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Updated: May 14, 2026
09:40
Measuring Neural and Behavioral Activity During Ongoing Computerized Social Interactions: An Examination of Event-Related Brain Potentials
Published on: November 15, 2014
Programming the social computer
David Robertson1, Fausto Giunchiglia
1School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, 10 Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, UK. dr@inf.ed.ac.uk
Summary
The internet enables a
Area of Science:
- Computer Science
- Web Science
- Social Computing
Background:
- The grand challenge of 'programming the global computer' was initially approached via programming languages.
- The internet introduced a novel computational paradigm distinct from traditional models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the implications of internet-driven computation on programming paradigms.
- To understand the nature of 'social computing' where human actions are integral to computation.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of internet-based computation.
- Examination of the role of human society in program execution.
- Re-evaluation of traditional programming concepts in the context of the web.
Main Results:
- Internet computation relies on human participation, creating a 'social computer'.
- Successful execution of web programs is contingent on societal structures and human behavior.
- Traditional programming approaches are insufficient for understanding this new computational model.
Conclusions:
- The concept of programming needs redefinition to encompass social and human factors.
- New theoretical frameworks are required for the science of the web and computing.
- Understanding social computation is crucial for future advancements in computing research.
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