The Best of Creative Computing Volume 1 (published 1976)

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Survey of Public Attitudes Toward Computers in Society (Understanding of Computers)

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UNDERSTANDING OF COMPUTERS

After looking at the various roles of the computer, one
must ask, do people understand the computer per se by
itself? And the answer is that a surprising number do. And
quite a few don't. Indeed between one-quarter and
one-third of the population believe the computer is beyond
the understanding of the typical person. Also, many people
have the wrong notion about who causes computer
mistakes - machines or people.

Computers are beyond the understanding of the typical
person. Are they? Well 25% of the adults and 31% of the
youth think so. But 62% of the adults and 49% of the
youth think they are within comprehension. Perhaps more
revealing - among schools with an instructional computer
program, over 80% of the students believe that computers
are within their understanding.

Computers make mistakes at least 10% of the time. This
statement must be coupled with the next one: Programmers
and operators make mistakes, but computers are, for the
most part, error free. FACT: Statement 1 is absolutely
false, statement 2 is true. How did respondents do with
these questions? Most answered "correctly" - about 68%,
fewer youth than adults, but a fair number of people were
downright wrong (13%). The rest of the people didn't know
(19%). These percentages are similar to those scored on
nationwide tests of scientific facts - about 2/3 of the
people know the facts but the other third are wrong or just
don't know. A happy situation? Not very.

It is possible to design computer systems which protect
the privacy of data. Not even the computer designer knows
for sure, so what can we expect from the general public?

Well, 61% of the adults think you can design a secure
system and 26% think you can't; only 49% of the youth
think you can and 16% think you can't. What does all this
say? Probably nothing except that some people are
optimists and some are pessimists, and at least on the data
privacy issue, more adults are optimistic than young people.



                  STATISTICAL RESULTS OF SURVEY OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES 
                           TOWARDS COMPUTERS IN SOCIETY 

                                                 ADULT (N=300)             
YOUTH (N=543)

                                            Strongly        Strongly    
strongly       Strongly
                                            or Mostly       or Mostly    or
Mostly      or Mostly
                                             Agree           Disagree      Agree
       Disagree 

Computer Impact on the Quality of Life  
 Computers will improve education.             86.6%              5.9%      
84.2%          4.5% 
 Computers will improve Iaw enforcement.       81.9               3.3       
70.0          10.1 
 Computers will improve health Care.           78.5               5.3       
54.1          11.9
 Credit rating data banks are a worthwhile     64.2              13.4       
64.0           7.6
  use of computers.


Computer Threat to Society 
 A person today cannot escape the              91.6               4.0        
66.6          17.7 
   influence of computers.

 Computer polls and predictions                48.1              27.5        
44.2          26.9
   influence the outcome of elections.

 Computers dehumanize society by treating      37.4              50.3        
39.9          30.5
   everyone as a number. 
 Computers isolate people by preventing        18.7              62.5        
20.9          42.5 
   normal social interactions among users.


Understanding the Role of Computers
  Computers are best suited for doing          80.0              10.3         
57.0         21.6 
    repetitive, monotonous tasks.

  Computers are a tool just like a             72.6              14.7         
61.3         23.4 
    hammer or lathe. 
  Computers slow down and complicate           17.6              66.4         
17.4         68.8 
    simple business operations. 
  Computers will replace low-skill jobs        71.0              15.0         
61.8         14.4 
    and create jobs needing specialized 
    training
  Computers will create as many jobs           62.5              16.4         
40.0         29.1 
    as they eliminate. 



Understanding of Computers 

 Computers are beyond the understanding        25.2               61.6         
30.6         49.2 
   of the typical person. =
 Computers make mistakes at least 10%            9.6              76.7         
10.3         60.0 
   of the time. 
 Programmers and operators make mistakes,       67.0              19.3         
72.3         13.3 
   but computers are, for the most part.

   error free. 
 It is possible to design computer              60.2              26.4         
48.6         15.9 
   systems which protect the privacy of 
   data. 



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