15-letter words containing t, e, m, p
- computer ethics — (philosophy) Ethics is the field of study that is concerned with questions of value, that is, judgments about what human behaviour is "good" or "bad". Ethical judgments are no different in the area of computing from those in any other area. Computers raise problems of privacy, ownership, theft, and power, to name but a few. Computer ethics can be grounded in one of four basic world-views: Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, or Existentialism. Idealists believe that reality is basically ideas and that ethics therefore involves conforming to ideals. Realists believe that reality is basically nature and that ethics therefore involves acting according to what is natural. Pragmatists believe that reality is not fixed but is in process and that ethics therefore is practical (that is, concerned with what will produce socially-desired results). Existentialists believe reality is self-defined and that ethics therefore is individual (that is, concerned only with one's own conscience). Idealism and Realism can be considered ABSOLUTIST worldviews because they are based on something fixed (that is, ideas or nature, respectively). Pragmatism and Existentialism can be considered RELATIVIST worldviews because they are based or something relational (that is, society or the individual, respectively). Thus ethical judgments will vary, depending on the judge's world-view. Some examples: First consider theft. Suppose a university's computer is used for sending an e-mail message to a friend or for conducting a full-blown private business (billing, payroll, inventory, etc.). The absolutist would say that both activities are unethical (while recognising a difference in the amount of wrong being done). A relativist might say that the latter activities were wrong because they tied up too much memory and slowed down the machine, but the e-mail message wasn't wrong because it had no significant effect on operations. Next consider privacy. An instructor uses her account to acquire the cumulative grade point average of a student who is in a class which she instructs. She obtained the password for this restricted information from someone in the Records Office who erroneously thought that she was the student's advisor. The absolutist would probably say that the instructor acted wrongly, since the only person who is entitled to this information is the student and his or her advisor. The relativist would probably ask why the instructor wanted the information. If she replied that she wanted it to be sure that her grading of the student was consistent with the student's overall academic performance record, the relativist might agree that such use was acceptable. Finally, consider power. At a particular university, if a professor wants a computer account, all she or he need do is request one but a student must obtain faculty sponsorship in order to receive an account. An absolutist (because of a proclivity for hierarchical thinking) might not have a problem with this divergence in procedure. A relativist, on the other hand, might question what makes the two situations essentially different (e.g. are faculty assumed to have more need for computers than students? Are students more likely to cause problems than faculty? Is this a hold-over from the days of "in loco parentis"?).
- computer memory — memory (def 11).
- computer screen — the working area on the monitor of a computer
- computer system — a computer or a set of computers that works together
- computer vision — a robot analogue of human vision in which information about the environment is received by one or more video cameras and processed by computer: used in navigation by robots, in the control of automated production lines, etc.
- computer-phobia — a person who distrusts or is intimidated by computers.
- computerisation — (chiefly, British) alternative spelling of computerization.
- computerization — to control, perform, process, or store (a system, operation, or information) by means of or in an electronic computer or computers.
- contemplatively — given to or characterized by contemplation: a contemplative mind.
- contemporaneity — living or occurring during the same period of time; contemporary.
- contemporaneous — If two events or situations are contemporaneous, they happen or exist during the same period of time.
- contemptibility — The quality of being contemptible.
- copper-bottomed — If you describe something as copper-bottomed, you believe that it is certain to be successful.
- core competency — a skill needed in order to be successful at a job or other activity: Several core competencies have been identified as critical to the success of every student.
- corporate image — the way an organization is presented to or perceived by its members and the public
- cosmopolitanize — to make cosmopolitan.
- countercampaign — a campaign responding to another campaign
- counterexamples — Plural form of counterexample.
- creeping myrtle — any of several Eurasian apocynaceous evergreen plants of the genus Vinca, such as V. minor (lesser periwinkle) and V. major (greater periwinkle), having trailing stems and blue flowers
- culture complex — a group of culture traits all interrelated and dominated by one essential trait: Nationalism is a culture complex.
- customer appeal — attractiveness to customers
- cytophotometers — Plural form of cytophotometer.
- cytophotometric — of or relating to cytophotometry
- deck department — the part of a ship's crew, from the captain down, concerned with running the ship but not with heavy machinery or catering
- decomposability — (uncountable) The condition of being decomposable.
- decompositional — Of or pertaining to decomposition.
- departmentalism — division into departments, esp when resulting in impaired efficiency
- departmentalize — to organize into departments, esp excessively
- deputy minister — (in Canada) the senior civil servant in a government department
- dermatoglyphics — the lines forming a skin pattern, esp on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet
- dermatographism — a condition in which touching or lightly scratching the skin causes raised, reddish marks.
- dermatophytosis — a fungal infection of the skin, esp the feet
- desktop manager — A user interface to system services, usually icon and menu based like the Macintosh Finder, enabling the user to run application programs and use a file system without directly using the command language of the operating system.
- developmentally — the act or process of developing; growth; progress: child development; economic development.
- diaheliotropism — the tendency among plants to respond to the light of the sun by orienting their leaves perpendicular to the sun's rays, such that the upper surface of the leaves receives maximum light
- disappointments — Plural form of disappointment.
- disimprisonment — the act of disimprisoning
- disperse system — Also, dispersal. an act, state, or instance of dispersing or of being dispersed.
- dumpster diving — the practice of foraging in garbage that has been put out on the street in dumpsters, garbage cans, etc., for discarded items that may still be valuable, useful, or fixable.
- durchkomponiert — having a different tune for each section rather than having repeated melodies
- dutchman's-pipe — a climbing vine, Aristolochia durior, of the birthwort family, having large, heart-shaped leaves and brownish-purple flowers of a curved form suggesting a tobacco pipe.
- east massapequa — a town on SW Long Island, in SE New York.
- eclipse scotoma — a blind spot; a permanent or temporary area of depressed or absent vision caused by viewing the sun directly
- edriophthalmian — edriophthalmous
- edriophthalmous — (of certain crustaceans) having stalkless eyes
- electra complex — the sexual attachment of a female child to her father
- electromyograph — A device used in electromyography to generate electromyograms.
- emancipationist — An advocate of the emancipation of slaves.
- enamel painting — the art or process of decorating an object made of metal, porcelain, etc. using enamel paint
- enantiomorphism — (chemistry) The relationship exhibited by a pair of enantiomorphs.