shaffer@operations.dccs.upenn.edu (Earl Shaffer) (05/19/87)
I would love to have a group where everyone did you send you messages every time you made a typo or capitalized incorrectly, or etc. I have some possible topics: 1) Is Computer Science a science or a neatly hidden trade school 2) If we completely wire-up our entire house control systems (ie. heat,ac,security,kitchen) is a wrong number on our answering machine going to torch our castle? 3) If all of us spent our time investigating scientific knowlege gaps, no one would have the time to watch Wheel of Fortune. cheers, ============================================================================== Earl Shaffer - University of Pennsylvania - Data Communications Department "Time was invented so that everything wouldn't happen at once." Steven Wright ==============================================================================
ccastgs@gitpyr.gatech.EDU (Glenn Stone) (05/19/87)
In article <1207@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu> shaffer@operations.dccs.upenn.edu.(Earl Shaffer) writes: >I have some possible topics: > > 1) Is Computer Science a science or a neatly hidden trade school > I think computer science is a little more than a single science. Real CS is a well-balanced mix of EE (hardware), Psych (human factors), Econ, philosophy, and, yes, programming. More later... I have (of all things) a programming lab to go to. >============================================================================== >Earl Shaffer - University of Pennsylvania - Data Communications Department Interesting that a CS type would ask that... <half-serious grin> -- Glenn Stone GGGG BITNET: ccastgs@gitvm1 ARPA: ccastgs@pyr.ocs.gatech.edu G TTTTT USnail: Georgia Tech Box 30372, Atlanta, GA 30332 GGGGT ..!{akgua|allegra|hplabs|ihnp4|seismo}!gatech!gitpyr!ccastgs T
dykimber@phoenix.PRINCETON.EDU (Daniel Yaron Kimberg) (05/19/87)
In article <1207@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu> shaffer@operations.dccs.upenn.edu.UUCP (Earl Shaffer) writes: >I have some possible topics: > > 1) Is Computer Science a science or a neatly hidden trade school Hey, shh...keep it down. It's a science. No, really. Actually, I think that it really depends on the very specific education you're talking about. I'd guess from what I've heard that most college cs departments provide what amounts to glorified trade schooling (by this I mean such practices as teaching programming languages rather than programming, or teaching specifics rather than using specifics to make theory clearer). > 2) If we completely wire-up our entire house control systems > (ie. heat,ac,security,kitchen) is a wrong number on our > answering machine going to torch our castle? No, no, no. Definitely not. People who design high tech wonders spend the entire design process making sure that just this won't happen. > 3) If all of us spent our time investigating scientific knowlege > gaps, no one would have the time to watch Wheel of Fortune. Or Flyers games. But with any luck, someone will soon have their research rewarded with the discovery of a number of extra hours in the day, and all will be well again. -Dan
jad@beta.UUCP (05/20/87)
In article <1207@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu>, Earl Shaffer writes: > 2) If we completely wire-up our entire house control systems > (ie. heat,ac,security,kitchen) is a wrong number on our > answering machine going to torch our castle? > cheers, > Earl Shaffer - University of Pennsylvania - Data Communications Department Among other things, this group could well be the beginning of an unmoderated version of .risks - for all of technology and not just for the risks of using computers. I suppose the question would be: what do you think of when thoughts of "high-tech" come to mind? Are they always associated with computers? If so, how have computers affected the "thing" that was formerly not computerized? Zoz
shs@vanhalen.rutgers.edu (Steven H. Schwartz) (05/20/87)
In article <1207@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu>, shaffer@operations.dccs.upenn.edu (Earl Shaffer) writes: > > 1) Is Computer Science a science or a neatly hidden trade school The partition is at the Master's level, with "professional" MS programs on the "professional" trade school side, and PhD feeders on the other side. > 2) If we completely wire-up our entire house control systems > (ie. heat,ac,security,kitchen) is a wrong number on our > answering machine going to torch our castle? You -live- there? Don't you have robots to reside there for you? > 3) If all of us spent our time investigating scientific knowlege > gaps, no one would have the time to watch Wheel of Fortune. > Why don't you play the home version? Close your eyes, twirl the mouse around, then bang on the keyboard for at least twenty seconds. Open your eyes, and see your fortune. Lots of fun while editing your thesis. -- If G-d had wanted man to eat shellfish, He would have created clams with self-opening pop-tops. Steven H. Schwartz (201) 846-9185 ARPA: shs@paul.rutgers.edu (201) 932-4714 UUCP: ...seismo!rutgers!paul!shs
harwood@cvl.umd.edu (David Harwood) (05/20/87)
In article <1207@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu> shaffer@operations.dccs.upenn.edu.UUCP (Earl Shaffer) writes: >I would love to have a group where everyone did you send you messages >every time you made a typo or capitalized incorrectly, or etc. Did I you send you a message, didn't I, or etc? > >I have some possible topics: > > 1) Is Computer Science a science or a neatly hidden trade school No. > 2) If we completely wire-up our entire house control systems > (ie. heat,ac,security,kitchen) is a wrong number on our > answering machine going to torch our castle? Undecidable in general. > 3) If all of us spent our time investigating scientific knowlege > gaps, no one would have the time to watch Wheel of Fortune. > No one has time for WofF - just Vanna White. > > cheers, > We have solved all important philosophical problems.
eugene@pioneer.arpa (Eugene Miya N.) (05/21/87)
Sure I have a topic from the old comp-soc group which we were discussing. Computer literacy. Not to dredge up old muck. The weekend before doing on vacation. I stopped by a fruit stand/hamburger joint on the way to Tahoe. I was awaiting for my milk shake when some older people came into the joint. Let me make a long story short. It was quite clear that these people were functionally illiterate and had to ask to have the menu read for them. These are older people, not poorly dressed (as an indicator of socio-economic class or anything like that). I have had this situation happen before. These people do function and survive in our society. What I want to ask is not what computer literacy is, but what computer illiteracy is? Can people survive in our society as computer illiterate? How? I don't mean Luddites actively trying to destroy a system. Why is it WE expect so much out of people (they change rather than we make systems to fit into existing culture). --eugene miya In the interest of discussion.
ma188saa@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU (Steve Bloch) (05/25/87)
In article <1207@super.upenn.edu.upenn.edu> shaffer@operations.dccs.upenn.edu.UUCP (Earl Shaffer) writes: >I have some possible topics: > > 1) Is Computer Science a science or a neatly hidden trade school Are those the only possibilities? Couldn't it be an Art? The answer, obviously, is it's all three: if you want to be a programmer and make $30K to start, it's a trade school subject. If you want to build something that changes people's lives in the long run, it's a science. And if you follow Phaedrus and throw in a good measure of Quality (in either case) it's an Art.