Pervasive Computing IBMs Autonomic System and the...

Pervasive Computing: IBMs Autonomic System and the Cautions Necessary Pervasive computing is here. It is being integrated into our society in as many ways that can be thought up. Chips are popping up in everyday objects. Cars, planes, ships, phones, PDA’s, refrigerators, and soon a person’s hat, shoes, and clothing. This is all well and good, the advancement of technology is something that has always and will always be a constant in our culture. The need for more interconnectivity is becoming more apparent in business, schools, and personal lives. IBM is working on a project, called Autonomic Computing, which will create a universal standard for technology and the integration of electronic devices. One of their claims for†¦show more content†¦The Autonomic Computing network will behave in a similar manner, having control its own system. IBM suggests 8 elements that will be present in an autonomic system. The elements suggest a computer system that is â€Å"self-aware,† knowing its current status, configuration, and u ltimate capacity. The system will also be â€Å"self-healing† and â€Å"self-protecting.† If the system experiences partial failure, it will be able to repair and resume full functionality. The system needs to be able to detect and repel attacks to the system. It also will need to be constantly searching for new ways to improve itself and its communication with the users and other systems. John Thackara, director of Door of Perception, conveyed his concern that pervasive computing is infiltrating out society in such a way that we are becoming machine dependant. The problem with the pervasive computing and the Autonomic System is that it removes the responsibility from our lives. It is like the frog in boiling water story. If a frog is directly placed into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out as fast as it was put in. If, however, the frog is placed in a pot of cold water that is heated up, the frog – unaware of the slow yet constant increase in temperature, will be cooked before it is aware of any danger. This scenario can be paralleled in our society. If a person 25 years old from the 19th century were placed in today’s society, that person would jump out in terror and