CS335: Computer Ethics

This course discusses ethical, societal, and public-policy issues relating to computing and to computing professionals.

Spring Semester, 2011

Lecture: Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00 to 2:50, Lecture Center A6.

Instructor: Prof. Robert Sloan.

Office hours: Mondays 12:00 to 1:30, and by appointment, and just dropping by often works.

Examples of currently hot topics (as of December 15 2010–January 4 2011) that might be discussed:

• For the purposes of a police search, is email stored at Google the same as snail mail? That is, do the police require a search warrant? See http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/federal-court-e-mail-entitled-to-fourth-amendment-protection/
• Much about the WikiLeaks scandal, and especially some of its technical issues:
  • The cybe counter-attacks by supporters of WikiLeaks; see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120804038.html
  • Amazon's decision not to continue to host WikiLeaks, and what it says about the use of cloud computing, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/11/wikileaks-amazon-denial-democracy-lieberman
• Net Neutrality. As of the minute I am writing these words, it seems that the Federal Trade Commission has made a decision, but has not yet publicized it. See http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/12/21/fcc.open.internet.secrecy/ for the status as of noon Central Time December 21. (And see Net Neutrality in Wikipedia if you don't know what it is.)
• Tracking web users. See the Wall Street Journal's What They Know series for a good non-technical overview. Currently the Federal Trade Commission is also considering instituting a "Do Not Track" list like the "Do not call" list for telemarketing.
• The risks of using technology: Medical radiation equipment that was set wrong severely injuring patients at Evanston Hospital in 2010. This is an amazing story, because many regard the Therac-25 radiation machine fiasco as the worst software engineering failure of all time, and here is somerthing somewhat similar happenning over 20 years later.

Early-semester To-Do's for students:

• Obtain the books! (See syllabus).
• Do reading for Wednesday of first week of class. (See syllabus).
• Do the short writing assignment due Wednesday of second week of class (See Homeworks).
• Pick partner and presentation/debate topic.