Information Panopticon & The Development and Convergence of ICTs in The Organization of Work

Abstract:               I argue in this blog about Information Panopticon & the development and convergence of information and communication technologies(ICT),how its use in the organization of work as an example, is creating a global network of surveillance capabilities which affect the traveller. These surveillance capabilities are reminiscent of 18th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon, and as such the emerging global surveillance network has been referred to as the ‘travel panopticon’.History of Information Panopticon – Some Important Aspects:                       ...

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"What is the Information Panopticon? Discussed with reference to the use of ICT in the organization of work since the 80's." – survellience state

Information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms. It has originated from the term Panopticon, a type of prison building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) prisoners without the incarcerated being able to tell whether they are being watched. Within The Information Panopticon, Zuboff uses the architectural strategies of the panopticon as a metaphor to describe how information systems translate, record, and display human behavior.  The information panopticon critiques how technological systems use transparency to assert...

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Information Panopticon

The information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms. English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham developed the original architecture of the panopitcon as a prison. The idea was that "total" surveillance would eventually eliminate undesired behaviour. While Bentham's idea was literal, it has since become a metaphor for any type of system in which surveillance can or is total. The information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms. The combination of information and communication technology used in call centres means it is possible for managers to monitor...

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Information Panopticon

At the end of World War II, the electronic digital computer technology we take for granted today was still in its earliest infancy. It was expensive, failureprone,and ill-understood. Digital computers were seen as calculators, useful primarily for accounting and advanced scientific research.The information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms. English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham developed the original architecture of the panopitcon as a prison. Be it a personal computer or a database system, both promote forms of interconnectivity that require a centralized control centre. The physical location of this centre is analogous to the central surveillance tower...

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"What is the Information Panopticon? Explain with reference to the use of ICT in the organization of work since the 80's."

ABSTRACT:This article Discuses about Information Panopticon and enhances the knowledge by taking the example of surveillance of speeding vehicles by using of cameras by the police.INTRODUCTION:The information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms HISTORY:Prisons were the nucleus of the present surveillance system. Prisons were built to confine “criminals” which were defined by their judiciary. These prisoners should be under scan every time,so surveillance was inevitable. Also to remove the dishonesty, idleness of human agents, the surveillance has even entered industries. Slowly it had entered...

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Risks and Responsibilities

   Whirlwind, under the direction of engineer Jay Forrester, actually began in 1944 as an analog computer for use in a flight simulator, funded by the Navy. News about the ENIAC and EDVAC digital computer projects led Forrester to abandon the analog approach in early 1946.But the original application goal of a flight simulator remained.In theory flight simulators were, and remain, what is known as a “dual-use” technology, equally useful for training military and civilian pilots.It is important to emphasize that at this historical juncture these were not obvious goals for a digital computer. Analog computers and control mechanisms(servomechanisms) were well-developed, with sophisticated theoretical underpinnings. (Indeed, Forrester began his work at MIT as a graduate student in Gordon...

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Need of National Security during the Cold War period - Risks & Responsibilities with the Space Race

INTRODUCTION:Computers were used for various operations in terms of extensive calculations (incybernics) during World-War 2, and US became the super power by this very idea of anti-aircraft weaponry and artillery after the World War 2 CLOSED WORLD DISCOURSES & CYBORG’S DISCOURSES:After World War 2 there created a closed world which was like putting every thought, word and action into reaching a central goal, which was regarding the national security during the cold war period.Cold War was referred to as the period after the World War 2 which was a silent conflict between the US and USSR regarding the military and the technology and science that determined their supremacy over the nations.During this very period, digital computers were developed and were extensively used for the fast calculations...

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The development and further research on computer was associated with perceived need of national security during the cold war. Discussed with contemporary example of cyber war - hacking – wikileaks.

After world war II there was a period of tension, proxy wars between the new superpowers of the world.  During this period one has to keep eye on the other in order to be alert and secured and be prepared for whatever the comes.With the development in aircraft and submarines, an attack was possible through any way.  The radars, tracking devices, warning system were installed all over these countries to keep an eye on possibility of an enemy attack. All these system generated lots of data which need it be viewed and analyzed.  The human computers were not capable of handling these huge amount of data. So some one came up with ideas handling these data with a mechanical/digital computer.We clearly see that SAGE project which needed analysis of...

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Risks and Responsibilities in ATC

The development and further research on Computers was associated with the perceived need of national security during the Cold War period. Discuss, with contemporary examples some of the risks and responsibilities involved with such justifications. After the World War II, USA and Russia raised as the new Super Powers and in the name of National Security conducted further research in the field of science, and created many weapons, thus raising the tensions between the two countries resulting in Cold War. As a result, America invented the SAGE system,which detects any hostile aircrafts in the borders of the nation and immediately able to send recruits to counter them.All this was done by the use of double-computers,the other one is used for backup in the case where one computer fails.This system...

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Risks and Responsibilities

Whirlwind was made by MIT,which is used for flight simulation.It is an analogue computer which runs the dlight simulation. It gives the altitude of the flight depending on the input we give.It was widely used during the period before world war II (1940-1950).It was of Dual use . It is used to train both military pilot and also civilian pilot.The number increased rapidly during the world war II, to train the pilots.The sage system was brought into action , which is derived from the whirlwind .The prototype computer which is used in the sage computer tower is whirlwind. The Tower consists of 4 floors ,without windows and the walls are of 6m thickness, so that they are blast resistive.There were many parts in Sage control tower and was manufactured by IBM. This system is used to analyse or...

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The development and further research on Computers was associated with the perceived need of national security during the Cold War period. Discuss, with contemporary examples some of the risks and responsibilities involved with such justifications.

AbstractThis post discusses about further research on Computers which was associated with the perceived need of national security during the Cold War period and the risks and responsibilities associated during this competitive spirit between the two groups. Enhancing the knowledge on the risks and responsibilities by taking contemporary example of “Nuclear Bomb Testing”Introduction:What is cold war?The Cold War (1947–1991), was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition existing after World War II(1939–1945) between the Communist World and the powers of the Western world. Although the primary participants' military force never officially clashed directly,...

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Role of Science & War during the 1930s

Abstract: In this blog post, I’ll try to discuss the role of science & war during the 1930s by explaining about the emergence of Cybernetic vision & the Anti-aircraft(AA) weapons developed with the the mechanized soldier faced his opponent as a machine, and machines manifested themselves as people during the WW-II. Vannevar Bush - Military Advisory, WWII: In the 1930s, US military research was relatively small and disorganized. It was performed primarily by military staff and often duplicated between different branches of the military. On June 12, 1940, Vannevar Bush met with President Roosevelt to detail a plan for changing the organization of military research & proposed a new organization, called the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC), which would bring together government,...

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"What was the vision for science and War in the 1930's. Have things changed since then?"

The increasing role of technology in warfare in the modern era has brought science and war into an increasingly intimate relationship. The relationship between Science and War dates ages, but it had got enhanced during 1930’s Science and war involved in “development symbiosis”, helping each other. Research in Science was encouraged for the development in war and science played a critical role in war. I am going to discuss about the “vision”  of science and war in 1930’s and how did it change now. The military funding of science has had a powerful transformative effect on the practice and products of scientific research since the early 20th century. Particularly since World War I, advanced science-based...

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Vision of science and war in 1930s

Vision of science and war in 1930s There are many who speak as though science was responsible for war as though in the absence of scientific knowledge, war would not have been waged so disastrously. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Man fought fiercely with fists and cudgels and swords and axes when they had not mastered the technique of science. Cybernetics Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to control theory and systems theory. Both in its origins and in its evolution in the second half of the 20th century, cybernetics is equally applicable to physical and social (that is, language-based) systems. Cybernetics is an example of one such branch of science. It was...

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Vision of Science & War in 1930's

At the time, in the 1930s, the relationship between science and war was quite different from what it is today. Since then Science and Technology has made substantial impact in the field of wars. In the period around 1930’s, major advancement in technology of warfare has been seen.Every nation has been involved in war at some time or other.As time passed all these nations have become more powerful and advanced.These days all nations have sophisticated weapons,advance defence mechanisms.Wiener who coined the term cybernetics in 1947 to designate what he hoped would be a new science of control mechanisms in which the exchange of information would play a central role. The vision of science for war in the early 1900's was cybernetic. With the help of feedback loops, efficient control and communication...

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