Week Four Cultural Blog Post

February 28, 2015

Technology Doesn’t Always Work.

We have to face the facts, tech does not always work and when it fails the results can be disastrous. There are a plethora of examples to choose from, from aircraft that are stuck on the ground because the computer systems in the control tower are down, to aircraft that fall out of the sky. On a weekly basis some thing on this earth malfunctions and people get hurt.

To exacerbate the situation a lot of technology gets pushed into mainstream use before it is finished and the major bugs worked out. From new medical treatment to wearable gadgets, technology has a history of failing at first. Unfortunately people die from these mishaps.

I.m.h.o. many of these disasters can be avoided if the people that make the decision to release the technology have training in that field. This does not mean that the entire board has to be PHDs rather the final arbiter for release should be a third party that is involved and qualified in the field. This removes the monetary pressure to release tech that is faulty and at the same time leaves a clear chain of responsibility in event of a preventable bug.