COMPUTERS
Could one imagine what the world would be like today without computers? For one, I would not be typing this paper right now. Computers were actually developed in early history. The first major use for a computer in the U.S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Chaney 52). This caused many other people to develop computers for various tasks. Each new computer helped to perform a different function and make it easier. Eventually IBM made a computer that could perform various tasks such as: figure out equations, store data, and draw graphics (Chaney 53). From there the computer industry exploded. Now computers have changed many aspects of life.
Computers have had a major effect upon business. One area deals with the advertising industry. It has completely re-arranged the advertising business. Before computers companies used to advertise only on magazines, billboards, and T.V. The internet has spawned a new world for advertising. If anyone has ever been on the Internet; they know that it is a major contributor to this. Instead of companies paying around 1 million dollars to advertise for a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl; they could just pay a certain amount to be advertised forever on the net. People can also notice the changes of advertising on the T.V., also. Not until the last few years have people noticed that a great deal of the commercials on T.V. are computer-related. These two combined have made the advertising businesses boom. Not only just on the T.V., but also on the net. Another area affected is the stock trading business. Computers have actually hurt the majority of stock brokerage firms. The reason is because computers allow it’s users to have access to the same information the actual brokers have. They can log onto the internet and go to their online firm to download information on stocks. This way they have the knowledge to trade and buy stocks for themselves without paying a certain percent to the broker. People can become a member of online firms such as: Ameritrade, DLJ Direct, SureTrade, and others. Here they can trade for a mere $8-$10 dollars. People also have responded that they feel more comfortable when they have total control of their money ( Maney 45).
A final area deals with the actual computer-related companies.
When trying to envision the world of today without computers, I imagine that our lifestyles would be extremely different. "As exciting as technological developments may be…it is important to remember that people who lack the skills or the machines to tap into this information are in the same position as those a century ago who could not read or had no access to books" (240). "These new technologies have undoubtedly altered our sense of what it means to be literate" (239). Years ago, being educated simply meant that you could read and write. Today one must go through years of formal schooling to be considered scholarly. This is because, "Our sources of information have become much more diverse than they were even a generation ago," (239).
Computers are a magnificent feat of technology. They have grown from simple calculators to machines with many functions and abilities. Computers have become so common that almost every home has at least one computer, and schools find them a good source for information and education for their students (Hafner, Katie, unknown). Computers have created new careers and eliminated others and have left a huge impact on our society. The invention of the computer has greatly affected the arts, the business world, and society and history in many different areas, but to understand how great these changes are, it is necessary to take a look at the origins of the computer.
Computers have had a major impact on today’s society. In this current day and age, imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have computers. Not given much thought, you can easily see it would be totally different. Almost every business, school, and even home has a computer. What would we do without them?
The Internet is responsible for millions of new jobs, helping the economy. Many small businesses and corporations excelled because of the Internet. “Individual online users can daily market themselves globally through custom-designed personal web sites and blogs.”(Schell). Online advertising became a way for businesses to advertise their company to anyone in the world. “The advertising industry estimated that the average Internet user in 2002 saw 950 banner ads per day.”(Hollis). With the Internet, businesses advanced and developed into more Internet dependent companies. “The most important source of media income comes from advertising.”(Hollis) Internet advertising helps the economy and developed a new source of advertising. Frederick Moran’s job relied on the Internet. As a business analysis, he analyzes and fixes computer programs for people who trade commodities. “Companies now need fewer clerical and manufacturing workers and more employees with engineering, programming, and business backgrounds to design, develop, and manage the increasingly complex systems.”(Marshall) Fr...
A man wakes up in the morning to the sound of his digital alarm clock and immediately checks his e-mail. He turns on the television, which has a V-chip to keep his children from watching what may be violent. He gets dressed, gets in his car, and drives to work where he works as the network administrator at a local steel company. It is amazing all of the things this man uses in the morning alone that would not be possible if it were not for computer technology. From his alarm clock to his e-mail even to the job that pays his bills it has all been made possible by computer related technologies. This is the same situation with many people in American society today. Everything has to do with computers. The very first things that we consider "computers" were nothing more than adding machines. "Perhaps the first example of this is the abacus, known in the Orient at least as early as 600 B.C."(Nunz 517). The abacus consists of a frame with rods that hold beads which depending on their position represent a different number. It is usually made of wood and the rods that were thought to one time have been made of bamboo. Users can add, subtract, multiply, and divide just like modern calculator (Fernandes). It all started with calculating machines and has advanced to the fast microprocessors we have today. People use computers everyday in many forms from the computer that's in a car to a home PC. Computers have changed everyday life in the way society drives, communicates, and relaxes. Society has changed because of computer technology and it will probably never go back. One thing that is very important to most people, especially in this area, which in most cases involves a computer, is the car. This is due mostly to the lack of effective public transportation in the area. Cars get people where they need to go from the mall to work and back home again. For those fortunate enough to have year 2000 model cars there are some pretty amazing almost futuristic features. One of these is "adaptive cruise control" which monitors the car in front of the driver and brakes accordingly.
Computers allow us to communicate with people all over the world. Thanks to the Internet you can talk with people from other counties and get a response within a few seconds. Instead if you had written a letter you might not get a response for weeks. The Internet also allows people who don't know each other to meet and become friends. Being able to connect to the Internet allows families to stay in touch even though they live thousands of miles away. The capabilities of being online makes things so much easier and faster, which we need, in order to keep up with the fast paced world we live in.
The field of advertising has seen many changes over time, but the most compelling change comes from the Internet. The Internet has allowed advertisers to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and to become economical. Companies are able to advertise for substantially less capitol than traditionally done with radio, magazines, and television. Regardless if the change is favorable or adverse for advertisers, the effects of the internet on advertising can not be denied.
When computers became available to the public they had a huge impact on the business industry. Before computers business had to be done with paper and if it was from a distance it had to be done over mail. If you ran a store then your stock was all written on paper and the accuracy was all dependent on you. Computers made business easier by adding things like error checking, email, and even advertising (Feigenbaum online).
When advertising on the Internet, it is both the businesses as well as sites like search engines that profit. In 1995 when the Internet was not as highly recognized as is today, advertising totaled US$312 million. It is estimated that in the year 2000, advertising spending will increase to $5 billion and this money will go to search engines or smaller web sites that are allowing companies and businesses space to advertise their product or service. Businesses will profit from the use of Internet advertising because it is much cheaper and is more effective when compared to standard advertising. Larger firms can also sponsor smaller web sites...
Computer technology has had a great effect on society as a whole throughout history. It has modified our behavior greatly as we have become accustomed to the technological advancements of yesterday. We are so dependent sometimes we do not even have a concept of what life would be like without computers. When we are forced to live life without computers we are left hopeless and disillusioned and simple everyday tasks become major chores. Computers of the past were very primitive compared to the computers of today but extremely useful. One of the very first computers of major importance was the abacus that was developed by Chinese and later made more portable by the Greeks The Abacus was used for more than 2000 years and made life easier for many. It was used as a calculator, as today, to simplify computations of small or large figures. This gave many people increased free time while maintaining the current economic status within their society. Another important device of this time was the astrolabe. The astrolabe was used for the navigation of ships and allowed sailors to draw maps based on astrological calculation. This helped many sailors and explorers find many new and uncharted lands, which eventually led to the European colonization of North America. During the 1600's there was a surge of inventors conjuring up many new ideas. In 1642, Blaise Pascal was accredited for inventing the first digital calculating machine which could only add. This invention was not for himself, but for his father, who worked hard as a tax collector. The first digital calculator started a whole new line of calculating devices that could not only add but divide, multiply, and subtract. This task was not accomplished until 1820 by Charles Xavier Thomas. The introduction of punch cards, in the late 1800's, automated data entry resulting in many jobs lost that would have been available to the average worker. Punch cards were first used in the 1890 census. This not only reduced the amount of workers but also the amount of human error that could have occurred in previous census. The use of punch cards did not end there. Punch cards were greatly improved by IBM, that successfully provided mechanical automation of data entry. This was done by using spinning wheels to process 50 to 250 cards per a minute. This again sadly eliminated many jobs but continued the development of the computing industry.
Internet advertising is growing before 2000. In 2003 it revenues were increased by 38 percent. It was the highest record at that time. It was a great advantage for the marketers, who were into internet advertisement. ( The economic times, 2004)
“Computers play a key role in almost every sphere of life” (Berry, Terrie). Without them, everything would be different. People all around the world own or used a computer. Whether you are a professional in technology or just an average person, computers are still very important in your everyday life. “No other technology has accessed the world like computers and the use of the Internet have” (Maddox, Amanda). Without computers, consumers would not be able to do half the things as quickly as we can. Advances in computer design have increased its use for different industries, especially in the medical field.
The biggest and easiest seen change that computers have had on today’s society can be seen in the workplace. Before computers became an office tool and were made available to the average employee, paperwork and sharing information in an office setting was done by many different individuals constantly filing and looking up figures. Now a computer can store large amounts of information that is readily available to virtually anyone with the click of a mouse button. One person can complete a job that in a time before computers would take many. Computers have made file cabinets and libraries almost obsolete. Businesses can share information nation or even world wide in a matter of seconds. For example, a word document file can be sent from an office in New York to an office in Los Angeles in under a minute, in the past this same information would have taken a week to be sent through the mail. Computers have changed the way that factories are run too. On an assembly line, before computers every job, no matter how easy or difficult, had to be done by an employee. Now, however, computers run machines and do most of these tasks.
We now use computers every day, as well as graphing calculators and other technological advances such as the scanner and the Internet. We use computers to do anything from typing English papers to checking our e-mail. My Grandparents never imagined things such as the computer, let alone the Internet.
The Internet first started to get popular in the mid 1990’s. Where only people with high tech computers and that could afford the service had the Internet. Of course the Internet did not look the way it does now during that time. There were no pop up ads, java, banners, or graphics that made a consumer purchase a product because they saw it on the Internet. One main reason that there was none of this was because the Internet could only use dial – up. Of course everyone knows how slowly that was, so picture trying to upload or update a website at that pace with huge files. We all know that this would take a very long time eventually making the company lose money. With the turn of the century close by not only did we enter a new century but we entered a new age of the Internet. The introduction of a cable modem drastically increased the Internet population. With speeds up to almost one hundred times faster then dial – up there was no comparison. With this new invention companies soon started to ease off on some parts of their advertising campaign and focused more on advertising on the Internet.