Technology: Friend or Foe?

Thinking about Information Ethics

Cybercrime Virus-spreading

– a small program that impairs or destroys the computer’s ability to function properly- often spread via e-mail

Hacking/Cracking– breaking into/gaining unauthorized access into another computer or computer network – many hackers who break into commercial Web sites are looking for customers’ private financial data (identity theft)

Cybercrime continued…

piracy -copying protected software without authorization-software companies claim to lose billions of dollars per year through illegal copying

phishing – sending e-mail that looks like it comes from a legitimate source, such as a bank or software company, but is actually from a fraudulent source

Cybercrime continued…

Cyberstalking-harassing and terrorizing people, causing them to fear injury or harm

Cyberpornography-producing and/or distributing pornography using a computer

Cyberterrorism-unlawul attacks and threats of attack by terrorists against computers, networks, etc. to intimidate a govt. or its people

Ethical question: To what extent should perpetrators of these types of crime be punished?

Plagiarism Intellectual Property - reflects the idea that this

subject matter is the product of the mind or the intellect, and that IP rights may be protected by law in the same way as any other form of property.

Plagiarism has become a more prevalent issue with easy access to information via the Internet

Many educational institutions now rely on plagiarism detection services for prevention

Ethical question: How can plagiarism best be prevented?

Privacy One of the earliest ethical issues of concern due to ease

with which computers can store and allow access to information

New technologies make it possible for employers to monitor many aspects of their employees' jobs, especially on telephones, computer terminals, through electronic and voice mail, and when employees are using the Internet.

Sensitive information, such as medical records, financial records, personal information are kept electronically

Social networking sites allow users to exploit the privacy of others

Ethical question: To what extent should our right to privacy be protected in a digital age?

Copyright Violation Copyright protection is the idea that the original creator of any work

is the only person who has the right to make copies of the work                    distribute copies of the work perform the work publicly                   display the work publicly;                     make “derivative works”

File Sharing – downloading music or video files, then posting them on a publicly accessible website for others to share - Violation!

Word, Image, video, sound clip use – incorporating forms of media into presentations without permission or attribution – Violation!

Copyright cont. Copyright is immediately established when the

author puts his/her work into a “fixed form” – no need to “apply” for copyright

“Copyright Infringement” occurs when a person manipulates the work of another without the copyright owner’s permission

Infringement is proven if1. a work in question is “substantially similar” to the

original2. the accused infringer had access to the original work

Fair Use The idea of "Fair Use" is a defense against copyright

infringement It allows limited copying of copyrighted works for

educational and research purposes. In order for “fair use” to be valid, the following

factors will be considered1. the purpose of the use2. the nature of the copyrighted work3. the amount used in comparison to the

whole work4. the effect of the use on the potential

market

Ethical question: What responsibility do we bear to protect the copyright of others’ original work?

Social Networking Supporters of social networking Web sites say:

• Websites such as Facebook allow teenagers to socialize, make friends, share media with people they ordinarily would not approach.

• Social networking websites can help shy people come out of their shells, and they allow teenagers to experiment with different identities, which benefits their social development.

• Communication reaches large audience quickly and simultaneously

Critics of social networking Web sites say: • Sexual predators and pedophiles can access social

networking websites too easily; • Many pedophiles use such Web sites to entice

teenagers to meet them in person; crimes such as rape and murder have been linked to teens using MySpace and similar sites

• Teens are using it as a venue for cyberbullying and displays of their own illegal acts, such as alcohol and drug use

• Teenagers spend too much time on social networking websites and can even become addicted

Cyberbullying Cyber bullying, which is sometimes referred to as online social

cruelty or electronic bullying, can involve: Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images; Posting sensitive, private information about another person; Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad; Intentionally excluding someone from an online group (Willard, 2005).

Cyberbullying can occur via: E-mails, Instant messaging, Text or digital imaging messages sent on cell phones, Web pages, Blogs Chat rooms or discussion groups and Other information communication technologies.

How does cyber bullying differ from other traditional forms of bullying? --Cyber bullying can occur any time of the day or night;

--Cyber bullying messages and images can be distributed quickly to a very wide audience;

--Children and youth can be anonymous when cyber bullying, which makes it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to trace them;

Online Safety Tips Just because you can post just about anything out on the

web, doesn’t mean you should Remain as anonymous as possible on the web. Here are

some examples of private information that you should never give out on the Internet: full name home address phone number Social Security number passwords names of family members credit card numbers Photos

Don’t believe everything you see online If you get suspicious e-mails, files, or pictures from

someone you don’t know or trust, trash them Avoid chat rooms or discussion areas that look sketchy or

provocative Do not give out your e-mail address online, don’t respond

to junk mail, and use an e-mail filter Don’t let people goad you into online fights If you plan to meet someone you’ve met online, bring a

friend or a parent, and encourage your acquaintance to bring theirs, too.

Evaluating Reference Sources

Deciding which reference source best suits your needs

1. Audience

Who is the intended audience for this source?

Is the material too complex or too basic?

Audience = for whom the information is written

2. Authority

Who is the author?

Is he/she an expert in the field?

What are his/her credentials? Are they listed?

Authority = Expertise

3. Accuracy

Is the information correct

Does the author support what he/she is saying with proof?

Are other authors providing similar information?

Accuracy = correctness

4. Scope

How thoroughly is the topic covered in the source?

Does the source fulfill its intended purpose?

Scope = extent of coverage

5. Bibliography

Does the reference source list its sources of information?

Has the author consulted other sources for information?

Can the author prove that his/ her information is authentic/accurate?

Bibliography = list of valid sources of information consulted

7. Timeliness When was the source

published? How current is the

information presented?

Is the author using current sources of information?

Timeliness = Currency