CSC 379/SUM07-2/Assignments
Temporary page for construction of research assignment topics for CSC 379, SUM07-2.
This page contains the research assignment topics (pending review).
This is where the description of the research assignment expectations would go, or a brief description and the links to it.
New Topics
Net Neutrality
commerce/anticompetitive/broadband
As things are right now, all traffic on the Internet is treated the same. However, more recently, telecom companies and ISP's have been trying to push legislation through congress that would allow them to create a "tiered Internet" and charge more for certain content (e.g., every time a user does a Google search in a neighborhood serviced by TimeWarner, Google would be charged). Provide an overview of the issue, the opposing views, and the consequences it could bring if implemented.
Anti-Competitive Databases
commerce/anticompetitive/databases
If a corporation provides a product or service, and also controls one of the major on-line databases that direct customers to suppliers of that product or service, a conflict of interest arises that tempts the corporation to use the database to steer customers unfairly toward its own business. One of the early examples was Baxter International's database of medical supplies. Nowadays, most of the press is garnered by airline databases that can list the proprietor's flights more prominently than competitors', or even make it hard for consumers to find out what a competitor offers. Recently, independent travel agents and travel Websites have become concerned that the major airlines are going to band together to "steal" business through their own Orbitz travel Website. Note: This topic is not about database privacy. No credit will be given for a page that deals with privacy issues.
Temp (to be revised): More currently, how search engines store and present information from their databases have become important. Advertisers often desire the best placement of their search results, but how paid advertisements are presented raises many ethical issues. Some search engines do not distinguish paid advertisements from legitimate search results. What happens when the business with the deepest pockets has the ability to drown out the results of arguably egalitarian algorithms? (Google News has come under scrutiny for the disassociation of news from advertising contained on host websites. Google Print and Google News incorporates copyrighted material into the search results, surrounded by their advertising.)-related?
Existing Topics
Ethical Principles
basics/principles
This page is about ethical principles, and should draw heavily from philosophy-related sites. The topic page is in good shape, though rather sparse. It should be enhanced substantially. The Study Guide falls out of format toward the bottom of the page.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Fault Tolerance
risks/security/fault
Responsibility issues in case of outages. Methods for improving fault-tolerance. Laws for protecting critical infrastructures. Recent occurrences.
Temp (to be revised): With society’s increasingly dependent relationship with technology, how fault tolerant systems are is an important ethical consideration. Failure of technological systems essential to our lives can have ramifications beyond financial. Google is approaching this issue by using cheap hardware with highly redundant design of systems to increase fault tolerance. Checkout line machines (% downtime unacceptable for supermarkets with early computer systems).
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Codes of Ethics
basics/codes
Deals with codes of ethics and the Internet. Could use some more links and the Study Guide needs better formatting for fluidity.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Vaporware
commerce/anticompetitive/vaporware
What is vaporware? Software announced long before its delivery. What are the benefits, disadvantages? The site could use more up to date links (a couple are broken) and more. Need a new introduction with new links that are not misleading.
Temp (to be revised): Vaporware is a popular tactic, especially with operating systems and game development. It can make or break a game system and has many ethical implications for consumers in what types of software and hardware to purchase.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Ecommerce Security
risks/security/ecommerce
How do you secure a site for e-commerce? Security and ethical issues of E-commerce such as banking online. Please do not include the issue of fraud, which has its own page. Add a few new links, format to site guidelines and evaluate the study guide. Study guide currently has no working links.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Anonymity
speech/anonymity
This page has to do with anonymous remailers, individual user privacies, etc. It could use some updated links, but mainly needs a Study Guide and link to it.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Hate Speech
speech/freedom/hate
This page is supposed to focus on the danger of hate groups using the Internet to promulgate their message and recruit members. Unfortunately the current focus is on the controversy over "hate speech," with little relationship to the Internet. Please fix it so it is appropriate for an Ethics in Computing site. Try to expand the Study Guide. Also, the formatting on the topic page has gone a little wide and should be brought back in.
All the study guide links need to be fixed.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Cyberstalking
privacy/cyberstalking/
Cyberstalking refers to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person. Stalking generally involves harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person's home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person's property. It's time for an update and expansion of this page. Type "cyberstalking" to any search engine and pull up a spate of references.
Study guide needs to be revised and broken links need to be fixed.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Internet Downloads
intellectual/piracy/downloads/
This page covers the unauthorized downloading of software from bootleg Internet sites. Just need to expand with more links (updated ones). Also the formatting of the Study Guide is off and needs to be adjusted.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Instant Messaging
commerce/anticompetitive/instant/
Most of the references on this page are three or four years old. The issue is whether one company can unfairly dominate the market for instant messaging. Update the existing page with new references, and the study guide with new issues.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Software Reliability
risks/reliability/
The topic page could use some updated links and both the topic page and the Study Guide page are out of format for the site style guidelines.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |
Conflicts of Interest
basics/conflicts/
A conflict of interest occurs when someone's personal interest is at odds with his job responsibility, e.g., when someone owns stock in a company from which (s)he could make a major software purchase. A lot has been written about conflicts of interest. Including some general articles is fine, but try to have some articles that refer to conflicts of interest in the computer field. The current page needs newer links. Also, most of the links involve the Web; it needs more on conflicts of interest that do not involve the Web.
| Current Main Page | Current Study Guide |