Last Class

1
Last Class
2
Dec. 14

• The Final Exam our final exam WAS scheduled for
  Friday, Dec 14. Instead, we will have a take-home
  final which you will submit in hard-copy on
  Friday, Dec 14 at 1145 in Knox 104. The final
  will be posted shortly.
• In addition, you must fill out and bring your
  peer evaluations.

3
ABET

• c) an ability to design and construct a hardware
  and software system, component, or process to
  meet desired needs, within realistic constraints
  such as economic, environmental, social,
  political, ethical, health safety,
  manufacturability, and sustainability.
• d) an ability to function on multidisciplinary
  teams.
• f) an understanding of professional, legal, and
  ethical issues and responsibilities as it
  pertains to computer engineering.
• g) an ability to effectively communicate
  technical information in speech, presentation,
  and in writing.
• h) the broad education necessary to understand
  the impact of computing in a global, economic,
  environmental, and societal context.
• j) a knowledge of contemporary issues.

4
The Final

• Remember this question? Suppose that you are a
  software manager of an e-commercial project. Your
  project was making good progress, but your
  prototype appears to demonstrate that the current
  design will not achieve its stated constraints -
  for example, the performance (speed / memory)
  constraint, or the reliability constraint. One
  member proposes a quick fix to this problem that
  will increase the coupling between modules in
  your system. The other member proposes an
  alternative solution by complete redesign of the
  data structures. This will lead to delay the
  project by two months. How would you respond to
  this situation? Justify your answer.

5
Grading

• Grading This question involves making the
  decision between short term cost savings with
  on-time delivery, vs. long-term maintenance
  costs. There are professional, team-motivational,
  and economic components of each side. 5 pts. are
  given for explaining coupling, 5 pts. for
  weighing the short term effects, 5 pts. for
  weighing the long term effects, 5 points for
  mentioning that the decision will have
  motivational or sociological effects on the team,
  and 5 points for demonstrating a substantial
  level of understanding by reflecting on or
  applying some aspect of a real software project
  (either own, or one from current events).

6
Professional Ethics and Responsibilities
7
Ethics

• Computer Ethics
• Special Responsibilities Facing Computer
  Professionals and Users
• Maintaining relationships with and
  responsibilities toward customers, clients
  (users), coworkers, employees, and employers.
• Making critical decisions that have significant
  consequences for many people.
• Determining how to manage, select, or use
  computers in a professional setting.

8
Ethics

• Do the Right Thing - Behaving Ethically
  Includes
• Being honest / not lying.
• Keeping promises.
• Doing your job well.
• Not stealing providing reasonable value for
  your time and product.
• Not cutting corners.
• Presenting yourself as who you really are.

Q What other behaviors are usually considered
doing the right thing?
9
Philosophy/Ethical Views

• Deontological - Confuciust
• Emphasizes duty and absolute rules, NOT emotion.
• Rules should apply to everyone classless.
• Use logic or reason to determine what is good.
• Treat people as an ends (not a means).
• Consequentialist - Buddhist
• Strive to increase utility (that which
  satisfies a persons needs and values) for the
  most people (the greater good).
• Consider the consequences for all affected
  people.
• Rule-Utilitarianism Choose rules, or guidelines
  for behavior, that generally increase utility.
• Act-Utilitarianism Analyze each action to
  determine if it increases utility.
• Natural Rights - Taoist
• Derived from the nature of humanity
• Focus is on the process by which people interact.
• Respect the fundamental rights of others,
  including life, liberty, and property.

10
Ethics

• Right, Wrong, and Okay acts may be ethically
  obligatory, ethically prohibited, or ethically
  acceptable.
• Negative rights (liberties) the right to act
  without coercive interference.
• Positive rights (claim-rights) imposing an
  obligation on some people to provide certain
  things.
• Causing harm some acts may cause harm to others
  but are not necessarily unethical.
• Goals vs. actions the actions we take to achieve
  our goals should be consistent with our ethics
  lie and cheat for the common good? Um, no.
• Personal preference vs. ethics some issues we
  disapprove of because of our dislikes, rather
  than on ethical grounds.
• Law vs. ethics some acts are ethical, but
  illegal other acts are legal, but unethical.

11
Legal Concerns

• Couldnt be easier
• Dont break explicit or implicit laws

12
Hacking

• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA, 1986) - It is
  a crime to access, alter, damage, or destroy
  information on a computer without authorization.
• Computers protected under this law include
• government computers,
• financial systems,
• medical systems,
• interstate commerce, and
• any computer on the Internet.

13
Hacking

• The Law (contd)
• USA Patriot Act (USAPA, 2001)
• Amends the CFAA.
• Allows for recovery of losses due to responding
  to a hacker attack, assessing damages, and
  restoring systems.
• Higher penalties can be levied against anyone
  hacking into computers belonging to criminal
  justice system or the military.
• The government can monitor online activity
  without a court order.

14
Hacking

• Questions About Penalties
• Intent
• Should hackers who did not intend to do damage or
  harm be punished differently than those with
  criminal intentions?
• Age
• Should underage hackers receive a different
  penalty than adult hackers?
• Damage Done
• Should the penalty correspond to the actual
  damage done or the potential for damage?

15
Online Scams

• Auctions
• Selling and buying goods online has become
  popular.
• Problems
• sellers dont send the goods,
• sellers send inferior goods,
• price is driven up by shill bidding, and
• illegal goods sold.
• Solutions
• Is there a technical solution?
• Is there a non-technical solution?

16
Fraud, Embezzlement, Sabotage, Identity Theft,
and Forgery

• Credit-Card
• Stolen receipts, mailed notices, and cards.
• Interception of online transaction or weak
  e-commerce security.
• Careless handling by card-owner.
• ATM
• Stolen account numbers and PINs.
• Insider knowledge.
• A counterfeit ATM.
• Telecommunications
• Stolen long-distance PINs.
• Cloned phones.

17
Sexual Crime

• Legal pornography drives many new technologies
  cable TV, VCRs, iPod video
• Internet Allows Distribution of Illegal
  Materials how could you ever stop Internet
  based distribution?
• Anonymity / Solicitation is it really?
• Data, email, surfing history is never destroyed

18
Professionalism

• There are professionals, and there are hobbyists.
• What distinguishes the two?
• Which is more expensive (long view vs. short
  view)
• Do we offer guarantees?

19
What distinguishes the two

• A sense of community
• A sense of expertise
• A sense of professionalism
• Knowledge. Studied knowledge.