Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
30.
Do you agree with the author that it is more difficult to know whom to trust in modern
society than it was in a small village of a few centuries ago? Why or why not?
31.
Critics of grocery club cards give examples of card-member prices being equal to the
regular product price at stores without customer loyalty programs. In other words,
customers who want to get food at the regular price must use the card. Customers pay
extra if they don't want to use the card. Is it fair for a store to charge us more if we don't
want to use its loyalty card? Explain your reasoning.
32.
Some consumers give phony personal information when they apply for rewards or
loyalty cards at stores. Others take it a step further by regularly exchanging their cards
with those held by other people. Are these people doing anything wrong? Why or why
not?
33.
If you voluntarily have your body scanned at a department store, who should own
that information, you or the store? Should the store have the right to sell your body
measurements to other businesses? Explain your reasoning.
34.
TiVo keeps detailed information about the television viewing habits of customers who
subscribe to its service.
a. Should your television viewing habits be private information?
b. Do you care if anyone else knows what television shows or pay-per-view movies you
have watched in the past year?
c. Do voters have the right to know the viewing habits of people running for elected
office?
35.
You are sitting on a jury. A driver of a car has been charged with manslaughter for killing
a pedestrian. The prosecution presents evidence collected from the automobile's “black
box” that indicates the car was traveling at 45 miles per hour before the accident. The
defense presents four eyewitnesses to the accident, all of whom testify that the car could
not have been going faster than 30 miles per hour. Are you more inclined to believe the
eyewitnesses or the data collected from the “black box”?
36.
Enhanced 911 service allows cell phone companies to track the locations of active cell
phone users within 100 meters.
a. Who should have access to location information collected by cell phone companies?
b. How long should this information be kept?
c. If this information could be used to help you establish an alibi, would you want the
cell phone company to be able to release it to the police?
d. How would you feel about the cell phone company releasing compromising infor-
mation about your whereabouts to the police?
e. Should the police be able to get from the cell phone company the names of all
subscribers using their phones close to a crime scene around the time of the crime?
37.
Should parents implant microchips in their children to make them easier to identify in
case they are lost or kidnapped? Why or why not?
38.
Before offering a job candidate a position, some potential employers do a criminal
background check of the candidate. What are the pros and cons of this policy?
39.
You are setting up an account at a local store that rents outdoor equipment (tents,
backpacks, ski gear, etc.). The clerk asks you to fill out the application form completely.
One of the fields asks for your Social Security number. You leave that field blank. The
