Toward a Paradigm Shift in Social Computing：The ACP Approach.pdfVIP

E x p e r t O p i n i o n Toward a Paradigm Shift in Social Computing: The ACP Approach Fei-Yue Wang, Chinese Academy of Sciences n a sense, social computing is a new research field with Why social computing now? Ia long history. Its origins trace back to the beginning of Above all else, the Internet has motivated this new direc- tion, but two recent political events have also been critical. modern computing and landmark work such as Vannevar The first is the dramatic political reform in the former East- Bush’s Memex,1 Douglas Engelbart’s vision for integrating ern European Communist countries. In the early 1990s, TVs and fax machines became important in shaping societal dy- psychology and organizational development with com- namics online and in real time. This inspired RAND re- puter technology advances,2 and J.C.R. Licklider’s empha- searchers to propose artificial societies as a research concept sis on computers as communication devices, not comput- for studying IT’s social impact.5 They saw these simulated ing machines.3 worlds as a social policy tool: “the most important policy- All these men are considered Internet pioneers whose making over the next several decades will occur at the inter- contributions c