Connections between Information Technology and Other Disciplines - Admission/Application Essay Example

Connections between Information Technology and Other Disciplines Information technology is an interdisciplinary field which has been greatly inspired by mathematics, social sciences, philosophy, and so on. Streeter (2003) mentions that information technology has been considered to be a product of social and cultural construction. An examination of the internet allows one to realize that technology is greatly influenced by society and culture. To a large degree, information technology involves problem solving and critical thinking skills that combine philosophy and mathematics to arrive at solutions for working problems and errors. Because computers possess the ability to be programmed, humans can write merely any code so as to generate an intended response or action from the computer. And this means that programs can be coded to yield a particular action, such as directing missiles and drones, running office software packages, and so on. A prominent name in the information technology field is Bill Gates, the multimillion dollar computer manufacturing company owner. With the initiation of his company, Microsoft, Bill Gates transformed the 1970s computer into a user-friendly interface (Rogak, 2013). For the first time in history was a company producing and manufacturing computers at a mass level. Behind the success of the company was a pool of talented and creative programmers led by Bill Gates who were striving each day to make the best computer software. Programmers along with software engineers worked to solve problems, or more specifically in computer terminology, remove bugs in the program coding. Such a rigorous work environment required huge skills that included the ability to apply philosophical as well as mathematical and logical thinking. In his article, Strydom (2003) explains the revolution in philosophy that occurred in the domain of the social sciences. The author has traced several phases of philosophy starting from the 1840s till the contemporary era to demonstrate how the trends have changed over the years. Three main trends have been apparent: dominant positivism, marginalized interpretation, and marginalized criticism. In the contemporary world, which starts from the millennial period, some additions have been introduced to philosophical thinking with theories including feminism, realism, constructivism, cognitivism, rational thinking, and so on. In the process of exploring the cultural aspect of information technology, Streeter (2003) points out how the societal outlook of technology is shaped by discourse much like the philosopher, Foucoult, said a discourse shapes thinking, backed up by knowledge and determination. The ubiquity of technology in the present age represents a foundation of a social civilization that has not only shaped the societal dimension but is also shaped by society itself through discourse and communication. Rapaport (2005) has also described several intersections between computer science and philosophy beyond the usual technology of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and virtual space. Together with mathematics and philosophical concepts regarding the human brain, logic and thinking, information technology has successfully transformed lives and human interactions. In particular, the understanding of logical rationality, linguistics and semiotics have revolutionized the way communications occur and how systems are designed for mass production much like Bill Gates’ company Microsoft does. In a present era characterized by dynamically changing technology and fast paced lives, many sociologists stress on the hypothesis that technology has transformed lives. While this is true to a huge extent, many critics disregard the technological innovations to emphasize the need to return to cultural values. A revolution which can be dated back to the Industrial Revolution, involved economic facets that have also been greatly intertwined with the novel developments of technology. Economic variables such as unemployment, labor, and the like have been seen in conjunction with developments in the information technology field. The critical theory of technology by Feenberg (2005) disregards the common path that many sociologists put forward. Feenberg (2005) says that cultural values underlie the technological and environmental sphere. Also that, certain biases exists in technical norms which are understood in a cultural context. These biases are responsible for inequity in the distribution of resources. The success or failure of any technological endeavor is meshed in its efficiency or ability to fulfill its said functionalities. In a business environment that is increasingly becoming competitive with the capitalistic form of economy, efficiency plays a great, but not decisive, role in the success of an operational technical gadget. Constructivist theoretical findings have suggested that the proper allocation of resources aids the construction of technological devices Often differences in design influence consumer preferences of a particular technological product, which is otherwise similar to others nominally. So, while efficiency is a major factor affecting the success of a technical gadget, its design also seems to make its influence. In the case of software technologies such as Microsoft Windows and other software suites, this implies that the interface design as the user friendliness of the application impacts the user experience and hence preference. Mitcham (1994) has explained two forms of philosophical understandings for technology – engineering and humanities. As mentioned by many advocates of the engineering philosophy, the paper will argue that technology since the beginning of times has shaped the humanities. The increasing development in the field of technology and the dependency of the humanities on technology strengthens the notion. In terms of philosophy, humanities philosophy of technology may be labeled as being more philosophical. In contrast, people may consider the engineering aspect more technological due to its scientific nature. Beyond this argument, however, is the consideration of a technologist’s tasks. Problem solving and logical thinking are a few sills that programmers and other technology related human resources possess. With a new collaborative space in the online culture, technological ventures as well as software companies are facing terabytes of data, which is known as big data. The arrival of cloud storage services and social media companies has also accumulated tons of data. The huge amounts of human online interactions as well as the analysis of such data involve mathematics and inferential statistics. However, such data crunching methods are not essentially rocket scientific but can be applied for solving problems in common life and used for abductive reasoning (Johnson and Johnson, 1996). The rate at which information technology is expanding and innovating has had great implications on individuals as well as well as societal life in large. Humans today are understood in context of their external environment where technology seems to have reduced barriers. The present digital age is characterized by big data, social media websites, cloud computing, and so on. Computer science as a discipline has impacted everyone – the mathematician, the physicist, the engineer, and the philosopher; Basically, each and every individual dwelling in the modern time. Its impact on the society and the emergence of a new digital culture where arguments have erupted to advocate the distinct philosophies that, have and continue to shape information technology. References Feenberg, A. (2005). Critical Theory of Technology: An Overview. Tailoring Biotechnologies, 1(1), 47-64. Gates, B., & Rogak, L. (2012). Impatient optimist (1st ed.). Melbourne, Vic.: Hardie Grant. Josephson, J., & Josephson, S. (1996). Abductive inference (1st ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Mitcham, C. (1994). Thinking through technology (1st ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rapaport, W. (2005). Philosophy of Computer Science. Teaching Philosophy, 28(4), 319--341. Streeter, T. (2003). The Net Effect: The Internet and the New White Collar Style. Information Technologies and the Social Sciences. Paper presented at the SSS Workshop. School of Social Science. Strydom, P. (2003). Information Technologies and the Social Sciences. Historical Developments And Theoretical Approaches In Sociology, 1. Read More