Module 6 : Computer Ethics

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If you are to choose your top 3 difficult-to-follow computer ethics commandments, what are these? Explain why.

If I were to choose top 3 difficult-to-follow computer ethics commandments it would be:

* Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid.

For me, this commandment would be my 1^st choice that would be difficult to follow. As we all know, not all have the money to buy what is really needed that one could resort to things that maybe illegal but is good for them. One example could be the software needed for a personal computer or laptops. We all know that software worth thousands and not all could afford to buy genuine ones that all they could do is buy pirated ones.

 

* Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.

This also could be a difficult to follow commandment. Human as we are, it is our nature that we are forgetful to things that of lee important to us. Also, there are things that we do but we don’t know that there are certain rules that we defy. For example, when doing a research and we forget the author of our resources.

 

* Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

There are certain things that we do just to express what we really feel but it could hurt or harm other people around us.

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Suppose you are to add 2 more commandments to the existing 10    commandments of computer ethics, what are these? Are these 2 new commandments of equal importance to the existing ones? Discuss.

If I were to add 2 more commandments to the 10 existing commandments of computer ethics it would be:

• Thou shalt know your limitations when using a computer.
• Thou shalt use a computer to show equality.

These 2 new commandments are of equal importance to the existing ones because we tend to forget that they are machines that needs care from us and that we should not abuse it for there comes a time that they will be damaged.

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What is ransomware? Which of the 10 computer ethics commandments is/are violated by ransomware?

Ransomware is a form of malware in which rogue software code effectively holds a user's computer hostage until a "ransom" fee is paid. Ransomware often infiltrates a PC as a computer worm or Trojan horse that takes advantage of open security vulnerabilities. Most ransomware attacks are the result of clicking on an infected e-mail attachment or visiting a hacked website.

Upon compromising a computer, ransomware will typically either lock a user's system or encrypt files on the computer and then demand payment before the system or files will be restored.

Source: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/ransomware.html

Of the 10 computer ethics commandments, this 3 commandments are violated by ransomware:

Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization.

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

Thou shalt not snoop around other people’s files.

Module 4 : Finalist Theories

How often do you make an effort to practice your strengths and virtues? (A virtue is a trait you cultivate. Ex: patience, generosity kindness). Are these traits key to a happy life? Discuss.    

          Happiness is something that you do on your own for making yourself happy and contented of what you are doing also concerning others with the decision you make. It is something that you practice with your own will with your existence here on earth. Each of us has our own virtues that we practice in our daily living, the virtue that our parent has taught us since we were young. But as we grow into mature ones, we intended to forget what they have taught us. It is in our own hands on how we should cultivate our own strengths and virtues. As for me, an effort on practicing my strength and virtues is what I must do every day. In my opinion, being able to practice these virtues will make me a better person and will make me happy every single day. But, human as we are, there are certain things that will make us forget to practice these things. Virtue of courage is just an example. I myself admit that I am not courageous like others. I easily let myself with my own emotions and people affect me and not able to fight back. The courage to stand on my own principle and taking risks with my own decision is what I am trying to do but is afraid to do so. I know I must overcome this issue with myself alone.

            For me, being able to practice these traits is a key to a happy life. With these, I guess, you are living in a carefree life knowing that you are making yourself and others happy. According to Aristotle’s theory of happiness, “Happiness depends on acquiring a moral character, where one displays the virtues of courage, generosity, justice, friendship, and citizenship in one’s life. These virtues involve striking a balance or “mean” between an excess and a deficiency.” Let’s just all remember that you make your own happiness but we must also practice equality on what we are doing.

For some, happiness relies on money. In some cases, hacking means money. Would you do hacking it if its outcome is a sure happiness of your family? What particular Aristotle theory contradicts this concept? Discuss.

          For some, happiness really relies on money. This statement is really true. People believe that if you have all the money in the world, you can have everything that anyone could ever wanted, fame, success and even buy someone’s happiness for your own sake’s happiness. But I don’t believe in this statement. I do believe that no one can buy happiness because you make your own happiness and no one could take it away from you.

            Hacking is an example of a dirty work in the information technology. And if doing hacking will ensure my family’s happiness, I will still not do it. I know for sure that my family will not be happy if they will learn that I make money because of a dirty means of acquiring it because they brought me up in a good way. And if doing so, it doesn’t bring any good on me or even with my own family.

            According to Aristotle’s Theory of Happiness, “Happiness is not pleasure, nor is it virtue. It is the exercise of virtue.” The concept of hacking just to ensure the happiness of your family contradicts this particular theory of Aristotle. This theory of Aristotle means that happiness is the exercise of one’s virtue but the virtue itself must be good. It also contradicts this theory in such a way that the exercise of his own virtue is not good enough or it is a bad exercise of one’s virtue.

Module 3 : Preliminary Theories

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“We are all here on earth to help others. What I can’t figure out is what the others are here for.” – W. H. Auden. Discuss.

          We are all here on earth to help others. That is just the very reason on why our existence is of great importance here on earth. “No man is an island” is what they say. God created us to help each other when we are in need, that we can have someone whom we can share through ups and downs. You can’t go to the battle in life alone is what I believe that is why, you have someone with you to face the battle together. In good times and in bad times, you always want to have someone whom you can share with. But, we must remember that we should help ourselves to be the best that we can be. Also, when helping someone, help with all your heart putting into it without thinking on what they can give you in return for when you help others; you also help build yourself to become a better person.   

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Ethical egoists think that people will be happiest if they look out for themselves and not concern themselves with others but is this where true human happiness lies? Discuss.

          What is true happiness? What sort of things that can make people really happy? Are just some of the questions that most people are trying to find out the answer in their own ways. Happiness is something that we earn for. It is not something that can be achieved with just a blink of an eye. A quote from Allan K. Chalmers states that, “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” This quote is very true. True happiness is doing something that we love and hoping that on what we do; contentment and being proud with oneself must be achieved. Happiness doesn’t always require money, success or fame. It doesn’t always mean how much we have. It is the enjoyment of what you that makes you happy.

          Ethical egoists think that people will be happiest if they look out for themselves and not concern themselves with others. But, for my personal opinion, true happiness doesn’t lie when you are only looking to yourself that can make you happy not concerning other people’s happiness. True happiness for me is something that when I am capable of doing something and making myself happy and contented for what I am doing concerning all the people around me and knowing that they are happy and proud for what I do. True happiness is something that can be shared and treasured for the rest of your life with the ones you treasured the most.

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What are the roots of egoism? Where does it come from? What do egotistical people fear????

        Egoism is a teleological theory of ethics that sets as its goal the benefit, pleasure, or greatest good of the oneself alone (http://webs.wofford.edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism.htm).  For my personal opinion, the root of egoism is pride. Just like pride, egoism merely talks about oneself and not concerning others. Pride is the state of being proud of oneself and what can make herself/himself happy. Egoism originally comes from oneself. It is not from the external factors like the ones around us but it merely comes from the inside feeling of a person. Egotistical people fear I think is that when the time comes that you just have to lessen down one’s ego. Changing from what you already are, an example is that when a person is an egoistic one and changing oneself into a non-egoistic one, might be hard for them. They fear that the people in the society might look down on them and that they might think that this can degrade themselves.

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Module 2

This is about the student handbook on computing for the students of Virginia University (Please surf for it). Read and understand their handbook.

If you are to become a part of the VSU team who will formulate a handbook like that of Virginia University, give at least 2 policies that you want to be implemented in VSU or even just for CS students like you, regarding computing . Also include sanction or sort of punishment to those who will violate the said policy.

If I am to become a part of the VSU team who will formulate a handbook like that of Virginia University, the 2 policies that I want to implement in VSU or even just for the CS students like me are:

1.  POLICY: During laboratory time, accesses of the non-related web pages    of the activity during the period are not allowed.

    SANCTION: When caught, student will be marked zero on the activity during the laboratory period.

2. POLICY: Posting of answers on personal web pages of the past exams without the instructors consent is prohibited, for it may be hacked by other users and will be used as a cheat.

    SANCTION: When found, the student is entitled to talk with the department head. If not reasonable enough, the owner is subjected to delete all the postings. If the owner will not delete the postings, the student will be banned from doing any more internet posting.

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According to the definition of ethics, it can be connected to the norms or custom of the society. What could be ethical to one could be unethical to another. If this is the case, in which ethics seem to be subjective in nature, why is there a need to study computer ethics at all? Support your opinion with facts.

Ethics can be connected to the norms or custom of the society. Though a certain custom can be ethical on a society, it is not an assurance that the other society can classify them as ethical also. There is still a need to study computer ethics even if ethics seems to be subjective in nature because each type of ethics deals with the different protocols that their members must obey and respect. Computer ethics deals with the proper usage of telecommunications and data storages. With the knowledge of an individual pertaining to computer ethics, he/she will not do anything that contradicts the codes of computer ethics. We all know that pornographic sites and even pictures are all over the internet, with the knowledge that this can cause harm to the public, these sites are eve blocked to avoid viewing by the public. Without computer ethics, guess there are a lot of damage that can cause harm with the abuse of today’s technology.  

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There are 4 types of non-jural law. Divine, natural, moral and physical. If you are to practice just one type of the non-jural law for the entire existence of your life, what would it be and why?

If I were to practice just one type of non-jural law for the existence of my life, it would be the Divine Law. As we all know, that this pertains to the laws that God has initiated to govern all His creations, living and also the non-loving. I believe that if practicing the laws that God has made, it will please Him and that I am living according His will. Giving back your life to your creator can bring someone’s life’s happiness to the fullest is what I believe in. Also, what I believe is that the other non-jural laws like natural, moral and physical law are laws made because of the divine law. These three laws made are with the accordance to the divine law. And so practicing this law and living this law for my entire existence is like I am practicing all the 4 non-jural laws.

Module 1 : Ambitions in Life as a Computer Science Student

What would to like to be 5 years from now? (hopes, aspirations, hopes)

                Our life depends on how we deal with it. Our future is the result of what we are planning in the present with our own will and with the efforts we put in for making it possible. As the quote from the site http://thinkexist.com/quotations/future/2.html says, "The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created - created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not someplace we are going to, but one we are creating."

                Each of us has our own dream of what we would be like in the near future. Of course, I am one of the “each” that I am referring in the first sentence. Five years from now, I would be 24 years old then, well, I am hoping that at that time, I am living a simple yet a happy life with my family that has been supporting me all my life. To sustain my personal and family’s needs, a stable job for me is what I am hoping for in the future.  Also, a loved one will come that I will love and will love and understands me for what I really am. To stay friends with my college family, the pakno family, still enjoying the life when we are still students. I really wish that the things I hoped my future will come true. These things will not be possible without my efforts for making it possible, with the aid of the Almighty God and my family, the reason for my efforts in the present.

If you are to develop a program to promote moral values, what program would you do and why?

                If I were to write a program to promote moral values, it would be a game. The game will consists of a crossword puzzle with words related to the morals of a person with its corresponding meaning, a picture puzzle showing the good traits of a person and a series of questionnaires perhaps that will lead the player on the answer related with the different values that a person must have. The destination of the player’s answer depends on the choice of the player. Since kids can easily imitate the actions of the mature ones, this game will be a helpful tool to develop the young minds as to what traits they must practice as they get older. Nowadays, adults tend to forget the morals they must teach the young ones or they aren't practicing the morals they must show with the young so this game will also be a tool that adults may use and enjoy. 

If you are a machine, what would you be and why?

               If I were a machine, I would be a lie detector machine. With the world we have right now, we are not sure who tells us the truth. Telling lies are just the natural thing. With the use of this kind of machine, I can detect if people were honest or telling me the truth. With this kind of ability, I can protect myself from people who are trying to hurt me or bring me down just for their personal gain and that I will know who will be those people that I can only trust.