Homework

On pages 182 and 183 of A Gift of Fire, answer questions 4.8 and 4.10; post your answers on your blog

4.8-consider the case described in section 4.1.2, in which a boy was assumed to be a drug abuser because two schools used different disciplinary codes in their computerized records.

A) is this kind of problem more like to occur with computerized records than with paper records? Why, Why Not.

I think that the use of technology can really impact things in a negative way as shown in the story about the boy. The young boy got suspended from his classes because the teachers at his school searched his records with a different query and information that the teachers search came up showing that he had done drugs in middle school when he was really just chewing gum. If the teachers had used paper records then this would not have happened. All the teachers would have had to do is just read the records, and they would see that he only got in trouble for chewing gum.

B) Describe some policies or practices that can help prevent such problems.

I think that a policy that should be installed is to make sure that you have the truth when doing something major like suspending a boy from classes and sports. and also making sure that you know what your putting into your computer.

4.10-Consider the standardized-test score-reporting error discussed in the box in section 4.1.3. Suppose the scores had been reported to the schools as significantly higher, rather than lower than the correct scores. Do you think the schools would have questioned the scores? Do you think the error would have been discovered? if so, How? Give a few examples of situations where you think computer errors would not have ben reported. For each example, give your reason (e.g., optimism, ignorance, gullibility, dishonesty)

I think if the scores had not been so bad then they would not have been questioned. for example if they have been higher than they were supposed to be then no one would have cared. People only cared because they were low. If they were high I do not think the error would have ever been discovered. I don't think that anyone would spend the time. I would like to think that someone would but I think that is asking too much. Some examples where this has not been discovered would be high test scores, money added to someone's bank account. for the most part anything that happens that benefits someone because if they report it then they know that they will loose it.