"OK, let's see…" John picked up the sheet of paper containing the coursework question, "…It has been suggested that the inner workings of a computer should be viewed in certain respects as an alien environment. Give evidence for and/or against this view…" John sighed. "This is definitely going to be an all-nighter, damn…it hurts my head just running that question through my head…sheesh…this is going to require a lot of thinking and a lot of coffee…"

John walked across his room and flicked his computer open. He watched the screen as it hummed and clicked to itself. "Well, I guess the first stop is a dictionary." He reached up and retrieved one from his shelf.

Alien - One of another race, one estranged or excluded. Conflicting, hostile or opposed. Unsympathetic. An Alien (well, sort of...)

John looked at his own computer and then though about the definition. "It's a bit harsh. I myself would never consider a computer as conflicting, hostile, opposed or unsympathetic"

"But" he thought, "I am a veteran computer user - I suppose anyone, unlike me, who doesn't use a computer on a regular basis and certainly doesn't know what goes on inside the grey metal box would most certainly use at least one of those words…?"

He mused the problem over. He thought about his father, he certainly considered computers as an alien life form - or certainly them as one. He would go those definitions. John tried to put himself in his fathers shoes.

...One of another race...

"Well, I think my father would definitely support that definition," "I suppose you get a similar situation if you stuck a person who only spoke Chinese and a person who only spoke English in the same room together and asked them to discuss the weather.

...Estranged or excluded...

"Nah, computers form part of, no wait, are part of our society. When thinking about it, no-one could really survive in this world without at least some dependence on one electronic brain.." Banks would be back to pen and paper and the Internet wouldn't even exist - I couldn't even take my course!

"Electronic brain…" John scribbled this in the corner of his notes, "I'll look into that common cliché in a bit."

...Conflicting, hostile...

"Yep, it does conflict with other matters…", "Hostile - well a computer can never really be considered hostile. Unless," thought John, "You take into account the films 2001 and any of the Terminator films.." John grinned to himself at his thought, "In Terminator, a computer known as Skynet effectively 'owned' the world by having control over all military defenses…" John reflected, "Well, I think Bill Gates and Microsoft are following the same concept..?"

...Unsympathetic...

"Yes, this has got to be the best definition. A computer will never be sympathetic towards its user or any particular program it may be processing, if it was, my father would have been a dab-hand at them now instead of phoning me up at obscure times and moaning when Office refuses to print." A computer would never pop-up a message;

"There, there - don't worry. I think you've probably pressed the wrong key and have therefore deleted all the files relating to your business. I'm sorry but I have no way of getting the back…"

John picked up one of the books he had borrowed from the library and casually flicked through it.

"Hmmm…we created computers to mimic ourselves and do things which we have found time-consuming, difficult or just downright dull. Are we like the computers we created?"

John looked through another reference book. "I suppose, even though we aim to create a computer in our image or one which can do things we do particularly today with AI, we are actually nothing like a computer. A human sees, feels, smells and usually thinks independently. A computer can only just achieve the latter and even then it depends on past experiences it may have stored on a magnetic disk or in it's RAM/ROM. Again it only knows as much as we tell it, a computer is basically as complex as the technician who design/built it and as stupid as the programmer who coded the list of instructions for it. The programmer makes a mistake, the computer makes the mistake." John exhaled slowly. "What a mouthful but it kinda makes sense in a strange sort of way." John paused, "Right - time for coffee, I think the caffeine will help me think more clearly."

John ambled into the kitchen where he found his flat mate, Sarah, preparing a sandwich. John flicked the kettle on and leant against the wall. John thought carefully, "Sarah…" She turned round to face him, "You're not a particular guru when it comes to computers are you? Do you reckon the inner working of a computer should be viewed as an alien environment?", "What she replied. John repeated the question and added, "Do you know anything about what goes on inside the grey metal box which sits on your desk?" Sarah frowned and took a large bite out of her sandwich, "Well no and I personally prefer to leave it like that" Sarah smiled, "Anyway, I have you to fix any problems the thing has for me!." John nodded and returned the smile, "Well, ignorance tends to provide grounds for scepticism or caution…Sarah are sceptical or cautious about your computer?" Sarah frowned, "I dunno…" She took another bite from her sandwich. John was suddenly interrupted by a clicking and the sound of boiling water, he turned and prepared his coffee. When turned round again, Sarah had gone, "Well, ignorance…" he smirked and wandered back towards his room.

"He looked at the notes he had started to prepare on the reverse of the coursework sheet. Electronic brain, electronic brain…hmm..I suppose a computer could be considered an electronic brain. They are similar several aspects - in a certain way of course." He recalled his Biology A-Level, "Let's see…" He scribbled down some more notes.

He logged onto the Internet and started picking through various results of the search engine. "Right, a computer is composed of silicon chips, a computer cannot function without electricity. A computer communicates only in Binary. He looked at his watch, 21:00 - hmm..it's getting late." John thought carefully, "Well, my brain isn't composed of silicon chips but thinking about it, it does require/use electricity and does send messages in Binary." John looked up another page, "Neurons may fire or not fire or the semi-conductors may insulate or not insulate - switching specific brain cells on (1) or off (0). Damn, the computer is not quite as alien as I first made it out to be!" John consulted another page in his book, "I wonder whether Charles Babbage thought along the same lines when he created that Analytical Machine of his?"

John continued reading the web page, "Yes…as I thought before, humans tend to think in words, sound and smells as will as straight forward numbers. Computers cannot do anything like that or can they? As far as I know, they can't process all five senses in the same way as humans do?"

"Hey buddy!" John spun round and was confronted by his friend, Matt, "Still completely confused by that essay?" "I was…" replied John, "But as I read more about it, the question kinda starts to make sense." John sipped his coffee. "Let's have a butchers…" and before John could object, Matt picked up his notes and started to read them out loud.

"…we think in words, images, sounds and smells…well you got that right" Matt grinned, "…however computer do perform similar things…" "Explain.." John interrupted. "well you see…" Matt continued, "Computers draw pictures, generate sound but all that's just a clever illusion. All those impressive graphics you see in games and software packages are basically data converted by the system using numbers and complex machine code commands in its ALU or Arithmetic Logic Unit, the computer is unable to work out words, feeling or emotions like you and me. It's just a damn clever illusion, it just converts our concepts into binary code which it processes using its CPU or Central Processing Unit or depending on the system and the users instructions, a specific chip on, say, a graphics card and spits it back out at you in a form me and you can understand, in this case letters and images. "OK…" John looked through another one of his books, "What else do you know Einstein?" Matt laughed, "Let's see…" He paused, thinking for a few seconds, "A computer doesn't even count in numbers, well not the numbers you and me use. I think we use what is known as Base-10 and a computer uses Base-2 - the 1s and 0s. When we add 2 + 2 to give 4, the computer does exactly the same but using 1s and 0s in its ALU." John looked up from his book and back at Matt, "How the hell do you know all that techie stuff? You study Law for god's sake! What did you do? Swallow one of my text books?" Matt shook his head, "Nah, I'm just a genius although I probably just caught it on Open University one night when I was bored. Anyway buddy, I'm off to the pub with Sarah - if you ever finish your essay come on down and I'll buy you a pint." John nodded and Matt walked out of the room.

John picked up his notes and starting writing down what Matt had spoken. "Right, what else can I find in this book?". John flicked through the contents and found the following paragraphs:

Without software a computer is useless. A computer is a tool just like a screwdriver or perhaps a motorbike except that a computer can sometimes aid mental processes rather than physical processes like the screwdriver and the car and that is why it sometimes appears similar to our minds.

"How true" agreed John, "I guess that contradicts the theory that computers are alien - perhaps they're just alien to those who do not understand how to use them?"

GUI (WIMP) interfaces were designed to make life easier for those using computers, to make the computer more user-friendly, to make the computer more versatile.

"Well Microsoft Windows has got to be the most successful GUI I know of. I believe that over 80% of IBM Compatible PCs run at least one version of it. Bearing that in mind, Microsoft are creating a monopoly - they effectively although not directly - 'own' any system which runs a version of their Windows."

"I suppose computers are probably inherently alien - according to the previous paragraphs, they have to be adapted to appear not so."

When anything new is created, it is instantly mistrusted.

"If I recall correctly from those GCSE History lessons, the good old car was treated as alien but as people discovered how useful it was and how to benefit them and make their lives easier, it quickly accepted into society."

"The same is now happening with the computer. Now in the year 2000, it has been recognised as the ultimate (often essential) tool - just like cars people become dependant on them. Businesses who do not use computers in at least one area are doomed as they cannot keep up with their rivals."

John finished his coffee and placed his cup on the floor. He reviewed his notes and loaded up Word on his PC. He recalled that all the fancy graphics and letters appearing on the VDU before him were none other than binary numbers processed between the ALU, CPU and graphics adapter to produce a display he (and millions of others) could understand and therefore use.

John yawned. He had to type up his notes but it was getting late and he promised to meet his other two flatmates in the pub. "How can I tie this essay up?" though John.

"Computers are only as alien as people make them out to be. People who know the basic principles of how a computer functions and how to make use of the functions don't consider it alien"

"The computer has aided society", John added to his notes, "in almost every area of life - medicine, invention, exploration, education, creativity and many more."

"People can design on a computer which may be, at first, impossible in real life. For example investigating a different structure of engine or car frame. Perhaps in medicine, referring to databases for possible side effects of a particular drug. As you see, the possibilities are enormous."

John banged his pencil on the desk trying to think anything else which might be worth adding. "The Internet…." He mused.

"The Internet is an example of computer working to their maximum potential. It is nothing more than thousands, probably now millions, of computers networked together designed exclusively to share information - whether it be music, images or voice. Scientists predict we will soon depend on the Internet. Internet access capability is being built into more and more products as they come off the production line. Take digital TV, as I found out recently all digital TV boxes have a built in modem in preparation for the permanent Internet connection which will soon exist in all households."

"How long before your washing machine is connected? You can send it an e-mail telling to start washing your clothes so that they are clean from when arrive home in the evening…" John laughed at the last paragraph. John stretched and rose from his chair. He shutdown his computer running Windows. I'll finish this tomorrow, he stretched again and headed downstairs and towards the pub.