Chapter 6: Ethics, privacy and the bigger picture Flashcards
What is the environmental impact of the manufacturing of electronic devices?
Electronic devices contain non-renewable natural resources. In some parts of the world, mining is poorly regulated and excavation can damage wildlife habitats and contaminate drinking supplies
What is the environmental impact of the use of electronic devices?
CO2
How is computing technology being used to improve the environment?
Natural disaster early warning systems, GPS tracking devices used in conservational efforts. Networks of wireless sensor probes are used to gather information about glaciers and sea levels, which allow scientists to learn more about how and why sea levels are rising
What tools can be used to protect privacy?
Encryption: Prevents unauthorised people from reading or accessing data
Cookie cleaners, ad blockers, spyware: Remove cookies, ads and spyware
Identity management services: A trusted third party holds evidence of your identity and issues you with an identifier that enables you to conduct transactions with third parties without revealing any personal information
Password managers: Store all your credentials in an encrypted database which can only be accessed through a master password
What is digital inclusion?
Ensuring that everyone has affordable access to computing technology and the necessary skills to take advantage of it
What is the digital divide?
The gap between those who have access to technology (the technology-empowered) and those who do not (the technology-excluded)
What are some of the problems caused by the digital divide?
Poor digital literacy skills make it hard to get a job
Lack of access to the internet limits political expression
Businesses able to exploit technology have an advantage over those who can’t
Lack of access to social media is bad
Shopping offline is more expensive than shopping online
What is professionalism?
The skill and competence expected of a person in a professional setting
What are the key terms of the BCS code of conduct?
Computer scientists should: Respect others and the environment, Avoiding injuring other people, their property, reputation or employment, develop their skills on a continuing basis, comply with relevant legislation, not disclose confidential information, not misrepresent or withhold information on products or services
What is a patent?
An exclusive right granted to an inventor to make, use and sell an invention for a fixed period of time. A patent offers more protection than copyright because it protects the idea of the invention rather than a specific form of it
How can intellectual property be protected?
The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988) makes it illegal to copy, modify, or distribute intellectual property without permission. Alternatively, if the idea behind the IP is original, the inventor could apply for a patent
What is a licence?
A set of terms the user has to agree to before using software. They specify how many copies of the software the user can own, how long it can be used, how many computers etc.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of open source software?
Advantages: Free, can be modified
Disadvantages: Exploits can be identified, little to no technical support, might look unprofessional or non-user friendly
