Edge computing societal privacy and security issuesGuynes, Stephen; Parrish, James; Vedder, Richard
doi: 10.1145/3383641.3383643pmid: N/A
Edge computing involves pushing data storage, processing and analyzing to the edges of a network. It allows for actions to be taken at the point of processing. Edge computing is forcing change, and impacting society with its privacy and security issues, due to the way information is sent, is stored, and in the way, people react to the changes. This is due to the fact that data can be analyzed and reported in real time, so its outcomes are immediately actionable.
Computing's social obligationTrim, Michelle
doi: 10.1145/3383641.3383644pmid: N/A
The cover of the August issue of Communications of the ACM showcases Harvard's impressive experiment integrating ethics throughout its undergraduate computer science curriculum [6]. Anyone currently grappling with exploding enrollments must applaud Harvard's deliberate use of resources to broaden CS education beyond its traditional technical components. In a similar vein, ACM recently updated its professional code of ethics, calling on CS professionals to acknowledge "all people are stakeholders" and to "ensure that the public good is the central concern during all professional computing work," [1] possibly adding to the pressure many in CS education may be feeling to 'up their game' when it comes to their programs' attention to ethics. Unsurprisingly, doing ethics in CS can seem like yet another requirement tasked to an already overburdened system. If one is operating under constraints, perhaps limited by shortages in money and personnel, ethics, or put another way, instilling concern for computing's impact on society, starts to seem like a luxury: something that we all agree is valuable and that would be nice to have if we can afford it. But, what happens if learning about ethics is just as fundamental to software engineering as procedural abstraction or just as crucial to data science as learning to avoid spurious correlation?
Responsibility, what's appropriate?Blumenthal, Richard
doi: 10.1145/3383641.3383645pmid: N/A
"Thus SIGCAS was born amidst controversy... And the work of the SIG, if done correctly, will undoubtedly invite controversy."1 Whether intentional, Mark Zuckerberg's, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, position on free expression and Internet platforms has undoubtedly invited controversy. As Mr. Zuckerberg is a recognized leading computing professional, I applaud him for taking a stand and "addressing concerns and raising awareness about the ethical and society impact of computers", which is the defined scope of SIGCAS' specialty [2]. As Editor-in-Chief, it is my honor to extend Mr. Zuckerberg an invitation to engage the SIGCAS community by contributing to Computers and Society, especially as our membership raises any concerns on his position. I understand Facebook is a commercial entity, but together "all people are stakeholders in computing" [1].