Friday, March 9, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Blog Entry 11
Ethical Dilemma: Chapter 11 – Codes of conduct
Approximately, one year ago, an editor of this book carried out an informal survey among his academic colleagues who were members of BCS. He approached each and asked if they could state two points contained within the BCS Code of Conduct. Two of these people responded by indicating that they did not know that the BCS had a professional code of conduct. Two indicated that while they knew the code of conduct existed, they never had looked at it. The remaining two – who indicated their awareness of the code of conduct and recalled having looked at it – stated that they could not recall its content.
These were clearly dismal results, particularly as the question was asked of people who had been members for some time.
In this book, we have discussed the BCS Code of Conduct in some detail – to what extent do you believe this code of conduct is important and/or more relevant? Why would YOU join the BCS? If you are a student in a university department studying Computer Science or IT, have you been offered a BCS membership application form? Are you aware of the opportunities for networking, and for joining special interest group? These are certainly good reasons to join the BCS – but on the other hand, during your professional career, do you believe that the framework defined within the BCS Code of Conduct is likely to be relevant and/or useful?
Answer:
In some manner the believed of one individual with regards to the BCS either member or not depends and on how it was being exposed to the public matter. Our point is that, the data gathered by those students response about BCS was surely enough to tell that the BCS org. itself has not completely put extra awareness to their expected viewers and followers. Hence, the level of its effectiveness differs on how they let the people know and comprehend with such codes and ethics of their published organization.
Blog Entry 10
Ethical Dilemma: Chapter 9 The use of artificial intelligence and expert systems
A couple of years ago Patricia returned to the UK to take up an academic position at a British university. She had been out of the UK for over twenty year working at universities in a number of countries, and had a good professional employment record. She decided to open a bank account with one of the large banks that had a branch on the campus.
She met the bank manager, was given the necessary forms, and duly completed them. A few days later she returned to the bank to open her account. Much to her surprise, she was told that she could only have a cash account, i.e. she would not be given any bank cards, cheque book, or the like, nor could she have any overdraft facility.
Patricia again met with the bank manager as she naturally felt there must have been some misunderstanding. Key points here are that she already had a bank account in the UK since her student days (although this had been largely unused during her year’s way), she owned no money on credit cards or the like, was a UK citizen, and had a good track record with banks overseas. In addition, her salary from the university was to be paid into her account each month.
Despite her explaining these points, the bank manager was adamant that she could only have cash account. When asked to explain this decision, the bank manager indicated that it was not in fact her decision, but a decision made by an expert system. The bank always used this computer technology when making decision about opening accounts for new clients, and in fact the bank manager could not overrule the restrictions that the expert system imposed. In short, the expert system was empowered in the decision-making process. The bank manager went on to explain that the problem was that the expert system had not previously encountered a person with Patricia’s particular background, and the key point to the computer was the extensive years of residency outside the UK.
To what extent do you think it is appropriate to replace the human decision-making process with computer technologies such as expert systems?
During the conversation Patricia asked the bank manager whether she felt that it was appropriate for the expert system to be empowered in this way. The response she obtained was that it was a great idea because computers do not make mistakes. What do you think about this comment? Do computerized system free from mistakes? Should we be educating people to believe that computers are infallible – are computers infallible? What do you think are the ultimate ramifications of believing in infallible computerized systems?
Answer:
I say it is a no! Leaving a huge task in decision making to a bunch of computer is merely an admirable act of the bank manager. By depending on the computer intelligence to replace human participation, it also covers to holds the bigger risk as the activities comes to the future. I may say, that expert system can be nearly 100% perfect for not committing mistakes but the fact is that, it is always a non logical piece of machine that can only run tasks of what they are programmed with, but what about beyond that?
As far as I remembered, systems are gradually leveled on how strong and powerful it is made of, yet still, humans created these systems which are prone to errors and also that even with just this very tiny error that he can made, it may result to system crash and other undesired outcomes as well.
Decision making for me is a matter of believing one to create decisions for them, without this perception, even how perfect your process may be, still it can’t be helped to obtain a hole to destroy all of its content. Machines are made to make the human effort less, not to replace its function as a man. I’m afraid that if the time will come that all the people are manage and being instructed by a system, that would be the time that people doesn’t care to each other and failed to act the word “unity”.
Blog Entry 8
So far in this chapter we have not paid any particular attention to the impact of ICT on older people – people who have previously lived within a fairly stable environment. Today the momentum of change (in which computer-based technologies play a pivotal role) is ever-increasing. Consequently, older people are becoming ever more concerned and bewildered by the constant alternations that are occurring in practically every aspect of their daily lives. Stability is being replaced by instability. As younger people embrace e-mail, cellular phones, text messaging and the like, the older generations see their post offices closing, no longer is there any personal contact at the bank, and who knows for how much longer they will be able to use a chequebook?
· How do you perceive the ramifications of computer-based technologies, and the current pace of change impacting on older people?
I see it as, the older people are more hard working and enthusiast on there works. The computer – based technologies affect them by the effort they used apply with than the new era of sending emails by clicking, they may hardly adapt to these changes but truly their generation at there times are more productive rather than our present times.
· To what extent are they becoming increasingly isolated?
They just missed the things they usually do at their times. Normally, they are not isolated in the first place, they just don’t like the way the present persons do tasks nowadays. They pissed on being timid of our generation and thinking the actions and tasks as business rather than a “work”.
· Is direct personal contact being gradually eroded?
Yes of course, seeing and managing with other people is the hardest part of being a human. Direct personal contact adds insecurities and low profile by one hand rather than talking to a machine. Previously, withdrawing in the banks using cheque’s is like withdrawing all of your money, I’m saying that, people are aware on insecurities that one may look down on someone withdrawing a single peso rather than taking a mallet of cash. In this scenario, by used of the ATM, people can get the exact and manage there bills accordingly on their likes and plans.
· Perhaps discuss these issues with an older person that you know, such as family members. Identify key issues.
My grandmother and even my parents are not well educated with responds to new technologies. They all look all of the machines as a toy than can be bought and easily be broken which is quite correct on their part. People as grow older are much lesser to think and work progressively so they let there young ones to teach them on some matters. Of course seniors are always be the masters as long as “respect” is present at all times.
Of course! Technology must adopt on its target clients and consumers with regards on its purpose. It must change features and functions accordingly on what the majority can understand and be can be easily to adopt, it will always be depends on the client age, state, billing capacity and the place on where it is living.
Blog Entry 9
Ethical Dilemma: Chapter 8 Empowering computers in the workplace
In this chapter we have discussed the use of computer to monitor the performance and activities of employees. As we have seen, this sort of monitoring process can be carried out for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to increase productivity by enhancing the quality of work carried out by employees. Naturally, by and large the raison d’etre for increasing the quality of work is to increase profits.
In chapter 1 we briefly discussed the negative impact that the disposal of computer-based equipment can have on the environment, and here we highlight a simple situation in which computer technologies can be used to ameliote negative environment impact – specifically in relation to carbon emissions – atmospheric pollution. At the same time we illustrate frequent reluctance on the part of management to adapt their working procedures to embrace these technologies. Our simple example is as follows.
Consider Alice, who is a staff member in a computer science department in New Zealand. She applies for a job at a university in the UK and is invited to travel to the UK for a three-hour interview. Thus, Alice will have to fly some ten thousand miles each way in order to be present for three hours at the interview. Let us suppose that you are heading the interview committee in the UK, and are therefore Alice’s Primary point of contact. Alice sends you an e-mail asking whether it would be possible for her to be interviewed using videoconferencing facilities. She points out that this will not save her a huge amount of flying time (at least 20 hours each way), but also will alleviate stress, and furthermore – as she mentions – avoiding long-haul journeys that are not absolutely necessary has a positive impact on the environment. In this respect she points out the significant amount of fuel that will be burnt in transporting her from New Zealand to the UK and on her return journey. She has access to high-quality videoconferencing facilities, and so does your university in the UK.
You bring this situation to the attention of other members of the interview committee – your head of department, and the like – but find that nobody is particularly willing to make use of videoconferencing facilities. This surprises you, especially as after all you are working in a computer science/IT department and therefore had supposed that staff would have been quite willing to embrace new technologies. You mention that costs will be saved in not having to pay Alice’s airfare, and also stress that this is an opportunity to make use of computer technologies to avoid negative impact on the environment (in actual fact it is surprising how much fuel is consumed in supporting Alice’s round-the-world trip).
What are your views on this situation? Do you feel that this highlights (even in a small way) the opportunity to reduce environment damage by using technologies to support communication and therefore avoid unnecessary travel?
Do you believe that people should be willing to adapt to the use of such videoconferencing technologies – is this an ethical issue? Given a willingness to adapt, is it possible that the interview process can be carried out in such a way as to overcome the possible deficiencies of the technology – so that the candidate is not disadvantaged by not being physically present, and also provide the interview committee with the opportunity to gain a clear impression of Alice?
Finally, in the chapter we have briefly discussed the imposition of computer-based technologies to monitor the activities of members of a workforce. Do you feel that if members of a workforce are expected to adapt to the deployment of such technologies, then members of a management team should be willingness of a management team to employ even videoconferencing facilities)? To what extent to you think senior management is generally willing to accept the introduction of computer-based technologies to monitor their own activities during the working day?
Answer:
The scenario is quite merely happening on the real life. There are too much factors that to be consider in using videoconferencing as medium on the work. Maybe the seniors are thinking beyond future risks and the possibility of changing the usual routine of their company transactions.
Adopting and embracing the new era of communication technologies is not a bad act, hence many transactions nowadays are using this method to make business, but what Alice had failed to consider is that, the scene was only focus to her, I mean the situation itself has centered on her only and it may not right to engaged and change usual routines for the sake of one employee.
Citing the actual scene of the situation, it may not be balance to balance to weight the risk of everyone to the good of one but rather the reverse of it. Proposing the change of one’s company like videoconferencing may add as a debit on the bright side, however adjusting to the terms and capital of the proposed project may cause money lost and time consuming that can be converted to profit if not wasted. So, at our own opinion, the head and the seniors of the committee are always be the reliable on deciding on allowing or not the proposal of
Blog Entry 6
Chapter 5: Regulating Internet Content
What is your ethical position? Do you think this is an appropriate agenda in terms of invisibly policing the internet? Since your boss has presented you with this brief, in the case that you do not agree with the ramifications of policing the internet in this way, do you have any practical alternative but to undertake the work? (Here we assume that your boss is insistent that the work should be carried out by you.) What-if any-real objections do you have? Do you feel this is encroaching upon the liberty of the individual? Are your views influenced by the nature of the content of the website? For example, would your views be any different if the website related directly to terrorism or other forms of political extremism? To what extent do you think that the internet is currently being policed - not only in terms of monitoring those who enter particular websites or who enter contentious chat room area or the likes?
· In that case, I’d rather quit my job and find others that will fulfill my interest and mold me as a true person rather than to be made as a tool of mass destruction of mankind. My boss thinks like it’s just purely business publishing different post and articles at any topic at any costs. Well joining in the publishing type of companies like that one lies all of the consequences of to a spreader of sin and chaos, so I’d rather collect trashes of bottles and papers than working in offices that is full of stains and a drawer of waste in time.
· Like in my previous reactions about of what I think of it in ethical aspects, well for me, the act of which wrong in the first place can never be a right in the future, it may just lessen the level of it’s ethical wrongfulness.
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