Write an essay
of approximately 2000 – 2500 words (equivalent to ~ 5- 6 pages, 1.5 spacing,
12 point say) on "The importance of professional bodies and organisations in
computing", illustrating your point of view by reference to:
standards, codes of
practice and codes of conduct,
the problem of spam e-mail,
comparison with other
professional organizations.
Your views
should be supported as far as possible by evidence.
For information about professional bodies and organizations important in
computing consult the web pages of, for example: the BSC, IEE, ACM, and IEEE.
Potential comparative bodies in science and engineering include: the Institute
of Physics, The Institution of
Chemical Engineers, The Institution of Civil Engineers, The Chemical and
Bioindustry Association,….to pick some that come randomly to mind or are
easily found on the web.
To this list you can, of course, add obvious bodies in other areas, such
as: The British Medical Association and The Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Search the web for information about spam, who bears the cost, why it’s
a problem, and proposed “solutions”, and think about why it should concern
the professional bodies and their members.
B F Buxton
11/3/03