Computers Tools for an Information Age Chapter 9 Social and Ethical Issues in Computing Doing the Right Thing Objectives Identify the social issues and ethics in computing Understand the digital divide social issue and its effect in society List and describe the workplace issues Describe the international and national legal issues Objectives List different methods that are already available for protecting children on the Internet Explain the significance of the ethics in computing Explain the significance of intellectual property rights The Digital Divide Separates the computing haves from the have nots Several initiatives exist to narrow the divide Haves vs Have Nots Those with access to computers and the Internet take advantage of personal and economic opportunities Those without access fall farther behind Major divisions within countries Between urban areas and rural ones Between rich and poor Major divisions among nations Between industrialized and non industrialized nations Narrowing the Divide Within the U S Universal Service Fund helps service providers to provide telecommunications services to rural areas E Rate program provides rate subsidies for Internet access for schools and libraries Worldwide Africa ONE is creating a fiber optic network to connect the nations of Africa Workplace Issues Healthy computing Employee monitoring Environmental concerns Healthy Computing A number of health questions have been raised Harmful emissions from monitor Eyestrain from monitor Back pain from position of chair and desk Repetitive strain injury Repetitive Strain Injury May affect workers who hold their hands over a keyboard for a long period of time Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common form of RSI Causes Speed Repetition Awkward positioning Holding a static position for a long time Ergonomics Refers to human factors related to the use of computers Ergonomic equipment Ergonomic behavior Ergonomic Equipment Chair should be pneumatically adjustable Keyboard platform should be set to proper height Monitor must be adjustable Lighting should be adjusted to minimize glare on the screen Ergonomic Behavior Ergonomic equipment must be used properly Turn the screen away from the window to reduce glare Cover your screen with a glare protector Place keyboard to avoid arm and wrist fatigue Use a raised rest for your wrist Position your seat back so back is supported Sit with your feet firmly on the floor Enlarge fonts so they are easier to see Take frequent breaks Employee Monitoring Various tools allow an employer to monitor an employee s performance Keystroke monitors measure keystrokes per second Other software tools monitor how long an employee is away from the computer Monitor the files stored on the hard drive Monitor the sites visited on the Internet Many companies have policies that notify employees about monitoring practices Environmental Concerns Power consumption Computer supplies PC disposal Reducing Power Consumption Energy Star standards Limit the power the system consumes when idle Energy management features Specify the amount of time the system will wait before turning off system components Computer Supplies Use these strategies to reduce the amount of paper and toner cartridges used Don t print out everything Use e mail instead of faxing or sending a memo Use the back side of already used paper for draft copies Save heavyweight bond paper for critical items and use recycled paper for routine printing Make sure used paper is recycled rather than thrown in the trash Refill and reuse empty ink jet and toner cartridges PC Disposal Find ways to prolong the PC s life Upgrade key components Give the PC to someone in the organization with more limited computing needs When you buy a new PC reuse the keyboard mouse and monitor Donate usable equipment to charities and or schools Jurisdictional Issues International issues Applying national laws to a world wide medium is a difficult process It would be impossible to determine if the content of every Web site was legal according to the laws of every country Issues exist over which country s court has jurisdiction National issues Issues exist over which locality s court has jurisdiction Imposition of sales taxes on Internet transactions Protecting Children on the Internet The Internet offers many opportunities for children There are also unsavory elements on the Internet Ways to protect children Blocking software Child monitoring Laws to protect children Blocking Software Used to prevent children from accessing sites on its updatable list of objectionable sites Blocks pornographic sites and sites with foul language Blocks sites requesting names phone numbers and credit card numbers Sometimes criticized for being overzealous Child Monitoring Place the child s computer in a public area instead of his or her bedroom Restrict usage when parents are not present Laws to Protect Children Children s Online Privacy Protection Act Children s Internet Protection Act Requires Web sites that target children under 13 to post a privacy policy and obtain parental consent before collecting data Requires libraries receiving federal funding to implement blocking technology Neighborhood Children s Internet Protection Act Requires libraries receiving the E Rate discount to establish an Internet safety policy Ethics in Computing Ethics standards of moral conduct Used to help determine the proper course of action in difficult situations Computing Issues Computer ethics Professional ethics Programmer responsibility Ethical use of computers Computer Ethics Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics Apply general ethical principles to computing Developed by the Computer Ethics Institute Professional Ethics Relates to ethics of those whose work focuses on computer systems Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct developed by the Association for Computing Machinery Divided into sections General principles Professional responsibilities Guidelines for organizational systems Programmer Responsibility Bug free software does not exist Testing can only show the presence of bugs not their absence Issues related to software quality How much testing is enough How many minor bugs are acceptable in software about to be released Ethical Use of Computers Data quality Protecting customers personal data Digitally altering data Data Quality Users are responsible for the quality of data entered into the system Procedures must be in place to detect and correct inaccurate information