Social Impact of Computers
The Cashless Society
Companies with terminals linked to central computer can handle money transactions.
Smart Card- money added to the card(equipped with a chip) through add-value
machine.
Advantages
 Convenient, shopping no need to carry large amount of money
 reduce the risk of robbery
 save time, don’t have to wait in queues for withdrawing money
 no foreign exchange for travelling overseas
Disadvantages
 easy to spend more than you can afford


fraud- card is stolen and signature is fraud or the number changed through ironing
and embossing
problems arise when computers breakdown or human errors
Unemployment and employment
Automation has cause threat to workers as computers controlled machine or robots are
replacing them, however, the computer industry can create many new jobs.
Now, many jobs are computer related in order to work smoothly, but in the long run,
the number of these jobs will decline as computer are easier to use
see 98-CE-STUD 1B 6(c)
Computers’ related jobs
Data processing manager
Systems analyst
Applications programmer
Systems programmer
Database administrator
Computer Operator
responsible for overall running of the data
processing department
analyses information system. He works
with users to deal with requirements and
solve problems. He also helps to design
systems
responsible for writing high level
programs under the systems designs and
specifications of system analyst.
responsible for writing low level systems
program to improve the performance of
hardware
designs, creates and maintains the
database of the organization
look after day to day operation of the
system including loading and backing up
disc
prepares and enters data into the computer
Data entry operator
See 2000-CE-COMP STUD 1B 2(a),(b)
Change in work pattern
 Shorter working hours
 sharing jobs
 reduce the age of retirement
 “remote office” at home by using modem devices- reduce traffic jam, can
work and do housework at the same time

enjoy more leisure time???
or no private space???
New Lifestyle
 Computers are becoming easier to learn and to use‘user-friendly’ interactive
graphics-user interface (icons, menus…)


easier to train staff
multimedia environment makes people to use computer for learning and for
entertaining e.g. learning a foreign language, browsing multimedia encyclopedia
Computer Ethics
Question (1)
What if you do a friend a favour and make a copy on a blank diskette of a computer
game that he/she has admired?
What’s your view?(Agree or disagree)
“Just one copy can’t hurt”
“Everybody does it, why shouldn’t I”
“Copying software is un-ethical”
Question (2)
What if you have spent weeks of writing a project, but somebody else photocopy it
and turn it in for a grade?
What will you feel?
Computer Ethics
About what is right and what is wrong
users adopt a code of ethics:
1. Do not violate the confidentiality of your employer
2. Use information responsibly
3. Do not violate the rights or privacy of others
4. Do not break the law
Topics of computer ethics
1.
2.
3.
4.
Privacy and confidentiality
Data transfer
Data accuracy
Software Piracy(盜版軟件)
5.
6.
Computer crime
Computer viruses
1. Privacy and confidentiality
 Companies and government departments use computers to store confidential
personal data

e.g. medical records, tax information, credit card information,
immigrate/emigrate records, public exam records, id-card number
may be illegally accessed, changed and abused(e.g.梁愛詩病歷報告外洩, X 週
刊報導某人資料)
 Personal data must not kept longer than necessary
see 98-CE-COMP-STUD 1B 6(d)
see 99-CE-COMP-STUD 1B 4(e)
2.Data transfer
 Data can be easily transfer from one computer to another
 mail order company can purchase mailing lists from special organizations which
sell information of other people
3. Data accuracy
 Information about a person may be incorrect
 e.g. a loan might be rejected for incorrect information(poor credit ratings)

ensure accuracy by data validation and verification and regularly updated
4. Software Piracy
 Refers to illegal copying software(except for backup purposes) include
programmers who “steal”programs from the companies works for copying


copyrighted software and then reselling it breaks the copyright law.
Using unlicensed software is also breaking the law
Are you helping to sell the program or break the law?
Intellectual Property Department(http://www.info.gov.hk/ipd/index.htm)
see 97-CE-COMP-STUD IB 6(b), see 99-CE-COMP-STUD IB 1(d)
see 00-CE-COMP-STUD IB 2(c)
5. Computer Crimes
 Theft of computer time
 using employer’s computer to type term papers, calculate racing scores etc.
 playing computer games during computer lessons
 Manipulation of computer programs or data
 student illegally gain access to school computer and change subject grades in




school database
programmer working in a bank change the computer program and transfer funds
into his own account
develop an electronic device which can rewrite the values of MTR stored-value
tickets
develop a virus program(usually by hackers) and put it in a network, which not
only destroy the data on disks but also spread the network
Theft of Data
computer criminals using home computers to break security codes and review
confidential data banks of the government
6. Computer Viruses
A virus is a subversive program that can corrupt , erase data files, or overwrites the
boot sector. It replicates itself and spreads to other systems. It can be imported
through disks or networks
motives:
 pride to demonstrate one’s computer knowledge and ability
 revenge to vandalism





terrorism
to minimize the damage by viruses, one should
avoid use of illegal software or program with unknown source
do a regular clean backup or disk files
perform virus scan and cleaning of hard disks
see 2000-CE-COMP STUD 1B 2(d)