Presentation for the Course Technology Conference 2009 ..

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Ten Ethics Questions to Get Your Students Talking
Deborah Morley, AuthorUnderstanding Computers
texts
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Should virtual profits made in Second Life or
another virtual world be reported as taxable
income?
1.

• gt Huge amounts of money (more than 1 billion
  U.S. per year) are exchanged in virtual worlds
  like Second Life and virtual assets are sold for
  real U.S. dollars on eBay.
• A 2001 study estimated that time in one virtual
  world generated about 3.42 per hour.
• In 2006, over 3,000 Second Life residents
  generated more than 20,000 in U.S. dollars each
  in virtual income.
• In 2008, the American Cancer Society raised more
  than 200,000 in U.S. dollars via a virtual
  Relay for Life over 2,000 avatars
  participated. 

Background
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• gt Goods and services in Second Life are valued in
  Linden dollars, which have a real world value
  since there is a Linden dollar/U.S. dollar
  exchange rate.
• gt The first virtual world millionaire (Ailin
  Graef, creator of Anshe Chung who sells virtual
  real estate in Second Life) was announced in
  2006.
• gt Virtual income taxability was listed as 13 in
  the list of the 20 Most Serious Problems in the
  2008 Annual Report from the National Taxpayer
  Advocate. The report recommended that the IRS
  clarify the tax implications of virtual income.
•  
•  

Background (continued)
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Issues
gt Currently in the U.S., virtual income is
taxable after it is converted into a real-life
currency, just like any other income.   gt But
what about taxing virtual profits that never
leave the virtual world? Should they be reported
to the IRS?   gt Goods or services obtained
through barter or as prizes are taxable under
current law. Is this different that obtaining
goods or services via Linden dollars?   gt China
(20, began in Nov. 2008) and Australia (2006)
have implemented taxes on virtual income, and
South Korea implemented a value added tax in 2007
on virtual income over a certain amount
(6,500).  
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Should virtual profits made in Second Life or
another virtual world be reported as taxable
income?
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Is it ethical to post a rumor about another
student on a campus gossip site?
2.
Background
gt The use of campus gossip sites?where students
can post campus related news, rumors, and basic
gossip?is growing. gt Campus gossip sites were
originally set up to promote free speech and to
allow participants to publish comments
anonymously without repercussions from school
administrators, professors, and other officials.
gt Some comments are meant to be harmless
others?particularly comments about fellow
students?can be vicious and hurtful, and are
often lies. gt School administrators state that
they cannot regulate the content since the sites
are not sponsored or run by the college, though
they hope students avoid them.
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Background (continued)

• gt Federal law prohibits Web hosts from being
  liable for the content posted by its users.
• gt A California court recently ruled that
  anonymous posts on the Internet are protected
  under the First Amendment, even if they are
  unquestionably offensive and demeaning.
• Was based on verbal attacks against company
  executives on a Yahoo! message board.
• gt It is difficult to get a court order for the IP
  addresses corresponding to online posts?even ones
  calling for individuals to be physically
  assaulted.
• Two female Yale law students couldnt get a
  court order for the IP addresses corresponding to
  online posts calling them to be raped and beaten.
• gt JuicyCampus.com went offline in February 2009
  (redirects to CollegeABC.com (College Anonymous
  Confession Board)).

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Issues

• gt Is there ever a point where content on a gossip
  site should be censored?
• gt Should Web hosts have a legal or ethical
  responsibility for the content posted on their
  site?
• gt What if a posting leads to a criminal act (such
  as a rape, murder, or suicide)? Should the Web
  host be held responsible?
• gt What about prospective employers or mates
  reading false charges and rumors on these sites?
• gt How would you feel if you read a posting about
  yourself on a gossip site?

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Is it ethical to post a rumor about another
student on a campus gossip site?
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Is it ethical for a business to require employees
to be chipped for security purposes?
3.
Background
gt Implantable RFID tags like the VeriChip can be
used to uniquely identify individuals. The tags
are read by a proprietary scanner and can link
individuals to health records and payment
accounts (Baja Beach Club in Barcelona) they can
also be used to grant access to secure
facilities.   gt The chips currently contain only
an identifying number that is tied to a secure
database, so hackers scanning individuals to
obtain their numbers is not yet a security issue
and the chips do not contain technology like GPS
that can be used to track the physical location
of the individual.
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gt Once a VeriChip is implanted into a person, it
is difficult to remove and the number cant be
reprogrammed. gt The VeriChip is approved by the
FDA for use on humans but has only been used
since 2004 so all health and privacy implications
may not yet be known. gt Non-implanted RFID use is
becoming more common, such as on employee and
student ID cards. gt In 2006, a Cincinnati company
requested any employee who works in its secure
data center to be implanted with a microchip. Two
employees volunteered and were chipped. gt In
2008, California made it illegal for any
California employer to require an implanted RFID
chip as a condition for employment or other
benefits.  
Background (continued)
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Issues
gt If implanted RFID chips prove to be the best
way to protect access to a highly secure
facility, is it fair to not allow a business to
utilize this technology? gt If businesses begin
chipping employees on a voluntary basis only,
would there be eventual pressure on individuals
choosing not to participate? gt As non-implanted
RFID use with individuals (ID cards, RFID
wristbands used by FedEx, etc.) becomes more
common, will implanted RFID chips seem to be the
next logical step? gt What happens if the number
becomes compromised? gt Would you consider getting
chipped if it meant you could get a better job?
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Is it ethical for a business to require employees
to be chipped for security purposes?
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To what extent is it ethical for the government
to require the use of technology that potentially
infringes on an individuals privacy in order to
implement taxes?
4.
Background

• gt The U.S. Congress is considering a mileage tax
  (VMT vehicles miles traveled) to supplement or
  replace the federal gas tax now used to pay for
  the upkeep and repair of highways and bridges.
• gt One proposal requires a GPS device in each car
  to record the mileage driven by each car it
  could also keep track of the time and location in
  order to tax more on crowded roads during rush
  hour, for instance.
•  

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Issues

• gt Privacy advocates are concerned about the
  privacy implications of the government being able
  to track where you drive.
• gt Who would pay for the devices? Can they be
  disabled or hacked? Can they be used for law
  enforcement purposes? Will their use be extended
  in the future? (ex. Terrorist attack, slippery
  slope?)
• gt If they install them in just new cars, is that
  fair to consumers?
• gt Senator Barbara Boxer advocates an honor
  system in lieu of the GPS devices? Is that fair
  to honest citizens who would report their
  mileage?

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To what extent is it ethical for the government
to require the use of technology that potentially
infringes on an individuals privacy in order to
implement taxes?
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Should you get permission from a friend before
uploading photos or videos containing that
individual to your Facebook page, YouTube, or
another site?
5.
Background
gt A majority of young people today use social
networks?Facebook alone has more than 120 million
active users. gt Many individuals upload photos
and videos that include friends and other
individuals. Often these are taken at parties and
other situations where the individuals may not be
portrayed at their best. Individuals can be
identified by surrounding text, Facebook tags,
etc.
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Background (continued)
gt Some colleges are monitoring social networks
for inappropriate behavior, such as underage
drinking and drug use, and actions can lead to
suspension or expulsion. gt Some students and
parents of students competing to get into the
most elite colleges are resorting to Facebook
sabotage?sending anonymous letters to college
admission offices suggesting that admission
officers check out the photos on a rival
student's Facebook page, MySpace profile, or
blog. gt Online photos can also interfere with
getting a job and keeping a job. For instance, a
recent CareerBuilder study revealed that one in
five employers check Facebook profiles when
researching a job candidate and several
individuals have been fired for photos posted on
social networks.
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Background (continued)

• gt Examples of individuals losing their jobs due
  to inappropriate or unprofessional online
  content
• 2007 After administrators viewed the MySpace
  profile photo of a Pennsylvania student teacher
  that was labeled Drunken pirate and showed the
  woman wearing a pirate hat and holding a plastic
  cup a few days before her graduation, she was
  denied her teaching credential.
• 2007 A Florida substitute teacher was fired for
  including photos of the tattoos on her back on
  her personal blog.
• 2008 A nontenured Connecticut teachers
  contract was not renewed because his MySpace page
  contained content deemed inappropriate by the
  school and he used it to have what the school
  considered overly familiar contact with students.
• 2009 A U.K. teenager was fired from her job
  after commenting on her Facebook page that her
  job was boring.

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gt Mobile phone cameras increase the odds of being
captured in a photo at a public or social
event. gt Posting a compromising photo or video of
yourself or a friend can impact your college and
professional life. gt Once a photo or video is
posted online, you lose control of it. Though you
can control access to your Facebook page, you
cant prevent posted content from being
distributed elsewhere and you cant control
photos containing your image that are posted by
others. gt A related issue sexting (18-year-old
Ohio girls suicide 20 of teens have sent nude
photos of themselves to others). 
Issues
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Should you get permission from a friend before
uploading photos or videos containing that
individual to your Facebook page, YouTube, or
another site?
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6.
Is it ethical for bloggers to be paid to blog
about a company or product?
gt Traditionally, blogs are online personal
journals where the blogger expresses his or her
opinion on desired topics. Bloggers post because
they want to, not because they have been hired to
do so?unlike professional journalists, for
instance. gt Some bloggers today are accepting
compensation to write sponsored posts?in other
words, being paid to post a favorable review of a
product or service on their blog (in Dec 2008,
Kmart gave 500 gift cards to six well-known
bloggers). gt A 2009 report by Forrester Research
suggested that marketers should take advantage of
sponsored conversations. 
Background
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gt Advertising services that connect paid bloggers
with companies have arrived and thousands of
bloggers are signing on to be paid bloggers
(PayPerPost alone has over 50,000 bloggers as
members).
Background (continued)
gt Some paid bloggers disclose the fact that they
are being paid for particular comments
(PayPerPost requires it), though others may not.
gt The FTC states that
any paid word-of-mouth marketing (which includes
paid blog posts) must be disclosed. gt Sponsored
posts can impact search rankings if those Web
pages are counted by search spiders (Google
requires no follow tags).  
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Issues
gt If a blogger is paid to post his or her honest
opinion about a product or service, does that
lessen the credibility of that post?   gt How does
the reader of a sponsored post know if the post
accurately reflects the bloggers opinion or if
the blogger was instructed what to post?   gt How
does the possibility of sponsored posts affect
the blogosphere as a whole?   gt If you based a
purchase on a review posted in a blog that you
later found out was sponsored, would you feel
misled?  
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Is it ethical for bloggers to be paid to blog
about a company or product?
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7.
If an individual finds a lost device like a USB
flash drive, is it ethical to look at the
contents in order to try to determine its owner?
gt Millions of USB flash drives are in use today
worldwide and thousands are lost each day,
according to one estimate. gt While some USB
flash drives today use encryption to protect the
contents of the drive, most are left unprotected
and the data can be viewed by anyone finding a
lost drive. gt Some devices contain identifying
information (name, phone number, or e-mail
address, for instance) printed on the device that
can be used to return it to the owner. But many
do not.  
Background
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Issues

• gt When a lost USB flash drive or other device is
  found that does not contain identifying data on
  the outside of the device, what should the
  individual finding the device do?
• Leave the device where it is?
• Give the device to a responsible party, like an
  airline attendant or restaurant manager?
• Look at the data on the device in order to
  determine its owner?
• gt Which actions are ethical and which are not?
• gt If the device is turned over to a responsible
  party (such as an airline attendant or a
  restaurant manager), which actions are ethical
  for that party to perform?
• gt If you lost a device, would you want someone to
  look at its contents in order to determine your
  contact information?

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If an individual finds a lost device like a USB
flash drive, is it ethical to look at the
contents in order to try to determine its owner?
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This question was featured in an Ask the Expert
box in the 2009 Update Edition of Understanding
Computers.
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Is it ethical for ISPs to block selected traffic
going to or from their customers or to set limits
on bandwidth?
8.
Background
gt Internet traffic has increased tremendously
recently as individuals are watching TV and
videos online, downloading music and movies,
using online backup services, playing online
multiplayer games, and otherwise performing
high-bandwidth activities.   gt It has recently
been discovered that some ISPs (like cable giant
Comcast) have been blocking selected traffic to
and from their customers, such as blocking the
use of P2P sites like BitTorrent to download
movies, music, and other large files. Others are
slowing down traffic to and from heavy users
during peak Internet usage periods.
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•  gt Most ISPs state in their service agreement
  that they can use tools to efficiently manage
  its networks, in order to prevent some customers
  from using a higher than normal level of
  bandwidth. However, the Comcast issue was
  considered by many to be a blatant net neutrality
  issueblocking access to multimedia from sources
  other than its own cable sources.
• gt It is also becoming more common for ISPs to
  include an overall bandwidth limit for customers.
  After reaching their limit, they either lose
  Internet access for a specified period of time or
  are charged an additional fee.
• gt Bandwidth limits vary from relatively generous
  (100 or 250 GB of downloads per month) to 200
  MB/day (no multimedia at all).
• March 2009 lawsuit 5,077 bill from ATT for a
  new 100 Netbook - she unknowingly had a 5
  GB/month cap (charge is 500/GB for over cap).

Background (continued)
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Issues
gt Can an ISP ethically block selected Internet
traffic, such as a particular type of activity or
Web site? Why or why not?   gt If an ISP chooses
to block Internet traffic or impose a bandwidth
limit, how upfront should they be to convey that
information to their current and prospective
customers?   gt As the amount of Internet usage
consumed by the average individual continues to
grow, whose responsibility is it to ensure that
Internet service can meet this rising demand?
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Is it ethical for ISPs to block selected traffic
going to or from their customers or to set limits
on bandwidth?
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Is it ever ethical to Wi-Fi piggyback? If so,
under what conditions?
9.
gt Wi-Fi piggybacking refers to using an
unsecured Wi-Fi network
Background

• to access the Internet without authorization.
• gt Wi-Fi piggybacking includes only accessing
  unsecured networks without any harmful intent to
  the network.
• gt The legality varies - it is illegal in the U.K.
  and in some states in the U.S. Individuals have
  been arrested and prosecuted for Wi-Fi
  piggybacking.
• 2007 Michigan man arrested for using a cafés
  free Internet service regularly from his car.
• 2008 16-year-old U.K. boy arrested for using
  his neighbors Wi-Fi by accident.

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Issues

• gt Does the appropriateness of Wi-Fi piggybacking
  change based on the type of network being used
  (business or home, for instance)?
•  
• gt Does the type/amount of use make a difference,
  such as checking e-mail or viewing a map while
  traveling vs. using your neighbors Internet
  connection on a daily basis?
•  
• gt Does the individual or business leaving the
  Wi-Fi network unsecured mean that they are
  inviting outside use? (Unlocked front door)
• gt How would you feel if someone piggybacked on
  your Wi-Fi network?

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Is it ever ethical to Wi-Fi piggyback? If so,
under what conditions?
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Can newspapers or photographers ever ethically
digitally edit a news photo?
10.
Background

• gt Digital cameras and the computers and software
  available today make digital manipulation of
  photos a very easy task done by many individuals.
  
• gt Editing your own personal photos to remove red
  eye, create artistic collages, or remove an
  offending background object is one
  thing?digitally editing images that are supposed
  to represent the truth (like news photographs) is
  often considered another.

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gt There are many examples of airbrushed or
composite photos being published in the news
media. Some combine a persons head with another
persons body, some are edited to remove or add
an individual or object, some are edited to make
a person less or more attractive.   gt The
National Press Photographers Association Code of
Ethics states Editing should maintain the
integrity of the photographic images' content and
context. gt Some photographers believe that any
editing of a news photograph is dishonest.
Background (continued)
10
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gt 1994 - O.J. Simpson TIME and Newsweek covers. gt
2000 - University of Wisconsin digitally inserted
a black student into a crowd of white football
fans in a brochure to illustrate the schools
diversity. gt 2000 - Daily News printed a cover of
Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro about to shake
hands, which apparently happened but was not
photographed. gt 2003 - L.A. Times news
photographer was fired after a photo they printed
of soldiers in Iraq was discovered to be a
composite the same situation but the composite
was more compelling. gt 2007 Ohio newspaper
reporter resigned after admitting he altered a
photo. It was discovered that at least 79 photos
submitted that year were digitally altered (one
example he added a basketball to a game shot).
Background (Examples)
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Issues
gt If a news photograph is edited, is it still a
news photograph? Does it depend on the type and
extent of the editing?   gt How does the lack of
photo negatives or other evidence of the original
photograph affect news photographers today?   gt
Does using a photograph not related to a news
story (such as a stock photo or a photo taken in
another context) in conjunction with a news story
constitute digital manipulation?   gt Would you
feel misled if you found out a news photograph
you viewed was digitally manipulated?
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Can newspapers or photographers ever ethically
digitally edit a news photo?
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Want a concepts textbook that

• Is current and accurate?
• Explains concepts clearly and
  understandably?
• Includes societal coverage?
• Has lots of industry input?
• Includes topics relevant to students
  lives?
• Includes lots of online extras, such as FREE
  online videos, podcasts, practice tests, study
  guides, Web links, and more?

Well, weve got a book for you!
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Understanding Computers Now in THREE versions

• UC Comprehensive (2009 Update) 16 chapters
  includes complete coverage of hardware and
  software, plus systems, e-commerce, security,
  privacy, ethics, and more.

• UC Introductory Ch 1-9 only includes complete
  coverage of hardware and software and one
  security chapter.

• UC in a Changing Society 8 chapters including
  condensed HW and SW coverage, plus SIX chapters
  devoted to societal issues.

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Questions? Suggestions? deborah.morley_at_cengage.com
Im working on the 13th edition now (will be
available in early 2010) and love suggestions and
feedback!
THANK YOU!