Refactoring Society : Systems Complexity in an Age of Limits

Computing systems can be seen as the latest instance in a long chain of sociotechnical developments that have increased social complexity at an accelerated pace [4, 23, 24]. Today global in- dustrial society is particularly dependent upon and highly medi- ated by many computing systems. Over the past several decades, the growth of such systems have by and large been a boon as they have enabled a revolution in the way we communicate, work, and live. During this time, computer scientists in particular have con- tributed much to the development and spread of systems that have subtly, but unmistakably, transformed global society. Computing systems have also amplified sociotechnical complexity and accel- erated previous trends far more than prior technologies because of the inherent complexity of networked systems and the interlinking of previously independent systems [14]. QC 20161129