Australian Computer Society: ACS Digital Library
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Living with the Internet: ethics in the Noosphere
Get PDFIn this paper we present a holistic alternative to the conventional ground of existent ethical discourse the Internet. We analyse this discourse and the model of the 'net and netizens from which it is derived, and finding it unsatisfactory, present a discourse of co-operative ethics, based on a model of the Internet as a Noetic Hyper Entity. We then examine the tradition of such entities in Western Philosophy, and decide which of three traditions (the Preexistent. the Emergent and the Convocational) is suited to our discussion Finally we make suggestions as to how awareness of this entity can provide incentive to act co-operatively, and conclude that the existent form of Netiquette is the best model for appropriate behaviour on the 'net
Evolution of OO Methods: the unified case
Get PDFThis paper takes an evaluative look into OO methods and especially the evolution of the new snified
method from its ancestors, OMT and OODA. The paper ries to classify the components of the earlier ethods and identify the parts that have been taken into the Unified ethod. The research applies the method metrics approach. For the sake of compactness we limit ourselves to the class diagram technique of all methods. We make observations about the number of concepts in each variation and show how the metrics can be used to analyse the changes in the techniques
Structure and Extensions of the User Information Satisfaction Construct
Get PDFUser Information Satisfaction (UIS) remains one of the most important constructs in Information Systems research. This paper investigates the application of them UIS instrument across a number of key variables including respondent characteristics. Several findings emerge from a survey of 379 IS and non-IS managers: First, the UIS factors are stable and generalizable. Second, the level of satisfaction varies quite substantially when compared to prior UIS reports, although the IS product satisfaction dominates. Third, IS managers, not surprisingly, evaluate their systems significantly higher than non-IS managers, indicating the importance of stakeholders in evaluating Information Systems success. Finally, respondents evaluate their internal systems differently than their inter-organizational systems, indicating that in the IS evaluation process system type must be considered as a moderating variable
A Comparison of Five Alternative Approaches to Information Systems Development
Get PDFThe field of information systems (IS) has grown dramatically over the past three decades. Recent trends have transformed the IS landscape. These trends include: the evolution of implementation technology from centralized mainframe environments towards distributed client-server architectures, embracing the internet and intranets; changes in user interface technology from character-based to graphical user interfaces, multimedia, and the World Wide Web; changes in applications from transaction processing systems towards systems supporting collaborative work; and the use of information technology as an enabler of business process reengineering and redesign. These technology changes coupled with changes in organizations and their operating environment, such as the growth of the network and virtual organization, internationalization and globalization of many organizations, intensified global competition, changes in values such as customer orientation (service quality) and Quality of Working Life, have imposed new demands on the development of information systems. These changes have led to an increasing discussion about information systems development (ISO), and in particular, the various methods, tools, methodologies, and approaches for ISD. We believe such discussion has opened the door for new, alternative IS development approaches and methodologies. Our paper takes up this theme by describing five alternative ISD approaches, namely the Interactionist approach, the Speech Act-based approach, Soft Systems Methodology, the Trade Unionist approach, and the Professional Work Practices approach. Despite the fact that most of these approaches have a history of over 15 years, their relevance to IS development is not well recognized in the mainstream of IS practice and research, nor is their institutional status comparable to traditional approaches such as structured analysis and design methods. Therefore we characterize the five approaches as 'alternative' in the sense of alternative to the orthodoxy
Information Systems Management: an Australasian view of key issues - 1996
Get PDFAs part of a longitudinal study of key information systems management issues, a survey of Australasia's largest 500 organisations was conducted to identify which issues were perceived by the IS executives as being important, problematic and critical over the next three to five years. The most critical issues were revealed to be a mix of technology management issues (IT infrastructure, communications, disaster recovery), strategic management issues (competitive advantage, IS planning, aligning the IS organisation), people management issues (organisational learning, educating senior management in IT), systems development and data management issues (effective use of the data resource), and end-user computing. This reflects the need for a balance of business, technical, and people skills in an IS executive. Non-critical issues were mostly related to systems development and the individual technologies which must be integrated and managed to ensure a responsive IT infrastructure. The study also reveals that some issues are much more important than problematic (disaster recovery, competitive advantage, information architecture, and IS alignment) while others are much more problematic than important (end-user computing, IS role and contribution, and BPR). The former reflects a growing level of knowledge in handling these issues, while the latter reflects a continuing problem with them. The differences between this study and similar studies conducted in 1988 and 1992 show that there is a growing confidence in the IS executive's ability to manage the strategic issues, a continuing concern about providing a responsive IT infrastructure (especially communications), and a continuing concern with educating all 'customers' in the organisation in the effective use of IT, including senior management
Reassessing Function Points
Get PDFAccurate estimation of the size and development effort for software projects requires estimation models which can be used early enough in the development life cycle to be of practical value. Function Point Analysis (FPA) has become possibly the most widely used estimation technique in practice. However the technique was developed in the data processing environment of the 1970's and, despite undergoing considerable reassessment and formalisation, still attracts criticism for the weighting scoring it employs and for the way in which the function point score is adapted for specific system characteristics. This paper reviews the validity of the weighting scheme and the value of adjusting for system characteristics by studying their effect in a sample of 299 software developments. In general the value adjustment scheme does not appear to cater for differences in productivity. The weighting scheme used to adjust system components in terms of being simple, average or complex also appears suspect and should be redesigned to provide a more realistic estimate of system functionality
Conceptual Data Modelling: an empirical study of expert and novice data modellers
Get PDFThis study explores the differences between conceptual data models designed by expert and novice data modelling practitioners. The data models are evaluated using a number of quality factors synthesised from previous empirical studies and frameworks for quality in conceptual modelling. This study extends previous studies by using practitioners as participants and using a number of different quality factors in the evaluation. The study found that data models produced by expert data modellers are more correct, complete, innovative and flexible than those produced by novices. The results suggest that further research into the aspects of expertise that lead to such differences and how training courses can narrow the gap between expert and novice performance is required
Philosophical and Conceptual Perspectives on the Design of Group Support Systems
Get PDFDesign of information systems (IS) has been one of the most elusive tasks of the system analyst, requiring technical expertise, creative inspiration and deep understanding of the problem under examination. Perhaps even more than is the ease with other IS. Group support systems (GSS) design is challenging because it involves groups who vary in behavior, process and culture. The system designer's worldview will shape its features. In an attempt to shed new light on GSS design, this paper examines the problem from four philosophical perspectives or paradigms: Functionalism, Social Relativism. Radical Structuralism and Neohumanism. The generic requirements identified from the analysis include support for multitasking, multiple languages, customization, multiple communication modes, interoperability, rational discourse and knowledge validation. While these appear to be valid requirements to support computer-mediated decision making, it may be difficult if not impossible to satisfy them in one software system
Facing up to the Plurality of Goals, Methods, Needs and Resources in HCI
Get PDFMost analyses of how humans use artifacts, and interactive software in particular, have a strong tendency to assign 1:1 correspondences between goals and methods: to see software as supporting one task, users as having one way of executing a task, one thing to learn when learning a command, and one source for discovering the information. In fact this is a rare case, and multiplicity of goals, methods, information needs, and information resources is the rule even in simple software. How this causes problems for the design and testing of user interfaces can be illustrated by examples from a wide range of domains and levels of design, including studies on learning by exploration, the effect of machine delays on user strategies, the Icamability of icon sets, evaluation studies of Computer Assisted Learning, and an analysis of the concept of affordance. Such plurality can he a source of robustness for the performance of interfaces: it is a problem main for analysis and HCI research, which struggle to account for the frequent case of high average performance levels mixed with a few residual problems. To address this plurality, we must extend our analyses to cover sets of alternative methods for tasks rather than single user procedures, and perhaps draw on concepts such as Activity Theory to address users' mental organisation of such plurality