Name: Adam J. Medina Class time: 12pm
KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (EXCLUDING REFERENCE PAGE)
Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: A Gift of Fire
Sections read: 8.1-8.2
1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:
a. Something that I found interesting in this chapter is how you can compare something so simple such as driving a car to computer use, and how all of the flaws of computers are reported but not the good
b. Something I found interesting is how people depend so much on technology, such as the Therac-25 incident, to where people received an overdose of radiation because the machine had an error.
c. Something else that also was interesting is the way people suffer from the loss of billing and how people easily trust the computers like it’s flawless.
2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?
This chapter is explaining how computer systems fail, crash or doesn’t work because of the quality of it and software bugs, viruses, and other things. The chapter also explains how the product is misused and disrupts people lives. This chapter also explains how people suffered because of errors like those who suffered in the Therac-25 case.
3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?
A new solution for this problem would probably have to be, not to put all our eggs in one basket, what I mean is that maybe we shouldn’t put 100% trust in computers. This society is developing so fast and advancing every day that we as a society feel as if we need the computers and that it wouldn’t crash or damage or catch a bug but that is when we are wrong and placed in positions we do not want to be in. The Therac-25 incident was another case where people placed 100% in technology which shouldn’t have been done. The machine had to be recalled for extensive design changes including hardware safeguards against software errors. (http://courses.cs.vt.edu/cs3604/lib/Therac_25/Therac_1.html)
4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.
To compare this topic to something without technology would have to be, taking this subject matter into the past. In the past roughly around the 80’s I doubt that there were hardly any errors with people’s personal information and without computers doing all of the work. Now what if something crashes with a lot of billing information and it doesn’t get fixed people and major companies lost hundreds of dollars which can’t be returned or undone, then there is something even more major that is a problem with technology.
5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?
I agree with what is being discussed in this chapter because as Baase explained about billing errors and how it messes with people. Baase used in example on how a woman received a $6.3 million bill for electricity when the correct bill was meant to be $63. This happens because of an error from a new computer system (Baase 407). This shows how people rely on to much technology instead of manually doing things which can decrease the percentage of errors.
6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?
This topic is very much relevant in today’s society because computers are still being bugged and errors are still being made. People can prevent these things by not putting all of their trust in computers to do the work but split the work, half computer and half workers. I’ve concluded that people will always be dependent on computers and always place themselves at risk for these things to happen.
References
A Gift of Fire: Sara Baase: pg. 407
An Investigation of the Therac-25 Accidents: Nancy Leveson, University of Washington and Clark S. Turner, University of California, Irvine (http://courses.cs.vt.edu/cs3604/lib/Therac_25/Therac_1.html)
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