Browse Books

Reviewer: Richard L. Upchurch

The construction of computer-based systems that support human endeavor is considered part of computer science. Systems analysis concerns itself with identifying the characteristics of the environment that must be understood in order to properly define and construct the intended system. In our discussion of analysis, we may mention the social, political, and economic realities that must be considered. Yet we rarely engage in any real discourse related to how systems affect our constituencies. Scholarly attempts to address the subject are even rarer. This book is about designing systems. It does not necessarily take the technologist's view of design, where the widgets are primary. Rather, it is concerned with designing systems in support of humanity's sense of and efforts toward community. It is about the use of technology to support humans working and acting together toward common goals. One might argue that much of the computing literature discusses similar issues, but once the rhetoric and the marketing are unmasked, we find little substance. This volume has considerable substance. The book presents the issues and the constraints. The issues are structured by what the author terms the six “core values” that form the foundation for his sense of community: conviviality and culture; education; strong democracy; health and human service; economic equity, opportunity, and sustainability; and information and communication. A chapter is devoted to each of the core values, in an attempt to first, help us understand each value and how it affects our sense of community, and second, to demonstrate how or when technology amplifies or reduces that sense. The author not only provides thoughtful, reasoned, and researched perspectives (though the book is short on empiricism), but includes considerable material from existing community network systems, such as the Cleveland Free-Net, to augment the discussion. Since the book is about technology in support of these values, the author provides two chapters on the social and technological context of community networks to assist those interested in planning and building such entities. The appendices are a considerable resource for those wishing to engage in system construction of this nature, especially from the human resource side. The author succeeds in bringing a perspective on technology in action to both the technologist and the technophobe. There is material in this volume for those who wish to argue from either side. It is neither a treatise on design methodology nor a cookbook. What it does best is remind us that design is a principled activity, and that ensuring outcomes requires designers who understand the influence of technological systems on human endeavors, which in this case are formation and sustenance of the community. This book would be an excellent focus for a cross-disciplinary seminar on system design. With sufficient work by the instructor, it could also serve as a primary text for an undergraduate course on the social impact of science and technology. Whatever the context, there should be ample opportunity for discussion and debate. This book is a must for educators of future systems analysts and designers.