Chapter 7:
Evaluating and Controlling Technology
See Dilbert cartoons about evaluating and
controlling technology:
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2007-05-02/
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1997-09-10/
CptS 401, Spring 2011
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Reminders
• Today’s reading quiz covers Ch. 7.3 - 7.5
• Video scene due on Thursday
– Post it to Youtube as “unlisted”
– Include link in .txt document you upload to OSBLE
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Quiz Question 1
According to the book, the most recent focus of
discussion about the “digital divide” has been on
A. the differences in computer and Internet access
between developed and poor countries.
B. providing access to the Internet for poor people and
people in rural areas within developed countries.
C. how to ensure equal access to the Internet for
animals as well as people.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
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Quiz Question 1 Answer
A.
First paragraph of Section 7.3, p. 372.
What is “the digital divide?” Have we bridged it
yet?
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Quiz Question 2
The term “Luddite” refers to
A. people who are generally in favor of
technological progress.
B. people who generally oppose technological
progress.
C. people who try to equally weigh all arguments
before drawing conclusions regarding the
benefits of technology.
D. None of the above
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Quiz Question 2 Answer
B.
See p. 377, middle of page.
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Group Exercise (5 minutes)
• Examine the list of Luddite critiques of
technology on p. 378.
• Discuss each critique. Is it fair?
• Where do you stand on the “LudditeTechnologist” spectrum? How did you arrive
at your position? Discuss.
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Clicker Poll
(Participation credit only)
Which of the following best characterizes your stance
toward technological progress?
A. Technological progress is inevitable and shouldn’t
ever be controlled.
B. I generally favor technological progress, but I think
controls are okay in certain cases.
C. I think we need to carefully consider the implications
of technological progress; controls are okay in many
cases.
D. I am generally against technological progress; controls
are okay almost all of the time.
E. I don’t care/other
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Quiz Question 3
As noted in the text, in response to the observation
that computers improve access to information, Neil
Postman has argued that
A. inadequate information is not the cause of most
social problems.
B. improved access to information is bad for
society because it causes increased distraction.
C. improved access to information is bad for
society because it makes it easier for the
“wrong” people to get a hold of it.
D. None of the above
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Question 3 Answer
A.
See second bullet point on p. 378:
“If families break up, children are mistreated, crime
terrorizes a city, education is impotent, it does not
happen because of inadequate information.”
Is this a fair critique of technology, according to the
textbook author?
Is this a fair critique of technology, according to you?
(Discuss with your group.)
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Quiz Question 4
According to the textbook author, the fundamental
difference between the world views of supporters
and opponents of technology can be characterized
as
A. seeing the glass “half empty” versus “half full.”
B. seeing the glass being filled by technology vs.
seeing the glass being drained by technology (it
was already full)
C. wanting the glass vs. not wanting the glass in the
first place.
D. None of the above
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Quiz Question 4 Answer
B.
(See top paragraph of p. 379.)
How do you see it?
A. Technology fills my glass (love it!)
B. Technology drains my glass (hate it!)
C. Technology is somewhere in between
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Quiz Question 5
According to the textbook author, the argument that
computers have an “insidiously corrupting” effect on
their users
A. acknowledges the real negative impacts that
computers can have on people.
B. assumes that life without computers would be better
than life with computers.
C. assumes that people are weak and incapable of
making their own choices.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
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Quiz Question 5 Answer
C.
See first paragraph of p. 381: “[The argument]
displays a low view of the judgment and
autonomy of ordinary people.”
What do you think? Do computers have an
“insidiously corrupting” effect on their users?
Why or why not?
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Quiz Question 6
According to the textbook author, the conflict between
humans and nature that is commonly used to frame
debates about the environment
A. is an excellent characterization of reality.
B. is often underplayed, since humans are capable of
making conscious choices, whereas the environment
is not.
C. is an inaccurate characterization, since conflicts about
the environment are actually conflicts between
people with different views about how to meet
human needs.
D. None of the above
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Quiz Question 6 Answer
C.
See next-to-last paragraph of p. 381.
In your view, what is the primary standard of moral
value?
A. Nature
B. Humanity
C. A divine power
D. Other/none of the above
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Quiz Question 7
According to economist Julian Simon, hard
economic data collected over the past 100 years
indicates that
A. nearly every quality of life measure has
declined.
B. a few quality of life measures have declined.
C. a few quality of life measures have shown
improvement.
D. nearly every quality of life measure has shown
improvement.
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Quiz Question 7 Answer
D.
See top paragraph of p. 383: “Just about every
single measure of the quality of life shows
improvement rather than the deterioration that
the doomsayers claim has occurred.”
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Quiz Question 8
While Luddite Neil Postman believes that the main
beneficiaries of computers are
, he also
concedes that computers benefit
.
A. the poor, the rich.
B. The rich, the poor.
C. The government and big business, ordinary
citizens.
D. ordinary citizens, the disabled.
E. The government and big business, the disabled.
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Quiz Question 8 Answer
E.
See p. 384, third paragraph.
For group discussion: Whom do you think
computers benefit the most? The least?
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Quiz Question 9
Computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum made
predictions regarding
.
A. inaccurate, electricity
B. inaccurate, personal computers
C. accurate, the Internet
D. inaccurate, speech recognition systems
E. accurate, mass storage devices
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Quiz Question 9 Answer
D.
• What were Weizenbaum’s inaccurate
predictions?
• What other far-fetched predictions mentioned
in the book (or that you have come across
elswhere) stand out to you?
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Quiz Question 10
The point at which artificial intelligence or
combined human/machine intelligence advances so
far that we cannot comprehend the outcome is
known as
A. the point of no return
B. artificial intelligence netherland
C. technological singularity
D. supreme artificial life
E. None of the above
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Quiz Question 10 Answer
C. Technological Singularity
• What evidence indicates that we will reach such a
point?
• What evidence speaks against it?
• Do you think we will ever reach such a point?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Don’t know
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Discussion Exercise: Arithmetic in the
Head vs. Using Computers (Clicker)
7.12, p. 394: Some people lament that young sales
clerks cannot add up bills, compute sales tax, or
calculate change when sales terminals aren’t
working. To what extent have calculators and
computers destroyed our ability to do arithmetic
ourselves? Should we no longer teach arithmetic,
and instead just teach calculators?
A: Don’t teach arithmetic anymore, only calculators
B: Teach some arithmetic, but more calculator use
C: Teach mostly arithmetic, but some calculator use
D: Tech only arithmetic, and no calculator use
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Discussion Exercise: Online Degree
Programs
7.17, p. 395: A large number of college students
are enrolled in online degree programs. Discuss
some advantages and disadvantages (to the
students and to society in general) of students
getting degrees online instead of at (co-present)
traditional colleges.
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Discussion Exercise: Cell Phones
7.25, p. 396: Analyze the following argument
about the necessity of cell phones. Is it
convincing?
Some people do not want to own a cell phone
because, among other reasons, cell phones are
intrusive, difficult to use, and expensive.
Technology advocates say if you don’t want one,
you don’t have to buy one. This this is not true.
We have to have one, because coin-operated
telephones are no longer widely available.
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Discussion Exercise Assignments
• 7.41: Error 404, Discotech, Tier III
• 7.42: Breakfast Club, CAAK, Skynet
• 7.43:
– Pro: FAM, Pangea
– Con: CADD, Thizzle
• 7.44:
– Pro: Brandon, Rock-It
– Con: Sponge Bob, SPAMD
• 7.45: Batman Symbol, Skillz that Killz, Hide ‘Yo Kids
• 7.46: Emoticons, Error 403 Forbidden
• 7:47:
– Zeus: Pac4, Prestige Worldwide
– Luddite: SkyBlue, iTeam
CptS 401, Spring 2011
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Reminders
• Video scene due on Thursday
– Post it to Youtube as “unlisted”
– Include link in .txt document you upload to OSBLE
CptS 401, Spring 2011
4/5/11
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