Dates

1
Dates

• Last day of Mock Interviews 4/19
• Final Approval of Resumes 4/25
• Ethics Assignment 5/2
• Final Exam 5/2

2
Ethics

• EECS 2000 Professional Development
• April 11, 2002

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What is Ethics?

• The science of morals the department of study
  concerned with the principles of human duty.
• The moral principles by which a person is guided.
  
• The rules of conduct recognized in certain
  associations or departments of human life.
• In wider sense The whole field of moral science,
  including besides Ethics properly so called, the
  science of law whether civil, political, or
  international.

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Where do they apply to us?

• In the workplace
• In our lives
• In the design of products and technologies

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Principles

• There are different ethical belief systems. The
  study of all of these is beyond the scope of this
  course but, for example
• Utilitarianism the greatest happiness for the
  greatest number of people.
• Duty-Based Morality - fairness, fidelity,
  justice, non-injury, gratitude. If there appear
  to be conflicts, which is the stronger duty?
• Rights-Based Morality What action best protects
  the human and legal rights involved?

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Technology and Ethics

• The rapid growth of technology has produced
  ethical questions at a prodigious rate.
• Human Cloning
• Telephone taps
• Network eavesdropping
• Product Liability
• Fair Use

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How are solutions arrived at?

• Constrained by
• norms
• market forces
• code/technology
• law

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Libraries and Internet Filtering

• There are laws about freedom of speech
• The norm has been that a family can protect/limit
  what children can see
• The internet provides a major resource for
  information of all types

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Solutions

• Ban all questionable speech
• Filter the librarys computers
• Dont let children use the library
• Use electronic means to restrict access according
  to a parents wishes.

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E-mail and privacy

• Is E-mail the same as regular mail?
• Should the government be able to search e-mail?
• Should an employees firm be able to search
  e-mail?
• What constitutes illegal search and seizure?

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Biological/Genetic Information

• Genetic basis for susceptibility to diseases
• Should an insurer have access to this
  information?
• Should genetic abnormalities restrict parenting?

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Personal Information

• What about correlating personal information to
  develop a snapshot of the person and their
  movements.
• Application Detecting and tracking terrorists
• Application Detecting and tracking illegal
  software usage
• Application Detecting tax cheaters.

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Tracking -- Continued

• Again, Question of illegal search and seizure
• What is reasonable use of the technology?
• What rights should a person have?

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Free Speech

• The US Constitution guarantees free speech what
  does that cover?
• Recent Questions
• Children and the internet
• Hate Speech
• Anonymous Speech
• Student Speech
• Pornography

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Children and the Internet

• Who should have the duty of limiting access to
  the internet by children?
• CDA Communications Decency Act (overturned)
• Parents
• Information Providers
• Internet Filter Programs/Agencies

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Ethics Assignment

• Read Chapters 1-3 of the Cyber Ethics book
• Find 3 organizations that focus on free speech
  and the internet. Describe what they are and
  what they are involved in.
• DUE May 2, 2002

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Dates

• Last day of Mock Interviews 4/19
• Final Approval of Resumes 4/25
• Ethics Assignment 5/2
• Final Exam 5/2