Deblackboxing the logic of how and why computers embody some specific kinds of computer system designs may lead us to the main concept of computing process. Today, we understand that the “Modern Computing is about designs for implementing human symbolic thought delegated to physical(electronic) structures for automating symbolic processes that we can represent in digital form”.
According to Prof. Irvine[1], The logical design, implemented physically, for automated controlled sequencing of input encoded symbols to output encoded symbols is what makes a computer a computer.
On the other hand, using the ideas raised by Alpaydin and Kelleher, a recent paper written by Brian Haney[2] can illustrate a way for understanding the “bottom up” system design approach. The paper explains how the “Scholars, lawyers, and commentators are predicting the end of the legal profession, citing specific examples of artificial intelligence (AI) systems out-performing lawyers in certain legal tasks.“. The article shows that “technology’s role in the practice of law is nothing new. The Internet, email, and databases like Westlaw and Lexis have been altering legal practice for decades.”. The increasing demand on the automated service in the field of legal profession was the main reason behind more and more bottom-up required designs. Similarly, we can find many other examples from other professions like accounting and statistics which will face the same destiny.
Until now, working through the main principles and learning precise definitions of terms helped us to “deblackbox” what seems closed and inaccessible in understanding the sophisticated concept of computer design and computing process. However, I would stay wondering why the scientists, producers, and engineers did not find a “more-comprehensive” terms since “Computing” is the term that came from a pure mathematical and accounting background, although the computer is a type of device/technology used for more than computing issues? Is it difficult to use a broader term in referring to the real nature of this technology because it became commonly used and hard to change it, or it is because of the mathematical basis of encoding symbols and logical designs?
[1] Prof. Irvine, (Video) “Introduction to Computer System Design”.
[2] Brian S. Haney, Applied Natural Language Processing for Law Practice, 2020 B.C. Intell. Prop. & Tech. F. (2020).