Chapter 10: Ethics of IT Organizations

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1. How can an organization ensure that all the members of its supply chain will behave ethically?

I think by having human resources practices training ensures that all the members know how to make ethical decisions and establish standards. The first thing a member should do is clearly lay out to everyone what the standards of ethical behavior are. Then, it's important to begin an open discussion with all the other members about what exactly it means to say you will work and behave ethically. One expert recommends that while determining what it means to be ethical, you should also use team agreements. These agreements make statements about what members promise they will and will not do in regards to other team members.

2. What responsibility does an organization have to ensure that its suppliers and business partners behave ethically?

I think important thing to do is to get close with your suppliers and business partners in order for the organization to ensure the behavior of it, also I think by making sure the secrecy of the trade secrets of an organization because once the supplier and your business partners gain idea about the trade secrets of an organization or your organization they might behave unethically.

Manufacturers Compete on Green Computing

Discussion Questions:  

1. How have green computing efforts lowered the total cost of computer ownership? 

As a result of green computing efforts, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of servers and computer systems has decreased significantly over time. [Each of green computing 93%+ efficient systems, comparing to others equipped with traditional 70% to 80% efficient power supplies, can save up to $200 to $500 per year depending on configuration and usage. Alternatively, this savings can provide a reduction of more than half a metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions from the generation of electric power from fossil fuels. These savings add up quickly when a Super Blade chassis is fully populated with 10 servers. By eliminating the overhead in 1U discrete servers and using high-efficiency (up to 93%) power supplies, the Super Blade? can save customers between $700 and $1,000 per year in power - even more when lower cooling costs are included. And the carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by more than 5.5 metric tons - the equivalent to planting 1.7 acres of trees.]

http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=8D859AA5

2. Which approach can yield greater benefits-building greener computers or implementing programs that change users’ behavior so they operate their computers in a more responsible manner?  Explain your response.

In my opinion implementing programs that change users? behavior so that they operate their computers in a more responsible manner is the best approach that can yield greater benefits, in the manner that such programs will definitely change the attitude of every individual in the working environment with regards to operational procedures of computers thus resulting to responsibility education to the manpower through green operation that will in turn minimize the greenhouse effect to the whole world itself.

http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=D4866D0A

3. Do research at the EPEAT Web site and determine which computer manufacturer currently has the best green computing ratings.

Dell

Dell has introduced an ultra-green desktop computer called the Studio Hybrid. Its greenest desktop computer to date, the Studio Hybrid is Energy Star 5.0 qualified, has an 87% efficient power supply and an EPEAT gold rating. The Dell Studio Hybrid can be customized with interchangeable sleeves; there's even a sleeve available that's made from renewable bamboo. Dell has also made other strides toward becoming a greener technology company. Each year since 2004, Dell has increased its investment in renewable energy from wind, solar and natural gas capture. Dell has also made significant efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Dell offers free recycling of Dell computers and will recycle other computer brands for free with purchase of a new computer. Dell also accepts donations of working computers from companies all around the world.

Apple

Apple is has begun to make many of its green computers with recyclable materials such as aluminum, polycarbonate and glass. Apple has made efforts to remove toxic substances, such as brominated fire retardants (BFRs), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), arsenic, lead and mercury from its products. Since 2008, the Apple MacBook Pro has been free from each of these dangerous environmental pollutants. By 2009, all Mac notebook and desktop computers had earned an EPEAT gold rating. The Apple MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac and other Apple models also meet Energy Star 5.0 guidelines. Another green computer made by Apple is the Mac Mini, which is an extremely energy-efficient desktop computer. The Mac Mini uses less than 14 watts when idle, and is free from BFR, PVC and lead. Like Dell, Apple will recycle any computer for free with the purchase of a new computer. Apple has recycling programs in most of the countries where their products are sold.

Lenovo

Lenovo uses post-consumer recycled materials such as plastic water bottles in the manufacture of its green computers. Lenovo also uses recycled and recyclable materials for its product packaging. Lenovo was the first to earn an EPEAT gold rating for a computer monitor. Many Lenovo computer models, such as the IdeaPad and the ThinkCentre meet Energy Star 5.0 requirements. All Lenovo ThinkPad laptop computers contain 85% recyclable materials and have achieved an EPEAT rating of either silver or gold. Through its Eco Take Back program, Lenovo offers free recycling of all of its computers and other electronic products for small businesses and consumers in the United States. This green technology maker also has recycling programs in countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe

 

Chapter 9: Twitter Emerges as News Source for Iran protesters

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1. Many people question the value of Twitter’s goal of helping people stay connected in real time. Do the events in Iran illustrate the potential value to society of social networking tools such as Twitter? Are there other ways that Twitter and other social networks could be used by people and organizations to add real value?

Twitter is owned by the company called Obvious. They don't have many products, just Twitter. They operate a blog. [ It was opened publicly in July 2006 and its their only international product currently.  

http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=65879100

2. How trustworthy is the information one gleans from social networks such as Twitter?

Twitter is owned by the company called Obvious. They don't have many products, just Twitter. They operate a blog. It was opened publicly in July 2006 and it’s their only international product currently.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_owns_Twitter#ixzz1uERcDbR7

Social Networking Disasters for Dominos

Discussions Question:

1. Some observers believe that if an organization does not respond to an attack on its brand within the first 24 hours, then the damage has been done—lack of management response is judged as an admission of guilt. Others feel that some time is required to gather facts and figure out what happened before responding. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, how might Domino’s have reacted more effectively?

2. Do you find it unusual that Domino’s response was primarily through the online media rather than the usual printed press releases? Does this seem an effective and appropriate way to respond under these circumstances? Why or why not? Does Domino’s use of the online media set a precedent for others to follow in the future?

3. Identify three lessons that other companies could learn from Domino’s experience. 

Chapter 8: The Impact of Information Technology On Productivity and Quality of Life

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1. How important is access to ICT in children’s education?

ICT is a global phenomenon, and children who are computer literate at an early stage of their lives might deal better with the modern world. A sound knowledge of ICT makes it much easier for children to find and organize information. An Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) funded study (2009) that took place between 2005 and 2008 identified good practices in the teaching of ICT. Although the ICT curriculum was sometimes poorly balanced, its use contributed to children doing better in some subject areas. The study also found that the primary school children spent as much time on computers as the curriculum allowed.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6612110_importance-ict-primary-  education.html

2. What are the barriers that stand in the way of universal access to ICT for everyone who wants it?

Technological Advances Create Digital Divide in Health Care

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you provide examples that either refute or confirm the idea that a gap exists between the kinds of healthcare services available to the wealthy and the poor in the United States?

Inequality in economic resources is a natural but not altogether attractive feature of a free society. [ As health care becomes an ever larger share of the economy, we will have no choice but to struggle with the questions of how far we should allow such inequality to extend and what restrictions on our liberty we should endure in the name of fairness. “At its root, the lack of health care for all in America is fundamentally a moral issue. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not have some form of universal health care (defined as a basic guarantee of health care to all of its citizens). While other countries have declared health care to be a basic right, the United States treats health care as a privilege, only available to those who can afford it... Americans purport to believe in equal opportunity. Yet, in the current situation, those who do not have health care are at risk for financial ruin and poorer health, both of which disadvantage them in society and thereby do not give them equal opportunity.

http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=9771CF9C

2. Should healthcare organizations make major investments in telemedicine to provide improved services that only the wealthy can afford?

Yes they should, we all pay our bills to health care but not have improved services.

3. What are the drawbacks of telemedicine? What situations might not lend themselves to telemedicine solutions?

Drawbacks of telemedicines are that they can be expensive and may or may not be completely covered by every insurer. Demand of telemedicine is pretty high as well. Situations where telemedicine might not be useful might be to the elderly.

http://www.chacha.com/question/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-telemedicine-what-situations-might-not-lend-themselves-to-telemedicine-solutions

Chapter 7: Sofeware Development

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1. Is this example of software problems holding up the introduction of a major new product and impacting a firm’s customers and suppliers unusual, or is it a common occurrence?

Yes, because not all software products are 100 %  not damage or some have defect.

2. What can organizations do to reduce the negative consequences of software development problems in the production of their products and the operation of their business processes and facilities?

For me it is better to insure the good quality and high performance level of the product because these are the important factors on which customers make purchasing decisions, and to meet the needs and wants of the consumer.

 

Patriot Missile Failure

Discussion Questions:

1. With the benefit of hindsight, what steps could have been taken during development of the Patriot software to avoid the problems that led to the loss of life?  Do you think these steps would have improved the Patriot’s effectiveness enough to make it obvious that the missile was a strong deterrent against the Seud?  Why or why not?

2. What ethical decisions do you think the U.S. military made in choosing to deploy the Patriot missile to Israel and Saudi Arabia and in reporting the effectiveness of the Patriot system?

I think the main reason why the U.S military made in choosing to deploy the patriot missile to Israel and Saudi Arabia because deploying missiles is the one way of detecting enemies, or radar for short.

3. What key lessons from this example of safety-critical software development could be applied to the development of business information system software?

Safety –critical software must also be prioritized because as a user we don’t know how safe the system was, once it fails it changes the environment of the system that can cause delays.

Chapter 6: Intellectual Property

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1. Is the RIAA’s strong stand on copyright infringement helping or hurting the music recording industry?

Of course it helps the music recording industry because the RIAA works to protect the intellectual property and first amendment rights of music labels, so having this it lessen the piracy in our society and we can assure that we can buy, avail an original copy not the piracy one.

2. Could an ISP’s implementation and enforcement of the RIAA’s multitier strategy have a negative impact on the ISP?

No, because RIAA says that the music industry has fully embraced the Internet as a major channel for distribution to consumers, the group has called on the Federal Communications Commission, they can also help to lessen piracy through internet.

Lotus v. Borland

Discussion Questions:

1. Go to your school’s computer lab or a PC software store and experiment with current versions of any two of the Quattro, Excel, or Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet programs.  Write a brief paragraph summarizing the similarities and differences in the “look and feel” of these two programs.

In both Excel and Lotus 1-2-3, you can perform a operation, such as sorting, on a range of multiple cells. A cell in the smallest container of data in a spreadsheet, the intersection of a row and column. In Excel, if you wish to manipulate a series of cells, you must first drag your mouse over them to select the entire range, then process a command, such as sorting. However, in Lotus 1-2-3, this order is reversed. First, select command, then select cells.

 

2. The courts took several years to reverse their initial decision and rule in favor of Borland.  What impact did this delay have on the software industry?  How might things have been different if Borland had received an initial favorable ruling?

 

In this accident will result into unfavorable court, for allowing Borland product for several years to the public without knowing its infringement.

 

3. Assume that you are the manager of Borland’s software development.  With the benefit of hindsight, what different decisions would you have made about Quattro? 

 

Assuming that I’m the manager of the Borland’s software development I will make sure that all my employee are well oriented because it helps to maintain the secrecy of my company and all my trade secrets.

Chapter 5: Freedom of Expression

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1. Does sexting represent a form of expression that is protected by the First Amendment?

Yes, for me sexting represent a form of expression that should be protected under the first amendment because sexting is an expression which is not allowable everywhere. Some victims of this are those people who are still young and fun of entertaining unknown person or stalkers and also teenagers who are not aware of the things around them.

2. What can be done to protect people from the dangers of sexting while still safeguarding our First Amendment rights?  

For me we ourselves only can protect us from danger of sexting, and first thing to be done is to  avoid entertaining those people who are the sexting master or founder by not replying to the text spam that what they have sent to you.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF)

Discussion Questions: 

1. Visit the EEF Web site at www.eff.org and develop a list of its current “hot” issues.  Research one EFF issue that interests you, and write a brief paper summarizing EFF’s position.  Discuss whether you support this position and why.

Coders' Rights Project

EFF's Coders' Rights Project protects programmers and developers engaged in cutting-edge exploration of technology. Security and encryption researchers help build a safer future for all of us using digital technologies, but too many legitimate researchers face serious legal challenges that prevent or inhibit their work. These challenges come from laws such as the Convention on Cybercrime, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, similar state laws, and computer crime laws in many countries around the world.

The Coders' Rights Project builds on EFF's longstanding work protecting researchers through education, legal defense, amicus briefs, and involvement in the community with the goal of promoting innovation and safeguarding the rights of curious tinkerers and hackers on the digital frontier. We also provide policy advice to decision-making officials who are considering new computer crime legislation and treaties.

For me I support this position because first of all I am an Information Technology student and I understand the situation of those people who are involve or part of the coders rights stated at the top. I may not a good coder/programmer but still I have the heart of an IT student and still they should respect our rights as an programmer and a solution provider. I believe being a coder provides and give good ambiance in our world in terms of technology.

2. What reasons might a firm give for joining and supporting EFF?

Honestly I am not active or being attentive in this kind of aspect like for example joining and supporting EFF, but I think the main reason why they propose people for joining and support EFF is to support each other for our freedom or shall I say for our freedom of expressions. We all know not all personal problems/expressions can be heard, entertained and in order to be heard and entertained by other we should support and help each other for the sake of our rights.

3. The vice president of public affairs for your midsized telecommunications equipment company has suggested that the firm donate $10,000 in equipment and services to EFF and become a corporate sponsor.  The CFO has asked if you, the CIO, support this action.  What would you say?

I think I am not at the right place to answer this question, but still if I have given a chance I will support this action because it can help a lot.

Chapter 3 and Chapter 4:

Chapter 3: Computer And Internet Crime

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Trading Scandal at Society General

1. Peter Gumble, European editor for Fortune magazine, comments, "Kerviel is a stunning example of a trader breaking the rules, but he's by no means alone. One of the dirty little secrets of trading floors around the world is that every so often, somebody is caught concealing a position and is quickly - and quietly - dismissed... [This] might be shocking for people unfamiliar with the macho, high-risk, high-reward culture of most trading floors, but consider this: the only way banks can tell who will turn into a good trader and who even the most junior traders to take aggressive positions. This leeway is supposed to be matched by careful controls, but clearly they aren't foolproof." What is your reaction to this statement by Mr. Gumble? 

If you didn’t make the rule, break the rule. Trading guidelines that don’t come from the hard-won personal experience don’t lead to self-growth. Don’t let the internalized trading police force you into trading in a socially approved manner.Don’t let the inner and outer voices of tyranny control your trading

2. What explanation can there be for the failure of SocGen's internal control system to detect Kerviel's transactions while Eurex detected many suspicious transactions?

I think the explanation can there be for the failure of SocGen's internal control system to detect kerviel's transaction while Eurex detection many suspicious transaction is that the issue of collusion and indicating even more widespread weaknesses in internal controls.

Whistle-Blower Divides IT Security Community

Discussions Questions and Answers

1. Do you think that Mike Lynn acted in a responsible manner? Why or Why not?

For me Yes, because when Mike Lynn knows about the hacking of the CISCO routers, he decided to reveal the secrets about it and let other people know about it.

2. Do you think that CISCO and ISS were right to pull the plug on lynn's presentation at the black hat conference? Why of why not? 

I think No, because as what I have understand Mike Lynn's presentation at the black hat conference is the key for the others to know the information that Mike Lynn's discover.

3. Outline a more reasonable approach toward communicating the flaw in the CISCO routers that would have led to the problem being promptly addressed without stirring up animosity among the parties involved. 

Chapter 4: Privacy Concern Abound with New IRS Systems

Vignette

1. What information about you is being held, who is holding it, and what is this information being used for?

2. What measures are being taken to safeguard this information and what happens if it is inadvertently or deliberately stolen?

For me to safeguard this information as a user we should be attentive in all times, we should be more wiser and be one step ahead in all the people in our surroundings/environment because if this will be stolen i thinks many changes will happen in our nation or may be in our life.

Case Study # 3: Is Google Watching You?

Discussions Questions and Answer

1. How does Google’s business model use personal data?

Google is firmly committed to the privacy of our advertisers and users. [ While Google does add a cookie to a user's computer when he/she clicks on an ad, this cookie expires in 30 days, and Google does not associate a user's search activity with his/her ad click history. Further, Google does not collect or track personally identifying information, and does not reveal individual information to third parties. Users who do not wish to participate in tracking activities can easily disable Google's conversion tracking cookie in their Internet browser's user preferences settings. These users will not be included in your conversion tracking statistics. ]  

http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=F53E8D73 

2. What do you think are the major privacy concerns raised by Google's business model and applications?

The privacy concerns of Google business revolve around the ability of anyone around the whole having instant access to high-resolution imagery including personal property, houses, cars, etc. Having such imagery and photographs in clear detail showing cars (color, make and models) and people opens up a hornet's nest of privacy issues.

 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_privacy_concerns_with_Google_Earth#ixzz1tiriWtDs

3. Do you think Google has taken adequate measures to protect its users privacy? 

Yes, because of it's personal information. 

Google is adamant that its changes, which users cannot opt out of, are perfectly legal and says they will result in a better online experience. The company has scrapped over 60 different privacy notices for various products and integrated their main tenets into a master privacy policy. It has also made the language of this document far easier to understand. And it has extended the way in which it shares information across its services to include YouTube and search histories so that people who, say, watch videos of a particular musician on YouTube will see adverts for that same performer's music when they are using Gmail or other Google products. Alma Whitten, the company's director of privacy, product and engineering, stressed in a blog post that these changes neither alter users' existing privacy settings nor result in more data being collected about them.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/03/online-privacy