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A proposed course on data processing economics

Published:01 February 1976Publication History
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Abstract

Universities are often criticized for being too academic—too far removed from society's real problems. One reason for this remoteness is the academic preoccupation with analysis, despite the fact that the solution to many practical problems requires synthesis or invention. Another reason—and this is the one I want to discuss—is that faculties in science and engineering by and large are interested in the science of technology, and devote little or no time to teaching the economics of technology.

The problem is a general one and I believe it deserves attention by all scientific and engineering faculties of the university (?). It is particularly important in the computer field, where growth and change are the norm, and where we all must be careful, in making decisions, to take into account trends and directions in the economics of data processing. I propose a course entitled “Data Processing Technology and Economics” as a solution to the problems described above, and in this paper I will describe the course, which is based on a textbook I have been preparing for the past several years. The course has been taught twice: at Harvard University in the Fall Semester 1974-1975; and at the University of Sydney, in Australia, in the Michaelmas Term, ]975. However, before describing the course in detail, I would like to explain, with the help of some examples, why I believe this subject is important to the student of Computer Science.

References

  1. 1 I here use the word "e&cgrave;onomics" to mean the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, as should be apparent to the reader as he goes through the paper. Specifically, I am not advocating study of economics in its classical sense, referring to the study of the general laws and principles underlying the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth. sharpe, in his very useful and interesting book The Economics of Computers (Columbia University Press, New York, 1969), hoped that a course dealing with economic matters would become an essential part of the computer science curriculum. However, the first half of his book is devoted to classical economics, and it appears he did not envision the importance of economic data, as described in the present paper.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  2. 2 Phister, M., Jr., "The Economics of Technology" Program on Information Technologies and Public Policy, Harvard University, January, 1975Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  3. 3 Phister, M. Jr., "A Data Base on the Economics of Data Processing, and its Use in Computer Science Research", submitted for presentation to the 1976 ACM Computer Science Conference, February 10-12, 1976, Anaheim, Calif.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  4. 4 Knuth, D.E., &ldquoAn Empirical Study of FORTRAN Programs," Software Practice and Experience, 1, 2, April-June, 1971, 105-133.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  5. 5 Phister, M. Jr., Data Processing Technology and Economics, to be published in the Spring of 1976. Santa Monica Publishing Col, 307 12th st., Santa Monica, Calif. 90402. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  6. 6 "Curriculum 68". Communications of the ACM, 11, 3, March, 1968, 151-197.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  7. 7 Ashenhurst, R.L. (ed.), "Curriculum Recommendations for Graduate Professional Programs in Information Systems,&rdquo,; Communications of the ACM, 15, 5, May, 1972, 364-398. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library

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          cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
          ACM SIGCSE Bulletin  Volume 8, Issue 1
          Proceedings of the SIGCSE-SIGCUE joint symposium on Computer science education
          February 1976
          399 pages
          ISSN:0097-8418
          DOI:10.1145/952989
          Issue’s Table of Contents
          • cover image ACM Conferences
            SIGCSE '76: Proceedings of the ACM SIGCSE-SIGCUE technical symposium on Computer science and education
            February 1976
            403 pages
            ISBN:9781450374125
            DOI:10.1145/800107

          Copyright © 1976 ACM

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          Association for Computing Machinery

          New York, NY, United States

          Publication History

          • Published: 1 February 1976

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