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␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ u1


␈↓ α∧␈↓α␈↓ ∧GSOCIETAL ATTITUDES TO TECHNOLOGY

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTThe␈α∩foregoing␈α∩exposition␈α∩of␈α∩the␈α∪social␈α∩effects␈α∩of␈α∩computer␈α∩technology␈α∩as␈α∪consisting␈α∩of
␈↓ α∧␈↓opportunities␈α
is␈α
not␈α
the␈α
accepted␈α
point␈αof␈α
view␈α
of␈α
the␈α
computer␈α
science␈αcommunity.␈α
 Unfortunately,
␈↓ α∧␈↓C.P.␈α∃Snow␈α∃was␈α∃mistaken;␈α⊗there␈α∃aren't␈α∃two␈α∃cultures.␈α⊗ There␈α∃are␈α∃barely␈α∃1.5.␈α⊗ The␈α∃scientific
␈↓ α∧␈↓community␈α
mainly␈α
takes␈α
its␈α
social␈α
attitudes␈α
from␈α
the␈α
general␈α
culture,␈α
and␈α
beliefs␈α
quite␈α
contrary␈α
to␈α
a
␈↓ α∧␈↓scientist's␈α∂own␈α∂experience␈α∂can␈α∂be␈α∂adopted␈α∂and␈α∂maintained␈α∂in␈α∂the␈α∂face␈α∂of␈α∂considerable␈α∂contrary
␈↓ α∧␈↓evidence if this is what the magazines and the professors are saying.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTThe␈αAssociation␈α
for␈αComputing␈α
Machinery␈αhas␈α
a␈αSpecial␈α
Interest␈αGroup␈α
on␈αComputers␈α
and
␈↓ α∧␈↓Society,␈α
and␈α
I␈α
recently␈α
read␈α
all␈α
the␈α
issues␈α
of␈α
its␈α
newsletter␈α
which␈α
has␈α
been␈α
published␈α∞since␈α
1975.
␈↓ α∧␈↓This␈α∞newsletter␈α∞has␈α∞had␈α∞almost␈α∞nothing␈α∞positive␈α
to␈α∞say␈α∞about␈α∞any␈α∞new␈α∞technology.␈α∞ The␈α
largest
␈↓ α∧␈↓single␈α∩issue␈α⊃discussed␈α∩is␈α∩that␈α⊃of␈α∩whether␈α⊃electronic␈α∩funds␈α∩transfer␈α⊃should␈α∩be␈α∩allowed.␈α⊃ Every
␈↓ α∧␈↓possible␈αworry␈αis␈αadvanced,␈α
and␈αthere␈αare␈αa␈αfew␈α
feeble␈αarticles␈αfrom␈αthe␈αbanking␈α
industry␈αsaying
␈↓ α∧␈↓what␈α
they␈αare␈α
doing␈α
to␈αmeet␈α
some␈α
of␈αthe␈α
␈↓↓what␈αifs␈↓.␈α
 The␈α
president␈αof␈α
the␈α
of␈αthe␈α
ACM's␈αmost␈α
recent
␈↓ α∧␈↓letter␈αto␈αthe␈αmembership␈αwas␈αentitled␈α␈↓↓Technology:␈αBoon␈α
or␈αBane?␈↓,␈αand␈αit␈αwas␈αas␈αmuch␈αlike␈αa␈α
college
␈↓ α∧␈↓freshman theme on the subject as the title would suggest.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTMost␈α
other␈αtechnological␈α
communities␈αare␈α
in␈αa␈α
similar␈αstate,␈α
although␈αthe␈α
doctors␈αgenerally
␈↓ α∧␈↓stand up for medicine and some of the physicists stand up for nuclear energy.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTIt␈αseems␈α
to␈αme␈α
that␈αthe␈α
amount␈αof␈α
harm␈αpeople␈α
are␈αsuffering␈α
from␈αside-effects␈α
of␈αindustry
␈↓ α∧␈↓and␈αtechnology␈αin␈αgeneral␈αis␈α
less␈αthan␈αwas␈αcommon␈αin␈α
eras␈αdominated␈αby␈αa␈αmore␈αpositive␈α
attitude.
␈↓ α∧␈↓Therefore,␈α
it␈α
seems␈αunlikely␈α
that␈α
the␈αpresent␈α
attitude␈α
is␈αmainly␈α
a␈α
result␈αof␈α
observed␈α
harm.␈α Here
␈↓ α∧␈↓are␈α∩some␈α∩thoughts␈α⊃on␈α∩the␈α∩subject,␈α∩and␈α⊃in␈α∩presenting␈α∩them␈α∩to␈α⊃this␈α∩audience,␈α∩I␈α∩apologize␈α⊃for
␈↓ α∧␈↓poaching.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αT1. Technology hasn't changed daily life much recently.␈↓∧1␈↓

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αT2.␈α
The␈αmost␈α
common␈αview␈α
of␈αanti-technology␈α
is␈αthat␈α
it␈α
is␈αa␈α
response␈αby␈α
a␈αcertain␈α
part␈αof␈α
the
␈↓ α∧␈↓population␈α
to␈α
the␈α
situation␈α
in␈α
which␈α
they␈α
find␈α
themselves.␈α
 The␈α
amount␈α
of␈α
anti-technology␈α∞in␈α
a
␈↓ α∧␈↓society␈α
is␈αa␈α
function␈α
of␈αthe␈α
circumstances␈α
that␈αgenerate␈α
such␈α
attitudes.␈α This␈α
belief␈α
is␈αaccepted␈α
both
␈↓ α∧␈↓by␈α
people␈α
who␈αagree␈α
with␈α
this␈α
response␈αand␈α
who␈α
disagree␈α
and␈αregard␈α
it␈α
as␈α
produced␈αby␈α
ignorance.
␈↓ α∧␈↓The␈α∪alternate␈α∪view␈α∪is␈α∪that␈α∪anti-technology␈α∀is␈α∪a␈α∪dynamic␈α∪movement␈α∪with␈α∪a␈α∀social␈α∪structure,
␈↓ α∧␈↓recruitment, internal rewards and punishments, and the vehicle for claims for political power.




␈↓ α∧␈↓ε␈↓ αT1.␈α∞The␈α∞prevalent␈α∞belief␈α
that␈α∞technology␈α∞is␈α∞changing␈α∞the␈α
world␈α∞faster␈α∞and␈α∞faster,␈α∞and␈α
people
␈↓ α∧␈↓εcan't␈αadapt␈αto␈αit␈α-␈αis␈αwrong.␈α In␈αfact,␈αthe␈αinventions␈αbrought␈αinto␈αuse␈αsince␈αWorld␈αWar␈αII␈αsuch␈αas␈αTV,
␈↓ α∧␈↓εjet␈αtravel␈α
and␈αthe␈αpill␈α
have␈αaffected␈αdaily␈α
life␈αmuch␈αless␈α
than␈αthose␈αadopted␈α
between␈α1890␈αand␈α
1920
␈↓ α∧␈↓εsuch␈α
as␈α∞electric␈α
lights,␈α
piped-in␈α∞gas,␈α
telephones,␈α
automobiles,␈α∞and␈α
mechanical␈α∞refrigeration␈α
affected
␈↓ α∧␈↓εthe␈αlife␈αof␈αthat␈αtime.␈α For␈αmost␈αpeople,␈αcomputers,␈αnuclear␈αenergy,␈αlasers,␈αand␈αDNA␈αare␈αjust␈αnames␈α
in
␈↓ α∧␈↓εthe␈αnews,␈αbecause␈α
no-one␈αcares␈αwhether␈α
his␈αelectric␈αbill␈αwas␈α
prepared␈αby␈αa␈α
typist␈αor␈αa␈αcomputer␈α
or
␈↓ α∧␈↓εwhether the light goes on because of burning coal or fissioning uranium.

␈↓ α∧␈↓ε␈↓ αTSince␈α∪people␈α∪take␈α∪health␈α∪and␈α∪prosperity␈α∪as␈α∪only␈α∪their␈α∪just␈α∪deserts,␈α∪maybe␈α∪the␈α∪lack␈α∪of
␈↓ α∧␈↓εtechnological␈αinnovation␈αin␈αdaily␈αlife␈αcontributes␈αto␈αthe␈αanti-technological␈αintellectual␈αfads.␈α This␈αlack
␈↓ α∧␈↓εis␈αtemporary,␈αbecause␈αcheap␈αinformation␈αprocessing␈αwill␈αlead␈αto␈αmany␈αmore␈αpopular␈αinventions␈αthan
␈↓ α∧␈↓εthose discussed in this paper.