Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 35, No. 400.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
                      Hosted by DH-Cologne
                       www.dhhumanist.org
                Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org




        Date: 2021-12-09 13:59:59+00:00
        From: Dr. Herbert Wender <drwender@aol.com>
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 35.393: pubs: Critically Conscious Computing (with comment)

Dear Willard,

you saiid that you "think that 'what they thought when they did it' remains an
open and important question". I agree that this question "remains open", and maybe
forever; but important? to whom? Who votes for 'critical consciousness' has,
IMHO, to look on the cirumstances for whatever inventions - and their
consequences under such circumstances: atomar weapons, military incriptions resp.
deciphering...

Yours, Herbert

-----Ursprüngliche Mitteilung-----
Von: Humanist <humanist@dhhumanist.org>
An: drwender@aol.com
Verschickt: Do, 9. Dez 2021 9:03
Betreff: [Humanist] 35.393: pubs: Critically Conscious Computing (with comment);
Internet Histories 5.3-4

                  Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 35, No. 393.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
                          Hosted by DH-Cologne
                      www.dhhumanist.org
                Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org


--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date: 2021-12-08 16:37:55+00:00
        From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
        Subject: Critically Conscious Computing?

Some here will already know about Ko et al, Critically Conscious Computing:
Methods for Secondary Education; in case not, see
(https://criticallyconsciouscomputing.org/#/). I mention it here, however,
to raise a question about what a 'critically conscious' perspective
entails.

Consider, if you would, the first sentence of Chapter 8, "Computers":

> Digital computers were invented as a way of replacing people with
> something faster, less error prone, and tireless, mirroring the
> capitalist values of the industrial revolution.

Really? Was that the intention of the inventors? The need for critical
perspectives on computing would be very difficult to gainsay; the question,
I'd think, is whether a critical perspective takes into account as much as
can be known about "what they thought when they did it", as Richard
Hamming once wrote. One could avoid the problem here by saying that,
'When digital computers were invented, they reflected capitalist values
of the Industrial Revolution. Replacing people with a faster, less error-prone
and tireless way of producing goods did not seem to trouble those who
pushed to automate the workplace." Or something similar. But I'd still
think that "what they thought when they did it" remains an open and
important question.

Comments?

Yours,
WM
--
Willard McCarty,
Professor emeritus, King's College London;
Editor, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews;  Humanist
www.mccarty.org.uk



_______________________________________________
Unsubscribe at: http://dhhumanist.org/Restricted
List posts to: humanist@dhhumanist.org
List info and archives at at: http://dhhumanist.org
Listmember interface at: http://dhhumanist.org/Restricted/
Subscribe at: http://dhhumanist.org/membership_form.php