David McCoy

Today, I attended a conference entitled, “Computing at the Margins.”  The subject was simple:  How can computing be used to help those on the margins of society?  It seems arrogant and audacious to define some group as “being on the margin” only if you are stuck in the Frankfurt school of political correctness.  For those of us in the real world, we can clearly see marginalized people all around us.  We see those who have and those who do not.  We who have need to help those who do not.  So the story goes and so goes the conference.

I will talk more about this, but here is a link to the program.  Also, I believe this will be webcast a bit later.

http://www.computing-margins.org/

Feeling altruistic?  Good.  And by the way.  This conference spawned from work going on in a hot bed of computer scientists.  Remember them?  They once did compiler design, fractals and artificial intelligence.  They still do, but their mandate has taken on a much wider meaning over the past years.  Just like most everything else, they have seen a shift from theoretical to applied research.  Just keep the proper balance, as they do.

Disclaimer: I am on the board of advisors for this particular college of computing.  My pride is not without vested interest.