ITGS Social & Ethical Issues
Layman’s Terms
Reliability

How reliable is it?


reliable – giving the same result after
repeated trials / usages
Example:

air traffic control software
Integrity


data does NOT change
Example:



save a file on your computer
open it later
you EXPECT the file to be unchanged
Security


not letting everybody access it
Example:

school locker
Privacy


keeping information private from
others; not letting everybody see it
Example:

medical records
Anonymity


not revealing your identity (who you
are)
Example:

chat rooms
Authenticity


verifying somebody is who they say
they are
Example:

Driver’s license
Intellectual property


ownership of ideas, discoveries, works
of art, etc.
Examples:



patents - iPod
trademarks – McDonald’s
copyright – mp3s
Equality of access


everybody having access to IT
Examples:


Internet!
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)
Surveillance


Observing somebody
Examples:


SynchronEyes
GPS-tracking
Globalization


spread of IT resources across the
globe (includes businesses)
Examples:

outsourcing
Cultural diversity


globalization  less diversity
Examples:

Internet and spoken languages
Policies


rules and regulations
Examples:


APS Acceptable Use Policy
EVERY business has them
Standards and Protocols


widely agreed upon rules
Examples:



HTML
Driver’s licenses
Credit card sizes
People and machines



the interaction between people and
machines
usability and design
Examples:

Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)