Sept 17 meet in McB 110
Computer Science Resource Consortium (CSRC) Panel visit to class. These are
recruiters who will be interviewing and hiring VT Computer Science graduates,
and so please prepare:
TWO (2) very clear and concrete questions that you would ask a job recruiter.
Questions that elicit the most useful and concrete answers ask about specific
memories, facts, stories, and history, rather than feelings, impressions, and vague
general ideas.
For example (No, you can’t use this example for the assignment - but you can ask
this question to the CSRC, and you can write a similar question for the
assignment):
Bad: Do you think that interviews are a good way of judging job applicants, and
why?
Better: What is the question you asked that did the very BEST job of determining
whether you wanted to hire an applicant? What was the answer?
Sept 19
What is the most novel ethical issue
introduced by cyber technologies?
Name and describe the most novel (new) ethical issue that
you can think of that has arisen as a result of computer
(cyber) technologies.
Be sure to explain how it is a new ethical issue, and how
computing or cyber technologies give rise to it.
Outline Due Sept 20
Essay Due Sept 27
Write a well-formed, 5-paragraph essay (intro, 3 body points, conclusion).
Write in complete sentences, and be sure to state three substantial and convincing points that
you can develop for the outline and essay assignments that follow.
Claim: Cybertechnology does NOT introduce new ethical
issues.
For this outline assignment and the essay, be sure to recognize the following understanding:
 Computing introduces new conceptual puzzles and dilemmas related to ethics (cyberethics) that Tavani refers to as "conceptual muddles".
 These can lead to "policy vacuums".
 We can distinguish between unique technological features and unique ethical issues.
 New technologies and their capabilities can introduce "conceptual muddles" and/or
"policy vacuum", but we should be careful to distinguish "policy vacuums" and "unique
ethical issues".
Structure: 5 Paragraphs
 Intro
 Body (3 points)
 Conclusion
What Should it DO?
 Attention
 Interest reader
 Funnel
 Start with broad statement
 Focus down to thesis
 Provide Context
 Mini-outline
 Main points (3)
 All support the thesis
3 REQUIRED Elements
1. Attention-getter
- Question
- Quote
- Scene
- Statistic / Fact
- Joke
- Broad and interesting
2. Sign Post
 In this essay I will…
 Name the 3 body points
3. Thesis statement
I.
Introduction (what you are going to say):
a.
b.
c.
II.
Attention getter: question, imagery, joke, fact/statistic, etc.
Signpost: Name the 3 body points (but no need to fully explain or describe them)
Thesis statement
Name of body point #1 as stated in the intro, used in a sentence that describes the point of the paragraph and directly
supports the thesis
a.
b.
c.
Specific support statement/evidence 1 for body point #1
Specific support statement/evidence 2 for body point #1
Specific support statement/evidence 3 for body point #1
III. Transition from last paragraph. Name of body point #2 as stated in the intro, used in a sentence that describes the point of
the paragraph and directly supports the thesis
a.
b.
c.
Specific support statement/evidence 1 for body point #2
Specific support statement/evidence 2 for body point #2
Specific support statement/evidence 3 for body point #2
IV. Transition from last paragraph. Name of body point #3 as stated in the intro, used in a sentence that describes the point of
the paragraph and directly supports the thesis
a.
b.
c.
V.
Specific support statement/evidence 1 for body point #3
Specific support statement/evidence 2 for body point #3
Specific support statement/evidence 3 for body point #3
Conclusion (what you said):
a.
b.
c.
Summarize the 3 body points.
Kicker: Rhetorical question or statement that restates the thesis in a different and summative manner (now that the argument is
completed).
Refer to a (slightly) broader purpose, situation, or fact that gives the essay purpose or in need of further attention.
Sample Introduction
I am a movie fanatic. When friends want to
know what picture won the Oscar in 1980 or
who played the police chief in Jaws, they
ask me. My friends, though, have stopped
asking me if I want to go out to the movies.
The problems in getting to the theater, the
theater itself, and the behavior of some
patrons are all reasons why I often wait for
a movie to show up on TV.
Sample Introduction (2)
"A dog is man's best friend." That common saying may
contain some truth, but dogs are not the only animal
friend whose companionship people enjoy. For many
people, a cat is their best friend. Despite what dog
lovers may believe, cats make excellent housepets
as they are good companions, they are civilized
members of the household, and they are easy to
care for.
What to Include in each of the 3 body paragraphs
 3 points = 3 paragraphs
 Named the point from introduction
 State in a sentence
 Does this support your thesis?
 If not, then delete
Ways to organize the 3 paragraphs
 Least to most important
 Simplest to complicated
 First paragraph
 Strongest argument
 Best example
 Obvious start point
 Chronological
 Cause and effect
First of all, just getting to the theater presents
difficulties. Leaving a home equipped with a TV
and a video recorder isn't an attractive idea on
a humid, cold, or rainy night. Even if the
weather cooperates, there is still a thirtyminute drive to the theater down a congested
highway, followed by the hassle of looking for a
parking space. And then there are the lines.
After hooking yourself to the end of a human
chain, you worry about whether there will be
enough tickets, whether you will get seats
together, and whether many people will sneak
into the line ahead of you.
In the first place, people enjoy the companionship
of cats. Many cats are affectionate. They will
snuggle up and ask to be petted, or scratched under
the chin. Who can resist a purring cat? If they're
not feeling affectionate, cats are generally quite
playful. They love to chase balls and feathers, or
just about anything dangling from a string. They
especially enjoy playing when their owners are
participating in the game. Contrary to popular
opinion, cats can be trained. Using rewards and
punishments, just like with a dog, a cat can be
trained to avoid unwanted behavior or perform
tricks. Cats will even fetch!
Once you have made it to the box office and gotten your
tickets, you are confronted with the problems of the
theater itself. If you are in one of the run-down older
theaters, you must adjust to the musty smell of seldomcleaned carpets. Escaped springs lurk in the faded plush or
cracked leather seats, and half the seats you sit in seem
loose or tilted so that you sit at a strange angle. The
newer twin and quad theaters offer their own problems.
Sitting in an area only one-quarter the size of a regular
theater, moviegoers often have to put up with the sound of
the movie next door. This is especially jarring when the
other movie involves racing cars or a karate war and you
are trying to enjoy a quiet love story. And whether the
theater is old or new, it will have floors that seem to be
coated with rubber cement. By the end of a movie, shoes
almost have to be pried off the floor because they have
become sealed to a deadly compound of spilled soda,
hardening bubble gum, and crushed Ju-Jubes.
In the second place, cats are civilized members of
the household. Unlike dogs, cats do not bark or
make other loud noises. Most cats don't even meow
very often. They generally lead a quiet existence.
Cats also don't often have "accidents." Mother cats
train their kittens to use the litter box, and most
cats will use it without fail from that time on. Even
stray cats usually understand the concept when
shown the box and will use it regularly. Cats do have
claws, and owners must make provision for this. A
tall scratching post in a favorite cat area of the
house will often keep the cat content to leave the
furniture alone. As a last resort, of course, cats can
be declawed.
Some of the patrons are even more of a problem than the
theater itself. Little kids race up and down the aisles,
usually in giggling packs. Teenagers try to impress their
friends by talking back to the screen, whistling, and
making what they consider to be hilarious noises. Adults
act as if they were at home in their own living rooms and
comment loudly on the ages of the stars or why movies
aren't as good anymore. And people of all ages crinkle
candy wrappers, stick gum on their seats, and drop
popcorn tubs or cups of crushed ice and soda on the floor.
They also cough and burp, squirm endlessly in their seats,
file out for repeated trips to the rest rooms or concession
stand, and elbow you out of the armrest on either side of
your seat.
Lastly, one of the most attractive features of cats as
housepets is their ease of care. Cats do not have to be walked.
They get plenty of exercise in the house as they play, and
they do their business in the litter box. Cleaning a litter box
is a quick, painless procedure. Cats also take care of their own
grooming. Bathing a cat is almost never necessary because
under ordinary circumstances cats clean themselves. Cats are
more particular about personal cleanliness than people are. In
addition, cats can be left home alone for a few hours without
fear. Unlike some pets, most cats will not destroy the
furnishings when left alone. They are content to go about
their usual activities until their owners return.
 Answer questions or problems posed
 Allude to the pattern used
 Restate the thesis but do NOT duplicate
 Summarize the three main points
 Final statement, suggestions, further points, other
resources
Conclusion
(movies)
After arriving home from the movies one
night, I decided that I was not going to
be a moviegoer anymore. I was tired of
the problems involved in getting to the
movies and dealing with the theater itself
and some of the patrons. The next day I
arranged to have cable TV service
installed in my home. I may now see
movies a bit later than other people, but
I'll be more relaxed watching box office
hits in the comfort of my own living room.
Conclusion (cats)
Cats are low maintenance, civilized
companions. People who have small living
quarters or less time for pet care should
appreciate these characteristics of cats.
However, many people who have plenty of
space and time still opt to have a cat
because they love the cat personality. In
many ways, cats are the ideal housepet.
Tips and Exercises
•
•
•
•
•
Use action verbs / words (not “to be”)
Clarity and economy
Write it down, revise, re-read, revise, revise
Represent the opposing viewpoint fairly
Don't plagiarize - try to use your own words (unless
quoting is purposeful)
• Keep notes when READING
– Not summary but thoughts that connect to you
Minimize use of the word 'is'.
Bad: Music piracy is an important ethical issue for consumers, the music
industry, and the government.
Better: Music piracy impacts consumers, the music industry, and the government.
Hard, fast rule: Use only one "to be" verb per essay. This applies to all forms of the
verb:
is
are
am
were
will be
etc.
Note that you CAN use the present continuous verb tense -- the phrase "I am walking
up the stairs" does NOT violate the rule. "To be" acts as an auxiliary verb in this
instance.
Qualify ambiguous words
Bad: The Challenger disaster changed the face of the US
space program. It continues to affect the way we perceive
NASA even today. (What affects the way who perceives
NASA?)
Better: The Challenger disaster changed the face of the US
space program. The tragedy continues to affect the way
Americans perceive NASA even today.
Hard, fast rule: The following words must always be qualified:
•
•
•
•
•
•
this
that
these
those
it
they (OK, sometimes you can get away with this one)
Eliminate content-free phrases
Bad: In order to control costs, the committee
must vote against implementing the new
policy.
Better: To control costs, the committee must
vote against implementing the new policy.
Hard, fast rule: For the most part, your essays
will be limited to one page. Eliminate
meaningless phrases like "in order to".
Avoid passive voice
– Bad: The new code of ethics was drafted
by the ACM.
– Better: The ACM drafted a new code of
ethics.
– Hard, fast rule: There are occasions where
the passive voice sounds better or suits the
situation, but they are few and far between.
Make sure that in your sentences, the subject
"operates on" the object. The object should
not be "operated on by" the subject.
Eliminate misplaced modifiers
Bad: Put modifiers as close as you possibly
can to the word being modified.
Better: Put modifiers as close to the word
being modified as you possibly can.
Hard, fast rule: Put modifiers as close to the
word being modified as you possibly can.
Sometimes this is a judgment call: "Put
modifiers as close as possible to the word
being modified" changes the sentence
slightly but looks even more professional than
just moving the modifier.