Ethics and Online Issues

Using the computer and online resources

appropriately.

What are ETHICS?

What are your responsibilities?

What are the rules?

During this presentation you will learn

about ethical issues concerning

computer usage.

Don’t get stuck doing something illegal

with computers and/or online resources.

Computer Issues.

Security

Information Privacy

Ethics

Security

Computer Viruses

Executable files that insert

intrusive programs among

other files

Infects file on your

computer

Cause various kinds of

damage to computer data

Security

Unauthorized Access and Use

Breaking into computer systems

without proper access rights

(Hacking)

How would you feel about someone

hacking into your computer?

Movie example – The Net

Laws about vandalism

Attempts to harm or destroy data

or hardware of another user,

agency, or network can be

prosecuted to the full extent of

the law.

Security

Theft

Hardware theft: Laptops stolen from

cars

Software and other theft:

Downloading files from the Internet

without permission (music, graphics,

software)

Piracy: Copying and installing

computer programs (even for personal

use) without permission

Security

Computer Failures

Crashes are an annoying fact of

life when owning computers.

What usually solves computer

errors?

REBOOTING

Save often and backup files

frequently to prevent loss of

information

Store backups offsite

Information Privacy

Information Privacy

Beware of any site

that asks for your

Social Security #.

Beware of any site

that asks for specific

personal information

when you are not on

a secure link.

Information Privacy

Watchdog organizations and new

laws governing business activity

online may help protect you from

certain abuses of Internet

communications, but the best

protection is your own good

sense.” (Preparing for IC3 Certification, DDC)

Information Privacy

Many items of information about you that you might not want generally known are defined as public and can be published without your permission.

Some of these are your full name, your home address, your phone number, debts you owe, court judgments against you, courses you’ve taken, and police actions relating to you.

Generally speaking, people who know where to look can find out a lot about you.” (USU Ethics Module)

Information Privacy

Employers have the right to

monitor your work and use of the

computer at your place of

employment.

Time spent playing computer

games or surfing the Internet

during work hours is costly to a

business and could be cause for

reprimand or dismissal (firing).

Ethics

What are ETHICS?

Standards of right and wrong

Principles that guide your behavior

Don’t get stuck doing something illegal with your computer or online resources.

Ethics

Information Accuracy Not everything that you read on

the Internet is true!!!

Make sure information is accurate

before putting it on the Internet.

No one polices the validity,

accuracy, and reliability of the

information on the Net.

Ethics

Information Accuracy Plagiarism: Using another

person’s ideas and presenting

them as your own.

Be sure to give credit where credit

is due.

Cite borrowed material with textual

citations.

Use material in a way that

preserves the meaning and context

intended by the author.

Ethics

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) Most educational institutions have a

document that governs the use of the

computers and networks owned by

the institution.

This document, commonly called an

Acceptable Use Policy or AUP,

outlines what types of uses are

acceptable and which are

prohibited.” (USU Ethics Module)

Ethics

Internet Security and Privacy

Company’s responsibilities:

To protect information

about business

operations

To protect employee and

customer information

Ethics

Objectionable Materials

Deciding what to censor and for

whom has been a very

controversial subject.

Companies may have legal

liability if an employee performs

certain types of activities online

from a company computer.

Laws about

nuisance or harassment

It doesn’t matter if your intention was to be funny, or friendly, or something else.

If the person you contact through the Internet is uncomfortable,

Or it’s illegal!!!

Copyright Issues Pertaining to

Software

Four Software Copyright Categories:

Public Domain

Freeware

Shareware

Licensed or All Rights Reserved

What is Copyright?

Rights possessed by the author

of a work.

Just because something is on

the Internet does not give

anyone who views it the right to

take ownership of it.

Public Domain

Free software

Can be used

without

restriction

Not copyrighted

or copyright has

expired

Freeware?

Copyrighted software that is

given away free by the

author.

Although it is available for

free, the author retains the

copyright, which means that

you cannot do anything with it

that is not expressly allowed

by the author.

Usually, the author allows

people to use the software,

but not sell it.

Shareware

Copyrighted software

Distributed on the honor

system

Can be examined free of

charge for a trial period and

then you must pay for the

software

Licensed or All Rights Reserved

Software that is

purchased

Must abide by the

restrictions of the

license agreement

“Wonderful stuff!”

Word Excel PowerPoint Access Illustrator

MicroType QuarkXPress Fireworks Dreamweaver Vision

Windows Quick Books ClickArt Freehand Flash

In Design Quattro Pro Paint MP3 Point and Click

PhotoShop Age of Empires

WordPerfect

Anti-Virus Camedia

The software and

accompanying

documentation may

not be transmitted

electronically,

including over the

Internet, rented,

loaned, leased,

sold, distributed,

made available,

directly or

indirectly, for USE

by any other person

or entity not

covered by this

License Agreement.

Excerpts from QuarkXPress software license agreement

Even if you can.

Even if no one will ever find out.

Follow the license agreement or

you will be breaking the law.

References

Barquin, Ramon C. “In Pursuit of a Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics.” Computer Ethics Institute. Brookings University. www.brook.edu/. 1992.

Bower, Kevin W. Ethics and Computing. IEEE Computer Society Press, 1996.

Ethics Presentation. Computer Technology Committee. Davis School District. 2003.

Hilton, Dr. Thomas, et. Al. “Ethics Teaching Module.” Utah State University. http://conlit.usu.edu/ethics modules.html. 23 October 2002.

Simmons, Toni. Ethics Presentation. Utah State Office of Education. www.uen.org/lessonplan. 2003.

Wray, Paul. Preparing for IC3 Certification. DDC Publishing Company. 2003.

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