[pypy-svn] rev 1722 - pypy/trunk/doc/funding

[jacob at codespeak.net]

Author: jacob
Date: Sat Oct 11 16:22:24 2003
New Revision: 1722

Modified:
   pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B7.0_other_issues.txt
   pypy/trunk/doc/funding/FIXME
Log:
Draft for review.

Modified: pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B7.0_other_issues.txt
==============================================================================
--- pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B7.0_other_issues.txt	(original)
+++ pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B7.0_other_issues.txt	Sat Oct 11 16:22:24 2003
@@ -1,53 +1,112 @@
 Other Issues
 ==================
 
-:DELETE:BEGIN
-
-B.7 Other issues
-            
-B.7.1. If there are ethical or gender issues associated with the
-subject of the proposal, show they have been adequately taken into
-account - indicate which national and international regulations are
-applicable and explain how they will be respected. Explore potential
-ethical aspects of the implementation of project results. Include the
-Ethical issues form given below.
-
-:DELETE:END
-
 Ethical Considerations
 -----------------------
 
-FIXME write this.
+Writing programs is by its nature a mental exercise which requires
+knowledge, structured thought and tenacity. The result can then be run
+on a piece of equipment that is very general in nature and that can be
+mass produced at fairly low cost. This is an opportunity for making
+the skill of program writing ubiquitous, bringing it to less developed
+countries and regions and to groups of people who need new
+opportunities.
+
+This is best done with a fast, powerful, easy to use language that is
+equally available to everyone. Python in the Pypy implementation
+intends to be such a language.
 
-:DELETE:BEGIN
+Gender Issues
+----------------
 
-B.7.2 Are there other EC-policy related issues, and are they taken
-into account? Demonstrate a readiness to engage with actors beyond the
-research to help spread awareness and knowledge and to explore the
-wider societal implications of the proposed work; if relevant set out
-synergies with education at all levels.
-            
-(No recommended length ­ depends on the number of such other 
- issues which the project involves).
+Women are chronically (and increasingly) underrepresented in the computer 
+field; particularly among designers of software and products. 
 
-:DELETE:END
+Studies[1][2] have shown several factors involved in this gender gap, among 
+them:
 
-Gender Issues
-----------------
+    - Lack of experience with computers leading to avoidance of CS as a field of study or employment.
+     - Interest in "computing for a purpose" rather than "programming for programming sake"
+     - Focus on usability and usefulness
+
+Pypy addresses these concerns in the following ways:
+
+     Allowing the creation of mobile devices which are easily
+     programmed will increase women's successful experiences with
+     computers, thus increasing their comfort level and likelihood of
+     pursuing education and careers in computers.  The ease of
+     creating programs due to Pypy's simple but powerful language will
+     allow women to incorporate programming in pursuit of their
+     interests. The user-friendly, interactive interfaces available
+     will attract more women into programming and designing software.
+
+     As more women bring their viewpoints to the design-process,
+     better products in terms of meeting the needs of a broader number
+     of people will be created and increase the appeal of the products
+     among women, which in turn will encourage women to use and
+     familiarize themselves with the new technologies.
+
+     Furthermore, the increase in economic and educational
+     opportunities afforded in the CS fields must not be
+     ignored. Studies have shown that, while women who do enter CS
+     enter with less experience, they demonstrate no less ability than
+     their male counterparts. By breaking down the barriers to entry
+     noted above, Pypy will help lessen the gender gap,
+     technologically, socially and economically.
+
+As an example of the benificial effects that Python already has on
+introducing women to the field of programming, the Georgia Institute
+of Technology teaches a course for non-Computer Science majors which
+focuses on media, rather than the traditional math-oriented
+model. This is the Abstract of the paper[3] describing the course:
+
+      Computing may well become considered an essential part of a
+      liberal education, but introductory programming courses will not
+      look like the way that they do today. Current CS1 course are
+      failing dramatically. We are developing a new course, to be
+      taught starting in Spring 2003, which uses com- putation for
+      communication as a guiding principle. Students learn to program
+      by writing Python programs for manipu- lating sound, images, and
+      movies. This paper describes the course development and the
+      tools developed for the course.
+
+[1] Becoming a computer scientist: a report by the ACM committee on the status of women in computing science.
+Authors:    Pearl, Amy; Pollack, Martha E.; Riskin, Eve; Thomas, Becky; Wolf,
+           Elizabeth; Wu, Alice.
+Journal:  Communications of the ACM, Nov. 1990, v33, n11, p47-58.
+
+[2] _Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing_
+Allan Fisher and Jane Margolis, PIs
+School of Computer Science
+Carnegie Mellon University
+MIT Press, 2002, ISBN 0262133989. 
 
-FIXME write this
+[3] http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-plan/uploads/37/ITICSE-mediacomp2.pdf
 
 Safety Issues
 ----------------
 
-FIXME write this
-
-Conservation Regulations
---------------------------
-
-FIXME write this
+Nobody who uses a computer can avoid noticing how viruses, unsolicited
+email and computer attacks have made life difficult for computer
+users. While Pypy is unable to solve such problems, it may mitigate
+them. There are 3 factors that affect this:
+
+1. The ease of writing Python programs give the developers more time
+   to consider security implications.
+
+2. Python as a language has built in checks against buffer overflows
+   and other classic problems that make traditional languages like C
+   and C++ prone to attacks. By improving Python performance, a larger
+   set of programs will be immune to such exploits.
+
+3. Pypy provides the tools for adding specialised security features to
+   the language, in the form of new Object Spaces. This allows
+   applications where security is paramount to add checks and
+   partitioning that will significantly strengthen the defenses. As
+   far as we know, no other language has this feature.
 
 Other Policy related Issues
 -----------------------------
 
-FIXME write this
+We have not identified any other policy related issues.
+

Modified: pypy/trunk/doc/funding/FIXME
==============================================================================
--- pypy/trunk/doc/funding/FIXME	(original)
+++ pypy/trunk/doc/funding/FIXME	Sat Oct 11 16:22:24 2003
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@
 
 B7.0_other_issues
 Needs writing.
-NOT STARTED
+CORRECTED jacob
 
 project_planning.xml
 Needs general agreement before we copy info to B6.7* files.