limc@b8.cs.rpi.edu (Charles Lim) (11/16/90)
Our society has gone through and still going through tremendous changes since the development of computers. The rate of change is just unthinkable. We are living in the age where the saying "survival of fittest" is outdated and rather it's more like "survival of knowlegeable". We are doing things that seemed impossible just twenty years ago. Some people may not realize, but computer technology is affecting all areas of our daily lives. We've seen thousands of people being layed off from work due to overwhelming efficiency of robotic technologies. Credit card system would not have been possible without the computer technology. We recieve bills which are all computerized. We use computers to build more efficient and faster computers. Just imagine what would happen if all the computers around the world would just stop working instantaneouly. Computers are good and useful things. It probably is the most useful and powerful tool that human beings ever had. To maintain the usefulness and helpful nature of computers we must learn to control it. This may mean a slower progress in the field. But it seems like we have been developing and enhancing computer technology without thinking very hard about the consequences that it will bring. I personally feel little uneasy looking at the rate of the development. What we must realize is that this technology is very new to us (I consider 50 years very very short considering the history of mankind). We must be clearly aware of the side effects that it will bring. I think that it is quite possible that this technology which brought comfort and efficiency to our society may one day destroy it. ( I can see this becoming more plausable looking back last winter when my hard disk was erased due to virus attack. Since then I have bought virus protection software, but it seems like I have to upgrade every other week to sleep peacefully) I believe we are at a junction where we must think of ways to control the development so that it will continue to build our society not destroy it.