Computer Systems (IV) - Issues and Legislation Flashcards

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1
Q

What issues can be raised due to the use of technology?

A

Ethical
Legal
Cultural
Environmental

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2
Q

What do we mean by the term ‘ethical issues’ when describing the use of technology?

A

What would be considered right and wrong by society

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3
Q

What do we mean by the term ‘legal issues’ when describing the use of technology?

A

What is actually right or wrong in the eyes of the law

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4
Q

What do we mean by the term ‘cultural issues’ when describing the use of technology?

A

How groups of people with particular beliefs, practices or languages may be affected

E.g. ethnic groups / religions / countries

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5
Q

What do we mean by the term ‘environmental issues’ when describing the use of technology?

A

How we impact the natural world

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6
Q

What can happen when a new technology becomes available?

A

It can directly / indirectly affect many people

Owners / employees / customers / suppliers / local community can all see changes when new technologies are introduced

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7
Q

Give some examples of why information can often be difficult to keep private on the internet

A

Many websites require users to provide personal information to set up an account

Social media actively encourages posting of personal information

Cloud computing allows personal files to be saved

Privacy agreements are often required

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8
Q

What steps can users take to make the information they share more private?

A

Change privacy settings

Reduce the amount of information stored on devices / shared by the user on the internet

Question “who is the product” with ‘free’ services

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9
Q

What is censorship?

A

When someone tries to control what others can see / share / talk about

E.g. some governments restrict access to information, such as China (restricting websites critical of government + many foreign websites) / Cuba (access to internet from government-controlled access points)

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10
Q

What is surveillance?

A

Where someone monitors what others are doing / accessing on the internet

Government agencies my use packet sniggers and other software to monitor internet traffic / look for key words or phrases

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11
Q

Why is censorship and surveillance controversial?

A

Some people support them in some form (e.g. to protect children / stop terrorism)

Others are completely against

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12
Q

How can new technology impact our social well-being?

A

Influence is used enormously by the big corporations to pressure people into buying / upgrading

Peer-pressure is enormous for the “latest”

Smartphones blur the work/life balance

Face-to-face social interactions can be neglected

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13
Q

What are some significant issues of social media in terms of user welfare?

A

Cyberbullying – using social media to harm another (intimidate / humiliate / defame / distress)

Tolling – trying to cause public arguments for personal amusement / gaining attention

Sexting / access to inappropriate content a significant concern

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14
Q

What health problems can be linked to using too much technology?

A

Eyestrain

Repetitive strain injury (fingers / wrists damaged due to repeated movements)

Back problems from poor posture

Weight issues – lack of exercise / sitting jobs

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15
Q

What is the digital divide?

A

Certain people have greater access to technology (income / urban versus rural for network access / experience and use (e.g. older generations)

This divide is both local, national and global – inequality can increase

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16
Q

How has new technology changed business?

A

Streaming / subscriptions

Sharing economy (Uber / Airbnb)

Can be risky - safety regulations / insurances / take customers away from previous services / tax avoidance

17
Q

What are the environmental issues of new technologies?

A

New devices use up natural resources which are limited

Precious metals are rare / habitats are lost in their extractions

Energy (and therefore pollution) is significant in making and using new technologies

18
Q

What is WEEE?

A

Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment directive

Designed to tackle e-waste by promoting reusing / recycling / disposing of safely

19
Q

What are the six principles of the Data Protection Act?

A

Personal data must be fairly and lawfully processed

Personal data must be obtained for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes

Personal data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive

Personal data must be accurate and up to date

Personal data must not be kept for longer than is necessary

Personal data must be handled in a way that ensures security

20
Q

What was the Computer Misuse Act introduced for?

A

The Computer Misuse Act was introduced to stop hacking and cyber crime

21
Q

What three offences did the Computer Misuse Act introduce?

A

Gaining unauthorized access to a private network or device (for example through hacking)

Gaining unauthorised access to a network or device in order to commit a crime (for example damaging the system / stealing data)

Unauthorised modification of computer material (for example delete / changing files / adding malware)

22
Q

What is the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act?

A

The Copyright, Designs and Patents exists to protect peoples’ creations. When a person creates something, they own it. What they create might include:

A picture, drawing or photograph
A video, television programme or film
Text, such as a book, article or report
A game

23
Q

What does the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act aim to do?

A

The act makes it illegal to share copyrighted files without the copyright holder’s permission, use unlicensed software or plagiarise

Copyright holders can make money by granting permission to use the material for a fee

24
Q

What are patents?

A

Patents cover new inventions (they protect ideas and concepts rather than actual content)

25
Q

What legal issues exist with file sharing?

A

The internet has made it harder to protect copyrighted content – file sharing is extremely simple to do

It is also harder to enforce when servers hold the material in other countries with different laws

26
Q

What are the two types of ownership and licensing software?

A

Open source software

Proprietary software

27
Q

What is Open source software and give some examples

A

Open source software can be free of copyright and is usually available to anyone. Examples include:

Linux operating system
Firefox web browser
Python programming language
Open Office productivity suite
Thunderbird mail client
Apache web server
GIMP image editing software
Moodle virtual learning environment
28
Q

List the advantages of Open source software

A

It costs nothing and provides the source code so that anyone can modify the software for their own purposes.

It can have many authors, enabling programmers to contribute to the development of a program over time, refining and improving it and adding extra features.

A modified version, known as a derivative, must also be made freely available for anyone else to use or adapt.

29
Q

List the disadvantages of Open source software

A

There is no guarantee that it works properly as there is no requirement for anyone to ensure it is bug free.

Support might not be readily available, especially if the program is not in widespread use.

30
Q

What is Proprietary software and give some examples

A

Proprietary software is software that is copyrighted, which means it can only be obtained by paying for a licence. Examples include:

Windows and OS X operating systems
Microsoft Office productivity suite
Adobe Creative Suite productivity software
Logic music creation software
Paid-for games for consoles
31
Q

List the advantages of Proprietary software

A

The product should be free of bugs. If bugs still exist, updates known as patches are often provided free of charge, which fix these bugs.

Help can be sought from the organisation who supplied the software if problems occur.

Feature updates which extend the software’s facilities are often available (usually at a cost).

Proprietary software that is in widespread use often has support available from many sources.

32
Q

List the disadvantages of Proprietary software

A

There is an initial or ongoing (subscription) cost.

Software cannot be adapted to meet the needs of the user. Only the machine code version of the software is distributed, which cannot be edited.

It can be limited to a single computer or network, so unless the licence allows it, a user may not redistribute the software.