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Antonio Martinez DICE 3050 Wiki Entry

Nature to the Factory: Macros



In our society there are people that like to do task by hand and those that do tasks using computers. Often the people that are not proficient in computers assume computer people are lazy and not hard working. When on the contrary, often people that use computers can accomplish much more than people that don’t know how to use computers. This is true thanks to macros and other computer programs. With the advancements in technology and code, it has been proven that efficiency in the work place has continued to improve. Not only is there more work being completed, but that work has less mistakes. These computer programs are the way of the future and does not make people lazy; it just makes people work smarter, not harder. As people are developing new technologies and more freedom of choice is given to people, our society will evolve to and achieve all its capabilities. But we need to learn how to manage how we use these technologies fairly and effectively.

A macro in computer science is a rule or pattern that specifies how a certain input sequence (often a sequence of characters) should be mapped to a replacement output sequence (also often a sequence of characters) according to a defined procedure. Essentially what this means is that macros are programs developed to make a task easier. There are many different types of macros, one of the most common platforms for macros is Microsoft Excel. You develop a table of information, enter an equation, and that gives you a result. Without having to manually enter each piece of data in the equation. Imagine Being a scientist, you have just completed a science experiment that has given you 100 pieces of data that you now have to enter an equation. Then after getting a result for the equation having to submit it into a formatted report. This is a long strenuous process that could take longer than the experiment itself. But thanks to macros, not all you would have to do is input this data in to a chart, with the equation already entered. The macro will run each piece of information through the equation and complete the report after. Not only will it do this task, but it would happen in fractions of the time. The macro is much faster than a human can type. So, a job that could take a couple hours now could takes a minute or less.

Time and efficiency are important factors in everyday life. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, macros can help with both of those topics. There is no exact number or percentage that explains how much faster a macro program is than if that same person were to do that task by hand manually. That would depend on many factors such as the persons typing ability, knowledge of job, computer power, how well the macro was written, how much data there was that needed to be processed, and what the product is supposed to be. Computers are extremely fast, so when a task can be translated (by a human!) into an algorithm (a set of step-by-step instructions), a computer will typically accomplish it much more quickly and accurately than the average human. This kind of task includes mathematical calculations, and repetitive tasks that humans quickly get bored by. Imagine everyday sitting down at a desk and spend your entire day just running the same formula repeatedly. Writing the same reports again and again. These tasks are what make humans unhappy. These menial tasks can be avoided using macros. The people that use macros are not “lazy” they are just making their lives easier by not having to do repetitive tasks that take a lot of time. As stated in this Forbes article, computers are better at algorithms and other times of math-based problems than humans are. So, humans using these tools are not being lazy, they are being efficient and time saving.

“Need forces men, so enamored otherwise of their boundless freedom, into this state of constrain.” As discussed in the philosophy of technology, it talks about how the highest purpose of Nature is for humans to develop all their capacities. The societies that can do this, are the societies with the most freedom. That is why the United States has been one of the most successful when it comes to digital technologies. Regarding freedom, macros are a way of giving people the freedom to do other tasks and know that the computer will do exactly what they want it to do. Although some people see macros and technology to steal people’s jobs, many larger picture people see it as a way of doing jobs more efficiently.

No human is perfect, so even if they do the same task every signal day it is almost impossible not to make a mistake at some point. Even if the percentage is one in a million. That means eventually you will make a mistake. But with computer programs there is error-proofing. Error-proofing refers to the implementation of fail-safe mechanisms to prevent a process from producing defects. If the information entered it is in the correct format. Not to say that computers are perfect, but they aren’t affected by the same condition’s humans are. They do not get tired, loose focus, mistype, or accidentally type something that they did not mean to. For a computer the equation and the variables entered it are its only function. So, with the use of macros, there will be less likely to be an error in the final product. If the person inputs the wrong data. Some people think that format can also give an error in the program, but if the program is made correctly it will detect the error and not let it be submitted. For advanced equations, there is a much larger chance for a person to make a mistake. Computers won’t make these mistakes.

There is a reason why the government and military invest so heavily into technology. Macros and other programs are quicker and more efficient. For example, if a foreign military were to launch a missile with the intent to attack the United States, the United States government would like to know how fast is is going and how long it would take to reach us. A stored macro can then be accessed from a menu list or from the toolbar and run by simply clicking. If a person were to do these calculations by hand it would take a very long time and with the increased pressure, more likely to make a mistake. Instead the United States has implemented these” macro” based programs to calculate this information for them. It is much quicker, which can be the difference between life and death. Would this be considered lazy? No, this would be considered smart and effective. Just because a computer is doing most of the calculations and “hard work” does not make the user lazy. It just gives the person to do their job more effectively and with less error.

Macros at the end of the day are to help you with repetitive and difficult tasks. They are tools that make you more productive and help with stress caused from repetitive tasks. Our society is still changing from a time where computers did not exist to a generation where computers are just about in every piece of technology there is. With these advancements in technology, there is a less of a need to be hard working. Rather, to work smarter. Not to say that older generations are not smart, they just used what tools they had available to them. We did the exact same thing. I am sure when people first started riding horses. The older generation must have thought they were crazy. But without adapting to new tools; theoretically we would not be where we are today. Our freedom to develop and explore new technologies is what nature has wanted for us. We just need to figure out a balance so that everyone can benefit.

Scharff, Robert C., and Dusek, Val. Philosophy of Technology : The Technological Condition : An Anthology. Second ed. Blackwell Philosophy Anthologies ; 33. Chichester, West Sussex, UK ; Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell, 2014.

"Macro (computer Science)." Wikipedia. January 18, 2019. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_(computer_science).

"How Powerful Is The Human Brain Compared To A Computer?" Forbes. March 02, 2016. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/03/02/how-powerful-is-the-human-brain-compared-to-a-computer/#5ed1aa02628e.

"Error-Proofing." MoreSteam Lean Six Sigma Training and Technology. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.moresteam.com/toolbox/error-proofing.cfm.

"What Is a Macro? - Definition from Techopedia." Techopedia.com. Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/3833/macro.