Level 4 Computing Essay: Actant in Modern Computing Analysis

This essay, submitted by a student, delves into the realm of modern computing by analyzing two distinct news stories through the lens of Actor Network Theory (ANT). The first story explores the concept of emotion-reading computers, examining how machines are designed to understand and respond to human emotions, with the computer acting as an actor and the user as an actant. The second story focuses on cloud computing platforms and their role as catalysts for global growth, particularly within manufacturing. The essay highlights how cloud computing facilitates data management, supply chain optimization, and enhanced management functions. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of ANT in studying computing, showcasing how human and technological elements interact. Both stories demonstrate that actants in the modern computing landscape are interconnected and do not operate in isolation. The essay draws upon various academic sources to support its analysis, offering a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTING

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
Actor Network Theory and its relevancy...............................................................................3
Two computing stories...........................................................................................................3
“The computer that knows what you're thinking”......................................................................4
CONCLUSION .........................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Computing is a process of utilizing the computer technology in order to complete a
required task with the help of computers. Further, computing includes involvement of the
computer either with the help of hardware or software. The only aim of computing is to involve
some sort of computer device. Computing generally includes designing, developing and
structuring the hardware and software system, processing, structuring and managing different
types of information, etc. Computing also has something which is quite narrowly defined and
treated the mentioned term as a Discipline (Ekanayake and Fox, 2010). This present report is
based on two new stories of computing and these stories have been analysed with the help of
using the Actor Network Theory. This assignment is an essay preview perceiving reader to know
about modern computing which does not act in isolation.
Actor Network Theory and its relevancy
Actor Network Theory (ANT) is becoming common among the information system
researchers as this study argues regarding the utility of actor- network theory as a conceptual
framework for information system researcher. This actor network theory is an approach to the
social theory which originates in the field of social science which generally treats objects as a
part of social networks (Munro, 2009). Further, this ANT is considered as a constructive
approach and it generally avoids essential explanations for all new events and innovations. This
theory further makes relationship with those entities who are dealing in the fields of sociology
and anthropology. Moreover, there is generally one aspect which makes this theory applicable
for the field of information system research as this theory contradict different between the human
and non- human entities in ontological level. Further, this Actor Network Theory is in graphical
format and generally there are two views of this theory. The first view in this is of the network of
actors for a particular time refereed as a network theory model and it is a freeze frame process.
(Alcadipani and Hassard, 2010). On the other hand, the second view reflecting up the dynamics
nature of the actor network and it is generally shown as a time line with relevant events which
are usually recorded and referenced to each of the actor network theory models which are visible
on the time line. Moreover, these actors have to be considered in their own rights and can never
be intermediary who simply relying an effect of one entity to another without transforming.
Moreover, these actors in actor network theory can be human, technology and even can be
intangible actors (Munro, 2009).
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Two computing stories
“The computer that knows what you're thinking”
This theory plays a crucial role and the story which has been undertaken in this scenario
is of computer and the individual. Here from the view point of actor network theory, Computer is
an actor and person who is using it acts as an actant. Here, the feeling and emotions of
individuals is understood by the computer and it starts processing in the way which person wants
too (Farias and Bender, 2012). Moreover, human being is full of emotions and technology and
innovation comes up to extend that it has started knowing our gestures and the things which we
want from the same to do. Further, being human only we surplus these types of feelings and we
are just lucky to have it. This theory has been practically implemented by the researcher who has
developed emotion reading computers. It is generally an innovation in the field of IT where
machines includes emotional intelligence and also the everyday objects which are generally
empathized with our daily routine moods (Venturini, 2010). It is not the actual sense that
computer will identify but it will something relate to the same as fridge offers you the food when
someone is hungry or a mirror who also knows the way how one looks like, etc.,
Further, emotions like joy and fear from the web cam in computer has bee detracted
which shows a wide range of different facial moments of an individual right from frowning to
smiling. These emojis are also included in the text messages where one can sent his/her feelings
to other. Activities of the actants plays a crucial role in shaping up this theory and the individuals
have to be act according to it in order to implement this theory in a significant manner. Further,
cultural differences have also revealed up that there is a big difference in the emotional response
between the men and women and also between the different age groups and demographics.
Smiles of actant also differ from the situation to the situation as someone is angry and one make
him smile then the same will not the actual which usually comes in a general way (Ostermann,
and et.al, 2010). Further, emotions in the actant are generally very complex and the way
individuals express change in the different settings. Moreover, researcher are not trying to build a
computer who is much better than an expert because currently the technology is at a level of a
children and it will take lot of time to understand the feeling of the actant.
Further, there might some issues which can affect the performance of such computers as
keeping the privacy guard apart from the emotions. Further, with the failure as if no emotions is
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detected by user can include huge cost. Further, individual feelings differ from person to person
and apart from all the major feelings if something else is described by the individual then
computer will not be able to give the best of the response.
The second story which is published in the year of 2015 is
“How cloud computing platforms are becoming a catalyst of global growth”
Under this story an actants are the concepts of cloud computing which are covering the
most of the section of this publication. It is acting as an assemblage and defines that cloud
computing is a total network of remote servers that is hosted on the internet through which
personal data can be stored. Success of manufacturer these days measures by the competing on
speed and agility rather than its size (Armbrust and et.al, 2010). Manufacturing firms within the
past years uses traditional approaches for managing their business operations and data storage.
The total shift has influenced by the way they track and share the data in between customers and
suppliers. It presents the major strengths of doing business by cloud. Further, this story defines
several clouds based platforms and applications that provides a greater degree of precision and
speed than old system. In addition to this, cloud computing platform free them up from having to
deal with the daunting task of creating and supporting the enterprise software. Further, actant
plays a major role in this story that the total area of concern based on the cloud computing. In
today’s globalized world manufacturers are not having time or budget to be in the IT
infrastructure (Greenhalgh and Stones, 2010). Due to this, most of them are looking for the cloud
based system to more easily make use of the data. With the help of this, they can connect
sensors embedded in their factories, inventories, raw materials as well as several other segment
related to the supply chain process of company. Within any organization, data is the most
valuable assets and it is quite essential for companies to maintain whole data within any of the
secure system (Hall, 2010).
Within the manufacturing industry, cloud computing plays an important role in enhancing
the management functions. The Cloud based systems and procedures are offering high level of
precision and speed as compared to the traditional systems of working. This new technology has
transformed the ways the data has been tracked or shared within the business. It is making the
supply chain management of the company strong and effective as information related to their
clients and suppliers can be kept secured (Munro, 2009). It is also contributing greatly towards
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the other functions of the management such as planning. It has now become quite easy to make
plans and decide schedules. Further there it ensures high level of control and coordination.
Control is easy to obtain because all the data records can be traced within quick span of time.
Coordination is there because it is easy to establish link between various aspects. Another vital
function of management that is organizing of human resource has also become effective due to
adoption of cloud computing. All the information related to the employees within the company
can be managed effectively. Further it facilities faster and quick decision making. This improves
the productivity as well as profitability for the company.
Rather than old computer and software systems, a form of open collaboration can be
maintained within the cloud system. Within this globalized world the typical manufacturer relies
on the outside suppliers for more of the assemblies components (Hall, 2010). An actant basically
helps in making appropriate supplier collaboration that is essential for growth. With the help of
this companies can easily scale the global manufacturing operations to support increasingly
complex supply chain process of company.
Further issue can be find out in this too as cloud is giving best of the facility to the
individuals or not. Further, it has not been identified that the keeping data on cloud is safe or not
as cloud computing is giving best of the protection to the individuals or not. Further, sharing the
files, media and other document at times goes on the risk of individuals only as it can be leaked
by the cyber thefts any times and redundantly it can lead to lost of data or grasping of the
potential secret information of the individuals. All the things need to be taken into consideration
by the cloud computing.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been concluded that Actor network theory plays a most
important role in the study of computing as it is considered as an apropritate theory to study the
computing. In this theory, human and technology can be intangible actors. Further, this research
presented two computing stories i.e. how cloud computing platforms are becoming a catalyst
of global growth and the computer that knows what you're thinking. In the first story actants
are feelings as total story based on the feeling whether cloud computing is actant in second story.
Further, it has been concluded that both of these stories and actants helps in enhancing
management functions within an organization. It has been identified that scaling manufacturing
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intelligence is globally accepted with cloud platforms with greater accuracy as well. Both of the
above given statement presents that an actant (Cloud cpmputing) and (Fellings) in modern era
does not act in isolation.
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REFERENCES
Alcadipani, R. and Hassard, J., 2010. Actor-Network Theory, organizations and critique:
towards a politics of organizing. SAGE.
Armbrust, M. and et.al. 2010. A view of cloud computing. Communications of the ACM, 53(4).
pp. 50-58.
Contini, F. and Cordella, A., 2007. Information System and Information Infrastructure
Deployment: the Challenge of the Italian e-Justice Approach. The Electronic Journal of e-
Government. 5(1). pp 43 – 52.
Ekanayake, J. and Fox, G., 2010. High performance parallel computing with clouds and cloud
technologies. In Cloud Computing. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Farias, I. and Bender, T., 2012. Urban assemblages: How actor-network theory changes urban
studies. Routledge.
Greenhalgh, T. and Stones, R., 2010. Theorising big IT programmes in healthcare: strong
structuration theory meets actor-network theory. Social science & medicine. 70(9). pp.
1285-1294.
Hall, A. J., 2010. Information Technology Auditing. Cengage Learning.
Munro, R., 2009. Actor-network theory. The SAGE handbook of power. London: Sage
Publications Ltd.
Ostermann, S. and et.al., 2010. A performance analysis of EC2 cloud computing services for
scientific computing. In Cloud computing. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Venturini, T., 2010. Diving in magma: How to explore controversies with actor-network
theory. Public understanding of science. 19(3). pp. 258-273.
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