Digital Decision Making: Back to the Future [Paperback]

Ray Corrigan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1846286727 | ISBN-13: 978-1846286728 | Publication Date: June 8, 2007 | Edition: 1st Edition.

Since the mid 1990s, when the general public began using the Internet, governments and commerce have made vast investments in digital communications technology. There has been confusion and sometimes controversy over these, for example the proposed UK identity card system. The far-reaching commercial and social implications of decisions made in invisible or opaque specialist fields should concern every citizen. This book argues that decisions should be based on an understanding of the systems, technology and environment within which they operate; that experts and ordinary people should work together; and that technology and law are evolving in restrictive rather than enabling ways.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: "The objective of the book is to induce a consciousness of these issues by adopting a mildly narrative approach. It is intended for university students, as well as for the lay public. … Corrigan provides notes for every chapter, a list of current references, and a handy index. … I recommend this book to students of information and communication technologies, technologists, administrators, and the general public; they will gain useful insight from it." (S. V. Nagaraj, ACM Computing Reviews, Vol. 49 (8), August, 2008)

From the Back Cover

Since the general public began to use the Internet in the mid 1990s, there has been a vast amount of investment by governments and commerce in digital communications technologies. There has also been a fair degree of confusion and sometimes controversy about the purpose and effectiveness of such technologies, for example the proposed UK identity card system. Decisions about digital communications technologies are not always so clearly a subject of political concern as is the case with identity cards. The far-reaching implications for commerce and society of some of these decisions in invisible or opaque specialist fields, however, mean they should be matters of concern for every citizen. This book argues: •Decisions should be based on an understanding of the systems, technology and environment within which they operate. •Experts and ordinary people should work together •Technology and law are evolving in restrictive rather than enabling ways It aims, through a gentle narrative approach, to stimulate an awareness of the issues and be a readable, challenging and informative introduction, both for university students and the general reader, to processes surrounding developments in technology and law which have important implications for the knowledge society. Ray Corrigan is a Senior Lecturer in Technology with the Open University.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1st Edition. edition (June 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846286727
• ISBN-13: 978-1846286728
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,304,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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