DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

ADAMAWA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, GANYE

LECTURE NOTES

ON

COURSE TITLE: SEMINAR ON COMPUTER AND SOCIETY

COURSE CODE: COM 222

NOVEMBER, 2023

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INTRODUCTION
Our generation strives to be the quick paced society which we are known to be. To do so, our
generation uses computers to their full potential in order to do more tasks and to do them at a
faster pace. Computers benefit the business and personal world by being able to do the
following more efficiently: buying and selling products, communicating throughout the world,
enhancing our knowledge, job influences, entertainment, research, and paying bills. We’re now
capable of creating new, more and better-quality tasks via computer technology. Computers also
benefit society with the enhancement of knowledge of medicine which creates more robotics
and research. We communicate operation results and any surgical problems easily and
immediately between healthcare providers all over the world. Using robotics, surgeons can now
perform surgeries in remote and/or distant countries without ever leaving their resident hospital.
education, computers have changed the way we are able to acquire knowledge and attend
school. In the past, school was a physical building we had to attend. Today, we can "attend"
school completely online, never having to step foot outside of our homes, or attend both online
and on a college campus in what is known as a blended course. We are able to invest our time
differently and accomplish more. The convenience of computers is that we are able to access the
computer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. This also gives our society time
to expand our knowledge and create new opportunities for our selves.
Being crucially important to the human race, computers have ultimately altered the way today’s
society works, communicates, entertains, and educates. There is hardly any field of career left
where technology isn’t essential; every small action performed in a job ultimately goes through
some kind of a computer. In the end, being able to communicate and engage in this fast-paced
manner enhances productivity levels by a great amount. One area this advancement of
computers has immensely impacted is the business field. All businesses use computers to keep
track of accounts, money, or make transactions. No longer will it take days, or even weeks, to
communicate with someone that might not be located in one’s vicinity, as a computer allows
one to easily send and receive emails with just a click of a button.

Disadvantages of a Computer-Oriented Society

With any benefits, there comes a disadvantage. As for computers, there have been problems
with excessive use, security and privacy issues and the problem with a dominant culture. With
any product, any excessive use is bad; in this case the excessive use of the computer may result
in a lack of human communication for face to face conversation and more communication
through the computer. This affects our society’s confidence for when they are in in-personal
conversation. To further add, people have the accessibility to abuse their time whereas people
tend to be more attentive to their internet accesses and making the computer a time-consuming
product. Many of the security and privacy concerns stem from the lace online. One example of
a security risk today is malware. Malware can be a fact that a lot of our personal business takes
accidentally installed onto your computer by clicking on a link on a Web page or e-mail
message that contains a malware program, such as a computer virus. Once a malware program
is successfully installed, it will typically erase data or bog down the computer, but it can also a

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steal sensitive data from the computer such as passwords or credit card numbers. To fight
against malware, a wide variety of security software can be installed which will notify and
block any attempts of malware trying to gain access to a computer. Another very common
security risk is identity theft. Identity theft is when someone else gains access to your personal
information and uses your identity to purchase goods or services. A popular way for identity
thieves to steal personal information is phishing, a fraudulent e-mail or website that appears like
a legitimate business in order to obtain Social Security numbers or other information needed for
identity theft.
Lastly, societies throughout the world compete with one another for the latest technology,
pitting countries against each other, While competition can be a good thing, tension and
competition. computer use influences our society is that there dominant culture crisis that the
cultures, globally, compete with one another for the latest technology enhancements which
create a stronger ethnocentrism to the countries. As computers become more accessible and
create new ways to be more effective, these disadvantages increase and/or new ones are created.

ROLE OF COMPUTER IN MANY AREAS OF SOCIETY

Role of computer in business
The use of computers among maximum practiced in the field of business. In fact, small
businesses also use the computer as there are now very cheap microcomputers. Business
organizations now have a number of facts and a lot of numbers to be processed. So many
businesses have started using the computer, for example to calculate the salary, to identify the
goods sold and are still in stock, to issue and send or receive business statements, letters,
invoices and more.
The use of computers and office equipment to assist other managers, clerks, and the
management of office automation mentioned. One of them is a word processing type of
electronic method that enables us to produce and edit letters, reports, documents, and other than
work in a few seconds to type manually. Many of the office to produce standard letters, such as
payment of the balance, invitations and more. In addition, local business organizations to use
computers to create, save, and send envoys to a particular place. The advantages of using
computers in this area, clearly it is very important in a business organization.

Role of Computers in Banking and Financial

Processing data involving savings accounts, fixed deposits, loans, investments, profitability
analysis, and so on are among the organizations operating budget. The measures used are
standard and recurrent. And with that, the financial institution is the first user is aware of the
importance of computers to save time. Use of financial institutions including electronic fund
transfer activities for example a bank has a terminal in each branch in the country and also in
supermarkets, petrol stations, schools, factories, homes, hotels, and so on.

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The company will move employees’ salary into the account by entering employee identification
numbers then pay the money transferred into the account supermarkets, hotels, or gas station
when making a purchase. Money transfer facility is referred to the electronic transfer of money
is very effective use is safe and quick method for financial transactions. With the facility,
known as ETC is also individual can issue, transfer, and include cash or checks to the current
balance at any time. Clearly the main purpose of the use of computers in financial institutions
can assist in arranging the affairs of clients and provide services better and more efficient,
reduce fraud in financial transactions also eliminate cash transactions involving the community
with the goal to create a cashless society.

Role of Computers in Industrial Areas

Industry is a lot of benefit from the use of computers and the development of a human machine
that ‘robot’. Industrial production, for example requires a lot of computers to process data
collected from employees, customers, sales, product information, production schedules, and so
on. Yes, said the computer used to control the production process.
Especially the production of information processing inventory control to keep the latest
information about the remaining inventory of raw materials and finished goods used to
determine the value of inventory and stock status. This computer can alert the staff involved if
he should order the raw materials and when to deliver the goods completed to the customer.
Similarly, to store information about the structure of an item, but the material requirement
planning processes also use computers to facilitate the work. Appear in the computer industry is
very broad and also affect the development of industry in a country.

Role of Computers in Education

Now in this era of science and technology become more advanced, the computer may take over
the role of books in the store and disseminate knowledge to the public. In other words, the
computer will change the way we learn and the way we store knowledge. Hal-related matters
such as student registration, class scheduling, processing of examination results, students ‘and
teachers’ personal storage can be implemented by a computer with a fast and effective in
helping the administration. Now exams results were processed by computer. The IPT also the
duties of office automation, processing, scientific research results and also use the computer. In
fact, cataloguing books in libraries also apply to computer use. Last but not least is used for
teaching and learning process is not only at institutions of higher learning in the schools, both
for teaching and studying computer-assisted education on computer is very emphasized that in
the field of education for helping in the administrative process, research is what is important is
the ease and help students and teachers in the teaching and learning.

Role of Computers in the Medical Arena

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Hospitals and clinics use computers to store patient records, scheduling doctors, nurses and
other personnel, inventory and purchase of medicines, medical research and medical diagnosis.
Applications of computer-based equipment or use of information technology has help doctors to
diagnose diseases. It is clear that the use of computers in the medical field to provide solutions
to complex problems. Among the new computer technology that provides assistance to those
who are disabled. Microprocessor-based voice systems assist people with disabilities speaking
with a terminal that directs the computer to perform a verbal task. Similarly, the development of
computers has helped the blind to see, the deaf to communicate, whether with the help of speech
synthesizer or using the keyboard. This can be help them become more active and can do what
they could not do before. Besides works of traditional data processing, such as issuing bills of
patients, medical statistics and scheduling of staff and others have also streamlined and
processed by computer.

Hospital Information System that is used can be stored in a centralized patient database. In fact,
the use of information technology the computer is programmed to culture and analyze bacteria,
viruses, and other infections agents to automatically detect and identify a disease thus enabling
the hospitals and laboratories to begin treatment. For example, Computer Help Demography
machine (Computer Aided Demography, CAT) used for the purpose. Similarly, computers are
used for a patient oversee psychological variables such as blood pressure, body temperature,
ECG (Electro-Cardiograph) and sounded a warning if something unusual happens. For this
purpose, the computer to read different variables and make comparison with standard values. If
there is something extraordinary happens the computer will draw the attention of doctors and
nurses to issue a warning. Clearly, it was found that the computer has a wide range of
accommodation in the medical field.

Role of Computers in Legal

Computers have been used in the legislative process in recent years. The use of the most
important is the preparation of documents using a word processor. The use of computer
accounting legislation also includes processing to produce weekly and monthly reports, keep
records of payments consulting, diary for the latest attorney information consumers about the
various court procedures and also to keep records of users. As this area is very complicated, it is
the need to retrieve the required information either on journal of law, an important case, scale,
and statistics or important decisions for the purpose of making the decision to retain legal data
bank. Thus the use of one computer will help lawyers and trainee lawyers and law students find
relevant data without wasting time and get better service.

Role of Computers in Government

Government sector is one of the largest users of computer usage practices in implementing
administrative matters. All the necessary data can be obtained in a short time such as
information about people, services, economic planning, and land development projects and for

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planning and decision making. Through long-term weather forecasting computer can now be
done. With tie loss of life can be because of better information and faster. “The success of Neil
Am strong on July 23, 1969 landing on the moon is also made possible with the help of
computers used to design spacecraft, space for clothes astronauts, and flight schedules”. This
shows the very important use of computers in the field of space transportation. Service tax and
income tax collection was simplified by using the computer. Keeping records of taxpayers who
do it manually, and bring many problems have been addressed with the use of computer and
services can make the task more efficiently and quickly.
Similarly, in the military, use of computer store inventory held until the war simulation on the
screen. Computers are also used to follow the movement of the enemy in the border areas.
Traffic flow can be managed effectively by detecting the direction of traffic using the many
tools of detection. In this way, if there are more vehicles from one direction, the computer will
let the green light goes on for a suitable period of time. “In the field of transport, Cosmos- 11
introduced by Mass by providing facilities for passengers to know the status including those
booking hotel reservations, from anywhere in the world”. Similarly, business owners and
vehicle registration can be performed with the use of computers. Many of the all administrative
affairs are managed by using the computer. This not only saves time but can do all things more
practical.

Role of Computers in entertainment

Now the computer can be programmed to play music. Places of entertainment with music
controlled by computer are cheaper and can be used at any time. Computers are also used to
arrange the order of dance and music. Each game requires movement. Movement can best be
obtained by detailed analysis of a physical system. Computers also can be programmed to depict
images of high quality. Drawing using the computer speeds up the process of creating. The
work of art can be done and made a review in a short time compared with traditional Kedah.
Cartoon films produced by computers have grown so widely.

Role of Computers at daily life

Microcomputer use also home to control the safety and control of air conditioning and lighting.
The use of computers in the home allows housewife get the latest information about fashion and
can make orders to use supermarket with and video. In addition to budget planning and
inventory at home. This is all to do with a microcomputer that is connected to the national data
bank. Children can use computers to learn school subjects or educational games. But it is clear
that computers have become machines of information in our society.
The rapid development of science and technology has changed the pattern of life now.
Everything, processing, gathering information, or any aspects of the various areas that were
previously done manually, which gives a lot of risk has to be made more effective, faster, and
more practical with the application or use of information technology or computer. Covering the
use in various fields including business, financial institutions, industry, education,

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administration and other fields have the desire to realize develop each country. The fact is,
computers have become the heart and backbone of society today. Whatever the field, computing
has a lot of people taken over the task. It will not only help in the calculations, store
information, detect a decision also to increase efficiency and productivity. But they said it is
now clear that the use of computers has been widely practiced and used. In line with
globalization and the borderless world, the computer is a machine in the information society is
also the main artery of all machinery administration in any field.

The introduction of desktop computing revolutionized the way people live. The internet, word
processing programs, spreadsheets, power point slides, editing of film and more all represented
a radical transformation in the manner in which everyday tasks are conducted, especially when
computers are linked to cell phones. There is no question that computers have made life much
easier in many respects. The American public has never in its history enjoyed greater routine
access to information, and no people in human history have experienced the level of
connectivity that modern information technologies provide. Reports that used to be handwritten,
then typed, with corrections processes involving cumbersome methods, are now easily written
and edited on computers. Mathematical computations that used to take hours or longer are now
performed nearly instantaneously. All manner of professional and personal activities has been
made easier through the use of computers. Computers store millions of pages of data and
documents that would otherwise require warehouses to store. The advantages of computers are
seen in every facet of life. The disadvantages of computers are both theoretical and practical.
The most significant disadvantage to reliance on computers is their vulnerability to hacking,
viruses, denial of service attacks, and other computer crimes. There is a flip side to every coin,
and with respect to computers, their enormous capacity for storage of data, including personal
information, makes their susceptibility to intrusions and... Are there disadvantages to the
growing dependence of humans on computers?
There are disadvantages to the increasing reliance on computers. While computers have proven
an enormous benefit to mankind in many areas, including the design of safer equipment and
forms of transportation, the performance of complex calculations, the cost savings associated
with computer modelling relative to constructing prototypes, and much more, there is a
downside to the extent of the dependence on computers that has developed over the past 30
years. Much of that disadvantage resides in the enormous increase in the average person’s
vulnerability to identity theft and to financial crimes. The massive increase in the number of
online financial transactions that has occurred, involving consumer purchases and banking
activities, has resulted in an astronomical number of opportunities for criminals to conduct
financial crimes from the anonymity of their homes. According to one estimate, there more over
12 million cases of identity theft during 2012 alone, at a cost to the victims of over $21 billion.
In addition to the tremendous increase in identity thefts and financial crimes that have resulted
from reliance on computers, vulnerability to viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and other
forms of computer intrusions and attacks have added a complicating and frustrating component
to day-to-day activities that were unknown before the advent of the personal computer. Finally,
there have been suggestions that overreliance on computers has diminished society by reducing

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personal interactions. While there is no doubt that some individuals have substituted computers
for personal relationships, it is questionable whether this issue rises to the level of a major
disadvantage

What is the recommended time using a computer?

The recommended time for using a computer will vary, but there are certain things you should
keep in mind. First of all, it does matter what you are using the computer for. Some tasks are not
exactly optional, such as if your work requires a computer. Also, your position and how you use
your time greatly affect how long you should be on a computer.
First of all, anyone using a computer should take frequent short breaks. You can install a
program that reminds you to stretch or stop, or you can simply set a timer. One easy way is to
get a clock that tolls the hour. Every hour, get up and stretch. It is very important not to be in
one position for long periods of time, especially since the computer can strain both your eyes
and your body. To avoid carpel tunnel syndrome or back and neck problems, make sure to
pause at least every twenty minutes. The specific length of time of the breaks and interval
between breaks varies by your age, physical condition, and the task you are doing at the
computer. For example, you are taxing your body differently by reading, using a mouse, or
typing. Exercise is important to keeping your mind and body active. The exercise you do
depends on what shape you are in and the repetitive task you are doing, so consult your doctor
or a personal trainer. Simple things like stress ball use can keep your hands in shape, and there
are chair exercises you can do even when sitting! It is also important to get up and walk around,
and rest your eyes. You also might want to use a device to reduce glare, and make sure lighting
at your workstation is good. Technical solutions can also help. A wireless mouse added to a
laptop can reduce wrist and finger strain, for example.

What are the Advantages of Computers?

The advent of desktop computing has revolutionized the way many societies function. In
virtually every facet of society, computers have changed the way everyday activities are
conducted. Their use in the classroom and at home have fundamentally transformed the
academic process and the way in which families perform otherwise mundane tasks, and the way
in which they interact. Computers in the broader world have contributed tremendously to the
design and construction of safer automobiles, the development of better surgical procedures, the
astronomically quicker performance of scientific and mathematical calculations, and the access
to information available on the Internet. No country with ambitions of being economically
competitive in the years ahead can afford to fall behind in the area of information technologies.
China and India, with populations in excess of one billion each, will require every means
available to manage and provide for the needs of the hundreds of millions in each country that
are certain to lag behind in socioeconomic development. Both countries realize this, and
produce computer scientists at high rates, although many Indian technicians choose to work in

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the United States, where a shortage of highly-skilled information technology specialists has
proven costly in terms of economic competitiveness.
As countries evolve economically, their reliance on computer technologies grows exponentially.
Manufacturing, the foundation of economic development, is increasingly driven by advances in
technologies that minimize human involvement, a worrisome trend for countries like India and
China with massive surpluses of labour that must develop technologically and economically if
social stability is to be assured as population continues to grow. How these two countries handle
these challenges will impact the entire world given the percentage of the world’s population
concentrated in India and China. Again, the advent of computers presents both advantages and
disadvantages in this regard. The advantages of computers are many. More compelling,
however, is the fact that incorporation of advanced information technologies into society is not
a luxury, it is a requirement of economic development. India’s high-technology sector is large
and growing. The Indian Space Research Organization and the Indian Institute of Science are
prominent contributors in their respective fields on a global basis. As noted above, India is
producing large quantities of computer technology specialists. The key for that country, though,
will be in how it incorporates those advances for the betterment of its broader society.

Computer Ethics
Ethics deals with placing a “value” on acts according to whether they are “good” or “bad”.
Every society has its rules about whether certain acts are ethical or not. These rules have been
established as a result of consensus in society and are often written into laws. When computers
first began to be used in society at large, the absence of ethical standards about their use and
related issues caused some problems. However, as their use became widespread in every facet
of our lives, discussions in computer ethics resulted in some kind of a consensus. Today, many
of these rules have been formulated as laws, either national or international. Computer crimes
and computer fraud are now common terms. There are laws against them, and everyone is
responsible for knowing what constitutes computer crime and computer fraud. The Ten
Commandments.
the Ten Commandments of computer ethics have been defined by the Computer Ethics
Institute.
1) You shall not use a computer to harm other people:
2) You shall not interfere with other people's computer work:
3) You shall not snoop around in other people's files:
4) You shall not use a computer to steal:
5) You shall not use a computer to bear false witness:
6) You shall not use or copy software for which you have not paid:
7) You shall not use other people's computer resources without authorization:

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8) You shall not appropriate other people's intellectual output:
9) You shall think about the social consequences of the program you write:
10) You shall use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect:
On the flip side of the coin computer hackers have their own set of ethics. Some but not all of
their ethics go directly against the ethics set in place by the Computer Ethics Institute. The idea
of a "hacker ethic" is perhaps best formulated in Steven Levy's 1984 book, Hackers: Heroes of
the Computer Revolution. Levy came up with six tenets:
1) Access to computers - and anything which might teach you something about the way the
world works - should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-On imperative!
2) All information should be free.
3) Mistrust authority - promote decentralization.
4) Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or
position.
5) You can create art and beauty on a computer.
6) Computers can change your life for the better.

What is an expert system?

An expert system is a computer program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to
simulate the judgment and behaviour of a human or an organization that has expertise and
experience in a particular field.
Expert systems are usually intended to complement, not replace, human experts.

How does an expert system work?

Modern expert knowledge systems use machine learning and artificial intelligence to simulate
the behaviour or judgment of domain experts. These systems can improve their performance
over time as they gain more experience, just as humans do.
Expert systems accumulate experience and facts in a knowledge base and integrate them with an
inference or rules engine -- a set of rules for applying the knowledge base to situations provided
to the program.

What is a Smart Campus?

Similar to smart cities, they are settings in which applications can create new teaching and
learning experiences that lead to improved educational outcomes. A smart campus uses
advanced network infrastructure and internet-connected devices to provide supportive and

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engaging experiences. It joins people, devices, and applications and allows schools to make
insight-driven decisions to improve security and maximize resources.

What is Cyber Security?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital
attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive
information; extorting money from users via ransomware; or interrupting normal business
processes.
Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is particularly challenging today because there
are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is a science and technology based on disciplines such as Computer
Science, Biology, Psychology, Linguistics, Mathematics, and Engineering. A major thrust of AI
is in the development of computer functions associated with human intelligence, such as
reasoning, learning, and problem solving.

Applications of AI
The function and popularity of Artificial Intelligence are soaring by the day. Artificial
intelligence is the ability of a system or a program to think and learn from the experience. AI
applications have significantly evolved over the past few years and has found its applications in
almost every business sector. Which includes:
1. Robotics
2. E-commerce
3. Business
4. ChatBOT
5. Gaming
6. Healthcare
7. Automotive industry
8. Banking

Artificial Intelligence - Issues

AI is developing with such an incredible speed, sometimes it seems magical. There is an

opinion among researchers and developers that AI could grow so immensely strong that it
would be difficult for humans to control.

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Humans developed AI systems by introducing into them every possible intelligence they could,
for which the humans themselves now seem threatened.

Threat to Privacy
An AI program that recognizes speech and understands natural language is theoretically capable
of understanding each conversation on e-mails and telephones.

Threat to Human Dignity

AI systems have already started replacing the human beings in few industries. It should not
replace people in the sectors where they are holding dignified positions which are pertaining to
ethics such as nursing, surgeon, judge, police officer, etc.

Threat to Safety
The self-improving AI systems can become so mighty than humans that could be very difficult
to stop from achieving their goals, which may lead to unintended consequences.

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