Computer Ethics:  Using and Misusing Technology in Society

    Over the years, technology has improved our lives in many, many ways. But along the way, new problems have occurred, and unscrupulous people have used computers to annoy others (junk mail, "spam"), deceive others (edit photos, misrepresent themselves in e-mails, on websites, tricking people: "You're A Winner!"), wreak havoc (send out viruses), steal from others ("phishing" for people's banking/credit card info, using spyware to track where you go on the internet, downloading music/movies illegally, embezzling money from businesses and banks' computer files), and exploit others in chat rooms & websites (luring children/teens for sex/pornography purposes is a big problem), and many other things.

    People get confused by misinformation, lose productive time dealing with unwanted e-mail, lose money to scams, unfairly share music/movies and perhaps get in trouble with the law, and maybe even get exploited by nasty people in chat rooms trying to lure unsuspecting people. Some things people do to avoid these problems is install internet and e-mail filters, "spam ware", anti-virus programs to keep out bad stuff, and set up a firewall to keep other internet users from accessing your computer. And especially, people need to become educated about these issues to avoid the problems (that's why were doing this unit!)

    Part 1: Create a PowerPoint slideshow with 6 screens.

                                                slide 1: intro screen  ("Using and Misusing Technology", your name)

                                                            slide 2: Summary of issues:  We know of the many benefits of e-mail and instant messaging, and online searching.  What are some of the potential problems that could occur for us? What are some ways to avoid these problems? Type a paragraph summarizing our discussion of ways people misuse technology, and some possible ways to prevent or solve the problems.

Use information from our discussion, the paragraphs and links above, and your own prior knowledge. Use your own words (do not copy/paste!). The more detail, the better!                                         

    A major technology controversy in recent years, beginning with Napster in the 1990's, are the free music-sharing websites (just a few: Kazaa, WinMX, Grokster, Blubster, Morpheus, Gnutella, Limewire). Through these sites, people download and listen to music from their favorite artists without having to pay for the CD. In addition, many people use their computer's CD or DVD burner to make copies of their friends' downloaded or store-purchased music and movies. This is referred to as file swapping/sharing, or peer-to-peer (P2P) networking, and many consider free music sharing  an illegal form of "Piracy"!

    Here, we will learn about who's affected, and develop opinions about copyright law, plagiarism, and file sharing on the internet. As you study about this issue, keep in mind the important concept of FAIR USE. First, read the information and links on pages 2 and 3 below, and add to the PowerPoint presentation you already created, including:

    For some aspects of the controversy, there is no specific correct answer. Other situations are clearly OK or wrong. For this project, the detailed, well-written arguments and opinions are what's most important for your grade. Your thoughtful arguments and opinions should be in clear, complete sentences, and as always with good spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Flashy colors, animations, sounds, photos, etc. may make your presentation look nicer, but they are NOT what's being graded in this project! Good luck, and let's investigate this issue.....