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Principles of Social Informatics


1. Uses of ICTs lead to multiple and sometimes paradoxical effects.
2. Uses of ICTs shape thought and action in ways that benefit some groups more than others.
3. The differential effects of the design, implementation, and uses of ICTs often have moral and ethical consequences.
4. The design, implementation and uses of ICTs have reciprocal relationships with the larger social context.
5. The phenomenon of interest will vary by the level of analysis.


       Developers imagine and create their products in order to address/solve a particular issue or need of its (prospective) customers. Many times, the product successfully accomplishes its purpose and has an intended, positive effect on society. Nevertheless, there are many times in which these products have paradoxical effects, eliciting responses and effects that were not planned or intended. This is a major concern for technologies, for these paradoxical effects can have devastating consequences on its users, as well as society.

Because driverless cars have not been introduced or adopted by society in great numbers, it is difficult to assess the paradoxical effects that are going to happen. Nevertheless, one can still postulate some of these effects. For instance, one purpose of Google's driverless car is to increase safety on roads and reduce automobile accidents. This is achieved by limiting a need for user control, for statistics reveal that a majority of accidents are the result of human error. While Google's car seeks to eradicate these errors and positively affect society, the reliance and autonomy that is given to technology could result in more devastating issues. For instance, by placing the control of cars in the hands of the car's computer, these technologies leave vehicles at risk for being hacked and manipulated by foreign forces. This could ultimately give intruding parties control over vehicles. If their intent is malicious in nature, this could result in terrorists causing massive accidents, or other individuals, attempting to harm specific targets.

Moreover, these driverless cars have been constructed to minimize human error by taking control of vehicles; however, as we all have experienced, technology malfunctions too. Since Google's car requires users to rely on the technology at such a great degree, system failure could result in increased accidents and fatalities, whether it be because of the car's inability to properly operate itself or position itself correctly or because the "driver" was too preoccupied enjoying his or her freedom behind the wheel to recognize that the car's computer was no longer controlling the car. Furthermore, glitches could also cause these cars spontaneously navigate in undesired directions. Complications with satellites and out-of-date maps could also cause these complications. It is not uncommon for a GPS to provide incorrect our outdated directions. Turning at an inappropriate time or incorrect place could result in the car hitting a pedestrian or crashing into other structures. As one can see from the list of technologies associated with driverless cars, and Google's car, there is more than enough room for technological failure, which could result in increased safety risks.

Another purpose of the Google Driverless car is to create a more laid back and efficient atmosphere within the car. The technologies used by the car are supposed to promote the ability for drivers to experience ease while driving. Nevertheless, the adoption of the vehicle could essentially lead to individuals becoming worked up with the vast number of technologies that may need to be used at once. How much freedom can be given before one becomes bombarded by options? Google's car presents an opportunity for drivers to become stressed over the reliability of the car, the numerous gadgets and sounds that are produced by the vehicle, the multimedia sources presented, and the other individuals in the car. As one image depicted, Google's car would allow for a driver to become completely immersed in the company of other passengers, which can prove to be stressful and irritating. This could result in the driver attempting to assume control over the car in order to get to a destination faster or in a way that they desired, which would just reestablish the safety issues that the technology is supposed to address. These are just a few of the paradoxical effects that an be associated with Google's Driverless car and the technology in general. If these effects do occur, they will have been the result of inadequate attention being placed on potential safety risks; physical devices not working properly; incompatible software, hardware, Apps, and OS; lack of planning and designing for unexpected inputs or circumstances; confusing user interfaces, insufficient testing, reuse of outdated software, overconfidence in software, and careless design and development. However, technology shapes society in a larger context, and society technology, the likeliness of these effects occurring increases.

Who Are We?
Hello! Our names are Adrian, Dedrick, and Sorab. We are students at Rutgers University, majoring in Information Technology. This site serves as a project for our Social Informatics course, which is requiring us to examine an emerging technology based off of the 5 Principles of Social Informatics. The technology that we are assessing is driverless cars: more specifically, the details regarding the Google Driverless car, including information From this project, we hope to demonstrate information regarding background and development, the need for the technology, the public's preconceived notions and expectations of the technology, the social components of the technology, the technological components of the machine, the possible paradoxical effects that may result from its application in society, and its its moral implications.

Research Methods
In order to properly depict Google's Driverless car, we shall be providing information regarding the basics of the machine that we have found from a list of scholarly journals (which are each listed in the bibliography portion of the website). Furthermore, we shall be analyzing the videos and interviews provided by Google in order to communicate frst-hand experiences and results from test drives. Lastly, because the goal of driverless cars s to increase and promote safety, the technology will be investigated mostly by its ability to seemingly provide a safer means of transportation without stimulating too many negative paradoxical effects.

Discussion Questions
1. Do the outlined paradoxical effects render (Google's) driverless cars counterproductive/counterintuitive?
2. Do you feel that the presentation and acceptance of distractions will further complicate the safety risks associated with driving, making driving more dangerous than it ever has been?
3. Do you feel that laggards would support or see a need for driverless cars, even though it supposedly will significantly decrease the number of motor vehicle accidents?

Photos