home—info—archive—exams—lectures—labs—hws
Recipe—Laws—lies—syntax—java.lang docs—java.util docs
lect10b
ethics
After any questions about hw08 solutions,
we will spend time discussing ethical which come up in computer science.
RU account policy
-
RU
account policies
-
Can you use your account to download The Anarchists Cookbook?
-
Can you try to guess your friend's password,
to print out one of their papers for them?
Can they tell you their password?
-
Run a webserver for a side-business you're trying to start?
How about for a non-profit organization?
(Note: I am not a lawyer!)
Copying digital media
-
Copying music from a friend's CD? From their iPod?
-
Downloading music via bittorrent/Limewire/kazaa?
How about for a song you already own?
How about for a song on a CD which was stolen from you? Which you dropped?
(Old-timers: How about for a song on a cassette/vinyl which you wore out?)
For a song your parents own, but you didn't copy before .
For a live version of a song you own?
-
From a band's myspace page where they include streaming audio
(but no download), using a program to download it?
What if they specifically ask you not to do this?
-
Subscribing to a music-streaming service for one week,
and using a program to download/save the music to your hard drive?
-
Pirating software which doesn't have any protections?
-
Pirating software which does have protections which you
have to modify (or download a patch) to use?
-
Giving freeware to a friend?
What a beta version which had been free,
although now the program is in production and ?
-
Downloading shareware for the trial period, then deleting and
re-downloading?
-
What about using an ad-blocker plugin
to view sites which are trying to support themselves by advertising?
-
How does the business model of making money
through advertising vs. through selling copies of the software
change the picture?
(For example: a website where you can stream any song you want for free,
but it displays ads on the side.)
Does this change how you value the product?
Hacking
-
Brute force password attacks:
If you can write a program to attempt to log into your friend's
WoW account (perhaps by trying every word in the dictionary),
does that mean it's fair game to try?
-
How about trying a few passwords by hand -- is this any different?
-
How about trying your friend's doorknob, to see if it's unlocked?
A friend-of-a-friend? A random house on the street?
-
Downloading a patch to your cable box, getting you access to free
premium channels?
-
Hacking into somebody's web server, to demonstrate that they
have a security hole?
What about breaking into somebody's house, to leave a note on their table?
Privacy issues
-
Can RU system administrators read your email?
-
Can RU faculty/staff read your email?
-
Having a provocative background image
on your own computer, which you use in class?
On a lab computer?
-
ISPs giving out information about one specific customer,
to somebody who calls up claiming to be that person's wife/parent/self?
-
ISPs giving out information about one specific customer,
to law enforcement with a warrant?
-
ISPs giving out information about hundres of thousands of customers
to law enforcement without a warrant?
Monopolies
- Microsoft integrating Windows w/ Explorer?
-
-
topics without clear answers
home—info—archive—exams—lectures—labs—hws
Recipe—Laws—lies—syntax—java.lang docs—java.util docs
rad�ford.edu