Blog 1: The Stupidity of Computers

THE STUPIDITY OF COMPUTERS

         “The Stupidity of Computers” written by David Auerbach provides several implications regarding how computers operate and the rise of ontologies.  The article provides details about the way in which computers cannot understand the English language, how difficult of a time computers have in thinking for themselves, and their search engines categorize information.  (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 1).  In recent decades, as the use of computers has increased, this article lays out a premise that describes computers being able to function if given the right instructions but unable to function on their own.

            The article begins by stating that computers are dumb even though they have cauldrons of processing power.  Even though computers have millions of pieces of information at their fingertips, they cannot access such information unless the user looking for the information inputs the proper search words. After this introduction, the article goes on to discuss the different ways in which computers can access information if the right words are used.  Then if the right words are used, then it is a matter of what words the search engine picks out as the most important.  Many researchers have attempted to come up with a way in which computers can understand the English language to make computers more effective and smart, especially when it comes to search engines; however, this has yet to happen. (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 3).  Although computers and search engines still have yet to learn the English langue as well as the implications of certain words, search engines such as Google has made searching for topics better, without learning the English language.

            Google inventors, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, came up with a way to link searches up with websites that are most popular among other websites. (Auerbach, 2012 pg. 5).  Instead of counting words on a website to determine if it fits a search, Google has found a way to bring up the most popular site on the Internet. (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 5).  However, computers still have not learned the English language or the implications of the English language.  Now websites are beginning to use ontologies, which is a conceptual framework for a number of kinds of entities as well as any number of relationship between them. (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 4).  Amazon has taken the ontologies and used them to suggest to customers other items to purchase.  However, the issue with ontologies is that they are people made and computers are programmed to use them.  The issue with ontologies expands to Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia.

            The purpose of the article is to discuss how computers cannot think for themselves, which makes them stupid.  The article lays out how humans have made computers smart but when it comes to computers functioning on their own it is not acquirable, at this moment in time.   The purpose is to show the ways popular websites on the Internet function and how the computer did not make this happen but how the people programed the computer to make the function the website provides exist. 

            The importance of the article is to inform the general public that computers are not as smart as one may think.  Although computers have tremendous processing power, storage for data, and access to many functions, the computers have not done this themselves.  Humans are responsible for the ways computers operate.  The article also stresses the importance of how computers cannot understand the English language and must use categories set up by humans to understand. 

            The article’s implications are huge.  They suggest that computers are dumb because they cannot work on their own and cannot understand the English language.  The article also implicates the ways in which a computer is useless without the help of a human.  The article suggests that computers will become more accessible to the general public but the general public must dumb themselves down and put themselves into categories for computers to work.  The article suggests that computers will not change in the way that they work but people will have to change the way they act around computers and how to use them properly. 

            Around the Internet there are many ways in which David Auerbach’s thoughts and implications are exemplified.  For example, when one searches for a certain subject matter, such as a popular TV show, the computer does not understand the TV show but can link you to the TV show’s website.  (www.google.com).  On Amazon’s website, when one searches for a certain textbook, Amazon suggests study aides to go along with those textbooks.  (www.amazon.com).  This is another example of how the computer is not thinking of those study aides but a way the people in charge of categorizing items have linked the computer to show items that can be offered.  Many websites on the Internet, especially shopping websites, use this mechanism.  However the computer is not suggesting this to you but the people who have programmed the computer to offer such items of clothing are offering certain items to you.

            Although this article operates on the premise of computers being stupid, the categorization of intelligence should not be used when speaking of computers.  Considering computers are machines, they should not be described as being dumb or smart because those words deal with intelligence, in which computers do not possess.  However, computers are not dumb.  They are machines that can be used in a variety of ways.  Although they cannot think on their own, they aid people in their everyday lives.  Therefore, computers are not stupid per say but they are not as smart as human beings.    

Auerbach, David. The Stupidity of Computers, Machine Politics. Issue 13, Winter 2012.