Computers in the Service of Society examines the role of computers in contemporary society. Based on a seminar series given in the spring of 1969 and co-sponsored by The American University, the book discusses the different societal problems that may be ameliorated by the application of computer technology. The focus of the book is on man's response to computers, whether the multiple roles of the computer can be comprehended by the decision makers of our times, and whether the vast potential as well as limitations of automatic data processing can be conveyed to the public at large. The book consists of 10 chapters and begins with an overview of the evolution and impact of systems methodology and computer technology; their application to the management of information; and Congress's increasing awareness of the potential of systems technology, especially the electronic computer. The text then turns its attention to the development of policies for national scientific and technical information systems; systems management in government; how computers help the government in serving society; and acceptance and use of computer technology by corporate management. The possibility of computer-utility services evolving as regulated services is also considered. The book concludes by assessing where the computer is likely to take us in the last third of the 20th century, paying particular attention to the possibility of applying computer technology to the operations of Congress and the legislative process. The text will be of interest to planners, decision makers, professionals, and students working in the field of computer technology.

Almost fifty years ago, the author wrote the first comprehensive critical study of social issues in computing, The Conquest of Will (1976). This new book revisits this seminal study, featuring an overview of technological advances over the past half century, and provides a unique comparison between what was believed and expected of computers back in 1976, and actual outcomes up to the present time. Despite the extraordinary changes in technology, much of what has emerged in contemporary society was anticipated fifty years ago, and we are still grappling with some of the same basic challenges. For example, the computer’s threat to privacy has been a constant issue ever since the late 1950s, but the regulatory framework designed in the 1960s has been upended by the Internet. Artificial Intelligence too has been a contentious issue since the late 1950s, but until recently discussion was largely confined to academia, and there was little urgency to regulate its further development and application. The comparisons offered in this book will highlight what we got right and wrong in the past, and point to the sources of good and bad predictions. While there have been many studies of social issues in computing published since The Conquest of Will appeared in 1976, this is an unusual and valuable longitudinal comparison of the current situation with what prevailed and was predicted half a century ago.

At a time when Steve Jobs was only a teenager and Mark Zuckerberg wasn’t even born, a group of visionary engineers and designers—some of them only high school students—in the late 1960s and 1970s created a computer system called PLATO, which was light-years ahead in experimenting with how people would learn, engage, communicate, and play through connected computers. Not only did PLATO engineers make significant hardware breakthroughs with plasma displays and touch screens but PLATO programmers also came up with a long list of software innovations: chat rooms, instant messaging, message boards, screen savers, multiplayer games, online newspapers, interactive fiction, and emoticons. Together, the PLATO community pioneered what we now collectively engage in as cyberculture. They were among the first to identify and also realize the potential and scope of the social interconnectivity of computers, well before the creation of the internet. PLATO was the foundational model for every online community that was to follow in its footsteps. The Friendly Orange Glow is the first history to recount in fascinating detail the remarkable accomplishments and inspiring personal stories of the PLATO community. The addictive nature of PLATO both ruined many a college career and launched pathbreaking multimillion-dollar software products. Its development, impact, and eventual disappearance provides an instructive case study of technological innovation and disruption, project management, and missed opportunities. Above all, The Friendly Orange Glow at last reveals new perspectives on the origins of social computing and our internet-infatuated world.