Computers in Society Assignment #6

Read the following papers related to the topic of Computers, People and Social Participation:
  1. Mind Over Muscles
  2. Broken Homepage

Consider for discussion the following questions, plus any others that occur to you:

Mind Over Muscles

Questions:

  1. What are some other ways in which interfacing computers with brainwaves might benefit those with physical disabilities?
  2. How might such an interface benefit those without severe disabilities?
  3. What are some of the technological problems to be solved before such systems are in common use?
    4.

Broken Homepage

Questions:

  1. Do you think having a web site to make potential parents aware of available foster kids is a good idea?
  2. The author claims the title of the web site "conjures images of waifs left by the sides of roads." Do you think the title of the web site ("Waiting Children") is a derogatory title? Do you think it would be to the adoption agency's advantage to change the title?
  3. In section F, the author claims the government would rather build a web site and set a kid up with foster parents than work on rebuilding the child's original family. Do you agree?
  4. Do you notice more emotion from the author in section F than in the other sections?
  5. The author claims that pull-down menus, check boxes and search buttons make adoption look like a very exact and objective process. Do you agree? If so, is there a way to make looking for a child subjective and make parents more aware of the realities of the process?
    6.

All students are to read each of these papers and make at least two comments about them on the class discussion board. To do this, log in and click on "Conferencing". Choose "Computers in Society Assignment #6". Then click on "View Documents". Read all of the comments made thus far for this week and add your own. At least one of your comments must be a follow-up to something someone else has written. Before coming to the class discussion on Friday, go back and read over all of the comments again.

Due: Comments due by midnight on Thursday, February 15 (the day before our final class discussion).

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