Social Issues In Computing
An evolving web resource - In Development
Many collections and materials on the history of computing document the development of the technology itself and of the persons and companies responsible for it. The perspective represented often seems neutral with perhaps an implicit sense that such developments are or were positive. Such a perspective, however, is and has not been universal. Various communities have seen cause for concern arising from both the computer industry and computing itself, in respect to the impact on jobs, military activities or the perception of specific cultural communities. Fear of such developments can often be seen, but so can hope as communities discuss strategies for coping with - or better yet, capitalizing on - the developments of technology, resulting in a continuum of ideas ranging from the highly worried to the utopian.
Many of these materials are ephemeral -- pamphlets and journals created by individuals and small groups, often self-published and bearing the design and physical characteristics recognizable in "zines." The ephemerality and possibly small production numbers of such materials may be responsible for the fact that such materials are not represented in more library collections, but so too may be the idea that the history of computing really is and ought to be the one telling the stories of companies and their products. We hope that the materials we show here will raise awareness of human stories as computers and the industry impact and transform the way people work, play and communicate.
Economics, Workers, and the Workplace |
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Military & Environmental Concerns |
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Community Voices |
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Physical Exhibit |
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These materials are covered under the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
