predict

how technology will changehow society will change

business opportunity (Google, eBay, Amazon, Youtube)social engineering opportunity


Topics: Sectors

E-Society sectors» E-commerce» E-government» E-learning» E-health» E-science» E-entertainment

Potential benefits? Barriers?


E-Commerce

Potential benefits» Shop open 24/7» Customers all over world» Unlimited catalogue

Issues» Business models (organisational change)» Security/privacy/trust» Legal barriers to international sales


E-Commerce

Potential benefits» Shop open 24/7» Customers all over world» Unlimited catalogue

Issues» Business models (organisational change)» Security/privacy/trust» Legal barriers to international sales


E-government

Potential benefits» Info is easily accessible to all» Easier tax forms, voting, etc

Issues


E-government

Potential benefits» Info is easily accessible to all» Easier tax forms, voting, etc

Issues» Unfair to people who lack access to web?

– Poor, elderly, deprived


E-Learning

Potential benefits» Distance learning» Material can be customised to student

Issues


E-Learning

Potential benefits» Distance learning» Material can be customised to student

Issues» Ownership/use of material?» Many people want face-to-face teaching

– Interaction with peers


E-Health

Potential benefits» Sharing medical information (eg, A&E)» Fewer medical errors» Detect disease outbreaks, etc, better

Issues


E-Health

Potential benefits» 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?


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.


E-Science

Potential benefits» 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


E-Science

Potential benefits» 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


E-Entertainment

Potential benefits» Much broader range of material» Interact with people around world

Issues» Privacy (esp of children)» Rights to material (IPR)


E-Entertainment

Potential benefits» Much broader range of material» Interact with people around world

Issues» Privacy (esp of children)» Rights to material (IPR)


E-Society

Internet/web/IT can change society for the better

But these changes require many non-technical barriers to be addressed.


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

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Electronic

TechnologyHuman

Society

"we shape our tools and they in turn "we shape our tools and they in turn shape us.”shape us.”


Documents

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