ITGS Social & Ethical Issues

Reliability
How reliable is it?
reliable giving the same result after
repeated trials / usages
Example:
air traffic control software
Integrity
data does NOT change
Example:
save a file on your computer
open it later
you EXPECT the file to be unchanged
Security
not letting everybody access it
Example:
school locker
Privacy
keeping information private from
others; not letting everybody see it
Example:
medical records
Anonymity
not revealing your identity (who you
are)
Example:
chat rooms

Authenticity
verifying somebody is who they say
they are
Example:
Drivers license
Intellectual property
ownership of ideas, discoveries, works
of art, etc.
Examples:
patents - iPod
trademarks McDonalds
copyright mp3s

Equality of access
everybody having access to IT
Examples:
Internet!
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)
Surveillance
Observing somebody
Examples:
SynchronEyes
GPS-tracking
Globalization
spread of IT resources across the
globe (includes businesses)
Examples:
outsourcing
Cultural diversity
globalization less diversity
Examples:
Internet and spoken languages
Policies
rules and regulations
Examples:
APS Acceptable Use Policy
EVERY business has them
Standards and Protocols
widely agreed upon rules
Examples:
HTML
Drivers licenses
Credit card sizes
People and machines
the interaction between people and
machines
usability and design
Examples:
Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)