How Information Technology Is Conquering the World

Information Technology (IT) is conquering the world. It affects our jobs, our lives as private citizens, and society. Its impact is greater than other technologies, such as railways, personal cars, and the telephone. However, while most can understand the potential and constraints of these technologies, IT is often experienced as a "black box," producing its effects without giving a clue as to how they are achieved. The aim of How Information Technology Is Conquering the World is to open this box and to offer a basic knowledge of the technology and how it works. We will then understand why IT can put toll both operators, metro train engineers, and stockbrokers out of a job, but at the same time have limited impact on bus drivers, nurses, and teachers.
How Information Technology Is Conquering the World focuses on the interface between the technologies and the real world in order to explore not only where these technologies have their advantages but also where their limitations become apparent. The difficulty of introducing a new technology is emphasized with the practical goal of enabling readers to use technology to full advantage. This book is useful for those involved in, affected by, or interested in the technology; for students taking an introductory course in computing; and for managers and others who are interested in seeing how this rapidly evolving technology will affect their lives, jobs, and businesses now and in the future.

Kai A. Olsen is professor of Informatics (Computing Science) both at Molde College and University of Bergen, Norway. He is an adjunct professor at the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. He has been a pioneer in developing software systems for PCs, information systems for primary health care, and systems for visualization. Olsen is the author of The Internet, The Web, and eBusiness: Formalizing Applications for the Real World (Scarecrow Press, 2005).

Preface
Ways to Use This Book for Teaching
Acknowledgments
Trademark Notice
Introduction
PART 1 Fundamentals
1 Welcome to the Virtual World
2 Information Technology
3 Formalization
4 Cases of Formalization
5 Formalization Levels
6 Cases of Formalization Level
7 Symbolic Data
8 Cost-benefit of Formalization
PART 2 Constraints
9 Computer Intelligence
10 Constraints on Technology
11 Case Studies: Technical Constraints
12 The Devil Is in the Details
13 Cultural Constraints
14 Case Studies: Cultural Constraints
15 Privacy and Security
16 Case Study: Internet Elections
PART 3 Usability
17 Interactive Computing
18 Usability
19 Simplicity
20 Case: Flexible User Interfaces
21 Bad Systems
PART 4 System Development
22 Developing a System
23 Software Engineering
24 Packages and ERP Systems
25 Simpler Software Development for Niche Companies
26 Case 1: In-house Programming
27 Case 2: Developing Apps
PART 5 Internet and WWW Basics
28 HTML and XML
29 Internet Protocols
30 Development of Web Protocols
31 E-mail, Chat, and Text Messages (SMS)
32 Browsers
33 World Wide Web
34 Searching the Web 3
35 Organizing the Web-Portals
36 Web Presence
37 Mobile Computing
38 Automated Web and Push Technology
39 Dynamic Web pages and the Form Tag
40 Embedded Scripts
41 Peer-to-peer Computing
42 Social Networks
43 Web 2.0
PART 6 Business-to-Consumer Applications
44 Symbolic services-Information Providers
45 Online Symbolic Services-Case Studies
46 Long Tail
47 Online Retail Shopping, Physical Items
48 A Better Model?
PART 7 Business-to-Business Applications
49 Data Exchange
50 Formalized Data Exchange
51 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
52 XML
53 Web Services
54 Automated Value Chain
55 Electronic Marketplaces
56 Outsourcing 525
PART 8 Cloud Computing and Large Data Repositories
57 Cloud Computing
58 Collecting Data
59 Automatic Translation
60 Case: Proofreading
61 Case: An Adaptive System
62 Crowdsourcing
63 Cloud Data for the Individual-a Personal Assistant
PART 9 A Digital World
64 Continuously Online
65 Internet and Democracy
66 Changing the World
67 Effects of IT Technology
68 Afterword
Index
About the Author