Emma@SU-CSLI.ARPA (Emma Pease) (03/06/86)
[Excerpted from the CSLI Calendar by Laws@SRI-AI.]
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION AND DEVELOPMENT TALK
The Perspective Concept in Computer Science
12:15, Monday, March 10, Ventura Conference Room
Our topic next Monday (March 10) will be a continued discussion
(introduced by Jens Kaasboll) of the issues raised by Kristen Nygaard
in his talk about perspectives on the use of computers:
Regardless of definitions of ``perspective'', there exist many
perspectives on computers. Computers are regarded as systems, tools,
institutions, toys, partners, media, symbols, etc. Even so, there
exist system description languages but no tool, or institution, or
... languages. What do the other perspectives reflect, which make
them less attractive for language designers? Suggestive answer: The
system perspective is the definite computer science perspective in
which the processes inside the computers are regarded as the goal of
our work. Viewed through some of the other perspectives, the computer
is seen as a means for achieving ends outside the computer, i.e., the
needs of people using the computers.