Threaded Discussions

Discussion #1A: Should there be external intervention to curb

technology addiction?
As a game designer, are you ethically responsible to consider the potential for
addiction in the game you create? Should a designer build time limits of play into
their games in order to force people to stop playing for a set amount of time?
Response: If I were a game designer, I would not feel ethically responsible for
the possible addiction for gamers. As Alexander said earlier, if the game is
receiving a lot of attention and popularity then that means that as a game
designer, I succeeded in making a great game. I also agree with Ella on how a
governing body should not dictate how much time a gamer plays a video game. If
gamers have an established amount of time for their video games then they will
not be able to find out when they have truly had enough playtime.
As I recall, when I was younger I used to play games for hours without stopping.
However, as I grew older I found myself wanting to stop at certain points. After a
sufficient amount of time had passed, I realized that I did not want to spend most
of the day playing games. And like Alexander said, the thrill of a game is gone
after playing it for a long time. Rather than someone else making the decision,
gamers need to decide for themselves when they feel that they have had enough
game time. While Panos goes into detail on how certain gamers have not shown
signs of stopping of their own accord, we must remember that our brains change
at different times. If someone were to suggest that a gamer should stop playing
for long hours, then they should do so by offering other activities as a distraction.
Upon realizing that there are more things to do besides playing games, gamers
will start to spend less time playing games.

Discussion #2A: Tech firm hoax

After reading the online newspaper article "Hoax Batters Tech Firm"
(http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Hoax-Batters-Tech-Firm-Stock-valuedrops-2742069.php ) discuss who you think is responsible for the consequences
of the hoax. What should the punishment be? What should be done to prevent
this in the future? What ethical connections can be made to this story and recent
events relating to the Enron Corporation?
Response: I agree with Brandon on how the company also has a share of the
blame. While the blame can be easily placed on the original source of the leak,
the company was at fault for failing to handle the situation accordingly. As far as
the terms of punishment should go, I think that the ones in charge of the
company who failed to act appropriately to the situation should be removed from
the company and be replaced by people who will not make the same mistake. If
a major corporation wants to avoid having a problem like this in the future then

there should be a protocol that can counter an endeavor like this.

The Enron corporation thought that it could rectify their problem by making more
business deals with other companies. As a result they took on more debt and lost
most of their money once the debts were exposed. Ultimately, if a company fails
to handle problems such as debt or a false news leek then the company is
doomed to fail.

Discussion #3A: eMail after death

A few years ago a CSUMB student's parents requested copies of their child's
emails (both sent and received) after the student committed suicide. If you were
the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the university how would you respond to
their request? State the ethical issues involved and your rationale for the
action(s) you would take.
Response: If I was the Chief Information Officer for the university, first I would
review the deceased student's emails with my staff and see if any of them
contain information relevant to the suicide. Unless there are specific indications
of the deceased student's plan to commit suicide then I would allow the parents
to receive the copies of their deceased child's sent emails. However, I would not
allow them to know who received the email, unless I have consent from the
person who received them first. If any of the people who received the deceased
student's emails involved faculty, staff, or fellow students then I would first notify
them and ask for their consent to further questions if they knew about the
student's plan to commit suicide. Privacy is a complex issue that must not be
invaded unless we are left with no other options. I prefer to know all the facts
relative to a problem before acting on a conclusion or in this case, giving into
demands. If the information that is discovered is directly linked to the problem
then I would proceed with cooperating with the parents of the deceased
child. Sometimes what is said in a digital discussion can be misinterpreted by
those who read it and will mistake its meaning. Hence why it is easier to get more
truth out of a statement and take it more seriously if you hear it in person.

Discussion #4A: 12-year olds and the Internet

Under the heading of "what would you do if..." imagine the following scenarios
and provide a response for each. You walk into your 12-year old child's room and
on his/her computer screen you see: a) pornography b) instructions on how to
build a bomb c) a guide to safer sex d) online gambling
Response: While I agree with David that we should not let any children that we
may have feel uncomfortable asking those kinds of questions, I also would not
approve of them visiting those types of websites. I would first ask my twelve-year
old kid why he or she was on those specific websites. If they visited them out of
sheer curiosity then I would not be bothered by it. Although if they searched
those websites because they felt either too afraid or embarrassed to ask me
about them I would reassure them that they can ask me what ever they like

without me being judgmental. Still given their age, I would probably tell them not
to visit the pornography or online gambling. While the other two are more
educational, I would think that it is inappropriate for them to visit those kinds of
websites. I am aware how the modern age has resulted in more young kids
relying heavily on the Internet for answers and entertainment. However, I feel
that it is important to enforce certain restraints on visiting certain websites
depending on the subject they are curious about. Above all, I believe that it is
crucial for kids to be comfortable asking their parents about these kinds of topics.

Discussion #5A: Human/ATM interaction

1) You use an ATM machine outside your local bank and it gives you an extra 20
bucks. The receipt shows it gave you only the amount you requested for
withdrawl. What do you do? 2) A human teller makes a similar mistake as
described above. You don't notice the extra $20 until you're in your car. Again,
what do you do?
Response: I would agree with Richard that the ATM machine is just a machine
and is open to malfunction. Since it is only an extra 20 dollars, I would probably
keep it as a bonus. Then with regards to the Teller, I would most likely inform
them of the extra money and make sure that the withdrawal from the bank is
accurate in terms of how much I took. I would not want to provoke a scenario
where the bank would need to contact me in order to verify how much money I
took on the specific day.

Discussion #6A: It Gets Better

Question 0ne: If you were an administrator at Rutgers, how would you discipline
the students involved in the Clementi incident and would you include the campus
IT professionals in the investigation?
Question Two: How effective do you believe the It Gets Better project can be in
addressing the issue of bullying young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered
youth?
Response: Richard makes a very good point in how the actions of the two
students were idiotic and unacceptable. If I was in charge of disciplining the
students, I would have acted with the authority to expel them. Not only did they
invade Clementi's personal space by setting up a camera in his room but they
also shared it with the public. Such an embarrassment is unacceptable especially
if it drives the victim to consider and carry out suicide.
With regards to the It Gets Better project, I believe that it can be a very helpful
support choice offered by a campus. It can help students who feel different from
others and reassure them that they will receive help in times of crisis and
humiliation. If Clementi had access to a support group like It Gets Better, he
might have not taken his own life. Regardless of a person's background or
differing views, everyone should have access to help in difficult times.

Discussion #7A: That Vision Statement thing

In the Case Studies text *(available on reserve in the Library and from the
instructor), Spinello introduces us to the ethical theories of Immanuel Kant. In
defining a "moral compass" Kant believes we cannot exploit other human beings
and treat them exclusively as a means to our ends or purposes. The moral can
be reduced to the absolute principle of respect for other human beings who
deserve respect because of their rationality and freedom, the hallmark of
personhood for Kant. Some of these same ideas can be found in the CSUMB
vision statement: https://csumb.edu/about/vision-statement
Read the vision statement and then consider the following: Does a public
institution have a right and/or a responsibility to institutionalize its idea of
morality? What are the potential positive and negative outcomes of doing this?
Finally, does IT play a neutral role here? And because things posted online never
go away... you may also want to read this post:
http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=7246
Response: I can agree with Richard on how a public institution should make it
clear to the public about its sense of morality and uphold its idealism. Although
students may not completely follow these ideas to the letter, the incoming
students can feel more sure about whether or not they wish to attend CSUMB.
Knowing where the campus stands in terms of morality, can affect how many
apply for school. I can imagine that there are those who may not completely
agree with the institution's ideals but that would only make them not want to
attend. Nevertheless, being open with one's idealism is encouraged in America
since it is included in the right of Free Speech.

Discussion #8A: Surveillance on campus

In a March 19 article from last year, the Monterey Herald wrote about racist
activities on the CSUMB campus. A brief statement refers to surveillance
cameras. We've had numerous discussions in class about privacy issues and
have often referred to England's use of cameras in public areas. What are the
positive AND negative aspects of having surveillance cameras on our campus?
What are the ethical issues?
Response: There are many aspects to consider when the topic is about
surveillance cameras. From a positive perspective, surveillance cameras would
be useful in maintaining security. It could potentially track suspicious characters
on campus who are neither students nor faculty. Also, given how there have
been rape crimes committed on campus, cameras would be able to identify the
offenders, allowing them to be dealt with. If monitored carefully enough, a tight
surveillance could potentially prevent future rape crimes on campus. Now, from a
negative perspective, students may feel that their privacy is being violated since
they would be constantly watched. They might be okay with cameras in public
areas like the Quads or the Library but not in the dorms and housing. The

students' living quarters is where they want to be left alone and relax.
The ethical issues here include how much of our privacy are we willing to
sacrifice in order to gain an efficient security system and whether or not the staff
and students can be trusted to act appropriately without being watched. Public
surveillance is growing in our society and needs to have restrictions so that it
does not upset the populace.

Discussion #9A: Sexting felons

Listen to this very interesting story on Fresh Air about sexting. Do you think
minors caught sexting should be charged with a felony? If not, should it be a
crime? What should the govt. be doing about this issue? Who else is
responsible?
Response: I do not think that sexting among minors should be considered a
felony. If the images are sent from minors who send pictures intentionally then
they are apparently not bothered by sharing such imagery. However, if the
pictures are used as part of a practical joke, public slander, or cyber bulling then
it should be considered as a felony. If a governing body wishes to take action on
this issue, the state government should be the ones more suited to dealing with it.
Unless the issue rises out of control then the federal government could step in.
Still, I see the action of sexting as more of a teenager activity than a felony.

Discussion #10a: Paper

When the personal computer started to become popular it was often marketed as
a product that would reduce our society's need for paper and that we might even
become a "paperless" society. Recently, in a single year CSUMB used over 10
million sheets of paper in its copiers and printers. Do you think CSUMB should
be doing more to reduce its use of paper? Is paper use an ethical issue for you
personally? How "green" do you think CSUMB is when it comes to other uses of
communication technology? What would you recommend, if anything, CSUMB
should do to be more environmentally responsible in its use of communication
technologies?
Response: I believe that CSUMB has become very green in the recent year.
Recently, research papers have been required to be turned in electronically
rather than hard copy. Though sometimes the teacher may ask for a hardcopy
version. For me personally, I do not let the amount of papers I print or use bother
me even though I support not cutting down more trees in order to produce them.
There have been occasions when I had to use the printers in order to print sheets
of paper I needed outside of the class. CSUMB should keep printers and copiers
available for students to use, but it should try to eliminate the need to turn in hard
copies for classes.

Discussion #11a: Technology as a core CSUMB value

Over the last few years the University administration and faculty have been
studying the University Learning Requirements and how they serve students.
One primary concern is that the ULRs do not align with other CSU campuses,
which creates some problems for transfer students and may discourage new
students from applying to CSUMB. As a result of the investigations, a number of
proposals were presented and after significant feedback and revisions, one final
proposal called the Otter Model is currently being implemented. Like all of the
proposals, the Otter Model eliminates the Technology proficiency ULR, formerly
satisfied by CST 101/Tech Tools and a few other tech-related courses offered by
other departments. Previously, we discussed the Vision Statement. This week,
consider the positive and negative effects, including the ethical implications, of
eliminating technology proficiency from the ULR/General Education requirements.
Response: Since I did not take CST 101, I am not entirely sure what it means to
not have the class. For transfer students, they might feel more at home if a
service provided by the campus is similar to the school they have transferred
from. With regards to this change, a positive impact would be the acceptance of
more transfer students. A negative impact that I could envision would be that
CSUMB having a different style of ULR makes the campus stand out more than
other colleges. Still, eliminating a requirement from G.E. might make things
easier for non-transfer students. They would not be intimidated by such a
requirement and could focus more on their major. Evidently there are sacrifices
that have to be made in order to accommodate students from different
backgrounds.

Discussion #12a: Etzioni and the Boston Marathon bombings

Last week we witnessed yet another act of urban terrorism similar in some ways
to the Boston Marathon bombings. The Boston event illustrated the power of
digital forensics and "crowd sourcing" to solve crimes. For this discussion you
need to take two perspectives. First, consider how Amatai Etzioni would assess
the events in terms of individual privacy vs. communitarian ideals. Second, state
your views and then recommend policies for how the authorities should deal with
individual data acquired and shared on networks that may be useful in solving
crime.
Response: Communitarian idealism is how a society can benefit as a whole
whereas individual privacy pertains to the needs and desires of an individual.
Regarding both the Boston Marathon bombings and the attacks in France, it is
hard to comprehend or see what those who commit these terrible crimes hope to
gain. These actions can be a result of anger, hatred, and radical idealism that
only pertains to the perpetrators' state of mind while society as a whole suffers.
Etzoni might have noticed how a society like the U.S. or France is easy to
provoke when its sense of safety is threatened, and are quick to retaliation. Now
more than ever before, our country and other countries have stepped up their

efforts to bring down the perpetrators.

As far as my views on public monitoring go, I do believe that the authorities
should have some capabilities to conduct investigations and prevent crime.
Though growing technology is causing people to be fearful of loosing rights to
privacy, there should be a higher form of maintaining security. France lacks
public monitoring which has enabled the U.S. and U.K. to keep the likelihood of
such an attack occurring to a minimum. If they had a tighter public security
system, then perhaps the terrorist attacks in Paris could have been thwarted
sooner. Ultimately, when the safety of the populace is threatened there have to
be exceptions for public monitoring.

Discussion #13a: The Importance of Steve

A lot of discussion has taken place in the blogosphere since Steve Jobs' death
comparing his importance, or the importance of the "inventions" he inspired, to
other great American innovators such as Grace Hopper, Thomas Edison, and
Henry Ford. Of the four, state where you rank Jobs and why....
Response: Out of the four impressive individuals I rank Steve Jobs as number
three. Thomas Edison is renowned for developing the devices that have become
a necessity for modern life such as the light bulb and motion picture camera.
Henry Ford was greatly recognized for his contribution to the automobile industry.
Each of their contributions to society has helped shape the century. Jobs has
helped shape the modern age when he co-founded Apple and instigated the idea
of using microcomputer methods for public and personal projects. In so doing, he
provided a foundation for improving computers that would one day become a
heavily relied upon hobby. While Grace Hopper helped begin the use of coding
language for computers, her ideas were incorporated into Steve Jobs' vision of a
technologically advanced society. Jobs has rightfully earned a place among the
great inventors of history.

Discussion #14a: A threaded reflection

This thread is not intended to be a discussion but rather a personal reflection of
your scrapbooks. By this time you should have completed a minimum of 13
scrapbook entries. Of your entire scrapbook portfolio, which single entry do you
believe has the most relevance to this course (looking at current Information
Technologies from an ethical perspective). State your rationale for your choice.
Response: Out of my fifteen scrapbook entries, I feel that my Week 7 scrapbook:
Robots Taking Away Jobs has important relevance to this course. In our past
discussions, we have talked about how further development of artificial
intelligence can have many outcomes that need to be considered. Robotic A.I.s
could have the capability to perform tasks more effectively than humans and
would help our society progress. However, there will be an ethical issue
regarding if the A.I.'s should be handled with care and treated fairly depending on
how intelligent they are made to be. Also, while the A.I.'s handle tasks within our

society, there would be a question about what the role of humans would be in the
future. Humans could grow lazy and unproductive if they constantly rely on
robots to handle certain tasks. When a new idea is presented, all aspects and
outcomes need to be considered. If any outcome is ignored, then the future could
have detrimental repercussions.