Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns Flashcards
What is legal for computer scientists to do isn’t always ethical.
Explain the difference between legal and ethical considerations. [2]
Legal requirements are different from country to country and, if they are not obeyed, then a crime has been committed and the person faces prosecution.
Ethical requirements are those that society considers good or moral. Not following them does not lead to prosecution.
A computer scientist has several client companies, both large and small. When she gets requests for assistance and to fix bugs in her software, she has to prioritise how she responds. She could:
- solve each one as it is received
- solve the ones for the large companies first as they pay more money
- decide which ones are the most serious and solve them first
Discuss these options with regards to working in an ethical way. [4]
response 3 would be the most ethical as she is considering which would be the most harmful and she is not taking into consideration how much she would be paid
response one would be ethical in that she is not considering payment but she should also prioritise the seriousness of the problems
response 2 would be less ethical as she is considering her payment over the needs of all her customers
Computer science technologies have changed the ways in which people interact with each other.
Identify four computer science technologies that have had an impact on the way in which people socialise. [4]
- mobile voice messaging
- text messages
- emails
- video conferencing
Explain how computer science technologies can improve the quality of life of elderly people living alone. [4]
they allow elderly people to:
-communicate with others using email, text messages, video conferencing
- meet new people using social networking sites and forums for their specific interests
- keep aware of what is happening in the wider world using the internet
- order goods for delivery and services online
List three ways in which developments in computer science technologies have had an impact on education. [3]
ebooks give access to additional online content
interactive whiteboards enable teachers to use a wider range of multimedia and online resources
virtual learning environments enable students to submit homework via the internet and teachers can keep track of student progress
Discuss how the development of broadband and internet technologies has affected people’s use of entertainment. [8]
-internet technologies have had an impact on the ways in which people can access entertainment, especially with the development of broadband
- the computer games industry is expanding rapidly
- users can access games online and compete with players around the world in a real time environment
- some users earn large amounts of money by creating and developing characters that they then sell to other users
-internet technologies have allowed upgrades and bug fixes to be rapidly distributed so that user’s enjoyment is not spoilt
- movies and music can be bought online and downloaded from the sites onto a device
- users can also stream movies and music
-broadband has allowed for the creation of internet radio and television stations where users can listen to and watch streamed content all day
- internet technologies have changed the ways in which users can access entertainment
- they have also allowed entertainment to become more interactive so that users are not just passive watchers but can send feedback and interact
Debbie wants to buy a new PC but is worried about the amount of electricity it will use.
State two ways in which she could minimise her computer’s use of electricity. [2]
she should choose an energy efficient device
she should switch it off when not in use
Debbie’s computer is running slowly and she wants to replace it with a new one.
a) Explain why Debbie should not just throw her computer in the bin. [3]
b) Give two ways in which Debbie could dispose of her old computer sustainably. [2]
a) if she just throws it in the bin it could end up in landfill that could result in toxic chemicals leaking into the soil and water supplies
b) She could donate it to a charity for reuse
she should take it to a recycling centre or a certified recycling company
State two ways in which computer science technologies are being used to monitor your location. [2]
the location of a GPS enabled device such as a smart phone can be tracked
when someone uses an e-passport to enter or leave a country, information about their location is recorded
