Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
him from posting anything else about the other student on social media. After being
disciplined, Aziz complained about the gag order in a private group on Facebook and
made a joke about escaping the other student's “tyrannical ham lock.” A member of the
Facebook group copied Aziz's comments to university administrators, who then gave
Aziz a one-semester suspension that appears on his official college transcript [109]. Was
the response of Montclair State University appropriate?
29.
Discuss similarities and differences between the Web and each of these other ways
that we communicate: the telephone system, physical mail, bookstores, movie theaters,
newspapers, broadcast and cable TV. Should governments ignore the Web, or should
they regulate it somehow? If governments should regulate the Web, should the reg-
ulations be similar to the regulations for one of the aforementioned communication
systems, or should they be unique in significant ways?
30.
The convenience of
Wikipedia
makes it a popular reference for students. After several in-
stances in which students cited incorrect information, however, the history department
at Middlebury College prohibited references to
Wikipedia
articles in papers or exams.
Did the Middlebury history department go too far? What is the proper role, if any, for
Wikipedia
in academic research?
31.
Should bloggers be given the same rights as newspaper, magazine, or television journal-
ists?
32.
Should children be prevented from accessing some Web sites? Who should be responsi-
ble for the actions of children surfing the Web?
33.
You are in charge of the computers at a large inner-city library. Most of the people who
live in the neighborhood do not have a computer at home. They go to the library when
they want to access the Internet. About two-thirds of the people surfing the Web on the
library's computers are adults.
You have been requested to install filtering software that would block Web sites con-
taining various kinds of material deemed inappropriate for children. You have observed
this software in action and know that it also blocks many sites that adults might legiti-
mately want to visit. How should you respond to the request to install filtering software?
34.
Are there any circumstances under which sexting is morally acceptable?
35.
What is the age at which a parent or guardian should provide a child with a cell phone?
Should younger children be provided with cell phones having fewer features?
36.
Discuss the morality of Google's page-ranking algorithm. Does it systematically exclude
Web pages containing opinions held only by a small segment of the population? Should
every opinion on the Web be given equal consideration?
37.
What is the longest amount of time you have ever spent in a single session in front of a
computer? What were you doing?
38.
The income of companies providing persistent online games depends on the number of
subscribers they attract. Since consumers have a choice of many products, each com-
pany is motivated to create the best possible experience for its customers. Role-playing
adventures have no set length. When playing one of these games, it's easy to spend more
time on the computer than originally planned. Some subscribers cause harm to them-
selves and others by spending too much time playing these games. Should the designers
of persistent online games bear some moral responsibility for this problem?
