Adil John

Tutors Blaine Rakena, Susan Bennett

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ITPD801-101
!ssa" 1
A medium for change Social Milestones in Informatics
The i#$a%t o& in&or#ati%s on so%iet" o'er the $ast &e( de%ades has
aided in trans%endin) the *oundaries o& +ealth%are, !du%ation, %o##uni%ation and
Se%urit" s"ste#s a%ross the (orld, There is a (ide 'ariet" o& de&initions &or
in&or#ati%s, it is o&ten %alled as the s%ien%e o& in&or#ation, *ut has a #u%h *roader
#eanin) to it, The -ni'ersit" o& Susse. de&ines in&or#ati%s as the stud" o& stora)e,
trans&or#ation and %o##uni%ation o& in&or#ation, In hindsi)ht to the earl"
de'elo$#ents o& in&or#ati%s, it is %learl" seen that the #an" de$art#ents o& s%ien%e
(ere inter%onne%ted and the a*ilit" to s"nthesi/e in&or#ation (as #ade $ossi*le (ith
the e#er)en%e o& in&or#ati%s, !'er sin%e the ad'ent o& in&or#ati%s, so #an" ideas
(ere dra(n out &ro# di&&erent *ran%hes o& s%ien%e and %olla*orated (ith other
de$art#ents (hile si#ultaneousl" %ontri*utin) to it0 &or instan%e, Bio-in&or#ati%s is a
stud" o& *iolo)i%al #ole%ules su%h as D1A2)enes *" inte)ratin) #ulti$le su*3e%t
areas su%h as a$$lied #athe#ati%s, %o#$uter s%ien%e and statisti%s 45erstain, 19986,
7hen e.a#inin) the histori%al $ers$e%ti'e o& In&or#ati%s, one o& the reasons &or its
de'elo$#ent (as, as a tool &or $eo$le to understand the 'er" nature o& the in&or#ation
s"ste# and $ro%esses in order to %reate a *etter so%ial en'iron#ent, It is i#$ortant to
dis%uss the de'elo$#ents in in&or#ati%s *" anal"sin) its enor#ous i#$a%t on 'arious
as$e%ts o& the so%iet", So#e o& the #a3or #ilestones in in&or#ati%s (ill *e dis%ussed
&urther in the essa",
In&or#ati%s has $la"ed a 'ital role in the de'elo$#ent o& +ealth%are or)ani/ations all
around the (orld, +ealth in&or#ati%s is an interdis%i$linar" ter# %reated *"
inte)ratin) In&or#ation s"ste#, %o#$uter s%ien%e and health%are, 8ne o& the ke"
#ilestones in health in&or#ati%s (as the in'ention o& 9o#$uteri/ed To#o)ra$h" s%an
or 9T s%an, Be&ore dis%ussin) it, let us look at a *rie& histor" o& health in&or#ati%s, At
$resent, it is :uite di&&i%ult to i#a)ine a health%are or)anisation runnin) (ithout
ad'an%ed %o#$uter te%hnolo)" and in&or#ation $ro%essin) s"ste#, The need &or
#edi%al in&or#ati%s e#er)ed a*out ;0 "ears a)o (hen it (as di&&i%ult to $ro%ess
#assi'e a#ount o& ra( in&or#ation into use&ul data, Peo$le (ere stru))lin) to #ake
de%isions *e%ause the" %ould not assess the risks due to i#$ro*a*ilit" and la%k o&
or)ani/ed in&or#ation, A&ter so #an" "ears te%hnolo)" has e'ol'ed and e.$eri#ents
(ere &re:uentl" done to i#$ro'e de%ision #akin), B" the end o& <0
th
%entur" #edi%al
in&or#ati%s %a#e into e.isten%e *" inter%onne%tin) #ulti$le dis%i$lines o& s%ien%e
(hi%h e'entuall" %reated the kno(led)e *ased de%ision su$$ort s"ste# 4+au., <0106,
1
9T s%an (as introdu%ed in the "ear 19=1 and it is %onsidered as one o& the #ost
i#$ortant *reakthrou)hs in #edi%al histor", 9T s%annin) is an i#a)in) #ethod
%reated *" %o#*inin) radio)ra$hi% #ethods su%h as .-ra"s and %o#$uter te%hni:ues
to dia)nose 'arious diseases su%h as %an%er, tu#our et%, 41ord:'ist, <0096, Durin) the
earl" da"s it (as 'er" di&&i%ult to dia)nose %an%er, tu#our or other $ro*le#s
asso%iated (ith internal or)ans, At that ti#e do%tors had a hard ti#e identi&"in) the
disease and the" %ould not #ake a de%ision due to un%ertaint", >i&e e.$e%tan%" o& the
$eo$le durin) those da"s (as lo(er than the %urrent statisti%s, The introdu%tion o& 9T
s%anners had a #assi'e i#$a%t on the so%iet", ?ost o& the deadl" diseases like %an%er
and tu#our (ere dia)nosed in an earl" sta)e (ith the hel$ o& 9T s%anners so $atients
had the o$$ortunit" to undertake $ro$er #edi%ation and $ossi*l" a'oidin) the (orst
e&&e%ts o& the disease, It also hel$ed the do%tors to identi&" di&&erent $atterns a#on)
$atients so that s2he %ould re%o##end the $atient to ha'e a health" li&est"le and
there*" $re'entin) diseases in the &uture, 9T s%an also has so#e disad'anta)es as
so#e $eo$le %annot hold their *reath $ro$erl" and hi)h dosa)e o& radiation %an %ause
*ad e&&e%ts on the hu#an *od" 4Rull, <0116, It is also i#$ortant to *e noted that in
so#e de'elo$in) %ountries, )o'ern#ent2%o##unit" hos$itals are not e:ui$$ed (ith
these kinds o& s%anners so the under$ri'ile)ed or the $oor $eo$le %annot a'ail these
&a%ilities, Politi%al a)endas and %orru$tion are the #ain reasons in this %ase, @or
e.a#$le, In India (hen the )o'ern#ent issues a *ud)et &or health%are institutions,
#a3or $art o& it is *ein) #isused in the &or# o& *ri*er" and %orru$tion *" $oliti%al
leaders or )o'ern#ent o&&i%ials0 there*" $re'entin) *etter &a%ilities in these hos$itals,
As o& no(, ad'an%ed and so$histi%ated #ole%ular i#a)in) te%hni:ues are *ein) used
in +ealth%are or)ani/ations and $eo$le started to li'e lon)er than e'er *e&ore,
A$$li%ation o& in&or#ati%s in the &ield o& %o##uni%ation and na'i)ation s"ste#s has
*een in&luen%in) the so%iet" sin%e earl" 1990s, 8ne o& the #ost i#$ortant #ilestones
in the &ield o& %o##uni%ation and na'i)ation s"ste#s (as the in'ention o& 5lo*al
Positionin) S"ste# or 5PS, It is a satellite *ased na'i)ation s"ste# that %an *e used to
identi&" an" lo%ation in the (orld durin) all (eather %onditions, The )lo*al na'i)ation
s"ste# %o#es under an area o& stud" %alled )eo-in&or#ati%s, Durin) the earl" da"s,
#ost o& the na'i)ation (as done (ith the hel$ o& #a$s and %o#$ass and not #an"
$eo$le had the a*ilit" to do that, 5PS (as &irst de'elo$ed and used *" the A#eri%an
#ilitar" 4+ol#es, <00;6, Althou)h 5PS has #an" ad'anta)es in &ield o& *usiness, it
also has #assi'e i#$a%t on the so%iet", 8ne o& the *i))est ad'anta)es o& 5PS is that it
%an *e used to tra%k $eo$le durin) an e#er)en%" situation, Another a$$li%ation is in
a)ri%ulture (here &ar#ers %an a'ail a%%urate )eos$atial in&or#ation that ena*les the#
to in%rease the $rodu%ti'it" as (ell as $rote%tin) he%tares o& &ar#land 45$s,)o',
<0136, Parents %an kee$ a tra%k o& their %hildren (ith the hel$ o& 5PS and it is also
installed in 'ehi%les to identi&" the lo%ation, 5PS also aids the $oli%e to #onitor
dan)erous %ri#inals (ho are a threat to the so%iet", In addition to that, Bankin)
industries use 5PS as a #eans o& se%urit" 4@ara)her, <01<6, ?ost o& the $eo$le li'in)
in (estern %ountries use 5PS to na'i)ate to di&&erent $la%es0 hen%e sa'in) ti#e and
#one" 4&uel6, @urther#ore, $edestrians install 5PS in their #o*ile de'i%es so that the"
%an $re%isel" &ind the (a" to a s$e%i&i% lo%ation, So#e $eo$le also use it to kee$ a
tra%k on their $ets, The a$$li%ations o& 5PS te%hnolo)" is not 3ust restri%ted to the
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a*o'e #entioned areas *ut disse#inated a%ross di&&erent se%tors o& the so%iet"0
ho(e'er, the $re%ision and a%%ura%" o& the te%hnolo)" is also *ein) e.$loited *"
dan)erous %ri#inals and terrorists to identi&" the e.a%t lo%ation in a %ountr", 9ertain
details o& or)ani/ations or areas that are 'ulnera*le or sus%e$ti*le to a $otential threat
are *ein) hidden *" the intelli)en%e a)en%ies o& that $arti%ular %ountr" in order to
a'oid an" #isha$, In %ountries like The -nited States o& A#eri%a, the )o'ern#ent
le)islation had issued a lo%ation $rote%tion $ri'a%" a%t (hi%h $re'ents or)ani/ations
to share or distri*ute the in&or#ation &ro# %o##uni%atin) de'i%es (ithout the
$er#ission o& the user 45$s,)o', <0136,
8ne o& the #a3or %ontri*utions o& in&or#ati%s is in the &ield o& edu%ation, The
introdu%tion o& 'irtual learnin) en'iron#ent or e-learnin) $lat&or# has i#$ro'ed the
standard o& edu%ation s"ste#s a%ross the )lo*e, ?oodle 4?odular o*3e%t-oriented
d"na#i% learnin) en'iron#ent6 is a &ree learnin) #ana)e#ent s"ste# (hi%h is *ein)
used in #ore than <00 %ountries, The de'elo$in) sta)e o& ?oodle (as in 1998, it has
*een e'ol'in) and #ore &eatures are *ein) added to it e'er sin%e 4S#ith, <01<6, The
need &or e-learnin) $lat&or#s *e)an due to an e#er)in) ne%essit" &or distan%e learnin)
and an online $lat&or# &or instru%tors to intera%t (ith students, ?oodle hel$s students
to a%%ess i#$ortant %ourse #aterials instantl" at an" $la%e and ti#e, Students %an
u$load &iles and their stud" #aterials to kee$ the# or)ani/ed all the ti#e, A$art &ro#
that, it $ro'ides dis%ussion &oru#s (here students %an share their interests and ideas,
@urther#ore, learnin) tools su%h as #ulti$le %hoi%e ABA and :ui//es are also added
as a $art o& %ertain %ourses &or the student to $er&or# sel&-assess#ents, The #ost
i#$ortant *ene&it &ro# ?oodle is the a*ilit" to %o##uni%ate instantl" *et(een
students and instru%tors as (ell as (ith other students, It %an also *e %usto#i/ed to &it
the user needs, There are also so#e issues (ith ?oodle su%h as0 so#e instru%tors or
students #a" &ind it di&&i%ult to )et used to the te%hnolo)", It (ould also ha'e *een
*etter i& there (as a tool &or translation to di&&erent lan)ua)es, So#e students %hoose
traditional learnin) o'er e-learnin) and the" are relu%tant to use te%hnolo)" &or
learnin) $ur$oses, It %an also ha$$en due to %ultural reasons0 &or instan%e, in India
traditional learnin) has *e%o#e a $art o& the %ulture and &a%e to &a%e intera%tions ha'e
#ore 'alue o'er online intera%tions, In so#e $arts o& south India, $eo$le are 'er"
%onser'ati'e and the" %onstantl" resist %han)es in the edu%ational s"ste#, So it %an *e
a hindran%e to the intelle%tual )ro(th o& students in those $arts o& the (orld,
The #ost i#$ortant as$e%t o& in&or#ati%s is its %ontri*ution to the se%urit" s"ste#s in
the (orld, 8ur so%iet" had *een *a&&led &or #an" "ears o'er the issues o& sa&et" and
se%urit", 9ri#e (as e'er"(here and so #an" %ri#inals )ot a(a" (ith it as #ost o& the
%ri#es (ent unnoti%ed and also due to the la%k o& a $ro$er sur'eillan%e s"ste#s, A
si)ni&i%ant *reakthrou)h in the &ield o& in&or#ati%s and se%urit" (as the in'ention o&
9losed 9ir%uit Tele'ision S"ste# or 99TC, 99TC is a de'i%e used &or sur'eillan%e,
it is a %a#era or set o& %a#eras used to re%ord in&or#ation and is also %onne%ted to a
#onitor (here the re%ordin)s are %ontinuousl" dis$la"ed and stored, At &irst, it (as
used as a #eans o& se%urit" &or *anks and %asinos *ut e'entuall" e'ol'ed to *e%o#e
e%ono#i%al that it %ould *e used &or ho#e se%urit" as (ell as sur'eillan%e on a dail"
*asis 49%t'%onsult,net, n,$,6, 99TC is the #ost %o##on de'i%e used &or sur'eillan%e
3
and %ri#e $re'ention, In (estern %ountries $ri'ate se%urit" a)en%ies and $oli%e
re#otel" #onitor all the e'ents and in%idents (hi%h allo( the# to res$ond instantl" in
the e'ent o& an e#er)en%", A&ter the introdu%tion o& 99TC #ore $eo$le started to )et
arrested and it also hel$ed to deter the %ri#e as the o&&enders (ere i##ediatel" %au)ht
and $rose%uted 45ill B S$ri))s, <00;6, It %an also hel$ to $re'ent the&t and &raudulent
a%ti'ities as e'ents are %ontinuousl" re%orded, It %an *e used as a #a3or tool to
eradi%ate %ri#e a)ainst (o#en in third (orld %ountries as it is in%reasin) at an
alar#in) rate, The )o'ern#ent o& these %ountries #ust $ut #ore #one" and e&&ort to
$ro#ote and install 99TCDs in all 'ulnera*le areas, In so#e south Asian %ountries
(o#en are not e'en allo(ed to )o out at ni)ht due to the likelihood o& )ettin) ro**ed,
ra$ed or #urdered, 1e'ertheless, $eo$le o&ten *la#e 99TC that it restri%ts their
&reedo# and in'adin) $ri'a%", The -nited Ein)do# )o'ern#ent is s$endin) #illions
o& $ounds to kee$ these %a#eras u$ and runnin), As the e.$ense &or #aintenan%e
)ro(s out o& %ontrol, it ulti#atel" %osts the so%iet", In Britain o'eruse o& 99TC %an
*e seen in $oor nei)h*ourhoods and so#e $eo$le %lai# that it is stereot"$in) and
*ull"in), So it is #andator" to ha'e a re)ulator" authorit" to restri%t 99TC o'eruse
and its e.$loitation,
The %on'entional #ethods o& *u"in) and sellin) )oods ha'e no( *een re$la%ed *"
#er)in) di&&erent te%hnolo)ies (ith *usiness, !le%troni% %o##er%e or e-%o##er%e
%an *e %onsidered as a ke" #ilestone in the &ield o& in&or#ati%s, The introdu%tion o& e-
%o##er%e had a #a3or in&luen%e on the so%iet", !-%o##er%e %an *e de&ined as *u"in)
and sellin) o& )oods or ser'i%es usin) the internet, The *e)innin) $hase o& e-
%o##er%e %a#e a*out si#ultaneousl" (ith the de'elo$#ent o& the 7orld 7ide 7e*
or the internet, !-%o##er%e )iants like a#a/on,%o# and e-*a",%o# (ere the &irst
%o#$anies (ho took ad'anta)e o& the $o(er o& online tradin), Sin%e then, it has *een
de'elo$in) to *e%o#e a $art o& our dail" li&e 4Roos, <00=6, Althou)h the #a3or
*ene&its o& e-%o##er%e are &or *usinesses, it also has a lot o& i#$li%ations to the
so%iet", At the #o#ent, $eo$le ha'e the o$$ortunit" to read re'ie(s and %o#$are
(ith other $rodu%ts *e&ore *u"in) it, It sa'es a lot o& ti#e and #one", Another #a3or
ad'anta)e is &or the $h"si%all" %hallen)ed or disa*led $eo$le that the" %an *u" their
$rodu%ts or ser'i%es online and it (ill *e deli'ered to the#, There are no )eo)ra$hi%al
*arriers and %usto#ers %an *u" and sell $rodu%ts <2=, A%%essi*ilit" is another #a3or
&a%tor0 %onsu#ers no( ha'e the a*ilit" to a%%ess stores online a%ross the (orld, B"
$ro#otin) e-%o##er%e, $eo$le are *ein) e.$osed to ne( te%hnolo)" and the" start to
a%:uire kno(led)e a*out di&&erent te%hnolo)ies to *e u$dated in the $ro%ess, 9onstant
re'ie(in) and %o#$arison o& di&&erent $rodu%ts, seekin) &or the *est $ossi*le
o&&ers2ser'i%es ena*le the %usto#er to i#$ro'e his2her reasonin) and de%ision-#akin)
skills, A$art &ro# these *ene&its, so#e o& the *asi% issues o& e-%o##er%e are
%usto#ers %annot intera%t (ith $eo$le (hi%h %an o&ten di#inish their so%ial skills and
the" %annot $h"si%all" e.$erien%e the $rodu%t *e&ore usin) it, In so#e o& the
de'elo$in) %ountries $eo$le are o&ten %hallen)ed *" ne( te%hnolo)" (hi%h restri%ts
their a*ilit" to $ur%hase )oods online, !du%ational or )o'ern#ent institutions in the
third (orld %ountries should %o#e u$ (ith a(areness $ro)ra#s that hel$ $eo$le to
a%:uire skills that (ill e:ui$ the# to %at%h u$ (ith the %onstant %han)e in so%ieties, In
India the so%io-e%ono#i% ine:ualit" *et(een the ri%h and $oor is *road so the #a3or
4
de'elo$#ents in in&rastru%ture or te%hnolo)" are %on&ined a#on) the u$$er #iddle
%lass and the ri%h $eo$le, There are so #an" $oliti%al &a%tors that $ut a %onstraint on
the te%hnolo)i%al )ro(th o& the $eo$le in those areas,
-lti#atel", it is a$$arent that in&or#ati%s $la"s an enor#ous role in the *etter#ent o&
the so%iet" and its %ontri*utions are not 3ust restri%ted to health%are, %o##uni%ation,
edu%ation, se%urit" and tradin) *ut to nu#erous other de$art#ents around the (orld,
8'erall, (e %an see that the #ost *ene&itted *" in&or#ati%s are the elite %lass and the
u$$er #iddle %lass $arti%ularl" in de'elo$in) %ountries, It is *e%ause o& the di)ital
di'ide e.istin) in the so%iet", It %annot *e addressed *" #ere dis%ussion o& the issues
*ut #ore inno'ati'e solutions #ust *e *rou)ht into it or i#$le#ented, The le)islation
#ust *rin) in #andator" litera%" $ro)ra#s and o$en #ore li*raries in those rural
areas, Sin%e (e are li'in) in a di)iti/ed so%iet", it is e'er" indi'idualDs ri)ht to *e a*le
to a%:uire kno(led)e and a%%ess in&or#ation, In&or#ati%s and edu%ation is the #ost
i#$ortant su*3e%t area to *e %onsidered as it re:uires &urther attention in ter#s o&
te%hnolo)i%al de'elo$#ent, In the %o#in) "ears, or)ani/ations should %o#e &or(ard
and introdu%e their te%hnolo)" to students and #ake it a'aila*le &or the# to $ra%ti%e,
It (ould *e a (onder&ul o$$ortunit" &or students to *e in'ol'ed in a real-(orld
s%enario (hile stud"in), As #entioned earlier, sur'eillan%e s"ste# is the #ost
e.$loited o& all in&or#ati%s #ilestones, So it is 'er" i#$ortant to ha'e a :ualit"
%ontrol de$art#ent &or %ontrollin) the #isuse o& s"ste#, It is also desired to ha'e a
%entrali/ed sur'eillan%e s"ste# so that #ani$ulation o& data *" $ri'ate a)en%ies %an *e
$re'ented, Politi%al *ias to(ards $ri'ati/ation is also a #a3or hindran%e &or
disse#inatin) in&or#ati%s a%ross the so%iet" *e%ause their interests or a)endas tend to
alter the so%iet" in a radi%al (a", In&or#ati%s is u*i:uitous and %an *e a$$lied to an"
area o& stud" (hi%h (ill de&initel" hel$ in i#$ro'in) the so%iet",
Re&eren%esF
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