• Progress To Far
    To go forth, onward to new lands, climbing the corporate ladder. These messages evoke a sense of “development or growth” (Heritage Dictionary 1401) Progressing seems to be an everyday occurrence for most of us. We are always setting goals for ourselves and others whether it is dreaming of pushing new technology to the farthest reach of the unknown or discovering a cure for the world's worst diseases, or something simpler like finding the perfect weight loss program and sticking to it. Indeed most people without a doubt would say progress is good. However, can there be a line drawn? When does continual progress become a deterrent rather than an improvement, and who exactly draws that line?
    There are many fields in today’s society that are constantly improving almost evolving each year. Time and time again, computers set the bar, and the booming field of information technology is a perfect example of progress at work. Just last year the new FiOS was released out on the market. FiOS- or fiber optic service-use fiber optic strands made of pure glass or plastic as thin as human hair. These lines can transmit data at the speed of light, “Because light travels so quickly, this technology can bring an enormous amount of data to your home at super fast speeds.” (Alan Evans, et al 124). Such technologies well make traditional broadband networks and the already vintage dial-up, obsolete. However, the majority of Americans are unable to afford such upgrades to their home network, not to mention possibility of interference and other connectivity problems associated with newly untested technology. Only large enterprises and bureaucratic agencies would seem like plausible buyers of FiOS and capabilities have only been tested in California. It may be some time still before fiber optic technology is made available to the public.
    How about appliances that run themselves while owners are away? The artificially intelligent home of the future is no longer a science-fiction story. Software developers are creating quite a spectacular program for the average household fridge, one that can record the amount of certain products one constantly purchases. If a person runs low on soda and milk, no worries surviving the next grocery run. The fridge will order them a pre-set quantity. People will have your food delivered to them instead in a timely matter their convenience. The same developers are looking to automate entire grocery stores. Imagine walking into Albertson's with a shopping cart that recorded every item the shopper placed in the cart. A machine will total the cost when shoppers desired and they can swipe their cards or feed money into the machine on the cart. No lines, no waiting just pay and go. Of course, the human element must be ever present, along with a trusted security system to catch potential thieves trying to sneak a few freebies back to their car.
    The workload has gotten a little easier to over the last decade too. s Accounting, perhaps the most pain staking meticulous financial occupation on the planet has gotten a little easier in the past decade thanks to the emergence of computers. Programs like peach tree can help small retail owners become their own part-time accountants or, better yet, keep in touch with a real accountant to help them through fiscal year. Peach tree monitors their finances by “…automatically collecting sales information from its point-of-sales scanning devices. It also keeps track of inventory levels and automatically generates purchase orders for popular items…” (John Wiley & Sons 301).
    Drive through grocery stores coupled with smart homes seem like a nice fit in our ever rampant digital age, and less work with the aid of technology sounds like heaven, but is there serious danger in relying so much on machines? Like all great strides in the past, progress often creates both positive and negative consequences. The notion that any step forward may help solves one problem but create two more-referred to as the “progressive trap”. A computer run Albertson’s may replace the need for cashiers and baggers in the near future but the operation of computer may take a team of IT experts, increasing the job growth in stable full time jobs. The delivery system of an owners automated home may be at risk of landing somewhere in Cambodia or arrive at the house when they are on vacation, leaving the food to spoil. A well-oiled system will have to be worked out with a team of well educated professionals behind it. It’s been the story of mankind’s evolution. Humanity for the most part has had decisions made with benefits far outweighing the consequences.
    So who is to say what type of progress goes over the line? There are and will likely be no definitive answers. Depending on an individual’s ethics and rationale, someone can be for or against certain types of progress. Translate those differences into computer ethics and you’ll have those for a knowledge based programs for helping them at work for convince or for the money it can save. While others may oppose an automated grocery store because it cuts out most of the work. The difference in opinions is staggering.


    Work cited
    Evan Alan, Kendall Martin, Mary Anne Poatsy. Technology in Action. Pearson Learning Center. Boston, MA. Print
    Houghton Miffin Company. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Boston, MA. Houghton Miffin Co. 2000. Print
    John Wiley and Sons Incorporated. Accounting Principles, ninth edition. New Jersey. John Wiley & Sons inc. 2010. Print