For your final paper I want you to think about your position as a member of the information technology industry. As you enter the workplace you will find yourself confronted with ethical questions relating to the Internet and to computing in general. You might be asked to write software that collects information about people without their knowledge. You may see the possibility to create real change in the world through the power of online media. You may have to decide if the work you are being asked to do is ethical. Such decisions are important to your career and to the quality of your life. A bad decision, even if made in good faith could have disastrous results, just ask the twenty-five members of Anonymous who were arrested in February of 2012.
What is your responsibility, as an I.T. Professional in Today’s world? How would you balance the need to keep government and corporate data hidden with the legitimate need for whistle blowers? How would you allow people to maintain the privacy of their medical and financial records, while making it possible for companies to advertise products that are interesting and useful to consumers? Where would you draw the dividing line between what’s useful (to companies, governments, to the public) and what’s ethical and appropriate.
Make sure to thoroughly answer my 3-point analysis:
- How would you keep both online privacy and freedom(means information fluidity) intact?
- How would you distinguish right from wrong choices?
- How would you promote IT needs without violating any IP (Intellectual Property) rights
Your paper should be six pages; double spaced, and should follow A.P.A. Style (see the previously posted APA tutorial). Be sure to cite sources for your argument and to use quotations correctly. Provide a reference section and a cover page. The paper should be submitted in Microsoft Word.
