CS 335 - Computer Ethics

Spring 2013

Key Dates

Assignments

Notes from Lecture

Office Hours

• Mondays 11:00am - 12:00 noon
• Tuesdays 12:30pm - 1:30pm
• Thursday 12:30pm - 1:30pm
• or by appointment

1. Introduction to IT policy issues. Discussion of book report, term paper, and leading debate or discussion. Read Quinn, Chapter 1.1, 1.5 and Quinn Chapter 1 Interview, and Blown to Bits, Chapter 1. (Reading due for start of Wednesday's class)
2. History of Computing Read Quinn, 1.2–1.4. Introduction to classic ethics Read Quinn, Chpt 2.
3. Introduction to classic ethics. Read Quinn, Chapter 2.
4. Computer reliability, and errors and failures. Liability. Risks, importance of professionalism. For Monday, read Quinn, Chapter 7.1–7.4, 7.8, and, for Wednesday, Therac-25 case, including mock trial for Therac-25 deaths, read Quinn, 7.5–7.7, and Leveson's Report on the Therac-25.
5. The Internet and the Web
   1. Freedom of expression: attempts to censor the Internet, filters, international issues, also the problem of spam. Quinn 3.1–3.6.
   2. Modern problems: Identity theft, cyberbullying, Internet addiction. Quinn 3.7–end-of-Chapter interview.
6. Intellectual property: copyright and fair use. Copyright versus patent versus trade secret. Filesharing and "piracy" of software, music, movies, etc. DMCA controversies. Expect to have one outside speaker from library on fair use, and a second (either outside IP lawyer or from UIC Office of Technology Management) on how you can protect the software that you write to make a living. Read Quinn, Chapter 4.1–4.7.
7. Intellectual property 2: Open-Source software and Creative Commons. Quinn, rest of Chpt. 4.
8. Midterm exam perhaps Wednesday March 10. (Subject to change!)
9. Privacy: What they know, data aggregation, how 2011 is 1984. Facebook. Read Bits, Chapter 2 and Quinn, 5.9.9, p. 267 (on the Facebook Beacon fiasco.)
10. Privacy: Philosophy. Quinn, Chapter 5.1–5.2.
11. Privacy: Government surveillance, and US laws relating to same. Quinn, 5.5–5.9.6.
12. Encyption, Quinn 5.11, and Bits, pp. 191–193.
13. Cyber-Crime: Identity theft, malware, hackers, bots, etc. Quinn 5.10, 6.1–6.4.
14. Computers' impact on Society: Workplace issues, the Digital Divide, the "Winner-Take-All Society". Quinn Chapter 9.
15. Ethical issues for computing professionals. Quinn Chapter 8.