Chapter 8

Patrick Bratton Class time Online
Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: A Gift of Fire
Sections read: Chapter 8

1. (Questioning) After reading this chapter/article what questions do I have?
Have any of my accounts seen computer errors?

2. (Knowledge) Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:
A. If computer errors occur within law enforcement people are subject to arrest or otherwise.
B. Therac-25 incidents show that many factors contributed to the injuries and death (pg. 425)
C. There are several ways to categorize computer errors such as the serious of the effect or cause.

3. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?
Chapter 8 mainly talks about the mistakes computers make, and when mistakes are made they may affect people. Failures and Errors in Computer Systems. People have been billed money and people have lost their assets due to computer error and glitches.

4. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?
A specific example I can remember is when I signed up for Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner service. At the time there was a low price for 12 months to start out then after the 12 months it would increase to its regular price. Well after the first month I noticed I was billed full price when I was supposed to be locked in for the 12 month lower price. The rep didn’t know what happened but changed my bill and I had no problems since. This was obviously a computer error.

5. (Analysis) Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading?
I can compare this to something that does not relate to computers, technology or the Internet by saying that when people fill out their tax forms or have someone complete them, sometimes there are errors and people are either owed money, or owe money due to a miscalculation.

6. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS, reference)?
Yes I do agree with what is being said in the reading. Computers are known for making errors especially when it’s dealing with billing information, I know this from experience. People dispute their bills all the time and I feel that people such because computers are not perfect.

7. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Are there any ethical considerations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics)? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter/article?

After reading this chapter I became more aware that computers make errors on a daily basis. I used to think it was once in a while but now I know that if something seems unusual with anything such as a billing statement to not get upset about it, it might be a computer error.

8. (Conclusion) after completing this assignment, based on new thoughts and evidence
a. What new conclusions have you come to about this topic?
I feel people need to be aware of computer glitches and to check anything they have on file that is computer related, which now in society is basically everything.

b. Below restate your questions from #1 and include the answer based on your new conclusions.
Has any of my accounts come up with bank errors? I’m not sure but to make sure I will make sure to keep up with my statements because computers have a chance for errors