study unit-technology and society

Study Unit

Technology andSocietyBy

Beverly White

Reviewed By

William Scannella

All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service markshave been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this text should not beregarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

About the Author

Beverly White has a master of arts in mathematics from LehighUniversity. She is currently Executive Director of EducationTechnology Services for the Greenville County School District,Greenville, South Carolina. In her current position, Bev is responsible for all instructional and administrative computingservices as well as the school district’s computer network andInternet services.

About the Reviewer

William Scannella has more than 25 years experience in the PCand Information Technology industry. He has worked as a help-desk analyst, desktop support technician, software tester, andsystems analyst. He has developed print and online documenta-tion and training for in-house developed and off-the-shelfsystems. He has a Masters degree in Technical Writing fromMiami University of Ohio.

Copyright © 2011 by Penn Foster, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may bereproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval sys-tem, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to Copyright Permissions, Penn Foster, 925 Oak Street, Scranton,Pennsylvania 18515.

Printed in the United States of America

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This study unit deals with changes that have occurred and willoccur in business and society as a result of evolving technology.It’s important to consider how business and society haveadapted to technological changes so that we can anticipatewhat might happen as a result of future changes.

Those future changes are going to be important to you personally. Even as you prepare for a job in today’s businessenvironment and live in today’s society, you must thinkahead about what skills you’ll need to remain marketable inthe future.

A person entering the workforce today will, on average, makefive career changes during the course of the working years.Those five career changes won’t simply be changes where youmove from one employer to a similar or better position withanother employer. Those five changes are actually changes ofentire careers—moving from one type of job to another. Andthe job that today’s worker ends up doing years from nowwill probably be a job that doesn’t even exist today.

The concept of rapid change is exciting and scary. But youdon’t need to be worried because you can learn from the pastand anticipate the future. That’s a large part of what thisstudy unit is about. But your interest in computers preparesyou for the material you’ll be covering.

There are many careers available in computer technology—with

new ones emerging almost daily. Throughout this study unit, you’ll

find employment opportunities placed in the text. They’re worded

just as they appear each day in newspapers, trade journals, and

online job postings throughout North America. Read them as they

appear and refer back to them as you work through the last section

of this study unit, which provides an in-depth look at the general

qualifications for technology careers.

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When you complete this study unit, you’ll be ableto

• Describe how the implementation of technology canimprove business processes

• Cite at least two specific examples of how technology improves business productivity and competitiveness

• Examine the role technology has played, and continuesto play, in the transition to a global economy

• Discuss trends in technology and their implications for businesses in the future

• Examine the personal effect of living in a technology-driven world

• Describe critical privacy and security issues

• Discuss trends in technology and their implications for people in the future

• Specify the skills and responsibilities associated with various computing careers

• Analyze your own background and current skill level to determine a plan of action for the future

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY 1

Business Improvements 6Global Economy 14Trends Affecting Business 19

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY 31

Information Availability and Its Effects on Society 32A Quick Look at the History of Digital Information 34Some Examples of Information Technologies 36How Technology Benefits Society 45Privacy and Security Issues 48Trends Affecting People 56

TECHNOLOGY CAREERS 64

Skill Sets 66Career Options 75Personal Assessment 77Action Plan 79

CONCLUSION 84

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS 85

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Contents

Contents

Technology and Society 1

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

When you think about it, you might not remember a timebefore computers. Computerized cash registers and scannersare unremarkable. Buying and selling stocks and other itemson the Internet may be a bit newer, but that sort of e-commerceis already commonplace as well. Production lines around theworld are being computerized. The major automobile manufac-turers use giant automated production lines to move vehiclesthrough the assembly process. Many manufacturers, includingautomotive manufacturers, use robots for many portions ofassembly work (Figure 1).

Technology and Society

FIGURE 1—Computer-assistedproduction lines are now commonplace.

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Technology and Society2

Big business can afford to implement costly robotics becauseof the magnitude of the operations. But such solutions aren’toften realistic for small businesses. However, in the case of computer-controlled production lines, this solution hasbecome feasible for manufacturers of all sizes. Visit anymanufacturer, and you’ll see how widespread this practicehas become (Figure 2).

At a John Deere manufacturing plant in Georgia, the produc-tion flow has been analyzed so that each task is timed andevery movement detailed. That enabled the plant to use technology while still employing production line workers. The “chain” that moves the units under production from station to station along the production line is advanced at specific intervals under the control of a computer. Theproduct being assembled remains at each location for a predetermined period of time. When the appropriate time has elapsed, the “chain” starts again automatically andmoves the product to the next assembly point—all withouthuman intervention. The humans working on the productionline must be sure to complete the essential work in the allottedtime for the product to be successfully constructed. But the

FIGURE 2—Whetherlarge or small, mostmanufacturers haveincorporated computertechnology into the production process.


human workers don’t have to do the additional chore ofmanually starting the chain moving to take the product to the next position and put another product in place. Theplant views the process as a successful integration of peopleand technology.

Technology exists to simplify buying and selling processes aswell. Consider just the payment portion of a credit card cycle.Many companies allow you to log on with a user identifica-tion procedure and see the charges that have been posted toyour account. At any time, you can print out a statement ifyou need to do so. You can authorize the transfer of moneydirectly from your bank account to the credit card companyso that you don’t even receive a bill in the mail. That way,you don’t have to write a check and mail it to the company—the company receives the money electronically, which simplifiesthe posting process. No one has to open an envelope, enterthe appropriate account number, and process the check. Soyou see that, although credit cards have been around forquite a while, advances in technology have made it possibleto automate additional processes without compromisingsecurity.

Let’s look at another financial process that has been madepossible using computer technology. Perhaps your employerdeposits your paycheck directly in your bank account. Youthen receive a statement showing various deductions andyear-to-date totals. If you’re away on the day your check isissued, your money is still transferred into your account onthe appropriate day and time. An added advantage of thisprocess is that you don’t have to take the check to the bankand deposit it. The money is placed in your account early inthe morning on payday—even before you receive the state-ment. You don’t have to miss lunch to run to the bank or cutan appointment short and race across town to get to thebank before it closes.

Information technology (often shortened to simply IT ) is the term used to include everything from faxes and phonesto computers and the Internet. Information technology is anappropriate term to use, since it’s information rather thanstrictly technology that’s the driving force in the dramaticchanges that continue to transform businesses and industries.

Information technology is increasing efficiencies, cuttingcosts, driving customization of products and services, andincreasing the speed of commerce.

Not only are existing businesses being transformed, but also, as a result of IT, whole new industries and products are emerging. A prime example of that trend is the hundredsof thousands of new jobs created by the Internet.

It’s generally agreed that the U.S. economy has undergonefundamental changes. Reference is occasionally made to the “new economy” in recognition of those changes.

Without instantaneous global communications, the neweconomy wouldn’t be possible. It’s critical to be able to sendand receive all sorts of data worldwide. And it’s essential tobe able to do it easily and inexpensively. Data could be any-thing from documents to video and multimedia. Costs of data transmission have decreased dramatically, which is ameasure of economic progress.

Other changes are taking place with remarkable speed.When you consider that the time from invention to produc-tion for the ballpoint pen was 50 years, it’s amazing that the transistor was in production a mere 10 years after it was invented. The pace of change in technology is so rapidthat there’s even a law to express it.

Moore’s law is named for Gordon Moore, a founder of Intel.According to Moore’s law, the transistor count of the integratedcircuits doubles every two years; thereby, doubling the processing power of microprocessors (Figure 3). Consider the following snapshot view of the growth in microchip density and complexity:

• In 1971, Intel Corporation introduced its 4004 chip containing 2,300 transistors.

• In 1978, the 8086 chip contained 29,000 transistors.

• By 1982, the 386 chip had 275,000 transistors.


A transistor is a solid-state electronic devicethat’s used to controlthe flow of electricity inelectronic equipment.

• By 1989, the Intel 80486 had over a million transistors(1,180,000).

• The Pentium Pro, introduced in 1995, had 5.5 milliontransistors in its core central processing unit.

• The Pentium IV, introduced in 2000, had 42 milliontransistors.

• In 2003, the count was 220 million for the Intel Itanium 2processor.

• In 2008, Intel broke the billion-transistor barrier, and by 2010, several companies were closing in on the 3-billion-transistor mark.


FIGURE 3—The power of computer processing grows at a phenomenal rate.

Moore’s law has had important cost implications. The rapidincrease in the number of silicon transistors integrated on achip has reduced the cost per MIPS by a factor of 2/3 per year.In 1978, the price of Intel’s 8086 was 1.2 cents per transistorand $480 per million instructions per second (MIPS). Less than20 years later, the Pentium Pro-s introductory price amountedto 0.02 cents per transistor and $4.00 per MIPS. Intel’s CoreDuo running at 2.13 GHz now costs around $200 at retail butcan do about 20,000 MIPS or $0.01/MIPS. Can this processcontinue? Many experts are struggling with this question.The shrinking size of individual features on computer chipsis approaching the atomic scale. Once a chip component iscomprised of a single atom, it’s unclear how further miniatur-ization could occur. The exponential acceleration of computerperformance—Moore’s law—might end. Already, semiconductorscientists are exploring alternate technologies.

Business Improvements

Point-of-Sale Terminals

When you purchase an item in a grocery store, the price of the item is displayed when the checkout clerk scans theUniversal Product Code, or UPC (Figure 4). Do you remembera time when each item was individually priced? Before UPCs,there were price stickers affixed to every item on the shelves,


FIGURE 4—A Typical UPC


or the amount was stamped directly on each product. If the price of an item changed, the price sticker had to bereplaced, or the price stamp had to be changed to the properprice. In order to check out, the checkout clerk had to locatethe price on each item and key in the proper amount on thecash register. Your receipt would consist of a list of priceswith no indication of the product purchased.

Technology changed all of that. The cash register became apoint-of-sale (POS) terminal. The prices of items are all storedin a central computer. When the UPC is scanned, the computerlooks up the current price of the item. Both the product nameand the price are displayed on your receipt. That’s the trans-action that you see.

There are other transactions in the background that you don’tsee. The sale of the item decreases the inventory of that itemby one. The computer does this calculation automatically asyour groceries are checked out. If the available supply of anitem falls below a pre-specified reorder number, the computertriggers a reorder for the item. When new items are received,they’re added to the inventory in the computer as they’restocked on the shelves. Changing the price of a product issimply a matter of changing the price stored in the computerfor that product. That’s certainly less labor intensive thanchanging the price on each and every item on the shelf.

It’s not just grocery stores that use POS terminals. You seethem in clothing stores and hardware stores and large depart-ment stores. They’re just about everywhere. The capabilities ofPOS terminals have improved business processes, makingbusinesses more productive by automating previously labor-intensive processes. Reduced labor costs reduce overhead,allowing businesses to be more competitive in pricing theproducts they sell.

One of the latest technologies to offer business improvements is radio frequency identification (RFID). RFID tags are like barcodes since they identify items. They’re small physical chipsthat are attached to or embedded in the packaging of products.These chips (or “electronic labels”) contain a unique ElectronicProduct Code (EPC) that holds more data than bar codes andallows tracking of individual items. For example, a bar code willidentify an item as a member of a category, such as a 50-inch

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flat screen TV. The EPC identifies each individual TV with itsdate of manufacture, warehouse location, the product expira-tion date, the lot number, even an individualized serial number.The RFID chip broadcasts its information, so it doesn’t need adirect view of the scanner but can be tracked anywhere withinradio range. This technology gives retailers the benefits ofimproved inventory management, control of shoplifting, quickerturnover of items and generally, more efficient store operation.

Automated Internal Accounting

When you think of a business accounting department, doyou envision a bunch of people wearing green eyeshadesrecording numbers in large ledgers? That was a fact of business life not so very long ago. Technological advanceschanged the business accounting process dramatically. Both internal and external processes involving accountinghave been affected. One example of how accounting haschanged is illustrated in both the following text and the scenarios involving Acme and Sharp Point Pencilmakers in Figures 5 and 6.

If a businessperson wants to order some item from an externalvendor, the usual process is to complete a purchase requisi-tion from which the accounting department creates a purchaseorder. A copy of the purchase order is sent to the vendor; acopy is sent to the department making the purchase request;and a copy is retained in accounting. When the order arrives,an invoice is included in the package. The requesting depart-ment checks that the items received are the ones ordered,and that the items on the invoice match those actuallyreceived. Notations are made on the invoice indicating receiptof items ordered and authorizing payment. The invoice isthen sent to accounting, where payment is processed and acheck is sent to the vendor (Figure 5).

Advances in technology have automated this entire process.A department wishing to purchase an item from an externalvendor logs on the business computer system and completesan electronic purchase requisition. The person within thebusiness who has control of the department’s budget elec-tronically approves the purchase requisition, which is thenconverted automatically into a purchase order. The requesting



FIGURE 5—The paper-based accounting process is cumbersome, requiring significant processing timeand paper supplies, not to mention sizable storage for paper files.

department may print out a copy of the purchase order if it’s desired. The purchase order is electronically routed toaccounting, and an electronic copy is sent to the vendor.When the order arrives and the department checks that theinvoice is correct, authorization to pay the invoice can bedone electronically. Accounting can then either send a checkto the vendor or pay it by an electronic transfer of funds.Although the electronic process takes just as long to describeor illustrate, it saves tremendous time and paper whenimplemented (Figure 6).

Although many businesses still print out the purchaseorders in multiple locations for tracking purposes, the entireprocess could be handled with no paper at all. The internalprocedures of businesses have not, in many cases, kept pacewith the changes that are possible by fully utilizing technology.However, even partial utilization of the electronic processescan improve business productivity by significantly decreasingthe amount of time that elapses from the beginning of theprocess through its completion.

Business phone services can also provide methods of elec-tronically auditing usage and streamlining complicatedbilling processes. A large business has many phones withmany different numbers. Sorting out the monthly phone billso that charges are routed to the appropriate departmentscan be a time-consuming process. Through the use of tech-nology, the phone company can now electronically transfer afile showing the details of all calls and charges for all phonesin the business. When the business receives that file, thedata is sorted and routed electronically to the appropriatedepartments. Payment can be authorized electronically bythe actual departments from which the calls were made. This process gives the individual departments necessaryinformation for determining how money and time are beingspent. Control is maintained at the lowest level, whichincreases business productivity.

Still another way businesses and institutions are using IT is by setting up procurement card systems. Procurementcards are used by corporations and institutions to reducepaperwork and streamline small-purchase procedures. Thebusiness specifies the types of purchases that may be made


A procurement card, orpurchasing card, is apayment mechanismdesigned to help compa-nies maintain control of small purchases,while at the same timereducing the associatedadministrative costs,such as authorizing,tracking, paying, andreconciling of such purchases.


FIGURE 6—An electronic procurement system is quicker, less costly in the long run, and requires little if any paper storage.

using the cards. Constraints are placed on the amount thatmay be expended as well. The cards enable the person whoneeds a supply item to make the purchase directly. Extensivepaperwork and lengthy approval processes are eliminated foreligible purchases. Detailed records of purchases are trans-mitted electronically on a daily basis from the bank, whichsupplies the cards to the business. When purchases arereviewed and verified, funds are transferred electronically tothe bank. Business productivity is improved through theminimization of paperwork and delays.

None of these technology applications represents a dramaticdeparture from traditional business practices. But each illus-trates how applying technology to one facet of a business’soperation can have effects that are more far-reaching thanthe mere automation of the process itself.

UPCs and scanners didn’t just automate the checkout process.They also enabled online inventory. Procurement cards changethe purchasing process, but they also enable electronic billingand payment.


The Hawthorne EffectIt isn’t possible to point to a specific application of technology as being

solely responsible for improved business productivity and competitive-

ness. In fact, just by paying attention to a specific business process,

gains in productivity and competitiveness may be realized.

A research program was carried out in the 1930s at the Hawthorne

Western Electric plant. Although the study centered on human relations,

the results were surprising. The study revealed that productivity

increased as a result of workers being singled out for study and thus

made to feel important. This result is called the Hawthorne effect.

It explains the phenomenon of improved productivity simply by virtue

of someone closely studying the process. So increases in business

productivity and competitiveness could be attributed, at least in part,

to the Hawthorne effect. In other words, if someone were to study

the processes in order to automate them, then that study alone could

partially account for the gains that usually occur.

Keeping up with Changes

In businesses, senior-level executives are spending more timethan ever keeping abreast of technology and its applications.Still, they’re often uncomfortable dealing with technologyissues. The IT environment is complex. The essential disasterand contingency plans are mind-boggling. The whole areaseems a chaotic clutter of components. A comfort zone mustbe established for management to deal effectively with criticalinformation. Skillful management of information technologyis essential to the success of today’s businesses.

Standardized mass production has given way to flexible production of goods and services. Economic growth dependsupon trade, tax, and employment policies that reflect thisreality. Productivity has increased so much in manufacturingthat fewer workers are needed to make things. The same is truein agriculture, where far fewer workers are needed to producemore crops, dairy, and livestock in greater than ever before.

Almost 85 percent of today’s workforce spend the day movingthings, processing and generating information, or providingservices to people. Since 1969, virtually all the jobs lost inthe production and distribution sectors have been replacedby office jobs. Instead of using lathes and forklifts, workersnow are more likely to use faxes, copiers, telephones, and PCs.

So the companies that manufacture, sell, and service thosenew tools—the technology companies—have become extremelyimportant.

Competitive advantage throughout the business world stemsincreasingly from customization, design quality, and customerservice. All of these are made more efficient through the useof technology.

Coopetition

The word coopetition has been used to describe collaborationamong competitors. Management guru Peter Drucker talksabout the collaborative dynamic of networks, partnerships,and joint ventures. Those are all forms of cooperative compe-tition, now dubbed coopetition. Coopetition requires socialcapital, physical capital, and human capital.


Coopetition is the act ofworking together on ajoint project by partnerswho wouldn’t otherwisebe allies.

The social capital of coopetition is encouraged by collaborationand alliances. Coopetition may pertain to physical capitalsuch as plants, equipment, and technology. Coopetition maybe important human capital: intellect, character, education,and training in driving innovation and growth. All are essen-tial to the success of coopetition.

Although competition for market position has increased overthe years, so has the frequency of collaboration among com-petitors. Rather than creating giant, all-purpose companies,technology has enabled the business world to thrive throughpartnerships, networks, and joint ventures.

Coopetition enables specialized, targeted businesses to dowhat they do best while partnering with another company to provide services outside their area of expertise. Both companies benefit through increased productivity and competitiveness.

Global Economy

The economy of the eighteenth century was based on agri-culture. With the economic transformation driven by theindustrial revolution, manufacturers and industries becamethe driving force in the nineteenth century and most of thetwentieth century.

During the final decade of the twentieth century, a revolutionof constant, fast-paced change overturned the establishedeconomic order. Since knowledge was recognized as the ultimate economic resource, many referred to this as theinformation revolution.

In the traditional view of the economy, workers were viewedas commodities. When there was an uneven distribution ofjobs and workers, the natural laws of supply and demanddetermined the wages that were paid. Even though economistsacknowledged workers aren’t motivated by money alone, theyconsidered only economic factors. The reality of the workingworld included many concerns, but only abstract numbersand measures were used as economic factors. Thus, workers


were considered as a group, with no differentiation betweenindividuals or smaller divisions. They were viewed as passiveinstruments in the production process.

It’s generally agreed that a new economy has emerged. Manyexperts talk or write about the economic changes. However,there’s no firm, agreed-upon definition for the new economy.But, there’s general agreement that the new economy is theresult of fundamental structural changes in the traditionaleconomy. Those changes have meaning in the lives of workers.

The hallmark of the new economy is knowledge. Since knowl-edge knows no national boundaries, the new economy isoften characterized as a global economy.

Knowledge industries have grown in recognition becauseknowledge has grown increasingly important. You can divideknowledge industries into two types:

• Those industries whose major product is knowledgeitself

• Those industries that manage or convey information

The first type of knowledge industry includes industriessuch as software, biotechnology, and information technologyhardware. Occupations found in this type industry includeengineers, scientists, programmers, and designers. The majoroutput for these industries is research that translates intonew products and services. These industries aren’t based on machinery or skilled production line workers. They are,instead, driven by individuals engaged in research, design,and development (Figure 7). Although these industries makeup less than 11 percent of the economy’s output, they are inmany ways key drivers of the new economy.


The largest share of the economy is involved in managing,processing, and distributing information. Industries of this type include telecommunications, banking, insurance,advertising, law, medicine, and much of government andeducation. Occupations found in this type of industry includemanagers, lawyers, bankers, sales reps, accountants, andteachers (Figure 8). Success in these industries doesn’tdepend upon generating new knowledge. These industries’success depends on their ability to effectively handle andmanage information.


FIGURE 7—Biotechnicalindustries are just one example of business built on information technology.

FIGURE 8—There’s a growingjob market for informationtechnology management.

In the new economy, knowledge becomes a sort of intangiblecapital or intangible asset. Development, education, andresearch are all examples of intangible capital, which isimportant to the success of a business.

Tangible capital is the more traditional concept of capitalitems. Tangible capital may also be termed tangible assets.Tangible capital includes buildings, transportation, roads,machinery, and so on.

In general, the amount of intangible capital has grown fasterthan traditional tangible capital. So the actual worth of many companies is closely related to their intangible assets.Unfortunately, traditional accounting practices don’t measurethose intangible assets effectively.

In the new economy, the value of tangible capital is increas-ingly based on intangible inputs. That is, a company mighthave a tangible product whose value is enhanced by intangibleinputs. As disposable income has increased, consumershave increasingly purchased services and goods with value-added content, an intangible. A common example of thiswould be antilock brakes.

Much research and development (intangibles) went into the creation of antilock brakes. They’re literally loaded with electronics. The physical components of the brakesthemselves may strongly resemble conventional brakes (tangibles). They don’t weigh any more than “regular” brakes.So the tangible capital isn’t the selling factor. Antilock brakesprovide additional value to drivers because of the researchand development that went into them. It’s the intangiblecapital that makes the brakes more valuable. Consumers are often willing to pay an additional cost for an intangibleasset that they feel adds value to a product.

Everyone has an opinion about the new economy. There arepessimists and nay-sayers who emphasize and exaggeratethe downsides of the new economy. At the same time, theyunderestimate the benefits. They blame technology and globalization for downsizing, growing environmental concerns,stalled wages, and increased inequality.


The same people tend to get involved in a sort of contradictoryposition. For example, they claim that if companies installtechnology, then workers are laid off. On the other hand, if companies don’t install technology, those companies areaccused of milking profits and not reinvesting so that raisesfor workers might be possible.

Economic change creates both losers and winners. Peoplewho concentrate on the potential losers in a changing economy would prefer to stop or at least slow the process of change. They propose to do this with trade protection,top-down regulation, and funding programs that could beconsidered bureaucratic. They would like to see large organi-zations with stable employment, stable markets, and stablecompetition. This expectation is contrary to the fundamentaltrends of the new economy.

People who concentrate on the positive aspects of the neweconomy often overlook the potential problems. They see thepossibilities for growth and creativity and may favor theelimination of regulations on technology and a hands-offattitude on the part of regulatory agencies. They would liketo see more small firms and entrepreneurs flourish in achanging economy that rewards hard work and discouragesgovernment intervention in technology and education.

In the new economy, there has been a slow and steadygrowth in net total employment. This is deceptive because itcould lead to the conclusion that workers are staying in thesame employment as others are finding work. In reality,there’s a constant churning of job creation and destructionas firms are being born and dying in increasing numbersevery year. The predictability and stability of jobs in the old,traditional economy is a thing of the past.

In fact, the use of job outsourcing is a fact of life in the neweconomy. Outsourcing is the transfer of jobs from a high-wageto a low-wage area. This transfer may take place within theUnited States, say from factories in New Jersey to Alabama.More often, it takes the form of shifting production from theUnited States to low-wage countries outside the United States,a practice known as “offshoring.” Manufacturing jobs are mostlikely to be transferred, although information technology andcustomer service jobs are also candidates for outsourcing.


The turbulence of the new economy increases the insecurityand economic risk of workers and companies. However, thatsame turbulence is a driving force for innovation and growth.Less innovative companies and inefficient companies tend todownsize or go out of business in the new economy. Moreinnovative, more efficient companies take their places. Thisturbulence is one of the factors enabling the U.S. economy tosurpass that of Europe and Japan, where entrepreneurshipis less favored and job protection is more prevalent.

In the new economy, firms can grow rapidly. But they canalso go out of business or downsize just as quickly. It’s esti-mated that 30 percent of all jobs are in flux each year. A jobin flux is either being born or is in a state of dying, expand-ing, or contracting. Even in government, where job securityhas always been a given, there’s restructuring, outsourcing,and downsizing in this new economy.

Trends Affecting BusinessThroughout history, when a new invention surfaces, someonemakes predictions about how far-reaching the impact of theinvention will be. In the 1930s, when the typewriter began to be used in offices, the New York Times predicted that soon pencils would disappear from offices because the new,sophisticated typewriters would make them obsolete (Figure 9).That didn’t happen, of course, and pencils are still an officestaple.


FIGURE 9—The typewriter,though it didn’t replace the pencil, was replaced to a large degree by thecomputer, keyboard, andword processing software.

In the mid-1970s when computers were gaining acceptancein the business world, Business Week magazine proclaimedthat very soon we would all work in paperless offices. A quar-ter of a century later, offices still use paper—perhaps morethan ever.

In like manner, the predictions that we make today about howtechnology will revolutionize work and life are just as likely to miss the mark. Those championing new technology oftenunderestimate or ignore the social context within which tech-nology exists. They assume that if we just focus hard enoughon technological innovation, we’ll automatically get where we want to go in the most direct manner. No consideration is given to the social context—the background, history, common knowledge, and social resources.

Some CEOs who were weaned on paper and pencils stillwant a paper copy of their e-mail messages. Some secretarieswould still rather schedule interoffice appointments using atraditional appointment book and the telephone rather thanuse electronic scheduling software that checks all attendees’availability instantly.

Many corporations have initiated direct deposit payrolls tosave the time and money necessary to print checks. Yet,direct deposit has met resistance from workers who stillwant to receive an actual check. The capability of this technology hasn’t yet overcome the social context in whichit must work.

Even though the full capabilities of technology may notimmediately be realized, there undoubtedly will be impactson businesses. Let’s consider some of the likely possibilities.

Technology will affect the structure and management styles ofcorporations. The traditional business structure or organizationis hierarchical (Figure 10). You’ve seen the organization chartswith a pyramid of boxes connected by solid and dotted lines.This person reports to this person who reports to this otherperson—and so on throughout the organization. Work andresponsibility are passed up and down the organizational ladder.


An increasingly popular alternative to the hierarchical struc-ture is the matrix organization (Figure 11). Characterized byloose organizational decentralization, the matrix organizationimitates observed principles of nature. Those principles alongwith studies of social organization suggest that a unit ofapproximately 150 persons communicates at an optimal level while requiring minimal management.


**Information Systems Assistant**We are seeking an individual who will work with industry-standard

telephony software for service billing functions.

Qualifications:At least a two-year degree plus additional specialized training in

billing software. Prefer 2-4 years experience with packages from

vendors such as CBIS, Verizon, or Alcatel.

FIGURE 10—A Simple Hierarchical Structure

Effective communication and information sharing are essentialto the success of the matrix organization. Technology hasenabled the necessary communication, as electronic documentinterchange has become standard. Exchanging informationelectronically forges flexible networks of individuals and firms.This allows leadership by consensus rather than authoritarianmanagement—and a matrix organization is born.

Technology will affect productivity. Robert Solow, a NobelPrize–winning economist, has said that we see computerseverywhere except in the productivity statistics. Indeed, tradi-tional measurements don’t reflect any effect on productivityresulting from computers and information technology.


FIGURE 11—A Simple Matrix Structure

This is termed the productivity paradox. Productivity growthhas slowed every decade since the 1960s while investmentsin IT have grown dramatically.

Other economists argue that it’s the economy and the tradi-tional measurements that are at fault. As the United Statestransitions to a new digital economy, there’s still much of theold mechanized economy in place. Throughout the twentiethcentury, mechanizing the production and handling of goodsresulted in three to four percent productivity growth per year.Automated assembly lines and farm procedures producedmore with less and did so more economically. That was theold economy.

In the new economy, almost 85 percent of the jobs are in theservice sector. Mechanization doesn’t apply to those jobs, soit no longer drives productivity. But the digitization that willyield improvement in the service sector jobs is still in itsearly stages. There’s insufficient progress to significantlyaffect productivity statistics.

Information technology (IT) has been applied in manufacturingsettings to improve productivity. Massive enterprise resourceplanning (ERP) systems attempt to manage the entire opera-tion from planning, acquiring materials, design, shop floorcontrol, accounts payable, human resources and otheraspects of the business cycle. These are very aggressiveundertakings with huge potential to streamline production,shorten development, control inventory, and improve cashflow. To date, they’ve had limited success. The costs toimplement the organizational change necessary to make thesystems work often outpaces the savings realized throughthe software itself.

In the service industries, technological innovation as well aswidespread use of IT has had a better track record. Paperbased transactions are disappearing. Standard documentformats such as PDF (Portable Document Format) combinedwith intelligent and inexpensive storage and retrieval systemshave resulted in an almost universal method to exchangeinformation without hard copy. Online shopping for consumersand between businesses is now a fact of life. Much of thisgrowth is due to secure transactions based on advanced software encryption and security schemes.


Once society and business develop confidence in IT and are comfortable with the technology, significant increases inefficiency will be possible. For example, a banking transactioninvolving a teller averages $1.07, a telephone transaction costs54¢, transaction made through an ATM costs 27¢, bankingwith a PC software program costs 1.5¢ and an Internet-basedtransaction only costs one cent. The cost of a similar onlinebanking transaction is one cent. Once people become securewith online banking, the number of teller transactions willdecline, productivity will increase, and costs will go down.

The digitization of the economy in the twenty-first centurypromises to bring the kinds of economic benefits to Americansthat mechanization brought in the twentieth century. As moreAmericans use the Internet, smart cards, broadband telecom-munications, and other similar technologies, more applicationswill be developed, and the value of the technologies will beenhanced. Once this occurs, the productivity paradox couldvery likely give way to a productivity boom.

Technology will affect jobs. Low-wage jobs are growing, buthigher-wage jobs are growing even faster. Between 1989 and1998, high-paying jobs grew 20 percent. During that sameperiod, low-paying jobs grew 10 percent. Middle-paying jobsshowed no growth.

Technology doesn’t change the natural rate of unemployment.Consider what happened when tractors and disease-resistantcrops led to a decline in agricultural jobs. You would thinkthat would cause an increase in unemployment, right? Notso. As food became cheaper, consumers had more money tospend on other things like cars and appliances and entertain-ment. This led to the creation of jobs in those sectors.

The last three decades of the twentieth century saw unemploy-ment at record-setting lows. Low unemployment continueddespite corporate downsizing and increased use of technologyin the workplace. It’s clear, then, that technology doesn’t reducethe number of jobs in the economy. As IT raises productivity,the result will be higher incomes rather than fewer jobs.


In the 1990s, three million new managerial jobs were created.This was unexpected since organizations were flattening theirhierarchies, which should have led to fewer managerial posi-tions. Instead, there was a greater demand for more managerswho focus on quality, innovation, design, marketing, andfinance.

Technology will continue to affect manufacturing and makemore options available to consumers. Henry Ford is reportedto have said, “You can have a Model T in any color as long as it’s black.” That was true of the original mass productionprocess when mechanization was responsible for economicgains (Figure 12). But mass production is no longer the driving force.

Production processes based on information technology allowcompanies to develop “flexible” factories and offices. Costsrise little when variety expands through the application oftechnology. Flexibility is key. Agile companies are better able to target new, more diverse markets. New products andservices are developed, and consumers benefit because theirneeds are met.


FIGURE 12—There weren’tmany options available on the first Ford vehicles.

Technology has already led to expanded choices for consumers.The average number of products carried by a typical supermar-ket has more than tripled between 1980 and 2009 from 15,000to 50,000. In 1970, only a few products were introduced annu-ally. In 2006, however, close to 182,000 new products wereintroduced globally with the majority originating in the USA.The number of choices is expected to continue to expand.

A product’s life cycle is affected by technological change. Theproduct life cycle is defined as the phases from introduction of a product on the market and its eventual replacement byanother product. All phases of the product life cycle fromdesign to build to marketing have been shortened. Being able to get a product developed and on the market faster than the competition gives a business a distinct advantage.

The rapid pace of technological advancements is also responsi-ble for a product quickly becoming obsolete, because there’s anewer, better or faster product to replace it. Computers, forexample, lose about one percent of their value per week.

In general, competition and widespread use of technologicaladvancements in materials, computer-aided design, andautomation has led to compressed product developmentcycles. In other sectors, such as automobile manufacturing,the shortening of the product introduction cycle has beenremarkable. In 1990, it took six years from concept to pro-duction. By 2000, it was down to two years. And in 2009, at least one manufacturer (Toyota) had shortened the cycle to 12 months.

The share of revenues that companies derive from newerproduct lines has also grown. In the 1970s, new productsaccounted for 20 percent of all sales. In 1999, 30 percent ofthe 3M company’s overall revenues came from sales of prod-ucts that were less than four years old.


Technology is indirectly responsible for a new description of time. A Web year is the length of time it takes for Internettechnology to evolve as much as technology in another envi-ronment might evolve in a calendar year. In 1998, a Web yearwas pegged at one-fourth of a calendar year or three months.Today, it’s estimated to be one-seventh of a calendar year ora little over seven weeks.


Design Engineer, SolutionsSummary:

Responsibilities include creation and implementation of engineering

designs for regional networks. Manage process including ordering,

configuration, and installation of equipment. Order circuits to regional

sites and execute preliminary acceptance tests. Coordinate for site

builds with facility manager, MSO engineers, and internal support

groups. Document designs, installation, and all configuration parame-

ters. Interface with Operations Center and various internal engineering

organizations. Must be capable of a flexible work schedule, significant

evening and night work. Will carry pager. Some travel required.

Qualifications Required:

♦ 5+ years of hands-on experience with routers, switches,

bridges, hubs, and terminal servers and experience with IXC,

LEC and CAP telcom circuit ordering.

♦ Knowledge and experience with single-mode fiber and associated

transceivers, mode converters, and interconnects preferred.

♦ Significant experience in the setup and management of routers

in large-scale IP networks.

Qualifications Preferred:

Excellent oral and written communication skills. Project management

skills a must. Team player in a dynamic, fast-moving environment.

Strong hardware background preferred. Ability to coordinate and

implement numerous projects in a fast-paced environment. Ability

to guide the designs of junior team members and negotiate design

solutions with other groups in the organization. Cisco experience

preferred. Unix experience preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This information technology allows greater consumer choice.Time constraints have changed. It’s now possible to bankaround the clock rather than only during banking hours.There’s greater diversity of products and services, such as isreflected in the numbers of magazines and TV stations fromwhich to choose. It has also given consumers more choicesin the type of consumer-business interaction they want touse. They can telephone or e-mail businesses. They can send“snail mail” (traditional mail through the postal service). Theycan even opt for good, old-fashioned human interaction,which Microsoft employees jokingly refer to as “face mail.”

There are many other areas that technology may affect. As electronic commerce steals more shoppers away from tradi-tional stores, shopping malls are expected to increasinglyoffer entertainment to lure people back into real-world shopping experiences. “Social audits” may become as commonas financial audits. Corporations will increasingly modify theiractivities to conform to their customers’ social consciousness.Companies will outsource major portions of their support serv-ices while becoming more efficient with their core activities.

Whether or not these specific scenarios come to pass, there’sno doubt that technology has had and will continue to havesignificant impact on businesses. Someone has said that “theonly constant is change.” Nowhere is that more true than intechnology and its impact on business.



Self-Check 1At the end of each section of Technology and Society, you’ll be asked to check your under-

standing of what you’ve just read by completing a “Self-Check.” Writing the answers to these

questions will help you review what you’ve learned so far. Please complete Self-Check 1 now.

1. Name several components of information technology.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2. What is Moore’s law?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

3. Describe the Hawthorne effect.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

4. Define coopetition.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

5. Describe the two types of knowledge industries.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

6. Compare tangible capital and intangible capital.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

(Continued)


Self-Check 17. Predictions about sweeping changes that will be made as a result of technology often don’t

become reality even though the technology is capable of performing as envisioned. Why?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

8. What is a Web year and what does it measure?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

9. Take a moment to think about your present workplace or a business you’ve worked at duringthe last several years. How has the workplace been affected by technological innovation?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

10. Consider a product that you use in your home or office. How has the product, its packaging,or marketing (commercial promotion) changed because of advances in technology?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

11. Nearly everyone takes advantage of health care at some time in his or her lifetime. How hasyour health care provider and pharmacy changed with the advent of computerized procedures?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Check your answers with those on page 85.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

In the 1950s, an automatic letter-sorting machine wasdesigned that combined a punched-card sorter, a magneticdisc memory device, and an “optical character recognition”reading machine. The three technologies were linked togetherwith computers to sort mail automatically. The system “read”an address, looked up the information for sorting, then phys-ically separated the individual letter from others and stackedit for delivery or further sorting. Today, the latest generationof that machine can process millions of letters a day.

That letter-sorting machine is just one example of how tech-nology serves society. Imagine the backlog of mail at the postoffice if letters all had to be hand sorted! Through technology,we’ve come to take for granted rapid and reliable mail service.If you don’t believe this is true, mail a letter to a country thatdoesn’t have automated mail service and wait for a response!

It’s important for us to develop an awareness of the socialinvolvement in technological advances. There are threepoints at which there must be some social involvement intechnological innovation:

• Social need

• Social resources

• Sympathetic social context

If any one of these factors isn’t present, it’s unlikely that atechnological innovation will be widely adopted or be suc-cessful. Let’s consider each of those factors.

Social need. The sense of social need must be strongly felt.Otherwise, people won’t be prepared to invest time andresources in a technological innovation. The social need maybe for a more efficient cutting tool or a labor-saving machine.There might be a realization that we need to develop newsources of energy or ways to use new fuels. The need mightbe a real response to a social situation. Many times, the needis artificially produced. In modern societies, needs are oftengenerated by advertising. Whatever the source of social need,


it’s essential that people are aware of the need. Only thenwill there be a market for the commodity that’s developed to meet that need.

Social resources. Social resources are necessary if tech-nology innovation is to be successful. Many inventions havefailed because appropriate social resources weren’t available.Social resources include money, materials, and skilled per-sonnel. These are vital. Consider the notebooks of Leonardoda Vinci, which contain ideas for helicopters, submarines,and airplanes. Few of these innovations even reached themodel stage because resources were lacking. The materialsand machinery weren’t available to create the precision partsneeded for the inventions to function. So the inventions of da Vinci never got off the drawing board because socialresources weren’t available.

Sympathetic social context. A sympathetic social contextprovides an environment that’s receptive to new ideas. Theremust be a significant group of people who are open to theinnovation. If the dominant social groups are prepared toconsider the technology innovation seriously, success ishighly likely.

Information Availability and Its Effectson Society

Just working through this study unit, you’ve seen that manytechnological innovations already exist and are supported to at least to some degree by society. Technology’s most significant impact involves information and its availability. People are more likely to be able to seek out information, to assess the value of information, and to make decisionsbased on the information they acquire (Figure 13). A societywhose people demonstrate these capabilities has a high levelof information maturity. Information maturity is an essentialpart of participatory democracy.


Information maturity isthe phrase used todescribe a society inwhich information issought out, evaluated,and valued.

Equitable access to information by all citizens is a socialissue that faces our society in the twenty-first century. Allcitizens must have access to information. Whether the indi-vidual is rich or poor, access is essential. Privileged citizensand disadvantaged citizens and everyone in between thoseextremes must have access to information.

Assuring equitable access to information has been termedthe democratization of information. The last decades of thetwentieth century were characterized by democratization of information. The quality of human governance and man-agement can benefit from democratization of information.

Public information and communication utilities made democ-ratization of information possible. In doing so, they providedthe concerned citizen with equitable access to information.Those same utilities helped to create informal societal net-works that counterbalance the power of formal organizations.These networks increasingly focus on the people they serve,providing access to needed information. Democratization of


FIGURE 13—In an environment that encouragesthe use of information technology, people aremore likely to value information.

information led to the concept of the “electronic town hall.”The electronic town hall encompasses the ideal of participatorydemocracy.

A Quick Look at the History of DigitalInformation

Society is affected by the inventory of information made avail-able by technology. When digital technology emerged in themid-twentieth century, society’s inventory of recorded infor-mation increased dramatically.

In the early 1960s, computers were used to digitize text forthe first time. The idea was to reduce the cost of publishing acouple of abstract journals. There was also a desire to reducethe time required for publishing the journals.

The process was so successful that, by the late 1960s, a newtype of information resource emerged. Bodies of digitized infor-mation were organized into databases. People could searchthese databases electronically and retrieve the item of interestto them. Databases of digitized information quickly became a new type of information resource.

Instead of being housed in libraries or archives, databases weregathered and maintained by database vendors. Simultaneously,there were advances in computer storage that made storinglarge quantities of information technically and economicallyfeasible. Telecommunications advanced, creating reliableremote access. Software for computer sharing was developed,and automated techniques for text indexing and searchingwere devised. All of these advances combined to fuel thedevelopment of an online database service industry.

Further developments led to computerized card catalogs inlibraries. You can use a terminal to check for available bookson specific topics or written by certain authors. The onlinecard catalog and checkout system combine to allow you tocheck whether the book you want is available (Figure 14).Union catalogs allow libraries to network together and shareholdings. Libraries have certainly changed. That’s a societalimpact of technology.


Union catalogs are elec-tronic card catalogsencompassing severalinterconnected librarysystems, which provideusers access to vastamounts of information.

In addition to technological advances in traditional librarysettings, technology has made possible “virtual libraries.” A great deal of public-domain information was developedduring the last decade of the twentieth century. This infor-mation isn’t centralized geographically. Instead, it resides in thousands of databases located around the world. Thesevast resources are now accessible almost instantaneously via the Internet.

The Internet’s World Wide Web is designed so that personscan point to information, using a universal resource locator,commonly referred to as an URL (Figure 15). It’s common forWeb pages to have links to other resources located on the Web.


FIGURE 14—Online card catalogs make findinglibrary resources as easy as a touch of a few buttons.

FIGURE 15—An URL as It Appears in the Browser Address Bar

The massive information available on the Internet has high-profile implications for society. People find some of theavailable information offensive or in bad taste. Some peoplewant access to such information restricted. Other peoplebelieve that restrictions on a person’s freedom to accessinformation are to be avoided at all costs.

Some information available on the Internet is inaccurate, sincethere are no checking processes as there are in the publishingindustry. Anyone can put up a Web page, and it can “say”anything. A Web page can proclaim that the earth is flat—it’sup to the individual user to check the facts. Teaching peopleto carefully evaluate information, especially informationgleaned from the Internet, is a challenge for society.

Some Examples of InformationTechnologies

A technological innovation with far-reaching implications forsociety is the satellite navigation system. Satellite navigationsystems have become available for personal and business uses(Figure 16). A basic car navigation system aids in determininglocation and mapping routes.


FIGURE 16—Car navigation systems use satellite technology.

Companies managing fleets of vehicles such as taxicabs,buses, commercial trucks, and rental cars enjoy the ability totrack and route individual vehicles. Message couriers andpackage and cargo transportation companies are able totrack and manage assets. Manufacturers operating underthe just-in-time assembly philosophy will get a better handleon when component shipments will arrive and where theyare once they’re in the factory. Satellite navigation systemsimprove aviation safety by aligning pilots with the runwayduring approaches and by improving the accuracy of terrainawareness, warning systems, and moving map displays,which provide situational awareness to the pilot. These positioning systems also provide commercial fishermen andmarine law enforcement agencies a highly accurate navigationsystem that can reduce violations of fisheries’ boundaries,exclusive economic zone issues, customs, and so on. Satellitenavigation systems could lower the cost and effort of highwayand waterway maintenance and management.

Satellite technology is a bigger player than ever in navigation,entertainment, and communication. Inexpensive GPS devicesthat are now available to the general public rely on a networkof satellites. High-speed, reliable voice and data communicationis possible because of the widespread use of satellites. Evenprivate homes can receive television programming directlyfrom satellites by means of small dish antennas. In the past,only governments could afford to launch satellites, but nowprivate companies throughout the world are in the satellitebusiness.

Dow Chemical Co. is building a new facility that will turncorn-derived dextrose into polymers that can be used forclothing, compostable packaging, and other products. Theseare the first polymers created from a renewable resource tocompete head-to-head with conventional polymers madefrom coal or oil. The implications for the environment givethis innovation a high profile.

A new measurement of the gravitational constant, known as“Big G,” is the most accurate measurement ever made. Themeasurement was made using a modern computerized ver-sion of the torsion balance with which the first measurementof the gravitational constant was made in 1798.



Not all the news is good. Technological innovations can leadto less beneficial results as well. For example, unsolicitedcommercial e-mail is a growing burden for persons who use e-mail. In addition to unsolicited e-mail, or “spam,” thewidespread use of the Internet has led to the appearance ofsoftware designed to infiltrate a computer system without theowner's informed consent. This malicious software or “mal-ware,” includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses,spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other maliciousand unwanted software. The results of infection range fromannoying to destruction of files and information. It’s a veryserious problem and all computer users must take activesteps to keep their systems from becoming infected.

Consumers need better mechanisms to control and manageunwanted commercial solicitations. This is an internationalproblem. Governments need to work together to develop com-mon approaches to address consumer concerns aboutunsolicited commercial e-mail, known as spam. The challengeis to develop an approach for dealing with the problem thatalso recognizes the distinction between commercial and noncommercial speech.

Technology involves the application of reason to techniques.The reason portion of the equation is where the implicationsfor society mainly arise. The acquisition of techniques is acumulative matter, in which each generation inherits a stockof techniques on which it can build if it chooses and if socialconditions permit.

There’s yet another way advances in information technologyhave affected the way we deal with information. There’smuch discussion of intellectual property rights. Who ownsideas and concepts? Legal practices and conventions need tobe rethought. New kinds of information products and mediahave necessitated a redefinition of regulations concerningproperty rights.

Personal Impact

Technological innovations have had an impact on our per-sonal lives, by saving time, reducing stress, and providingsolutions to everyday problems. Let’s take a look at just twoof the thousands of ways information technology comes toour rescue every day.

Let’s say you’re invited to a bridal shower held in a distantstate. You won’t be able to attend, but you want to send agift. Rather than purchase an item and pack and mail it, youfind the Web site of the national chain at which the bride-to-be is registered. You make a purchase online and have theitem delivered directly to the recipient in plenty of time forthe shower.

When planning a trip, check one of the map sites on the Webfor travel information. It’s easy to print out directions or mapswith complete information from door to door. Closer to yourdeparture date, check the weather forecast online for yourdestination and points in between (Figure 17). This helpsdetermine what to pack and what sort of plans to make.


The variety of products and information available online isamazing. The current effect on our personal lives is exten-sive. Let’s consider some of the ways in which technology isaffecting our lives and on the lives of our family and friends.

Educational Impact

Today’s social and economic environment places value onspeed, flexibility, and innovation. Educational attainmentincreasingly determines both the opportunities and rewardsfor individuals. The implications for schools now and in thefuture are enormous. Schools increasingly are staying openlonger and opening their doors to adult learners in need ofretraining.


FIGURE 17—Using the Internet, you can find weather forecasts for practically any place in the world.(Image courtesy of Intellicast.com 2000 WSI Corporation)

Computers and access to the Internet have been integratedinto the classroom and curriculum of today’s students.Children interact with computers directly and indirectly evenin their preschool years and from kindergarten throughtwelfth grade. Studies on the effectiveness of computers ineducation are ongoing (Figure 18). But in the meantime,there’s both real and symbolic value in wiring the nation’sschools. Certainly the effort will accelerate our progresstoward a digital information infrastructure.

The ratio of students per computer has been dropping steadily.In 1983, it was 123 students to every computer. By 1998,the ratio was 12.1 to 1 and in 2005, the ratio of students to instructional computers in public schools was 3.8 to 1.Today, it’s approaching a one-to-one ratio. However, many of the computers in schools are old and slow and can’taccess the Internet or use new software applications.

It’s not only the number of computers that impact schools,but also the issue of connectivity to the Internet. The growthin this area has been enormous. Consider that in 1994, 35percent of U.S. schools had at least one Internet connectionand only 3 percent of the classrooms were wired. By 1997,the percentage for schools was 78 percent and classroomswere at 27 percent. As of 2005, nearly 100 percent of schoolshad access to the Internet, and 45 percent were using wirelessconnections. Thanks to this universal coverage, all studentsare able to connect to Internet and take advantage of thevast number of online educational resources.


FIGURE 18—There’s no doubt that mostchildren are being affected by technologyin their schools.

One of the important goals of education is to prepare peoplefor the workforce. For years, parents have been telling theirchildren how important it is to get a good education. Thatadvice seems to have been effective. The share of the work-force with less than a high school education has declinedfrom over 35 percent in 1970 to less than 11 percent in1997, though the pace of decline has slowed in the 1990s.There’s no clear evidence of technology’s impact on success-ful completion of high school. But much hardware andsoftware is devoted to providing practice and reinforcementfor students, thus making their success more likely.

Workplace Impact

It’s impossible to ignore the effect of automation and infor-mation processing systems on skills and jobs. Informationtechnology makes many job functions obsolete. Things thatonce required human intervention can now be done, in partor in entirety, by the application of technology. The earlyuses of technology in the workplace addressed mechanicaland repetitive tasks. Increasingly, technology is automatingclerical and paraprofessional tasks. Even some highly skilled,professional functions are being enhanced by technology.Individuals performing these functions face the probability of shorter periods of employment and the need to adapt orchange their skills.

As technology grows more sophisticated, the time required to master the technology increases. The skills required byspecific workers are more narrowly focused. And changesoccur rapidly and with little advance warning. As a result,continuing training and education are likely a way of life for both employee and employer. It will be increasinglyimportant for workers to anticipate the effects of technologyand prepare to cope with them mentally and in practice.

It has long been recognized that education level affectsincome. As education levels increase, wages should increaseas well. This is true in the sense that people with more education are qualified for jobs that pay more. However, thewages of lower-paying jobs won’t increase just because the


person filling the position has additional education. Otherchanges must happen to significantly increase wages for thebottom half of the workforce.

Technology will enable some of those changes. Consider thelower-skilled, labor-intensive service sector jobs that accountfor a quarter of all jobs. Applying technology to those jobscan increase efficiency. Work reorganization can furtherincrease productivity. The workers in the positions can domore than was previously possible. At that point, wageincreases become feasible.

Education isn’t the only factor affecting the income of theworkforce. Occupation is also important. In an increasinglytechnological society, occupations that require higher skillspay a higher premium. During the decade of the 1990s, compensation paid to more-skilled precision productionworkers grew 2.3 times as fast as compensation to lower-skilled laborers. Since 1980, compensation for managerialand professional work increased, while incomes of moderate-skill jobs remained stable, and incomes of workers inless-skilled jobs declined.

A more recent development has been the implementation ofskill-based pay. Under this plan, workers are compensatedfor each new skill that allows them to perform new tasks onthe job. As workers gain each additional skill, their pay rategoes up. Some companies believe that learning a certain setsof skills leads to higher productivity and, therefore, embracethe idea of skill-based pay.

Clearly, it’s important to get a good education. But it’s alsoimportant to acquire specific skills that qualify you for thehigher-paying jobs. Keeping those skills updated will be bothnecessary and challenging.

As technology touches more and more areas of society,knowledge is rapidly becoming the most valuable currency.The volume of knowledge can be nearly overwhelming. In addition, consider the rapid pace of change. Today’sknowledge and skills may be obsolete tomorrow. Individualsare compelled to live and interact with information systemsand resources. The ability to effectively use those resourcesand systems is termed information literacy. That has becomean essential skill.


Information Exchange

The coupling of computers and digital telecommunications ischanging the methods by which information is shared. Forexample, high-speed digital satellite communications enableelectronic printing at remote sites. The world’s major news-papers and magazines transmit electronic page copies to different geographic locations for local printing and distribution.Another example is the distribution of catalogs, computersoftware, and databases via the Web. Of course, the Internetalready offers instantaneous public access to vast resourcesof noncommercial information stored in computers aroundthe world.

Similarly, there are changes in the traditional modes of informal communications. Until recently, the usual commu-nications options were primarily face-to-face encounters,such as meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops, andclassroom lectures. Increasingly, these communications venues are being replaced by electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards, and electronic teleconferencing (Figure 19).There will probably always be a mix of the two methods, butthe potential for isolation is enormous, since so much can be communicated without any real personal interactions.


FIGURE 19—Teleconferencingsaves time and money by bringingpeople together from all over theworld for discussions.

Previously difficult or impossible communications are enabledby technology. Listservs connect people with a common interesteven though they’ve never met. Chat rooms similarly providefaceless communication opportunities. Technology is creatingvirtual societies—communities of geographically dispersed indi-viduals with common professional or social interests. Globalcommunication has changed tremendously as a result oftelecommunications and the Internet. Companies can com-municate with branches or business partners overseas usingvideo conference calls. Your brother in Scotland can send photographs of your niece attached to an e-mail. You can cre-ate a Web site to host a gallery of your original artwork forothers to review and purchase. Businesses can send e-mail messagesday or night, regardless of the time zone of the recipient.Anyone with access to an Internet connection can send mes-sages or obtain information from anywhere in the world in amatter of seconds.

How Technology Benefits SocietyThe personal effect of technology is difficult to separate fromthe effect of technology on society. What affects societyalways ends up affecting individuals. And what affects indi-viduals usually ends up affecting society. Let’s consider somespecific effects of technology that affect both individuals andsociety.

Fingerprint identification. Solving crimes is potentiallybecoming easier because of technology. Latent fingerprintsfound at crime scenes have always been difficult to match toexisting prints (Figure 20). Typically, detectives on the scenefind smudged, partial prints that are naturally of poor quality.Not too long ago, it was impossible to match these crime scenefingerprints electronically with those in the FBI’s database.Computer scientists working with the FBI have developedsoftware that enhances low-quality fingerprints so that electronic matching is possible.


Latent fingerprints arescarcely visible prints,but they can beenhanced for furtherstudy.


Specialized software for fingerprint analysis also enablessearches of the entire FBI fingerprint database and allowspolice departments in different states to exchange fingerprintinformation directly. In this situation, technology was able tospeed up and automate a very laborious process (Figure 21).

Medical records. Technological advances have made it easyfor physicians to enter patient data directly into computers.This innovation eliminates a major obstacle to the conversionfrom paper to electronic medical records. A physician canselect just a couple of terms, and the system produces com-plete sentences for the patient’s record. It also integrates the

FIGURE 21—An AutomatedFingerprint Identification System

FIGURE 20—A Comparisonof Latent and InkedFingerprints

substance of the clinical note into a database suitable forresearch. Doctors benefit because they can use the systemfor both clinical reporting and research. Patients benefitbecause they can get copies of their own medical reports veryquickly. In addition, the system has been shown to reduceerrors of omission in clinical notes.

Telecommuting. Telecommuting is a phenomenon madepossible by technology. Telecommuting allows individuals to work at home by using an electronic link to a central office(Figure 22). It’s estimated that more than 100 million peoplewill telecommute by the year 2015. In the big picture, if thisprediction comes to pass, the result should be energy savingsand reduction of global pollution. On the individual level, thetime spent commuting to and from the workplace is elimi-nated.

Robotics. Robots have moved from movies into the realworld. One prediction states that robots will surpass humancapabilities both mentally and physically by 2050. Thiswould allow many humans to retire from work. Computerrobots can already handle most manufacturing jobs. They’reincreasingly able to do specific portions of accounting, prod-uct design, and other white-collar jobs. Research and


FIGURE 22—In certain instances,telecommuting reduces or elimi-nates the cost of child or eldercare.

development, engineering, executive decision-making, and, ofcourse, building better robots could well be next on the listof things for robots to do.

Standard of living. The effect of technology on an individual’sstandard of living and style of living must not be overlooked.The quality of health care is improved. Social services arebeing made more equitable. Personal comfort is enhanced.There’s a greater measure of safety and mobility. More leisureactivities are available. All these are functions of technologyaffecting individuals and society.

Privacy and Security Issues Massive data-collecting systems made possible by technologyhave caused many people to focus on the borderline betweenthe common good and personal privacy. Many are calling forthe more security protecting stored data against accidentalor illegal access, disclosure, or misuse.

The right of privacy is a legal concept described by SupremeCourt Justice Louis Brandeis in 1890 as “the right to be leftalone.” A more formal definition states that privacy is a rightnot to be disturbed emotionally by conduct designed to sub-ject the victim to great tensions by baring his intimate lifeand affairs to public view or by humiliating and annoyinginvasions of his solitude. That sounds like a fancier way ofsaying, “the right to be left alone,” doesn’t it?

The “right to be left alone” gives an individual at least somecontrol over information about him- or herself. This informationincludes files kept by schools, employers, credit bureaus, andgovernment agencies. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, individ-uals are guaranteed access to many U.S. government filescontaining information about them. In addition, agencies of government that maintain such files aren’t supposed todisclose personal information except under court order andcertain other limited circumstances.

The same technology that has made so many positive thingspossible has also made it more difficult to maintain privacy.Technology makes it possible for people to access an incredible


amount of information. But those wires send information in two directions. So it’s extremely easy for others to gainaccess to our personal data.

It’s not just the Internet that threatens privacy. As you perform everyday activities, you leave a trail of bits of infor-mation about yourself. Technology makes it easier to piecetogether those fragments of information. Even the most intimate details of your life may not be as private as youwould hope.

Social Security Numbers

You won’t remember a time when people didn’t have SocialSecurity numbers. But you may have read or heard aboutthe concern and questions when the government first startedissuing Social Security cards half a century ago. Some peo-ple worried the Social Security number would evolve into anall-purpose, national identification system. It turns out that they were right.

Today you can’t claim a young child as a dependent forincome tax purposes unless the child has a Social Securitynumber. That number is often used as a student identifier.It’s essential for getting a driver’s license in many states. It’s used as an identifier by health insurance providers. It’svirtually impossible to get by without a Social Security num-ber. Still, many Americans resist it. They point out that theSocial Security number has the power to unlock personalinformation. Experts are now recommending that peopleguard their Social Security numbers. But they also point outthat keeping the number secret won’t necessarily guaranteeprivacy.

The way the use of the Social Security number evolved seems to be typical of what happens to personal data. Firstthe Social Security number was used for the sole purpose of tracking your Social Security account. Then slowly andquietly it began to be used for driver’s license records. Nowyou have to give it to your bank. You have to record it onyour income tax returns. All government agencies use it foridentification (Figure 23).


Actually, there are only a few agencies that can demand yourSocial Security number. The most obvious of those is theInternal Revenue Service. Other government agencies canask for the number, but you don’t have to provide it. Theagency is supposed to tell you that it’s voluntary.

There are few regulations in place for the private sector.Businesses are free to demand the Social Security number.They may refuse to provide services if the number isn’t provided. This sometimes leads to a battle of wills with customers who don’t wish to provide the number.

Although most of us willingly write our Social Security numberon forms when asked, it’s worth a moment of reflection. Is thenumber really necessary? After all, it’s possible to use a SocialSecurity number to cross-reference all sorts of private data,from financial records to medical histories.

Identity Theft

There’s a related privacy issue that’s becoming all too com-mon: identity theft. It’s very easy for someone to steal youridentity. And it’s difficult to get it back. Popular magazinesfrequently feature horror stories of people who were victimsof identity theft.

Identity theft happens to an estimated 9.9 million Americanseach year. Some identity thieves use high-tech methods to get personal information. More identity thieves use very low-tech methods. How do they do it?


FIGURE 23—Most people givetheir Social Security numberwithout questioning whetherit’s necessary or not.

In many states it’s easy to purchase of copy of a birth certifi-cate. Once you have that critical document, you can get adriver’s license. Then you can get a duplicate Social Securitynumber. That’s not an extremely difficult process. But that’snot the easiest method.

Most often, identity theft begins with “dumpster diving.” It’samazing what people throw away and what can be found bylooking through dumpsters behind apartment buildings orbusinesses or along the curbs (Figure 24).

Millions of unsolicited credit card applications are sent out every year. Most of them already have identifying infor-mation conveniently printed on the application requiring only a signature. Many of them are even “pre-approved.” Too many people simply throw these forms in the trash without even ripping them in half. A quick look in a garbagecan or dumpster will illustrate just how easy it is to findthese documents. Finding just one of these convenient, pre-approved credit card applications is all that’s needed for acriminal to go on a spending spree. The unsuspecting victimprobably wouldn’t know about the fraud for months. By thenthe victim’s credit would be seriously damaged.

Businesses often discard credit card receipts without shreddingthem. Banks and brokers may throw out documents withSocial Security numbers and account information. These are treasures for “dumpster divers,” since they contain allthe necessary information for identity theft.


FIGURE 24—Think of theinformation you routinelythrow away in your trash at home.

There’s a growing debate about how to protect personal infor-mation. New laws are increasing the likelihood that identitythieves will be punished. There are even debates aboutrestricting access to public records such as birth certificates.

Still, the individual bears most of the responsibility for keep-ing personal information private. That means people must be careful about giving out Social Security and credit cardnumbers. Documents containing personal informationshould be destroyed before they go in the trash. And theyshould insist that businesses they deal with do the same.There’s probably no way to stop a determined identity thief.However, the use of common sense can make it more difficultfor a criminal to steal your identity.

Personal Information Online

Making sure personal information stays protected is a concern whether it’s stored on paper or electronically.Privacy concerns exist wherever personally identifiable infor-mation is collected and stored—in digital form or otherwise.Improper or nonexistent disclosure control can be the rootcause for privacy issues. Data privacy issues can arise inresponse to information from a wide range of sources.

The ease and speed of digital transmission online makessecurity an even more crucial activity. Just the act of using a Web site makes various kinds of information available.Internet privacy is the ability to control what information one reveals about oneself over the Internet, and to controlwho can access that information. These concerns includewhether e-mail can be stored or read by third parties withoutconsent, or whether third parties can track the Web sitessomeone has visited.

Another concern is whether Web sites collect, store, and possibly share personally identifiable information about users.Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter,and others also aggregate and market personal information.Employers, schools and government agencies sometimes usethese sites for background checks, work history verification,and assessment of characteristics. The sites do provide



methods of protecting personal data, but users should neverpost text or pictures that are potentially damaging to theirreputations.

Most Web sites now post a Privacy Policy that states thatany personal information gathered there may be used formarketing purposes. Typically, this information is confinedto preferences or habits and not associated with an individ-ual identity. Companies promise that they won't share yourinformation with any third party. When you use the Website, you’re agreeing to the terms of the policy.

There are independent organizations that monitor Web sitesfor compliance to their own privacy requirements of trans-mission and Information privacy. The individual computeruser has software tools to protect personal information, programs that encrypt data or hide the user’s identity whileonline. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on individuals to know wherever possible how their personal information isbeing used.

Electronic Banking

Soon your banker may know more about you than anyone elsein town. Banks must not only determine your correct identify,they must also know how you make your money, and how youspend it. Banks may be required to inform federal agencies ifany of your transactions are inconsistent with the pattern ofdeposits and withdrawals that you’ve established. However,there are many legitimate reasons for deviating from an estab-lished pattern. If you sell a car, for example, and place theproceeds in your account while you shop for a new one, thetransaction may be flagged by the bank’s computer, thoughnothing illegal has taken place.

53

Sometimes the loss of privacy is a voluntary event. Consider Internet

camera technology allowing almost anyone with a computer to broad-

cast real-time images on their Web site. A Webcam attached to the

computer can show online audiences anything from pornography to

local traffic conditions. Thousands of men and women use Webcams

as part of their personal Web pages. Anyone with Internet access can

click on these pages to see everything that person does in front of

one or more Webcams set up in their homes all day, every day.

Workplace Internet and E-mail Use

In the workplace, the exploding use of computer networks, e-mail and the Internet, and other digital technologies havemade it easy for companies to monitor their employees. It’sdifficult to draw a line between protecting corporate interestsand respecting worker privacy. Many companies decide it’s intheir best interest to permit a reasonable amount of personaluse of company phones and e-mail. But firms can be sued iftheir employees use the company’s e-mail or Internet accessto bring offensive material into the workplace.

Personal Web surfing on company time appears to be on the rise, and companies are monitoring this use. Monitoringcorporate e-mail is becoming a widespread practice in manybusinesses.

Offices are full of technology with security features like passwords and user IDs that convey the illusion of privacy.But voicemail or e-mail passwords don’t bar company administrators.

Any sense that e-mail is private is an illusion. You shouldnever write an e-mail you would regret seeing on a billboardwith your name on it.


Senior Network Engineer

Corporate headquarters has immediate opening for a Senior Network

Engineer. This position requires a high degree of technical proficiency

and familiarity with software and network security issues as well as

systems administration experience. Candidate should have a Bachelors

Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology (or equivalent

years of relevant experience) plus progressive experience in network

operations and network security technologies, attention to detail,

excellent verbal and presentation skills and must be able to work

independently and on multiple projects/activities concurrently.

Must have strong TCP-IP and network infrastructure design skills,

clear understanding of routing protocols and proficiency with

Windows/UNIX/LINUX scripting.

Electronic Medical Records

Many people consider information about their body and medical history to be their most private, personal data. They expect it to be locked away in their medical recordsuntil a doctor needs it to make a diagnosis or prescribe amethod of treatment. Unfortunately, the computerization ofhealth data could lead to large-scale invasions of privacy.

Doctors and hospitals are computerizing complete patientrecords because they can access and manage the informa-tion more efficiently. In an emergency, it can be especiallyhelpful if a doctor can pull up a patient’s health history onthe emergency room computer instead of waiting for apatient’s file from the records department. However, there’s a danger that the information can be shared and linked in ways that the patient isn’t comfortable with. In the end,the convenience may not be as important as the protection of confidentiality.

Some doctors worry that too many people within a hospitalcan access a patient’s records. In at least one incident, peo-ple outside the hospital also had access to at least a portionof the records. Technicians at one university health systemaccidentally put all patients’ scheduling data on two unpro-tected Web servers which were accessible online.

Today you have more reason than ever to care about the privacy of your medical information. With the computerizationof medical records, sensitive information about your physicaland mental health will almost certainly end up in data files.Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996 to set a national standardfor privacy. The U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices (DHHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule in 2003. The privacy rule sets a minimum national standard to protect the confidentiality of patient data. Individuals aregiven the right to access their own medical records and to be informed how a health care provider plans to use the information. There are penalty provisions for violationsand a process for filing complaints.


HIPAA doesn’t guarantee that personal medical informationwill be totally safeguarded. Consent to release the data isn’talways required. Past medical information can be accessedand released to organizations with a relationship to thehealth care provider. Private information can be used formarketing without the patient’s consent. In some cases,there’s no right to deny consent and there’s no defined right to sue for a violation. Ultimately, even with the HIPAAPrivacy Rule, the ability to control the flow of sensitive med-ical information is limited. The best protection is to becomeeducated about the matter and remain vigilant.

Trends Affecting People

The Changing Workplace

The nature of employment is changing. Most people in theworkforce have full-time employment, and the expectation isthat their jobs will continue indefinitely. However, as changesoccur that affect businesses, those changes will be reflectedin the jobs available within these businesses. The effect ofchange will likely be a decline in job tenure. That is, positionswill exist for a shorter time. Then the changing nature ofwork will make many of these positions unnecessary.

As new companies spring up and established companiesrespond to change and competition, workers can no longerexpect to have a long career with a single employer. Even if a worker remains with the same employer, the specifics ofthe job can be expected to change.

Workers may voluntarily change jobs more frequently in the future. New opportunities will provide challenging jobs at competitive salaries that will be attractive to workers.

The challenge for employees will be to continually reinventthemselves. Whether they remain in the same jobs with thesame employer or take jobs with different employers, thenature of the jobs will change. Employees must constantlyupdate their skills and may change focus entirely duringtheir careers.


Internet Opportunities

Another trend that will directly affect people is the increasingpopularity and use of the Internet. It has been estimated thatmore than a third of the households in the United States areonline. Many other people have Internet access through theirschools or workplaces.

The speed with which people have adopted the Internet isunprecedented. It took 38 years for Americans to make tele-phones a part of everyday life. Television took 17 years tobecome commonplace in homes across the United States. ThePC was adopted over a 13-year period. But in less than sevenyears, 30 percent of all Americans were online with somedegree of regularity. And by 2009, 74 percent of Americanadults (ages 18 and older) use the Internet, 60 percent ofAmericans use broadband connections at home and 55 percent of American adults connect to the Internet wirelessly,either through a laptop or through a handheld device like asmart phone.

Not surprisingly, the early adopters of the Internet werewealthier and well educated. But as the technology hasbecome cheaper, people from all segments of society are getting online. The online population is beginning to lookmore like the general population.

Even conservative estimates point to 200 million Americanadults being online. Consider the potential magnitude ofelectronic commerce, or simply, e-commerce. Consider thepossibilities for making services available online. Think of the implications for changes in health care, in financial services, in governmental services!

Voice Recognition

One barrier to Internet connectivity for many people is thenecessity of using a keyboard. While keyboarding courses arenow required for most high school graduates, not everyone iscomfortable with the process. The mouse helped a bit, butusers still have to type in responses. And typing is the usualway to create e-mail messages and to communicate in chatrooms and on listservs.


E-commerce is buyingor selling goods andservices on theInternet, especially theWorld Wide Web. Theterms e-commerce ande-business are usedinterchangeably.

Much research and development is dedicated to creating computers and programs that can recognize and respond to voice commands. Currently, software enables structuredvoice commands to control certain computer functions. Forexample, a user might be able to tell the computer to “closewindow” to exit a program. In its current state, the softwarehas to be customized to a specific user’s pronunciation.Regional accents could cause problems. But it’s expected that such difficulties will be overcome and full functionality will soon be achieved. In the meantime, converting spokenwords to text on computers is fairly advanced. Some basicfunctionality is now part of the Windows and the OS X operating systems. Software that can take dictation and produce documents is being widely used in medical andbusiness applications.

There’s even a prediction that within a decade or so there willbe a voice-in/voice-out (VIVO) computer on the market. Such acomputer would respond to vocal commands. It would displaygraphics but no text. Instead, the computer would “speak” tothe user. Enthusiasts point out that reading and writing wouldbecome virtually unnecessary (Figure 25). Some researchersspeculate that by the year 2050, talking computers will make


FIGURE 25—With VIVO technology,billions of people who might noteven be able to read and writewould be empowered to access theInternet, voice political opinions,and participate in e-commerce.


written language obsolete, and all writing and reading will be replaced by speech and multisensory content, recreating a worldwide oral culture.

Computer Technology’s Impact on Children

Technology is having an enormous effect on children. Notonly is there more technology in classrooms, there’s also a greater likelihood that children will have access to tech-nology at home, in community centers, or at the local library.

The Internet offers many new learning opportunities for children. There are options to become engaged in their com-munities. The Internet also makes available resources thatfoster creativity. These are all potentially positive effects.

Unfortunately, there are potentially negative aspects whenchildren use the Internet. Probably the biggest concern is the marketing on the Internet and other digital media. Thereare new children’s Web sites appearing online daily. Whileproviding educational and entertaining information andactivities, many of these sites integrate their content withinteractive advertising and direct selling.

This raises concerns about the possibility of deception andmanipulation. Younger children, in particular, are vulnerableto advertising and commercial messages. Studies have shownthat they have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and programming, or content. In addition, many parents areconcerned about the effect of advertising on the developmentof children’s values.

Research and Development

Technology has made possible remarkable advances inresearch and development. Undoubtedly some of these will affect all of us in the future.

For example, researchers have demonstrated the technicalfeasibility of creating cars capable of getting over 100 milesper gallon of gas. Work continues on a prototype of this full-sized car that will also feature safety, affordability, andcompliance with emission standards. In fact, technology hasenabled researchers to develop prototypes of vehicles thatdon’t run on fossil fuels at all.

Other research should result in more disaster-resistanthomes. Computer models are used to study structuralbehavior in simulated earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes,and windstorms (Figure 26). The result should be design and construction standards making houses more durableduring these natural disasters.


Computer Systems Engineer

Company seeks an individual to provide local support and systems

administration for its Windows 2003 server and associated Local

Area Network(s) including the regional offices that are mapped to

the Windows 2003 server. This includes the support of technology-

related hardware, software, and network/data communications

environment (voice, video, data); as well as providing services in

the areas of training, first-line help desk support for desktops, and

security.

Qualifications:

A degree in Computer Science or Information Systems is preferred.

A combination of college, technical education, or experience in elec-

tronics, telecommunications, computer hardware, software, training,

support, or security may also be considered in lieu of a degree.

MCSE and/or Cisco certification a plus.

FIGURE 26—Computersare used by meteorolo-gists to study weatherpatterns and the effectsof violent weather.

You can probably think of other ways that the trends in technology affect people. Be alert for additional examples as you read the newspaper and watch the news. The pace of technological change is hectic. But it’s also exciting.



Self-Check 21. List the three points of social involvement in technology innovation.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2. What is information maturity?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

3. Describe some of the advantages of using satellite navigation systems.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

4. How is technology affecting schools across the country?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

5. How has technology changed the modes of communication?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

(Continued)


Self-Check 26. What is the right of privacy?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

7. What is dumpster diving?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

8. What protection for an individual is provided by a Web site’s privacy policy?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

9. Describe a potentially negative effect of the Internet on children.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________



TECHNOLOGY CAREERS

Two trends are changing the face of work in the UnitedStates. New industries are being created that make new jobsavailable. New technologies and new ways of organizing workare transforming many existing jobs. Both these trends affecteconomic opportunity and the well-being of workers.

Knowledge-based jobs—those requiring post secondary, voca-tional, or higher education—grew from 27 percent of totalemployment in 1983 to 31 percent in 1993, and were more40 percent in 2007. Technology changes have expanded thework of higher-educated workers while replacing work formidlevel workers and hardly affecting the manual work of thelowest-paid group. Demand has risen for the educated pro-fessionals and managers. At the same time, demand forroutine clerical and analytical skills used in many positionsfilled by middle-educated workers has declined.

Projected employment growth is concentrated in the service-providing sector, continuing a long-term shift from thegoods-producing sector of the economy. From 2008 to 2018,service-providing industries are projected to add 14.6 millionjobs, or 96 percent of the increase in total employment. Thetwo industry sectors expected to have the largest employ-ment growth are professional and business services (4.2million) and health care and social assistance (4.0 million).

The leisure and hospitality sector, which includes hotel andrestaurant workers, will experience a 9 percent growthbetween 2008 and 2018 (Figure 27). Even here, knowledge in the use of computer technology will be a prerequisite tolanding a job and advancing in the industry.

Many high skilled jobs will experience dramatic growth.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employmentof computer and information systems managers is expected togrow 17 percent over the 2008–18 decade. Computer supportspecialist positions will grow 14 percent in the same period.Similar growth patterns extend to database developers, system administrators, and programmers. These growth projections are faster than the average for all occupations.

People with IT skills will clearly be in demand. In fact, thenational economy is tied to the availability of appropriatelyskilled workers.

IT departments are exciting places to work—they’re oftenchaotic and constantly changing (Figure 28). IT departmentssupport mission-critical applications while, at the same time,working on developing or improving systems.

IT departments are called on to serve the technological needs of all other departments in a business. They’re alsoresponsible for the security and integrity of the business’smission-critical data. These responsibilities often create


FIGURE 27—Hotel and restau-rant personnel, along withother service-related fields,will continue to grow in thenext decade.

FIGURE 28—If you like to be constantlychallenged to find solutions to differentproblems every day, an IT position mightbe right for you.

conflicting demands. Users in other departments want easy,open, user-friendly interfaces, but security dictates log-inand user-authentication processes with frequent passwordchanges. Users want to be able to access the system at anytime from any location, but allowing remote access aroundthe clock can seriously compromise system security. It’s upto the IT department to educate users about security, butalso to meet the essential needs of the users in some sort ofcompromise. This can be a stressful process for IT workers.

The help desk is another challenge for IT departments. Thejob of supporting users can be frustrating and requires technical expertise, patience, and sympathy. In high-techcompanies, the help desk has the even more complicatedtask of supporting developing technology.

Change is a large challenge for IT workers. Technologychanges rapidly, so personnel need to continually updatetheir skills to support ever-changing products. Not only doesthe product itself change, the business environment alsochanges with reorganization and changing markets. There’stremendous opportunity as companies start up every day.But there’s some uncertainly as well, since companies foldeach day, too.

The work environment for IT professionals is nearly alwaysfast-paced and demanding. The work is hard but stimulating.Change is the status quo. Stress and energy levels both arehigh. Competition is relentless.

High-tech jobs are typically high paying and entail hard work in a creative, innovative environment. IT professionalscontribute to the success of the company and must deal witha fast pace and constant change. Long hours and headachesare par for the course as well.

Skill SetsLet’s take a look at the skills and responsibilities that areassociated with various technology careers. There’s probablyno such thing as a typical technology job, which meansthere’s no such thing as a typical set of skills that you need.


Mission-critical applica-tions are those that, ifcompromised in wholeor in part, would resultin a significant, if notcritical, impairment ofthe system.

Further, as you’ve seen throughout this study unit, thenature of IT jobs is changing, so the required skill set isgoing to change as well.

For our purposes right now, let’s look at high-tech employ-ment in general without distinguishing between the varioustypes of technology jobs. There are some generalities abouttechnology that are applicable to almost any job in the ITfield.

Keyboarding ability leaps to mind. Although other inputmechanisms exist for users, for now and for the foreseeablefuture, the keyboard is the primary way that IT professionalsinterface with the computer (Figure 29).

Programmers type in lines of code. Network engineers type in assorted setup and diagnostic information. Data entryrequires a high degree of keyboard expertise. Even help deskworkers key in descriptions of calls.

“What about Web developers and Webmasters?” you may beasking yourself. It’s true that the Web is a graphical environ-ment, but the programming code that underlies the Webpages is input via the keyboard. The links must be carefully


FIGURE 29—All IT positions require atleast some keyboarding during eachworkday.

typed out. And the fine-tuning and Web management func-tions often depend upon input from the keyboard, so Webdevelopers and Webmasters need keyboarding skills, too.

“Facility with computers” isn’t likely to appear in the job qualifi-cations listing. Still, hiring managers are generally looking forevidence that a potential employee is comfortable and confidentaround computers. Employers are also encouraged when candi-dates display respect for the capabilities of computers and forthe importance of the technology in the business environment.

The third general skill is a bit harder to measure, but may bethe most important skill so far. It could be stated as the abilityto both learn new skills and to apply knowledge to differentsituations. This is sometimes stated in job advertisements asan expectation that the employee will “stay current.”

In earlier years of computer technology, it was expected that alltechnology jobs would require COBOL and FORTRAN. Timeshave changed. While you might never see a line of COBOL code during your career, you will see HTML, Oracle, C++, JAVA Script, PERL, VB.NET and other software programs and languages that may not exist yet. Learning new skills is a way of staying current, and is a necessity in a field where change is rapid.

Just as COBOL and FORTRAN programmers had to updatetheir skills or be left behind, the newest generation of programmers will need to keep up with the times as well.Technology skills can be used in colleges, businesses, govern-ment agencies, and public schools. The computer capabilitiesare very similar, but the applications are very different. Theinstitutional culture or corporate environment greatly affectshow products and services are delivered. Just because anapplication worked a certain way in one business doesn’tmean it will be suited even for the same job in a different environment. You have to use your technical skills and knowl-edge to adapt the application for the current environment.

Let’s consider just one example of how culture or environmentaffects technology. In the banking industry, it’s generallyaccepted that security is essential. Frequently changed passwords, user lockout after a password is incorrectlyentered on the second or third try, secure backups, andcryptic program prompts are facts of life. No one questions it.


That’s just the way things are. After all, people reason, we’reworking with large sums of money so we need to take allthese precautions.

On the other hand, people dealing with student data in aneducational institution tend to resist such security setups.Passwords are generally changed less frequently. Users are given multiple attempts to log in correctly. Cryptic pro-gram prompts are met with complaints. Shutting the systemdown for backups is a challenge for the IT department.Institutional data is just not viewed by its users in the sameway that banking data is. So technology has to accommodatethe environment, while still maintaining the integrity of thedatabase.

A final general expectation is that the employee has a goodwork ethic. That’s often more difficult to find than technologyskills. Lack of a good work ethic has led to more dismissalsthan poor technology skills. A person with a good work ethicwill probably master the necessary skills, but the reverseprobably isn’t true.

What does a “good work ethic” mean, anyway? There’s probablynot an ironclad definition, and the phrase probably won’tappear in a list of job requirements. Yet, it’s certainly a topicof discussion when hiring managers get together.

One definition states that a good work ethic means doing thejob correctly whether or not anyone is looking. Even if youthink no one is ever going to know that you took a shortcut,you do the job the right way. You arrive on time when workingoff-site even if you’re pretty sure no one will know that youwere late. You travel between job sites without takingdetours for personal errands or extra breaks. You work tothe best of your ability even though the person at the sitehas no way of knowing whether you’re just putting in timeuntil you can go home or whether you’re actually doing pro-ductive work.


We’ve now identified four general skills that are important fortechnology workers:

• Keyboarding

• Facility with computers

• Ability to learn and to apply knowledge to different situations

• Good work ethic

Let’s move on to consider some other characteristics.

Peruse the trade journals and newspaper advertisements forprofessional positions (Figure 30). Check the Internet post-ings on various Web sites. Read the qualifications that aresought. There are several other characteristics that commonlyappear in technology employment listings.

Experience. Experience seems to lead the list. Almost everyposition listed either requires or prefers a number of years ofexperience.


FIGURE 30—You shouldkeep current by checkingout the jobs that are avail-able and what’s requiredfor each of them.

For some high-level positions, there’s no substitute for expe-rience. But for many positions, there might be substitutes forthe experience. Perhaps you were in a computer club thatdid programming for an elementary school. Documentingyour participation in that project gives you a certain amountof experience. You may have done volunteer computer workfor friends with small businesses. That can be documentedeffectively. Perhaps you’ve built your own computer fromparts and put together a network for your church. Youshould describe those activities.

The experience you have may not be directly related to theposition you’re applying for, but you may be able to showhow it would positively affect your ability to do the job. For example, if you’re applying for a help desk position, you might note the similarity in attitude that’s required, and thus cite your sales experience. Or you might point totelephone skills gained in a telemarketing job.

Offering evidence of accomplishments is another way toaddress experience. If you’re applying for a position involvingdesigning Web pages, you may offer the URL for your per-sonal Web page or bring printouts of pages you’ve designed.Many creative positions suggest that the applicant bring aportfolio. Putting a portfolio together with samples of yourwork is probably a good idea. Even if it doesn’t substitute forexperience, you’ll be able to document your accomplishmentsand abilities.

Education and certifications are often listed as job require-ments. That provides the hiring manager with an assessment of your accomplishments. A degree or certificate of any kindshows your ability to stick with a program and successfully see it through to completion. A specific certification is evidencethat a recognized professional organization has assessed yourknowledge in a certain area and found it to be satisfactory.

Currently, many advertisements request A+ certification forpositions involving hardware. For networking positions, thereare multiple Cisco and Microsoft certification options. There’seven a user certification offered by Microsoft. Since all ofthese verify knowledge at a specific level, it’s a good idea toacquire certifications appropriate to your field of interest.


A portfolio is a set ofmaterials (often artwork,photographs, or graphicdesigns) gathered togetherin a folder, binder, orcase, which itself is alsocalled a portfolio.

Ability to multitask. A list of preferred skills and abilitiesfor IT positions will often specify the ability to multitask. Inthe fast-paced IT field, it’s rare to be able to work exclusivelyon one project from beginning to end. It’s more common tobe juggling three or four projects all on fairly tight schedules.Progress on one project may halt until someone else providesan essential part or answer. The expectation is that whilethat project is on the back burner, work will immediatelybegin on one of the other projects.

Multitasking is tied into the concept of a good work ethic. Italso involves effective time management, which sometimesappears in the job description as a requirement.

Self-motivation. Self-motivation is another frequently listedskill. This, too, is tied into the concept of a good work ethic.In recognition of the highly individualized work done by ITprofessionals, self-motivation is considered essential to effec-tiveness. If you wait to be told what to do before doing it, agreat deal of time will be wasted. IT professionals aren’t usu-ally supervised as workers on a production line are. Instead,IT professionals are expected to be able to understand theparameters of the job to be done and to take ownership oftheir portion of that job. They must be proactive in seeingthings that need to be done and doing them. This is possibleonly with self-motivated persons in place.

Attention to detail. Another classic description of a desiredemployee is that they be detail-oriented. This phrase recognizesthat the success of what IT professionals do is dependent uponattention to detail. The link on that Web page has to be exactlycorrect to take the user to the proper place when clicked. Thepayroll program must pay an employee the appropriate amountfor the exact number of hours worked and deduct precisely theright amount for taxes. IT departments live and die by details.So successful IT workers will pay close attention to details.

Teamwork. Willingness to be a team player is often in thejob description. Rarely is technology a solitary undertaking.Systems are extremely complicated, and all the parts mustwork together for smooth functioning. Multiple people willhave portions of the larger system under their control, andthey must all work together as a team to accomplish the


The term multitaskingoriginally referred to theability of computers toperform several jobs atthe same time. Now,multitasking also refersto the ability of peopleto handle severalresponsibilities at once,prioritizing the tasksand handling the mostimportant ones first.

system goal (Figure 31). Withholding information from some-one else negatively affects the entire team’s ability to providethe technological needs of the business.

Communication skills. Perhaps hardest of all to obtain is a person with excellent technology skills who also has goodcommunication skills. Programmers tend to believe thateverything they’ve done is absolutely obvious to the user.Therefore, documentation tends to be scarce. Programmersoften say there’s no need to provide documentation sinceeverything is intuitive for the user. That’s usually not thecase. When documentation of programs or procedures is provided, it’s often stilted, grammatically incorrect, and filledwith technical jargon. While you don’t want to talk down tothe user, you do want the user to understand the directionsgiven.

Communication encompasses oral as well as written forms.Probably the biggest complaint users voice is that the technicalsupport person came and went and they had no idea whathe or she did or whether the job was finished. It does taketime, but it’s common courtesy to check in and out withsomeone at the job site to let that person know whether theproblem has been resolved and what to expect as a next step.


FIGURE 31—Most organizations want teamplayers, regardless of the position they hold.

**Wanted**Systems Developer

Growing firm specializing

in OLAP and data-

warehousing seeking

qualified individual to

work as OLAP Systems

Developer. Familiarity

with Oracle Express

and data-warehousing

techniques is required.

Knowledge of pertinent software. A final item that youcan expect to find listed in the job qualifications is workingknowledge of one or more popular software applications orlanguages or specific hardware. Quark, HTML, MicrosoftOffice Suite, PhotoShop, Cold Fusion, and Javascript aresome of the currently popular software and applications.These will change as new applications become popular. Thesecret here is to keep up-to-date with developments so youcan gain expertise with the appropriate software. Hardwareand networking equipment goes through similar evolution.Specific brands and architecture are popular one day andpassé the next. You’ll need to read extensively and keepupdating your skills.

One bright spot on the horizon is the eagerness of developersof hardware and applications to showcase their new products.IT professionals regularly receive invitations from vendors toattend breakfast meetings or half-day showcases where newproducts are unveiled. Trade shows offer an opportunity tosee and compare many new developments. There are alsomany trade magazines that you should peruse regularly tokeep abreast of developments in the field. Of course, visitingWeb sites is another way to get detailed information on prod-ucts. Most successful IT professionals employ a combinationof these methods for staying current.

Those are all general skills. But they’re important to successin the IT field. Specific skills will vary with the particular job.One study found that the most important pre-hire skilldesired for IT workers was significant knowledge in the rele-vant area. Course work and seminars were also highly ratedfor specific positions.

If that list of skills sound daunting, just remember that yoursuccess is largely based on your determination to succeed. Ifyou resolve to do what it takes, you’ll likely be successful.


Career Options

The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004. Thistrend is likely to continue. According to a report from the U.S.Bureau of Labor, there could be 3.3 million to 4 million vacantjobs in 2018. A significant portion of these jobs will be in theinformation technology sector. Of those, many won’t havequalified applicants to fill them.

Clearly, there are many opportunities for skilled, knowledgeabletechnology people. It’s also clear that the specific opportunitieswill change as time goes by and technology changes.

Refer to Figure 32 for an extensive, but not exhaustive, list oftitles for currently available IT positions. This list, arrangedalphabetically, should give you an idea of the variety of jobsthat are available in technology.

As you consider the list in Figure 32, you need to be awarethat there’s no standard job title or job description for manytechnology positions. For example, if you look at several jobdescriptions for a Webmaster, you’ll find that jobs advertisedwith that title have widely varying descriptions, depending onthe employer.

You’ll also noticed that job titles change. For example, thefollowing titles have been used to describe roughly similarpositions: Director of Technology, Director of InformationSystems, Executive Director of Management InformationSystems, and Executive Director of Education TechnologyServices.

Don’t overlook a position merely because of its title. Read thejob description carefully to see if you’re suited for the position.

Take time to go back through this study unit and read theemployment opportunities in the margins of the text. Theseare actual job postings that are included here to give you aflavor of the kinds of things that appear in them. The specificcompanies involved and any identifying information havebeen removed. Otherwise, these are actual job postings oradvertisements as they appeared in newspapers or on Websites.


Keep in mind that both the jobs themselves and the jobrequirements will change. It’s a good idea to keep checkingpostings and advertisements to see what skills are currentlyrequired. Even if you’re employed in a job you love, changesin the field are eventually going to affect you.

Experts say that individuals entering the workforce todaycan expect to have multiple careers over their lifetimes. Byfollowing trends and anticipating change, you can positionyourself for the income and lifestyle you want.


• Business Analyst

• CIO

• Computer Support Technician

• CTO

• Data Architect

• Data Mining Technologist

• Data Modeler

• Data Processing Manager

• Database Developer

• Datawarehousing Technologist

• DBA

• Developer

• EDI Coordinator

• ERP Specialist

• Help Desk

• MIS Manager/Director

• Network Administrator

• Network Engineer

• Network Manager

• Programmer

• Programmer Analyst

• Project Leader

• Project Manager

• RAD Developer

• Software Design

• Software Development

• Software Engineer

• Senior Programmer Analyst

• Senior Systems Analyst

• Systems Architect

• Systems Engineer

• Systems Analyst

• Team Leader

• Technical Writer

• Telecommunications Engineer

• UNIX Systems Administrator

• Web Developer

• Webmaster

FIGURE 32—A Sample of IT Positions


A successful career in today’s rapidly changing world of busi-ness and technology requires more hard work. It also takes a little luck. But even more importantly, it requires that youmaintain current, solid information about the trends affectingbusiness, the economy, and the workplace.

Personal Assessment

You should make it a point from time to time to sit down andassess your current skill level. Analyze your background.Consider what you have to offer to an employer.

You should also spend time considering what kind of a jobyou think you would like. What things are important to you?Are you willing to work flexible hours, or would you be hap-piest with regular hours? How would you feel about carryinga pager and being on call? Can you picture yourself workingprimarily with computers and equipment, or would you pre-fer working with people?

Your answers to these questions will give you clues aboutthe specific positions for which you’re suited. You’ll do yourbest work if you’re happy in your situation.

There are many programs and books and tests designed todetermine aptitude and suitability for a specific type of job.Natural talents and temperaments are important, but findingthe right job or career is a bit more complex than that.

Knowing your talents and temperament help in your searchfor a career or job, but it only serves as a guide. It doesn’tgive you a specific answer.

A good resource for examining your interests, job, and careeris the book What Color is Your Parachute? It’s also availableelectronically. It’s probably the best guide and resource forcareer and job hunters.

As you do your personal assessment, you may want to examineyourself in light of another set of traits. A reporter compiled alist of what he called “traits of greatness.” He had examined thequalities, beliefs, and actions of highly successful individualsand looked for common traits.


• Honesty and integrity headed the list. Being true toyourself is crucial to your ultimate happiness and wellbeing. Being honest with others is important because itcreates trust. Both are important in life.

• Consistency of effort was next on the reporter’s list.Achievement is often based on effectively working towarda goal. By working consistently, you can identify cause-and-effect relationships between your actions and theresults. Understanding those relationships, you canmove toward your goals more efficiently.

• Energy and a can-do attitude also appeared on the list.It’s essential to have a positive attitude. That’s the fuelfor the energy it takes to accomplish the task at hand.

• Faith and confidence go hand in hand. If you believe inyourself, you’ll act with confidence.

• Empathy and acceptance lead to understanding. It’simportant to relate to other people and understand thechallenges they face.

• Balance and moderation allow you to utilize your fullcapacity. You can analyze situations and events andsmooth out the extremes of emotion.

• The final traits on the list were generosity and a willing-ness to share. Time and energy are resources that arerenewed through sharing (Figure 33).


These traits will be beneficial to you no matter which specificcareer you choose. They have more to do with being a pro-ductive member of society than with obtaining a specific job.Since much of your life will be involved with your work, it’simportant that you feel you’re making a positive contributionthrough your work to your company, your community, andyour own well-being. Reflect on your skill level in each of theindicated areas. Which do you already possess? Which doyou need to work on?

Action PlanHave you ever read Alice in Wonderland? There’s a situationwhere Alice comes to a fork in the road and asks the CheshireCat which way she should go. The Cheshire Cat asks Alicewhere she wants to end up. Alice replies that she doesn’tknow. Then the Cheshire Cat responds, “If you don’t knowwhere you want to end up, it doesn’t much matter which way you go.”

FIGURE 33—Motivating andencouraging others canhave positive results.


The same principle is embodied in the oft-quoted concept,“Begin with the end in mind.” You must know where youwant to end up to make decisions that will help you to getthere.

Nowhere is this truer than in your career. From the time youwere small, people asked, “What do you want to do when yougrow up?” Now that you’re grown, you need to ask yourself,“What do I want to accomplish? Where do I want to end upin my work? What do I want to achieve?”

You may find that you take a job with a certain company toget a foot in the door. Then you work to attain the positionyou really want in that company.

Occasionally, you may make a lateral move to better positionyourself for the position you want in the future. You mayelect to accept an assignment that isn’t strictly part of yourjob to gain experience.

Not all technical professionals want to remain in technicaljobs throughout their careers. Some aspire to move intomanagement. Others want to continue to do technical workand seek promotion to more senior assignments on the tech-nical ladder. Alternatively, some professionals may seekadministrative positions on the management ladder. Whichdirection you choose depends upon where you want to endup. Either choice can provide equivalent economic rewards,influence, and status.


Self-Check 31. Describe the two trends that are changing the face of work in the United States.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2. What responsibilities create conflicting demands for IT departments?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

3. Name four general skills that are expected for technology workers.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

4. Give an example of how culture or environment affects technology.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

5. Describe some potential substitutes for the experience requirement in a job posting.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

(Continued)


Self-Check 36. Why is good communication skill important in a technical position?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

7. How can technology professions keep up to date with hardware, software, and applicationsthat are constantly developing?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

8. List the “traits of greatness.”

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________



Summary:

This position is a great opportunity for a technical person interested in the business aspects of a

fast-paced Internet company. The Intranet is the primary communications tool for dissemination of

real-time information throughout the organization. It requires a person with many talents, ranging

from Creative & Technical (graphics, design, written communication, and programming) to Customer

Support/Human Resources. The person in this position will be able to use his or her talents to help the

company grow and succeed.

Responsibilities:

The Intranet Web Developer is responsible for the development and maintenance of Web sites for

consumption by the company employee population. This includes:

♦ Interface with internal customers for development projects

♦ Intranet Web site support for the employee population

♦ Site development

♦ Web application development

Requirements:

The candidate must be college graduate (or have equivalent experience). A minimum of 2 years

experience coding HTML, using HTML editors (Dreamweaver or FrontPage) and graphics packages

(Photoshop). Experience with sites hosted on both Windows 2003 and UNIX servers. Strong written

and customer service skills are required.

The qualified candidate will possess some or all of the following skills:

♦ Page Layout and Graphic Design

♦ CGI & Perl Scripting

♦ Knowledge of Database/SQL and Middleware applications (Tango/ASP/Cold Fusion)

♦ Video Editing & Streaming (Real/Premiere/After Effects)

♦ Multimedia (Director/Flash)

♦ Systems Administration (Windows 2003/Solaris)

♦ Customer Service

♦ Project Management

Intranet Web Developer


CONCLUSION

Technology will play a role in your future. Now that you’veconsidered the many ways technology affects society, you’llprobably find you’re noticing more technology as you goabout your regular routine.

It’s important to be aware of technology. It can serve manyuseful and beneficial purposes. But it’s also important todevelop a healthy skepticism about technology. Just becausesomething can be done with technology doesn’t mean itshould necessarily be done with technology. The materialyou’ve studied in this study unit should give you the back-ground upon which to base your evaluations.

85

Self-Check 11. Information technology (IT) includes phones, faxes,

computers, and the Internet.

2. Moore’s law states that the processing power of microchipsdoubles every 18 months. There’s a corollary stating thatthe cost of computing is dropping by nearly 25 percent per year.

3. The Hawthorne effect is the phenomenon of improvedproductivity resulting from the act of studying a processrather than from making changes in the process.

4. Coopetition is cooperative competition, which mayinvolve networks, partnerships, or joint ventures.

5. One type of knowledge industry has as its product knowl-edge itself. Examples would be software, biotechnology, orinformation technology hardware industries. The secondtype of knowledge industry manages or conveys informa-tion. Examples would be banking, insurance, advertising,telecommunications, government, and education.

6. Tangible capital (or tangible assets) consists of physicalitems such as buildings, roads, and machinery. Intangiblecapital (or intangible assets) consists of items like educa-tion, research, and development.

7. Those making the predictions consider only the capabilitiesof the technology. They fail to take into account the socialcontext within which the current system exists and withinwhich the technologically enhanced system must work.

8. A Web year is one seventh of a calendar year. Web yearsare used to measure technological evolution.

9. Answers will vary.



Answers

Answers

Self-Check Answers86

Self-Check 21. The three points at which there must be some social

involvement in technological innovation are social need,social resources, and a sympathetic social context.

2. Information maturity is the phrase used to describe asociety in which information is sought out, evaluated,and valued. Information maturity is an essential part ofparticipatory democracy.

3. The satellite navigation system makes it possible for fleetmanagers to keep track of and route individual vehicles.Couriers and deliveries can be tracked. Pilots have betterinstrumentation for terrain awareness, warning systems,and situational awareness. Commercial fishermen gain ahighly accurate navigation system.

4. There are increasing numbers of computers in use inschools. In addition, more and more classrooms are con-nected to the Internet.

5. Traditional modes of communications were primarilyface-to-face encounters such as meetings, conferences,seminars, workshops, and classroom lectures. Withtechnological innovations, these modes are beingreplaced by electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards,and electronic teleconferencing.

6. The right of privacy is the right not to be disturbed emo-tionally by conduct designed to subject the victim togreat tensions by baring his intimate life and affairs topublic view or by humiliating and annoying invasions ofhis solitude. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeisdescribes the right of privacy and “the right to be leftalone.”

7. Dumpster diving is the practice of looking through thematerial discarded in dumpsters in hopes of findingvaluable information. Usually the retrieved materialleads to identity theft.

Self-Check Answers 87

8. The privacy policy prohibits the release of personallyidentifiable information such as the user’s name. Byagreeing to it, the individual tacitly authorizes the Website owner to use online activity, browsing history, etc.to be shared with third parties for marketing purposesor usage studies. The information must be anonymousand not contain anything that would tie it to a specificperson.

9. Children’s Web sites may combine educational andentertaining information and activities with interactiveadvertising and direct selling. Children may have difficulty differentiating between advertising and programming content. This raises concern about the possibility of deception and manipulation.

Self-Check 31. New industries are being created, which makes new jobs

available. And new technologies and new ways of organ-izing work are transforming many existing jobs.

2. IT departments are called on to serve the technologicalneeds of all other departments in a business. They’realso responsible for the security and integrity of thebusiness’ mission-critical data. The conflicts createdinclude the amount of security and the times and placesof accessibility.

3. Keyboarding, facility with computers, the ability to bothlearn new skills and to apply knowledge to different sit-uations, and a good work ethic

4. In banking, passwords are changed frequently; usersare locked out if the incorrect password is entered a pre-determined number of times; secure backups areroutine; and cryptic programs are the norm.

Self-Check Answers88

5. Actual work that you did in a club or volunteer settingmay count as experience. You should document anddescribe the specific activities. Work experience may notbe directly related, but if you can describe how it couldpositively affect your ability to do the job, it might beconsidered. Offering evidence of accomplishments isanother way to address experience. Put together a port-folio with samples of your work.

6. Written documentation is needed for users to understandwhat’s expected. Oral communication is necessary fordealing with persons for whom work is done.

7. IT professionals can attend vendor showcases of newproducts. Trade shows offer opportunity to see and com-pare many new products. Trade magazines and Websites also contain product information.

8. The “traits of greatness” are

• Honesty and integrity

• Consistency of effort

• Energy and a can-do attitude

• Faith and confidence

• Empathy and acceptance

• Balance and moderation

• Generosity and a willingness to share