Abstract
During the era of the mainframe computer, 1946-1976, sociologists wholeheartedly embraced computer technology as an adjunct to quantitative research methods. The nature of the technology and the resultant structure by which most sociologists gained access to computers lent itself to several undesirable side effects. However, the undeniable calculational power of the technology was enough to outweigh those disadvantages, at least for the mainstream of the discipline. The introduction of microcomputers has significantly changed the calculational power/cost ratio inherent in computer technology and permits new structures of access, not only for sociologists, but for individuals in all walks of life. Although this does not in and of itself offer a panacea for every criticism that has ever been raised concerning the usage of computers within sociology, several of the previous disadvantages of computer technology have now been technically eliminated, if not yet eliminated in practice.
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