Monday, September 5, 2011

Reliability: Social & Ethical Consideration

Reliability refers to the ability of hardware or information systems to function without failure.

a) Give examples of situations where you computer has been unreliable.

b) Why are computers more unreliable?

c) How do we make hardware and IT system reliable?

Read the article in the link below an answer the questions following in your note book;

http://www.kellyhs.org/itgs/ethics/reliability/THERAC-25.htm

c) Why was the software controlled machine more dangerous that the previously mechanical Therac?

d) Why would they choose to use software instead of mechanical devices when building the new Therac?

e) What changes in the development of the machine could have prevented the failures?


Research Activity

Research for any IT hardware or IT system that proved unreliable in any of the listed ITGS applications to specific scenarios.

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