Social & Ethical Issues

Discuss the social and ethical issues of the Internet.
Create a summary of an overview of the social and ethical issues.

You will each be allocated an issue to research.
1. Use the syllabus guide, the relevant chapter in Tomorrows Technology and You, set of collected articles and your own research of recent articles to summarise the issues that have evolved over the years.
2. Record your own podcast using Audacity and edit/upload it to this page


Privacy (Sheane)


How has the Internet exposed our most private information? Do we do this voluntarily? Are net users not savvy enough to protect their identity? Describe a range of situations when the Internet has been used to breach privacy.
Read DC 12.26
  • Open Secrets online: Location of online chatters can be traced.
  • Source: Borneo Bulletin, Cyber Page Open Secrets Online, 19 Jun 05
  • Google Desktop and privacy concerns
  • Source: Google bypasses browser to search PC Drives, Web, Yahoo News 22 Aug 05
  • Google’s Gmail is Great but not for Privacy, Business Week 3 May 04
  • Cookies – what are they? What information do they contain? Why are they used?

Control

For information about Control and how Govts are controlling the content available to citizens and how they are trying to influence net neutrality.
Click here

Anonymity and the Internet (Malvina)

Has the anonymity of the Internet created more problem? Are people more willing to commit crimes if they are anonymous.
Have ISP's breached the anonymity of registered users to help with Police or Govt investigations? Is this ethical?
Source: The cost of online anonymity, BBC News 12 Sep 05
6.3 Anonymity and Pseudonymity Gift of Fire p213


Equality of Access

Do we all have equal access to the Internet?
Describe the factors that influence the differences in accessibility of the Net. Use real examples from the news to support your comments.
Source: Internet ‘could widen wealth gap’, BBC News 21 Aug 05

Security (Mitesh)


Discuss how using the Internet has caused many security concerns for individual users and organizations.


People and Machines (Craig)

The Internet has had a huge impact on how people live their lives. This has had a positive effect e.g. being able to research more, place online orders, keep in touch with friends and family across the Globe. Unfortunately there has also been a negative impact. Research these here.
  • Source: Prowling for Online Predators. Borneo Bulletin, 11 Jun 05
  • Source: Net Blamed for surge in Child Porn, PC Pro April 04
  • Source: Lets be business associates, The Strait Times 31 May 05
  • Source: Wrecked by Friends Reunited, Daily Mail 6 Sep 04
  • Source: Web Hacks Exposed, Borneo Bulletin 17th Sep 2005

Freedom of Speech (Suresh)

Source: S’poreans find free speech on the Internet, Borneo Bulletin 11 Jun 2005
6.2 Offensive Speech in Cyberspace, Gift of Fire, p 203


Copyright (Michael)

How has the development of the Internet created problems with Copyright? What makes it so easy to breach copyright laws? Suggest ways that this could be avoided? Research possible solutions that are being trialled across the Globe. Do you think they will be successful?
DC 2.23
www.scsite.com/dc2002/issues.htm chp 2 issue #3
Source: Pornography site files suit against Google, Yahoo News 26 August 05
Online Music and Copyright


Globalization and Cultural Diversity (Kyle)

How has the Internet aided in cultural diversity and Globalization? When has this been a good thing? Give examples of when different groups or individuals have not been happy about this.





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