“People are easily manipulated by computing”
People seem to think that if the software requires some document, then surely the rules require the document in question. That is, human beings believe that the software must be an accurate embodiment of the law.
In some sense, software does the policing. It enforces the rules. But like the actual police, software can go far beyond the law… and most people won’t notice.
An actual policeman can be intimidating. However, it is a human being. If they ask something that does not make sense, you are likely to question them. You are also maybe more likely to think that a policeman could be mistaken. Software is like a deaf policeman. And people want software to be correct.
Suppose you ran a university and you wanted all professors to include a section on religion in all their courses. You could not easily achieve such a result by the means of law. Changing the university regulations to add such a requirement would be difficult at a secular institution. However, if you simply make it that all professors must fill out a section on religion when registering a course, then professors would probably do it without question.
Of course, you can achieve the same result with bureaucracy. You just change the forms and the rules. But it takes much effort. Changing software is comparatively easier. There is no need to document the change very much. There is no need to train the staff.
