My friend ever asks me, which one that he should improve his skill, programming or networking. Suddenly I say, "Both of them are low level fields in informatics area."
Whoa, where did I get that answer?
Exactly I do not know where it came from, it just rise in my brain and I just speak it up without more thinking. But I have some arguments for that. I can say that we can divide some informatics fields into their level based on the nearby relation, to machine (computer) or to people (user and another stakeholders).
If we refer to
ACM, they already defined 5 sub disciplines of computing and its level based on which they teach, Hardware Architecture, System Infrastructure, Software Methods, Application Technology or Organization/Information System. Those sub disciplines are:
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Software Engineering
- Information System
- Information Technology
But in my college, Informatics Study Program (in the old structure) has 7 fields that represented by 7 Laboratories of Expertise. If I try to classify them into their level, there are the results:- Low Level Fields
In this level, we study basic this information age knowledge, from how to write code in a good/right manner, how the code works, what inside this 'black box' (CPU) and things that flowing inside this wire and this air. It consists of:
- Fundamental Programming
- Computer Science
- Distributed System
- Mid Level Fields
In here, we study the higher level of computer science applications. And most of these applications need high peripherals specification in order to work properly. If in Low Level, we study how to make a good program in each code line, in Mid Level we must consider to make a good program in a whole system. This level includes:
- Software Engineering
- Database System
- Graphic & Artificial Intelligent
- High Level Fields
In this level, we discuss about informatics in business purpose. Even more we don't feel the existence of computer science here. After 6 fields in previous level, there is remain 1 field that has been separated from my study program. But I still say it as an informatics field because we still study information knowledge here. The field is:
However it is not always like that. I can say for example, there is a high level applicative computer science section, but most of computer science section is low level section. So, because I learn programming course that supported by Programming Laboratory and networking course that supported by Distributed System Laboratory, I say programming and networking are low level fields in informatics, isn't it.
