Assignment 1 is due on Thursday January 17 at 10am. It should be roughly 750 words in length and is worth 5 marks.
You are to discuss what you think is the biggest social problem arising from the use of computers (if you can't think of the biggest, choose one that you consider quite major). The exposition should be directed at someone who has some technical proficiency (owns their own computer, for example, but can't service it using a Swiss Army knife; that is, not a computer science major, a hobbyist, or a devoted consumer of computer magazines) but who may not have thought too much about anything beyond the technical aspects of computers.
You should explain the problem, explain why it is a result of computerization, and why it is not trivial to solve. Your piece should be self-contained, with an appropriate title, and suitable for publication on, say, the science page of the Imprint.
The purpose of this assignment is to get you used to writing, and to provide feedback on your writing style. The assignment requires little background other than some knowledge of current events and social trends (if you use technical detail, however, it should be accurate).