1.8: Ethical/legal/cultural/environmental concerns - YK Flashcards
What are some positive environmental impacts of computers?
Saves paper usage (emails replace letters, digital storage replaces paper files); video conferencing reduces travel for meeting; working from home by connecting to work server, reducing commutes (traffic + pollution)
What are some negative environmental impacts of computers?
Computers, especially large server farms, use lots of energy, most of which comes from polluting fossil fuels; computers are full of noxious chemicals and non-biodegradable materials not easily disposed of, most of which ending up in landfill sites, damaging environment for a long time
What are some cultural implications of computers?
Access to internet: some countries have physical barriers to technology (e.g. mountains), many countries don’t have as much infrastructure, some countries heavily filter internet and restrict access
Access to IT education: many countries can’t afford high levels of education, some countries restrict access to education, older people can become/feel excluded from tech
Design considerations: colours can have different connotations in different places, people with disabilities often need accessibility functions, not all languages go left-right or have same character sets
Digital divide: differences in wealth and culture can lead to a large divide within a country or between countries
What are the four relevant pieces of legislation in the UK for computing?
The Data Protection Act 1998: prevents misuse of personal information
Computer Misuse Act 1990: stops people causing harm with computers (criminalised hacking and creating malware)
Freedom of Information Act 2000: lets the public have any information held by the government (anyone can ask gov. for info other than specific data like medical records or data held for national security like military data)
Copyright Design and Patents Act 1998: protects published works, ensures only creators get rewards, protects any published work, states that owner of the copyright has the right to be paid for work they have done (copying/redistributing without permission is illegal)
What is open source and proprietary software?
Open source: source code published with software (often free)
Proprietary: software requires license bought from shop or downloaded from internet
What are the pros and cons of open source vs proprietary software?
Open Source
Pros: source code can be customised, usually free, community of enthusiasts keep updating it
Cons: not as much support (can be expensive), requires expertise to edit, usually fewer features than↓
Proprietary
Pros: high quality with many features, help and support provided, updates by professionals
Cons: Has to be bought, not as customisable, can be too generic for specialist purposes
What is a stakeholder?
Anybody who has an interest in a computer/piece of software (includes: customers, developers, staff in shops selling tech, support staff, delivery men)
What are some privacy concerns relevant to computing?
Privacy: the right to not be watched
Many feel right to privacy is eroding: CCTV, number plate recognition systems (tracking cars), phone GPS systems (tracking movement on foot), ISP records of internet habits, phones being tapped (by police)
Many try to combat these by using technologies which mask IP addresses and encrypt messages, but governments push for more control
What is creative commons licensing?
A type of license where author gives permission for sharing/using their work without breaching copyright
