Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Reflection Paper

Math 10 -- INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
D. C. Smolarski, S.J.
Winter 1999

Write a 3 to 5 page, double-spaced, reflection paper on a topic related to computers or technology and society, especially regarding ethical problems or other misuse of technology. (Three pages does not mean two pages with a paragraph on the third!)

Preferred topics and references are listed below. If you wish to focus on another topic, please check with me ahead of time. The idea is that you should read something about an issue related to technology and society and then write up your reflections on it (in the format mentioned in below).

The paper will receive two grades: one will be based on the topic, its presentation and analysis; the other will be based on the technicalities of spelling, grammar, and English style.

Please note that this is a formal paper, and the English style used should be appropriate for such a paper. Colloquial expressions, jargon, or expressions common in oral communication rather than in written communication should all be avoided. For more information, see this link.

The paper may take one of several general forms. After a factual review of the topic, the paper should have a substantial section devoted to "reflection," which can be of various formats. For example, it may be a reaction to the social crisis induced by the (possible) misuse of technology. It may be a proposal for legislation to resolve difficulties and uncertainties or to protect rights. It may be a personal reflection on a new awareness of the complexity of problems that come hand in hand with the proliferation of technology. It may be an evaluation of the pros and cons of introducing certain types of computer-related technology (in industry, in city government, in academia).

Length is not as important as quality and clarity of thought in response to the chosen topic. Personal opinion is important, but intense feelings about issues should not let the paper turn into a tirade!

This is not a "book report" or "article report" so much as a reaction to the subject matter in a book or an article. On the one hand, detailed footnotes do not need to be included. On the other hand, major works (including web pages) that you consulted and used in your "reflection" should be cited in a reference section at the end.

You may also wish to reflect on the nature of ethical decisions before formulating your thoughts. To help you in doing this, review the resouces found at this SCU Ethics Center link or the Ethics Center for Engineering and Science at Case Western Reserve University.

POSSIBLE TOPICS

[NOTE: Comm. ACM refers to the Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery, a journal of the professional organization for computer scientists in the United States. Orradre Library has back issues of this journal (bound). I also have back issues in my office.]

• ESPIONAGE, HACKING: Clifford Stoll, The Cuckoo's Egg. Stoll, "Stalking the Wily Hacker," Comm. ACM, v 31, n 5 (May 88), pp 484-97. Katie Hafner and John Markoff, Cyberpunk.
• ETHICS: Tom Forester and Perry Morrison, Computer Ethics. ACM, "ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct," Comm. ACM, v 35 n 5 (May 1992), pp 94-9. (Available on-line at this link)
• VIRUSES AND WORMS: Eugene Spafford, "The Internet Worm: Crisis and Aftermath," Comm. ACM, v 32, n 6 (June 1989), pp 677-88 (several other articles are in the same issue).
• COMPUTERS IN THE WORKPLACE: David Lyon, The Silicon Society.
• PRIVACY: Roger Clarke, "Information Technology and Dataveillance," Comm. ACM, v 31, n 5 (May 88), pp 498-512. There has been much debate about freedom of speech as it pertains to the internet and a proposed "Clipper Chip."
• FREEDOM OF SPEECH vs. ACCESSIBILITY OF PORNOGRAPHY TO MINORS: One link is at the SCU Ethics Center at this link, in the on the one hand articles.
• MICROSOFT, WEB BROWSERS, AND THE U.S. ANTI-TRUST LAWS: see, among other sources, the San Jose Mercury News archives at this link.
• THE Y2K ("Year-2000') PROBLEM: How design decisions decades ago are causing massive problems now and what the implications are for the future. One source of information is via this link. Another is the Winter 1999 Newsletter of CPSR. (For a humorous look at this problem, see this link.)
• COOKIES: WATCHING YOUR WEB SURFING HABITS: One possible source of information is via this link.
• SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE INTERNET: Some studies (somewhat controversial) indicates that the more people use technology, the less time they feel they spend with friends or family and the more they feel lonely and depressed. What are the implications of dealing with machines rather than human beings? The HomeNet Project at the Computer Science Department at Carnegie-Mellon University has references, especially in the "research reports" section. See this link.

• Digital Library of the ACM -- This has a comprehensive list of journal articles published by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). You can search by title, key word, etc. A search for the key word "ethics" should be very fruitful. Note that you must first register to use the database.
• Computer Professional for Social Responsibility for additional topics or information.
• The SCU Ethics Center.
• Ethics Update (Univ. San Diego)
• "Ethics and the Internet" Course at Duke University
• "Computer Ethics" Course at Notre Dame University
• Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science (Case-Western Reserve University)
• Educational Media Resources (Links to Computer Ethics and Professional Responsibility Web Sites)
• Center for the Study of Ethics (Western Michigan Univ.)
• Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility (De Montfort University, England)
• Computer Ethics Resources on WWW (The Center for Applied Ethics at the Univ. of British Columbia)
• Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies
• The Tavani Bibliography of Computing, Ethics, and Social Responsibility