Computing

Computing

1. reliability of a computer system

   • malicious, deliberate damage to a system
   • human error, eg someone shuts something down by accident
   • software can contain bugs and error
   • natural disasters and accidents, eg fires, power cuts, flooding or earthquakes
   • hardware failure, eg a hard drive stops working

2. computer system

   • In order to do this a computer system consists of: input devices output devices internal memory processing devices storage devices
   • A computer system can: receive, store, process and Output Data

3. Ethical factors of crating a computer system

   • There are laws in place to govern the use of computers and the internet. However, legal issues are not always straightforward. Technology and the internet are evolving rapidly and this throws up new ethical and legal dilemmas.
   • What information can we consider to be private and who owns data? For example, photographs that are uploaded to social networks often legally become the property of the website.
   • There are piracy laws protecting the distribution of films and other media. It is illegal to rip a copyrighted DVD or CD and distribute it online. However, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks and hosting websites mean it is easy to share files with anyone in the world.

4. Computer system in a modern world

   • We now socialise in ways we never used to. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Dating Agencies, chat rooms, forums and so on are all ways which we connect to other people. In the past, we used to socialise with only those people we met whereas now, we can socialise with people from all over the world.
   • The way students learn now has changed beyond recognition. Whole libraries of information are available via the Internet. The use of interactive whiteboards, wireless connections, video cameras, smartphones and tablets, for example, have changed the activities in a classroom and exam boards are making increased use of online testing and marking as well.
   • Many people play computer games, a form of entertainment that didn't exist before the mid 1970s. Computer power means that we can now make and watch 3D films, can carry vast libraries of music and films around with us on portable devices and can access a whole range of entertainment via our TVs and portable devices by streaming films directly to our homes, for example.

5. Proffesional Standards

   • n computing, standards are an agreed way of doing things. Standards make it easier for people to build programs and software that work on different systems in different countries.
   • There are advantages to using standards if you are a creating a program or a product. For instance, the program or product will be more popular if it is widely compatible. Also, it is easier to work with other people if you work to the same standards.