The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space based navigation system that was developed by the U.S. Department of Defence in 1973. With the help of three satellites in the outer orbit, by a method called triangulation, the electronic device detects its user’s location. During the early stages of development, the system was mainly used in the military to guide missiles and aircrafts, however, as time progressed, the tool became available for civilian use. Within a short period of time the system was widely available, and relatively affordable for the majority of public. GPS’s focal function is to make navigation simple, but it has also proven to have an unexpected influence on society.
The Global Positioning System attained its popularity through affordable prices, reliability and the overall interest of a new means of navigation. It is much easier to punch in the desired address and listen to the voice commands to get to your destination, than to use the conventional way of reading a map and compass. Therefore, people are becoming excessively dependent on this new technology and their sense of orientation seems to be fading away. Is this Marxist’s fact a great progress leading to capitalist wealth through replacement of mental power by technology, or reliance on the navigation expert device causing us to doubt ourselves? Professor of history at California State University, Theodore Roszak, raised a concern that leaving decisions and mental work to technologies or experts leads to losing knowledge and becoming reliant on expertise. The GPS system certainly does rob people of positional awareness and orientation gut feeling. Once the device starts leading the way, most of users do not think which way they are going, as the expert “lady” will voice out subsequent steps. The reliance on this technology does not limit itself to individuals; it is widespread and directly affects various industries. Taxi cab, city bus and trucking companies are a few examples. GPS changed the way businesses run and reconfirmed that technocracy is on a rise. As Global Positioning System is presented to us with the focal function of easier navigation; people liberally choose to use this device subconsciously complying with technological determinism.
The Essay on Information System and Technology Assignment
Furthermore, I also recommend systems that will be appropriate fir the Quickshop. II. Abstract The phrase “technology revolution” has become a bit of a cliche. Everyone agrees that technology has impacted the lives of 21st century people dramatically. Ways of communicating and processing information thought to be impossible a few short year ago commoplace today. No company can long survive in ...
Those who are affected by this invention are the users themselves, but what about the non users, the “old fashioned folks” that still use paper maps? Will they be affected by the non focal function of the GPS? Richard Sclove, the author of “I’d Hammer Out Freedom: Technology as Politics and Culture”, points out that even the non users will be influenced by a technology. The impact may not necessarily be exactly the same as for users, but it may influence and shape daily routines of the non users. Richard Sclove use the lawn mower as an example, stating that although people choose not to use them they still will be affected by noise pollution. Global Positioning System’s effects on society are strikingly similar. There are workers of technology deterministic companies who are directly strained to use electronic devices. Another, yet less obvious example is that the map and compass users are embarking on being old fashioned. The society is moving forward with the GPS, while the consistent and trustworthy conventional means of navigation are questioned and deemed unreliable. All Commercial Pilots are thought on the ground and in the air to trust their instruments, and not their intuition.
Although they are professionals, and do practice non GPS air navigation, the constantly advancement of technology discourages them from gaining new skills in a traditional way. In a rather soft deterministic example, ordinary drivers do need to acquire new set of skills as well to keep the GPS operational. This may be considered as Marxist Alienation model since people are learning new set of skills that will not personally affect them. One might know how to program a device and follow its instructions, but be oblivious to conventional map reading. Once a user has mastered the “direct to” option of the GPS, new updates and databases are released resulting in the need of attaining further capabilities. Clearly, the GPS user society is growing and attaining increased trust, but will there come a time where we will become overly dependent on this system and use it as the only means of orientation?
Global Positioning System (GPS) Research Paper
... to counter these possible attacks and the Global Positioning System (GPS) was conceived. The Global Positioning System was initiated in 1973 by the Department ... ever. While still the most important aspect of this technology, GPS is not used strictly for navigation anymore. Other ... sure orbits and clocks operate within acceptable limits. The user segment includes the equipment used by the military ...
Technological determinists would perceive the overthrow of paper maps by Global Positioning Systems as progress and ignore the need for an individual’s self orientation senses and skills. Will paper maps ever seize to exist? The non focal function of the publically used Global Positioning System is making people rely solely on the electronic devices. The momentum of this technology has developed and it has become less flexible. It is becoming harder to change or reverse the effects of Global Positioning System and the experts and owners of this knowledge are working hard to ensure they continue to prosper. An interesting fact is that all satellites that the GPS relies on for its data are owned by one country. The United States of America invented this technology, and ensured that they are the sole owners until today. Will the Global Positioning System become the next cell phone, where people will find it hard to exist without one? The society also needs to ask itself if it wants to be so heavily dependent on a system that is owned by a single group of people. Certainly, the history has shown that in majority of cases people don’t like to help others without a cause. Is the inventor of the Global Positioning System hoping for closure to maps and compasses, in the meantime planning on charging monthly fees for satellite service? We will have to wait and see how this technology develops, and hope that it will be us that control it and not the other way around. Europe has realized that the Global Positioning System is not a good choice for aircraft runway approach aid and has refused to change all of their VOR and ILS systems. GPS flying and approaches do exist in Europe, however they do not want to solely rely on RNAV (GPS based approach).
The Essay on Information Systems in Global Business Today
1. Why is it important to understand the difference between computer literacy and information literacy? Answer: Computer literacy – When you are computer literate, you have a general working knowledge of computers. You understand what they can be used for. Most people know that they can type a paper, create a power point and if you have internet access, you may e-mail and search the World ...
This shows that although the main purpose of the Global Positioning System is still valid, public is realizing that there is more than meets the eye.
The Global Positioning System is a great electronic device that does help all of us to find our way, avoid traffic and without a thought drive from one place to another. It is a fairly new technology; therefore it is still developing, but already some alarming non-focal functions present themselves in front of us. People do put too much trust into the Global Positioning System and sub-consciously are losing their abilities to navigate with the help of conventional tools. This electronic device should be used in conjunction with a map or compass and not as a sole means of navigation. All technologies have their limitations and some are more apparent than others. What if the GPS loses power, or we don’t have one nearby, are we still capable of finding our way?
References
1. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/theodore-roszak/
2. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/tech_ops/read.main/207964/
3. http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/
4. Sclove, Richard. “I’d Hammer out Freedom: Technology as Politics and Culture”, Technology and Democracy pp 3-24
