School of Engineering and
Applied
Science Department of Computer Science CSci 110 -- Technology and Society http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~mfeldman/csci110/summer10 Prof. Michael B. Feldman, course instructor mfeldman@gwu.edu |
Readings:
Social Impact Issues, Baase, chapt. 1.2-1.3, 9
Privacy and Information, Baase, chapt. 2, 3
Privacy and the Internet, Spinello/Tavani, chapt. 4
Prof. Martin's
Notes on Privacy, Part 1 (PDF,
240 Kb)
Prof.
Martin's
Notes
on
Privacy, Part 2 (PDF, 420 Kb)
Prof.
Martin's Notes on Social-Research (PDF, 40 Kb)
Individual Ethics
Scenario Analysis
due Thursday 5/27
Research Report on
Broadband for All Americans
due
Sunday 5/30
HEADS-UP Advance Notice: Science Fiction Assignment (click for details)
A. ONLINE survey (by Friday 5/28) – take computer attitude survey on
Zoomerang to see and discuss class results. This web-based survey is
based on questions that were asked to
assess the attitudes about computers by the general public in 1961,
1971 and in 1983 and 1991. A version of this survey was also used to
compare the attitudes of US and Russian citizens in 1988 and the
attitudes of US and Russian children in 1990. Please take the survey to
determine your attitudes about computers today!
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224DUED2BNB
Prof. Martin published an article on this and
related issues.
Taking the survey will give you an idea of the general setup at
Zoomerang, which
is where we'll be posting our surveys. In the Full-Class Discussion
area, we'll discuss our
thoughts about the form of our surveys in this course.
B. Discussion and individual research reports on broadband
(by Sunday 5/30)
C. Discussion of Privacy Issues (by Sunday 5/30) -- Each of the
following scenarios considers a current issue with privacy
implications. Each has a discussion forum in the
Blackboard discussion area. Your assignment is to participate in at
least TWO of the three discussions.
SCENARIO 1: Medical Databases: One way to solve the drug interaction
problem
that occurs if patients take drugs prescribed by different doctors
would be to set up a nationwide (or worldwide) database system accessed
by all doctors and pharmacists. Any time your doctor prescribes a
medication, she would check the database to see all
prescriptions you're using or have used in the past, even those
prescribed by other doctors. And before filling your prescription, the
pharmacist would check your other medications for interactions with the
new one. What are the privacy implications here? What sort of entity
should operate this database -- government, private industry, what?
SCENARIO 2: Smartphones to the Max: As we know, the latest
cellphones have GPS circuits that can determine the location of the
phone to within a few meters. An obvious benefit is that emergency
services can precisely locate the victim of an accident or sudden
illness. Now the retailing industry is experimenting with using your
phone's GPS to determine your precise shopping location -- which aisle
in the supermarket! -- and (for example) send an instant discount
coupon to your phone. Obviously you'd have to opt in for such a
"service". Discuss whether -- and why or why not -- you'd opt in to
this tradeoff of some of your privacy for shopping discounts?
SCENARIO 3: The Feds and Privacy: In recent years we've learned of
federal-government projects to listen in
on
international phone calls, collect basic data on all phone calls, and
track international financial transactions. How much privacy should
citizens give up in order to protect the country from terrorists?
Should such projects be done only under court supervision, or should an
Administration be empowered to act alone?
D. Read the notes on social research (data gathering) and discuss in
your groups.