What Wonderful Things Computers Are!

What wonderful things computers are! In this modern day and age we cannot live without them. Once you become accustomed to their availability and then reliant on them to carry out all sorts of tasks should the facility be removed or break down it can feel like you have lost a limb. That’s why I am feeling less than happy that my home PC has crashed and is unlikely to recover and I have to find time and friends that have computers I can borrow, not least for composing a regular blog! (It's not the computers that are the problem, it's the friends...)

There is a more serious issue here, however, in that, irrespective of whatever back up processes there are in place to protect data, it isn’t much use if you haven’t got a functioning computer, network, system or whatever to utilise that data for the purpose intended.

Two scenarios spring to mind, firstly, banking. Many people now rely on computers and the internet for accessing details of their bank accounts and businesses rely on them for accounting purposes. Should we lose those facilities where does that leave us? Well, I don’t get paid and the bank can’t tell me what money I have. Ok, so this is only a short-term problem as there is the option to resort to cash and cheques eventually, that is, if the bank is prepared to do so. This would cause knock on problems with, for example, mortgages and other bills not being honoured through the standing order or direct debit process. Again, this could be overcome, but what if such a large-scale IT crash resulted in the potential for lives to be lost. It is a possibility and one with an increasing likelihood, so on to the second scenario.

How many people who have visited their doctors or hospitals in the last few years have waited at reception desks whilst they have been checked in on the computer? Most, I would suggest. It doesn’t end there though, as it is government policy to ensure that all patient records are held on computer within a certain timeframe, the details of which escape me for the moment. So what happens when patients are seriously ill and need help but reference to the medical record held on computer is required to ensure appropriate treatment is provided? What if the computer system is down, does the patient die? Would the death certificate record the cause of death as being “Computer Mal-function”?

Perhaps these are extreme scenarios and I would like to think that there are adequate back-up systems in place to take over, but what if they aren’t? If you’ve seen the film Die Hard IV then you will appreciate the problems such scenarios could cause.

There is also the issue of privacy too, how much information about individuals is available on-line? All you need to do is Google a name and you can potentially obtain a great deal of
information. If you have the specialist IT knowledge and the inclination how much more information could you obtain if you wanted it?

All of this doesn’t really help my situation though and I have to find a friendly computer, but it’s not your worry. When you go to sleep tonight you will have forgotten all about my plight but remember that you have a new and increasingly more powerful family member who knows a lot about you. Remember your new Big Brother…..