University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 1
SENG401: Social & Professional Issues
An overview of this term’s course.
Instructor: Melanie Tory
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 2
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 3
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 4
Course Topics • Computer Technology and its Benefits • Privacy • Eavesdropping • Trusting Computers • Free Speech • IP, Copyrights, Patents • Crime • Work • Play • Professional Ethics
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 5
1. Computer Technology & its Benefits
• What benefits has computer technology brought about in the past ten years? – Directly personal perspective? – Broader perspective?
• Is it an enabler? • Or is it a destroyer?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 6
2. Privacy • Risks of Computer Technology to
Personal and Private Data • “Big Brother”? • Consumer Information (databases,
marketing) • Social Insurance Numbers, IDs, Health
Information • Protecting Privacy
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 7
2. Privacy?
Should Google be able to keep a record of all search queries you have ever made?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 8
3. Eavesdropping • Encryption and Interception of Communications • Wiretapping? Designing this into systems? • Cryptography • Encryption Policy • Fundamental Issues
– Role of Secrecy – Status-Quo? – Trust in Government
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 9
4. Trusting Computers • What can go wrong?
– as a computer user? – as a computer professional? – as an educated member of society?
• Problems for individuals; system failures; abandoned systems
• Therac-25 • Increasing Reliability and Safety • Computer models and trust
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 10
4. Trusting Computers
How many of you have tried hang-gliding? Or bungee-jumping? How many of you would say “No way!”? How many would ride on a computer-controlled train that had no human driver? How many of you would like to be one of the first to have a computer chip implanted in your head to, say, improve language ability?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 11
5. Free Speech • What is the web?
– Print media? – Broadcast media?
• Offensive Speech and Censorship • Internet Access in Libraries and Schools • “On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.” • Spam • Diversity
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 12
5. Free Speech
Should spam be considered a form of trespassing? Restaurants are open to the public but can exclude rowdy people. What rules or laws does that analogy suggest about sending spam to subscribers of an ISP?
Are free-speech laws more relevant in one case than in another?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 13
6. IP • Intellectual Property and Changing
Technology • Copyright Law • Copying music, movies, software, books • Software piracy • Free software
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 14
6. IP
Should algorithms be patentable?
Should free music/film downloading be permitted?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 15
7. Crime • Computers + the web: new environment
for fraud • Hacking • Script kiddies - minimal computer skills
needed • Hacktivism? - hacking for political cause • Scams, phishing • Credit cards, identity theft
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 16
7. Crime
Do hackers provide a public service by finding and publicizing computer-security weaknesses?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 17
8. Work • Job destruction and creation • Changing skills and jobs • Work environment • Employee Monitoring • Employee e-mail, web surfing, voice mail • Health Issues • Eastern programmers
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 18
9. Play • Computer games • MMORPGs - Massive multiplayer online
role-playing games • Messaging • Social Networking
– E.g. Twitter, Facebook
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 19
10. Professional Ethics • Professional ethics and responsibilities • Ethics (briefly!), ethical views • IEEE/ACM Codes • Case Studies
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 20
10. Professional Ethics
What are your obligations as a Professional Engineer in Canada?
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 21
Themes • Old Problems in a New Context
– Look for solutions learned in older technologies • Adapting to New Technology
– New activities may require a new set of rules to follow
• Global Reach of the Net – Social behaviour and laws vary from country to
country • Trade-offs and Controversy
– Consider both sides of an argument
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 22
Ex: Buying Music Online • Stealing music is an old problem, but it is
now easier to distribute it to more people • Music industry & laws took substantial
time to adapt • Music can be widely distributed on the net • Tradeoffs: benefits (cheaper, more
convenient), drawbacks (increased possibility for crime)
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 23
Themes con’t • Differences between Personal Choices,
Business Policies, and Law – Arguments for personal choice or organizational
policy are not sufficient for enforcing decisions [laws] against others.
• Negative rights / Liberties – Rights to act without interference
• Positive rights / Claim-Rights – Rights that impose obligation on others to provide
certain things
University of Victoria Department of Computer Science
SENG 401: Social and Professional Issues Course Introduction: Slide 24
Read this book carefully!
