Death of Computing?

Since its introduction in the '50s, the computer has gone from scientific instrument to household appliance. What was once used only by scientists to perform complex calculations has become a convenient way to send a message or organize photos. The average user knows next to nothing about programming; he buys and uses commercial products. In the modern computing context, where does computer science fit in?

Computer science was around even before the modern electronic computer. Up until the late '40s, the term “computer” meant a human who did calculations. According to the Wikipedia,

Early researchers in what came to be called computer science... were interested in the question of computability: what things can be computed by a human clerk who simply follows a list of instructions with paper and pencil, for as long as necessary, and without ingenuity or insight?

Later, instead of giving the problem to a clerk, who was prone to error and fatigue, a mechanical device was sought to do the calculations. After many attempts, most notably Charles Babbage's difference engine, the mechanical computer eventually gave way to the electronic computer, which evolved into the personal computer so familiar today.

It may seem that computer science faded as the computer evolved. After all, today's computers have operating systems to shield the user from the bit-twiddling required to run a computer, which means that the average user does not need to know how to program his computer. But this is just not true. As Edsger Dijkstra, professor of computer science, said, “Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.” ("Edsger") It does not matter if computer science is not required for daily use of a computer, computer science is still being studied and is still quite necessary. The same is true of the automobile; the average user does not know how to build, or even repair, his car, but the study of mechanics is still alive and well.

Software does not program itself. No matter how easy the software makes life for the end user, someone somewhere with a knowledge of programming and computer science had to write the code that makes the computer run. How do operating systems (Mac OS in particular) keep getting faster on the same hardware? Because there are advances being made in how the OS stores and retrieves data — a sub-field of computer science. Why are websites becoming more interactive? Because a new concept, AJAX, is being explored that allows better communication between the server and the client computers &mdash another sub-field of computer science. So while the user may not be aware of it, there are advances being made in the study of computer science every day, without which the internet and personal computing could not function.

So if computer science is alive and well, why are computer science enrolment numbers dropping? Most likely because people are realizing that computer science is a very difficult subject. It requires a combination of mathematics and creativity, and an uncanny ability to understand extremely abstract problems. I am studying computer science here at the university, and it seems that a large portion of the students in my classes have little or no idea what they're doing. The programming is hard enough (C++ code can at times look almost arcane), but the subject matter is demanding and unforgiving (remember the clerk &mdash the computer has no ingenuity or insight, it only does what you tell it). And like mathematics, from which computer science was born, the problems are exceedingly abstract and intangible; there's nothing to touch or hold. It is all in the mind. It takes a certain kind of person to excel at a subject like this. Maybe that is why enrolment is diminishing.

It makes sense (at least in theory) that computer science and social informatics could go hand in hand. Both fields have to do with technology — computers in particular. Indeed, in their conclusion Kling, Rosenbaum, and Sawyer suggest professionals who design ICTs (which describes a computer scientist pretty well) as one target audience for social informatics. However, their plan is to retrain the current designers to use social informatics. Based on my interactions and knowledge of programmers and computer scientists, I do not foresee this being a fruitful plan. Many programmers I have known see the user as an ignorant being whose unbounded stupidity must be anticipated when designing programs. I do not see the ideas of social informatics being very popular in the current design community. It seems to me that the best idea would be to teach social informatics to the next generation of computer scientists, and as the replace the current generation social informatics will be put into practice.

Works Cited

"Computer Science". Wikipedia. 12 Feb 2007. 12 Feb 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science>

"Edsger Wybe Dijkstra". Wikiquote. 12 Feb 2007. 12 Feb 2007. <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edsger_Dijkstra>

Kling, Rob, Howard Rosenbaum, and Steve Sawyer. Understanding and Communicating Social Informatics. New Jersey: Information Today, Inc., 2005.

McBride, Neil. "The Death of Computing". 22 Jan 2007. 12 Feb 2007. <http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.9662>