Computers and society

Computers are being used throughout our society to increase the productivity of many different types of users. Some of the key issues regarding the role of computers in society today are summarized below. While some people fear the change that computers represent (this fear is known as technophobia), others are taking advantage of the new capabilities they offer. For example, using computers and communications technologies, some people are working out agreements with their employers wherein they do their work in their homes. This is known as telecommuting.

As computers continue to provide new benefits in productivity, they also introduce new problems that must be addressed if we are to use computers to our best advantage. With so much information stored about each of us in huge databases across the country, there is a legitimate concern for the protection of our right to privacy. In response to this concern, a number of legislative acts have been passed over the years to protect these rights.

Concerns about the computer’s affect on our health have also been raised. As a result, computer manufacturers are continually working to improve the safety and usability of their products.

Ergonomics is the study of how humans interact with all kinds of machines, not just computers. The computer industry is attempting to solve problems related to the use of computers. Special attention has been focused on ergonomic factors that can improve the design of input and output devices in order to reduce fatigue and other work-related problems. In addition, new software designs utilize standard ways to carry out standard computer tasks. If the computer-user interface used in software programs is the same or very similar from one program to the next, the user can generalize from information previously learned.

Along with the proliferation of computers in our society, crimes related to the use of computers have also increased. Corporations have had to devise sophisticated methods for protecting both their computers and their computer-stored data. Some computer users unwittingly commit a computer crime by making copies of their computer programs for others. One method that software manufacturers have used to protect themselves against this kind of software piracy is to offer site licenses which allow the purchaser of a program to make a specified number of copies of the program to be used only in a specified location.

Both those who intend to be computer professionals and those who will work in other professions need some computer training in order to be effective workers in the information age. A wide variety of computer-related courses are available. Some computer courses are required as part of advance degree programs at universities, but many other types of training can be found through special-interest discussion groups, called computer user groups. Additionally, many professional organizations offer computer training in topics that are of particular relevance to their members.

11. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. How are computers used in business, educations, medicine, science, and art?

2. How is the science of ergonomics related to the computer and its user?

3. Why is privacy an issue that arises with the increased use of computers throughout our society?

4. If you give your friend a copy of a software program that you have purchased, are you committing a crime?

5. What are some of the methods used to protect computer systems and their data from theft?

6. What is a computer virus and how is it similar to human viruses?

7. Why is the study of ethics an important computer-related issue?

8. How can you prepare yourself for a role in the information age?

12. Переведите на русский язык:

Entry-level jobs; data input process; data-entry people; high-quality graphics; ad agencies; on the fly; in the long run; camera-ready copy; in-house training; special-interest discussion groups; computer-related courses; retail store; to get stuck; to be familiar.

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