PM102 Introduction to Computing: Actants in Modern Computing Analysis

This essay explores the role of actants in modern computing through the lens of Actor Network Theory, analyzing two computing news stories published between September 2015 and February 2016. The first story examines computers that understand human emotions, identifying the computer as an actor and the user as an actant. The second story focuses on cloud computing platforms as catalysts for global growth, with cloud computing concepts acting as actants. The analysis reveals how these actants, whether feelings or cloud platforms, enhance management functions and contribute to global manufacturing intelligence. The essay concludes that actants in modern computing do not operate in isolation, highlighting their interconnectedness and impact on various organizational functions.

INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTING

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1
Actor Network Theory and its relevancy...............................................................................1
Two computing stories...........................................................................................................1
“The computer that knows what you're thinking”.....................................................................2
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Computing is a goal oriented activity which requires general benefit from different
algorithmic processes with the help of computers. 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 theory is in graphical format and
generally there are two views of the actor network theory and the first view in this is of the
network of actors for a particular time refereed as a network theory model. It refers as a view
instance of a freeze frame (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).
Two computing stories
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“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.
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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 cloud 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
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
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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.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been concluded that Actor network theory plays a most
important role in the field of 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 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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