Group Report Summary

Report Chapter 4

Members:

Cabusora, Allan

Gonzales, Mark Bryan

Inte, Melchor Jr.

Rabaja, Beverly

Blog Entry No.8

Ethical Dilemma Chapter 11

Approximately one year ago an editor of this book carried out an informal survey among his academic colleagues who were members of the BCS. He approached each and asked if they could state two points contained within the BCS Code of Conduct. Two of these people responded by indicating that they did not know that the BCS had a professional code of conduct. Two indicated that while they knew the code of conduct existed, they had never look at it. The remaining two - who indicated their awareness of the code of conduct and recalled having looked at it - stated that they could not recall its contents.

These were clearly dismal results, particularly as the questions were asked of people who have been members for some time.

In this book we have discussed the BCS Code of Conduct in some detail - to what extent do you believe this code of conduct is important and/or relevant? Why would YOU join the BCS? If you are a student of a university department studying Computer Science or IT, have you been offered a BCS membership application form? Are you aware of the opportunities of networking, and for joining special interest groups? These are certainly good reasons to join the BCS - but on the other hand, during your professional career, do you believe that the framework defined within the BCS Code of Conduct is likely to be relevant and/or useful?

Incoming IT professional and the IT professional must know the BCS code of conduct. It is a must to every IT students and professionals, for them to be able to understand their role in the society. Possessing the code of conduct, you can absolutely exercise personal judgment as an individual. Follow its standard form and abide the requirements placed on all of the society’s member and everyone working on behalf of the society. Joining the BCS, has a great impact, this enhances our capabilities and knowledge and leads to change in the standing of the IT profession by understanding the requirements needed to have a successful project.

Blog Entry No.7

Ethical Dilemma Chapter 9

A couple years ago Patricia returned to the UK to take up an academic position at a British University. She had been out in UK for over 20 years working for universities at number of countries, and had a good professional employment record. She decided to open a bank account with one of the large banks that had branch on the campus.

She met the bank manager, was given the necessary forms, duly completed them. A few days later she returned to the bank to open her account. Much to her surprise, she was told that she could only have cash account, i.e., she not be given any bank cards, cheque book, or the like, nor could she have any overdraft facility.

Patricia again met with the bank manager as she naturally felt there must have been some misunderstanding. Key points here are that she already had a bank account in the UK since her student days (although this had been largely unused during her years away), she owed no money on credit cards or the like, was UK citizen, and had a good track record with bank overseas. In addition, her salary from the university was to be paid into her account each month.

Despite her explaining these points, the bank manager was adamant that she could only have cash accounts. When asked to explain this decision, the bank manager indicated that it was not in fact her decision, but a decision made by an expert system. The bank always used this computer technology when making decisions about opening accounts for new clients, and in fact the bank manager could not overrule the restrictions that the expert systems imposed. In short, the expert system was empowered in the decision-making process to such an extent that it actually replaced the human decision-making process. The bank manager went on to explain that the problem was that the expert system had not previously encountered a person with Patricia’s particular background. And the key point to the computer was the extensive years of residency outside the UK.

To what extent do you think it is appropriate to replace the human decision-making process with the computer technologies such as expert systems?

If the decisions to be made involve emotional feelings or considerations from the user then computer technologies such as expert systems are not appropriate to replace human decision-making process because unlike human expert systems cannot give or respond to any considerations to a user's request. Computer technologies such as the expert system give probabilistic results that came from expert persons. It gathers facts with the experts and result to a decision for a certain process. Once the expert system comes up with the result or decision, it then should be considered as final and be implemented. For a human decision making, a favorable decision can be given to the requester. So, computer technologies like expert system are not intended for transactions that will involve any emotional feelings or considerations from the user depending on the situation. Unlike human, expert system cannot give or respond to any considerations to your request.

During the conversation Patricia asked the bank manager whether she felt that it was appropriate for the expert system to be empowered in this way. The response she obtained was that it was a great idea because computers do not make mistakes. What do you think about this comment? Do computers make mistakes? Is any computerized system free from mistakes? Should we be educating people to believe that computers are infallible are computers infallible? What do you think are the ramifications of believing in infallible computerized systems?

Computer doesn't make any mistake and it was true, but in the consideration of the system's programmer that the said system is free from all bugs that might harm the entire functionality. In Patricia's case, it is an opportunity to inform the entire client, users and all the citizen of the web that computer reliability has its own limitations.

Blog Entry No.6

Ethical Dilemma Chapter 7

Computer Technologies: Accessibility Issues

*How do you perceive the ramifications of computer-based technologies, and the current pace of change impacting on older people?

For the new generation of humanity, the mainstream of this society has quickly adopted computer - based technology as part of everyday life. Computer based Technology are always at outside for instant access from simple things up to complicated bits and bytes of communication. Computer based Technology have changed the simple life of our grandpa and grandma's, most of the time computer technology helps older people to perform different task. However, some older people need some assistance regarding with this matter. There are still barriers that keep them from learning this new innovation. Most common barriers are the unfamiliarity and fear that leading them into lacking of skills, missing background knowledge for accessing devices may lead them into the inaccessible spot.

* To what extent are they becoming increasingly isolated?

Older people may be isolated in a way that they can't easily understand the complicated operation of computer based technology. Lacking confidence is one of the many factor why older people isolate there selves to become proficient and as a result they become incompetent with particular innovations.

*Is direct personal contact being gradually eroded?

As technology experience progress, various form of high - tech devices (phones, laptop, and iPhones) have definitively influenced the communication process in such a vital way. However this progress, the communication stream adopt the both positive and negative feedback.

Perhaps discuss these issues with an older person that you know, such as family members. Identify key issues.

My mother doesn't know how to use computer. She can't even search on Google by himself. Me and my sister always at her side, giving her a hand in whatever she ask regarding with the searching problem on Google.

Have these people gained as a consequence of the proliferation of and reliance we place upon computer-based technologies and the pace of change that has ensued?

Maybe yes, it depends on their own perspective to adopt technology.

Blog Entry No.5

Ethical Dilemma Chapter 6

Consider the scenario in which a group of your fellow students approach you to see whether you are interested in participating in a project that is intended to be a commercial venture. The group has come up with a novel approach to obtaining large numbers of e-mail addresses. This requires the development of some software, and once this is used it will be possible to develop a very extensive e-mail address list. Subsequently, this information is to be sold to companies involved in spam advertising. You voice some initial reservations based upon your concern that this may not be entirely legal/ethical. However, you are normally based overseas – specifically in third world countries. Since the team is to be based in the UK and the software is going to be used to locate e-mail addresses that are normally based outside the UK, you are assured that you will be breaking no UK law.

How would you proceed? Do you consider that this is a legal/ethical undertaking? In the case that you are not entirely happy with the possible ethical aspects of this venture(but are satisfied that you will not be breaking UK law), would you still be willing to participate if the level of remuneration is sufficient? At what point would personal remuneration override any ethical reservations that you may have?

Let us suppose that you do become involved in this undertaking but that you subsequently find that the software that you helped to develop is not being used to locate e-mail addresses that are normally based outside the UK, but in addition e-mail address within the UK, and these are being sold on to companies who specialize in spam advertising? Does this compromise your legal position?

Commercial venture is a great opportunity to enhance skills in terms of software development although the term commercial venture is business enterprise involving some risk in expectation of gain. It is good to be involved in opportunities such as handling large email list together with expert developers, experience like this is a rewarding gain for programmers because it can boost skills in software development. However, considering that spam advertising is a threat to the privacy and security of web users, as a programmer and developer i would not rather to be involved in such business venture, unethical activity may cause trouble to my professionalism and conscience. Through spam advertising, it would harm legitimate account due to the effect of flooding. Doing unethical activity for self interest is a big "NO", this must be the stand for professional who against unethical doings. Since spam is a global threat to the web citizens, participating in said business venture some law will be violated and every personnel behind it will suffer the consequences.

Blog Entry No.4

Ethical Dilemma Chapter 4

Question 1: Consider a case of Alice who was writing a textbook, She wishes to include in her book material from various sources – particularly a few key diagrams that have previously been. In the case of old books, should publishers require significant fees to be paid to them if material from one of their books is reproduced elsewhere? To what extent should this be underpinned by consideration of fair use? Is it reasonable for publishers to require significant amounts of money to be paid in relation to the production of materials from an old book – particularly when they know that this will not be passed on to the author, or their estate? To what extent is it appropriate to simply make modifications of diagram, and therefore avoid the payments of permission fees? By way of simple example, consider Figure 4.3. Let us suppose that this is ‘edited’ by Alice and reproduced in her book in the form illustrated in Figure 4.4. To what extent (if any) is Alice guilty of plagiarism? One point to note by not paying permission fees, it follows that the author will not acknowledge the original source of the diagram – thus, the original creative person does not receive any credit.

To what extent do such considerations apply to software? For example, is it permissible to take another person’s code, make limited modifications to it, and represent it as one’s own work?

Group's Response:

In the case of old books, should publishers require significant fees to be paid to them if material from one of their books is reproduced elsewhere?

On the case of Alice, it was indicated that the old book that she tried to use as a reference from her and copy a diagram from it, the copyright for the book hasn't expired. In that case, therefore, publishers may require significant fees if a certain material from their book is published elsewhere.

"One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords."

On the quoted statement above, the publisher can reproduce or authorize others to reproduce the work.

To what extent should this be underpinned by consideration of fair use?

Ethical Dilemma Chapter 5

Question 2: Let us suppose that you are employed by a company that develops websites for clients. One day your boss presents you with a new project. In brief, your company has obtained a contract from a law enforcement agency to develop several websites. These are to act in line with the ‘honeypot’ scenario mentioned in the previous chapter. The project being undertaken by the law enforcement agency is to gather information in relation to individuals who may be ‘interested’ in extreme forms of violence. By developing this website you will be assisting the law enforcement agencies who will gather material in relation to people who peruse the site.

What is your ethical position?

Our ethical position in this scenario is to follow your boss since you are working with him, because as a programmer or an employee you need to do what your boss wants or need to do your job with the company you are employed and to satisfy what your client’s wants. In addition for this situation, we think that this is not an unethical act if you do the websites since your client is from a law enforcement agency, and this agency wants to make a tools to prevent more computer crimes and to track cyber criminals, so in this case, as a programmer you are not just doing an ethical act in terms of doing your job where you are employed but you also do an ethical act to the law enforcement agency and able to help them to track those who are doing computer crimes with the use of that websites.

Do you think this is an appropriate agenda in terms of invisibly policing the internet?

Yes, because through this website, it could prevent more computer crimes and violence such as gathering and unauthorized access of personal information from the internet.

Since your boss has presented you with this brief, in the case that you do not agree with the ramifications of policing the internet in this way, do you have any political alternative but to undertake the work? (Here we assume that your boss is insistent that the work should be carried out by you.) What – if any – real objections do you have?

Since the project website is dealing on gathering individuals information’s who extremely performed violations over the internet in particular with the computer crimes, it maybe become a problem in the future for the developer and the company if anyone would complaint against this form of policing over the internet by gathering information of individuals without knowledge of that individual. In this case this act could be blamed not only to the law enforcement agency but also to the company and the developer. For this situation it is good also to make sure that by doing this project there would be a protection for the company and the developers for any consequences in the future if ever this project will be used. But in terms of the privacy of the users in using the internet this project could be unethical, the project should limit their access to the user’s personal information and should also protect any information they gathered from the users in that case it could prevent violating individuals privacy, however, as we said ,the company always make sure that their clients always satisfies with the output of the project, and always the clients have the right for any modification on the project.

Do you feel this is encroaching upon the liberty of the individual?

Yes, since every individual has their liberty on what they want to do, however if this websites can prevent cyber criminals to make more crimes in the future such as unauthorized use of your personal information and etc., then it is good to support this project so that you are surely secured from any of the computer crimes over the internet.

Are your views influenced by the nature of the content of the website? For example, would your views be any different if the website related directly to terrorism or other forms of political extremism?

Probably yes, as an ethical act, since the content of the project is for the good of every one of us who use the internet which computer crimes are increasing. However as professional programmers, your goal in job is to make your client satisfied to your work, they have the rights on the project they want.

To what extent do you think that the internet is currently being policed – not only in terms of monitoring those who enter particular websites or who enter contentious chat room areas or the like?

Our views about this , is that the internet is not really policed however there are some laws created against the computer crimes in the internet, such as the UK Misuse Act 1990 and US Computer Fraud and Abuse act, which deals with a punishment regarding to the misuse and abuse using computer and internet. In addition internet is wide and in that case it is hard to policed and control all who make computer crimes over the internet.

References:

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/

http://copyright.lib.utexas.edu/copypol2.html