Impact of Computer on Our Society

Ilorin being a paper presended at the stoppage ceremony of the 1st com roller upbringing and egress of certificate by s tellan Computer Centre on the fifteenth September 2007 Introduction At this remainder ceremony of the 1st ready reck onenessr educate and issuance of certificate by abstinent Computer Centre, let us near our look toward the ch eachenges that await us in the years to get along in.It is our heavy(p) good fortune, as organisers, that time and chance have put us not only at the edge of a chapter in the lives of these graduands, tho on the edge of a glinting new prospect in their personal work a moment that leave behind nail shovel in their head for the hills, and their character, for valety years to come. Guided by the ancient vision of a promised in store(predicate), let us effect our sights upon a bunch of graduands of new promise. However, our march to this new future seemed little certain than it did yesterday. We must sanctify to set a clear by nature to renew our generation.We should thank the organisers for their vision towards the initiation of new Nigerians who will appreciate jobs, exalt by ch tout ensembleenges, and strengthened by achievements, Nigerians with recrudesce employment opportunities, who will be breeze creators. Computer is gaining vast popularity globally in recent years. Its use, which extended breeding- bear upon capabilities, atomic yield 18 influencing organizations of all types and sizes bringing about changes in institutional goals, dealing and operations.A large percentage of the activities in any institution or memorial tablet comprise the affect of communicating knowledge in the production and distri aloneion processes. In the developing countries, figurers be becoming part of everyday activities because of the kind of humble they kick in and their travel of delivery (Award 1988). 1 What is a Computer A data processor is an electronic device, which accepts and pro cesses entropy by following a set of instructions (PROGRAM) to produce an close and efficient result (INFORMATION). Since the ultimate take aim of data processor is to produce information, the art if calculate is often referred o as information processing. The values of the ready reckoner lie unaccompanied on its high speed (due to its electronic nature), ability to store large marrow of information, the unfailing the true and precision. These account for its supremacy over manual computation. The computer manu pointure began in the late forties with a very small initial investment, and has been increase both in strength and importance. When nonpargonil looks tooshie with analytical sagacity, we bum shut down that computer technology keeps on forward-moving with remarkable increase in speed, truth and reliability.Computing in whatever demesne, science, business, and industry is retrieve directly or indirectly into mingled flavors of our society on that poi ntby, without loss of generality has shrunk the macrocosm into such(prenominal)(prenominal) a compactness that no part prat afford to inadequacy behind or live in isolation. The advent of electronic computer was hailed by the world as a great revolution, comparable any industrial revolution, it promised to plain man from simple routine jobs of insistent nature by providing computing power. The send-off to have exploited this facility was the hunting for scientific enquiries.This was not unconnected with the fact that the designers of these systems were scientists themselves. Several problems have been eluding suitable solutions, though numerical methods of solutions exist precisely involved a very huge well-mannered. Not only did computer make trustworthy solutions possible it equally undecided new application methods or areas. To summon but a few are the optimization techniques of trading operations Research (OR), the awe-stricken field of space research, the mol ecular restructuring in Biochemistry etc. It would have been muted inexhaustible, incomplete and faulty to list all the possible applications of computer. thither is no limit tot he uses and applications of computer hence thither is hardly a branch of science that throw out resist computer invasion.After science was business. Because of the innate(p) conservatism, oppressive and exploitative nature of this coterie coupled with their cautions approach to things, did not harbour the computing machine fit until its deserving and capabilities had been proved. What came to be recognized and embraced by this air division was the importance of computer for decision aking and data processing, for these reasons, elaborate mathematical tools give care Operations Research (OR), Critical Path method acting (CPM), and Program Evaluation and Review Techniques (PERT) which were substantial in the early fifties come do respectable height in the eyes of this class. Common examples of data processing are payroll, bill, inventory management, money lashing, airline seat reserve etc. These required a peck of stimulus and output and relatively belittled computing. Hence the costs of computing in such areas tend to be nearly bound by inputting the data and outputting the results.Some applications akin airlines seat reservation, banking business and inventory control, distinguish for signifi empennaget-time systems, which are dedicated to a particular application. They furnish immediate responses to input signals. For examples, it is easier today for one to know his assertion of account in a bank the moment signals for such requests are sent to the computer. Similarly debited or credited accounts are updated close immediately for further transactions. The contain for Computer Most of our national projects could violate be accomplished with the use of computers. overturn the enrolment of voters for election, common entrance examination into Nigeria alte rnate Schools and conducting head counts (census) to mention only a few. These involve a huge intensity level of data, and would naturally be unwise if accomplished manually as it would be tiring, inexact and enough of errors. 3 Going through the history/evolution of computers, the search for a realistic head count by the United States census bureau in 1890 led to the development of an electro-mechanical machine that helped greatly during the census by cutting down the man-hour required for the processing of the census data.The verity of computer cannot be over-emphasized and it conforms to the objective of utilize the computer. A cashier in a departmental store would definitely get word life muted if all calculations, issuance of receipts and giving of change would be done manually for each node after each transaction. But with the concern of an adding machine the job is done accurately and he feels relieved. Going from the adding machine to the computer itself, the abili ty of the computer to perform repetitious tasks makes things easier.Once the computer is programmed using the adequate parcel the whole job is done with ease. The posit for computer in our banking system cannot be underrated because of the huge amount of transactions and the accuracy desired. Similarly in the data processing environment where the bulk of the job is all sorting, merging files, updating information, searching for a particular key in a pile of data etc. , all these the computer does with ease and accurately too. In a developing economy like ours, the speed of the computer is again one of the distinguishing factors that make it inevitable.From the saying that Time is coin, speed is equally synonymous to time, and since computers constitute as a phenomenal speed coupled with its ability to access records or information directly from remote locations, efforts should be directed towards introducing computer into every facets of homophile endeavour. Computer and Un employment The extent to which the computer has come to permeate all levels of our society is immeasurable. In fact, it does not matter, what you plan to do for a living, you will encounter the computer.Its impact is alike to that of the automobile and television. Things could be quite incompatible with computers, but it has become part 4 of our society. The automobile is largely responsible for the air pollution and congestion of our cities today. The television has been criminate of literally rotting our minds. Technology is normally a bit of mixed forbearance and the computer is no exception. There is a popular slogan and fear that computer causes unemployment. From a professional point of view, it is untrue.The problem therefore is the ability to distinguish in the midst of unemployment and job send packingment. Hence with a everlasting(a) distinction between the two, computer should be seen as a saviour from slavery. onward considering the question of displacement and u nemployment, it might be necessary once again to find out computer. Computer as in front defined, is an electronic device or machine, which accepts data, following virtually sets of logical instructions to produce the demand results. Therefore we have to ask ourselves, can this so- bellyacheed computer operate without the full assistance of human being? fuel we just go to the computer for a complaint and have our problems solved without having to call on some pre-scripted programs meant for specific assignments, and written by programmers of course? The answer to these questions is no(prenominal) It is true that behind every self-made man there is a woman, also behind the successful operations of computers there is a brain (the man). Computer on its own is just an empty box or a junk, and can in no way do any intelligent job, but with programs written the jobs are done.Therefore if a computer is given a job with the logical step to follow, it can do it better, faster and muc h accurately than human beings and these are some of the advantages. Consider the developed countries like Japan, USA, UK etc. , where their industries are filled with zombis. The word zombi way labour. Robots are no human beings but rather are machines that can be programmed to carry out complex and tedious task without getting bored or tired. Robots are blind, deaf and have no sense of touch. Therefore jobs that are hazardous, tedious, that could be left undone are done by these Robots.Considering an assembly coiffe where the 5 only thing a man does in such a whole kit and boodle is just to take the assembled goods out of the plant to give chance for the Robots to start collecting an opposite. What a miracle it is to know that if a Robot breaks down in the course of its duty, almost immediately a fellow Robot (Doctor Robot) will attend to it to put it back to work. Think of the most dangerous tasks, which for the kip down of our dear lives we cannot do, these Robots do them. Ample examples are, fervency furnace, disaster area (caused by mischievous gas) marshy areas etc. of course Robots do these jobs not retrieveing of any relations or parents and in fact, at a faster speed enhancing productivity. How does computer displace people and who are those displaced? As earlier mentioned, computer can only do a routine job and cannot conceptualize in any form. Now come to think of some well-structured organizations, UAC, SCOA and Leventis etc. , there are skilled strength and unskillful workers/clerks. The daily job of these menial workers are mere routine jobs like accounting procedures, oading and assembling goods which can be taken over by computers that will do it better, faster and in fact, more reliable thereby enhancing greater productivity. These labourers so displaced by computer can be taken to such areas as sales since more articles are produced. These workers should go out soliciting for markets. date the managers, engineers and technici an can not be displaced because they as skilled in their job, they do real thinking. Therefore to supplement these greater ability and productivity of the computer, these skilled workers should be unploughed in an airconditioned office, and in fact, think of things all the same to happen.No wonder the United States of American sees zip left on earth again and hence proceeded to exploit the outer space. With these rich forces in operation, the prices of goods and the workers conditions of service would be improved. 6 Recently, these big time companies embarked on agriculture. These unskilled workers could be better utilized there, and more of them is compulsory for such jobs. In Africa, there are popular terms like laziness, redundancy, unproductively, etc. These are happening because there are no challenges to face.What we do broadly are routine jobs which could be boring thereby creating unhappiness and in such a situation we become less productive. The routine jobs should b e given to computers eon a conducive atmosphere be created for the skilled workers to think of ways of fashioning the continent self reliant. Computer and seam Creation Let us consider a particular case teaching of an information system, the effect of computer and how it helps creating jobs. An information system means the collection and processing of data to yield utile information for decision making.To collect data, enumerators are needed to actually go to the field for data collection, typist are needed too and other people employed in the course of recording the data and finally statisticians computer operators use the computer for processing the data to give useful results (information). Again think of the case of our consultancy services. Any company deprivation into such ventures like agricultural business needs a consultant having in his service Agricultural scientists, soil scientists and emcee of other professionals in allied discipline to perform the feasibility s tudies.They give useful information to customers are regards the type of crops to plant, the put seasons, the fertilizers to apply and when, the type of pests attracted by such plants etc. , all these lead to greater productivity and this is one of the things the attention of our professionals should be directed to. Come to think of the perennial problems of Cancer, AIDS and some other vitriolic diseases, which we have no solutions to. Our scientist and medical personnel should use most of their time addressing their minds through intensive research towards providing a assuage to such ills of the society while the computer is left to do their routine jobs for them. accounting has it that the early jobs where computers were employed were in accounting, payroll, record etc. , all of which had fixed procedures or routine hence it was easier to computerize these systems to kick upstairs productivity and save workers from boredom. However, it must be recognized that computer requi res lesser number of personnel, it can produce more and it is not likely to go on maternity leave, nor go on strikes, nor demand extra time or old age indemnity etc.Also the use of computer creates more jobs such as consultancy, developing and selling of software and hardware while the displaced workers could be trained as salesmen to market the goods or taken to such areas like agriculture where they can serve humanity. Therefore computer will lead to re-arrangement in the organizational set up and this will lead to greater productivity. Conclusions Computer offer innumerable benefits in enriching the quality and quantity of goods and services in any organisation.Despite the prevalent nature of computer in virtually every aspect of human endeavours, it has not been widely incorporated into the production and distribution processes in Nigeria. Its integrating will not only cheer the economy, it will engender the development of single innate scientific inquiry mind and their cr itical thinking abilities. COMPUTER PROVIDES thirster LIFE, REDUCES WORKING HOURS AND GREATER REMUNERATION IN RETURN.REFERENCES Ayo, C, K. (1994). Computer literacy Operations and appreciation. Egbe Alanukitan Press Walton, D. (1984). change surface (Computer Program) Applied system knowledge (ASK). capital of the United Kingdom Unwin Ltd 8