Introduction

Abstract

It must be obvious to everyone — to everyone who is reading this book, at least — that progress in computer technology is radically altering human life. Some of the changes are subtle and concealed. The microprocessors that control traffic lights or dishwashers, are examples. But others are overt and striking. The very word processor on which I am creating this chapter could not have been imagined 50 years ago; speech recognition devices, such as are now available for attachment to PCs, could have been imagined, but no-one would have had any idea of how to build such a thing.