Gift of Fire Chapter 1 Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is one reason cell phones raise privacy concerns?

They have a long battery life.

They can store large amounts of data.

They can manage online banking.

They often use location tracking. (correct)

Which of the following is an unintended consequence of cell phone usage?

Enhanced information retention.

Encouragement of in-person interactions.

Distraction while driving. (correct)

Improved communication skills.

What function do kill switches serve in smartphones and tablets?

To increase storage capacity.

To enhance battery life.

To disable applications and delete files remotely. (correct)

To improve screen resolution.

What was the first online social networking site?

Classmates.com Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant concern related to cell phone cameras?

Their impact on public and private privacy. Signup and view all the answers

Why do businesses utilize social networking platforms?

To connect with customers. Signup and view all the answers

What did Jim Hightower imply about electronic connections?

They create a dependent society on technology. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential use of smartphone apps mentioned in the context?

Monitoring diabetes. Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant reason for the growth of PayPal.com?

Reluctance to provide credit card information Signup and view all the answers

What technology contributed to making online payments safer?

Encryption and secure servers Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a service funded primarily through donations?

Wikipedia Signup and view all the answers

Why do many free sites collect information about users' online activities?

To sell it to advertisers Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes artificial intelligence?

A branch of computer science enabling human-like tasks by computers Signup and view all the answers

What are rating systems on auction sites primarily designed for?

To build consumer trust Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason companies provide free services online?

For good public relations and marketing Signup and view all the answers

How do businesses typically generate revenue from free online services?

By collecting data and selling it Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason organizations seek donations?

To finance community events and initiatives Signup and view all the answers

Which social media platform is most commonly associated with brief, informal communication?

Text messaging Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a collaborative platform like Wikipedia?

It is written and edited by volunteers Signup and view all the answers

What trend has emerged in video production due to technological advancements?

Amateur videos are becoming more common Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary function of e-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay?

To facilitate online buying and selling Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential issue with amateur videos circulated online?

They can infringe upon copyrights Signup and view all the answers

What advancement does telemedicine offer?

It enables remote medical exams and procedures Signup and view all the answers

What role do socialbots play in online interactions?

They simulate human interactions Signup and view all the answers

Who is ultimately responsible for the ethical decisions made within an organization?

Individuals making decisions Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best distinguishes between personal preference and ethics?

Ethics is about societal norms, while personal preference is subjective. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key factor in distinguishing wrong from harm?

Intent behind an action Signup and view all the answers

Which pair of concepts best captures the conflict between liberties and claim-rights?

Access to healthcare and personal autonomy Signup and view all the answers

How do law and ethics differ fundamentally?

Law is enforced by the government, while ethics depends on individual conscience. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of artificial intelligence applications?

Pattern recognition Signup and view all the answers

What does the Turing Test measure?

A computer’s ability to converse as a human Signup and view all the answers

Why are robots beneficial in certain environments?

They can operate in environments hazardous for human beings. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a use of motion sensing devices?

Triggering airbags in a vehicle during a crash Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of assistive technology devices?

To restore productivity and independence Signup and view all the answers

Which task is generally easier for computers compared to humans?

Performing narrow, specialized skills Signup and view all the answers

How might future advancements in AI affect human interactions?

They could blur the lines between human and machine communication. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of sensors in robotics?

They provide data on physical conditions to help guide robot actions. Signup and view all the answers

What does the study of Ethics primarily focus on?

What it means to do the right thing Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes deontological theories?

They are based on following moral rules or duties. Signup and view all the answers

What are positive rights referred to in ethical discussions?

Entitlements that necessitate action from others. Signup and view all the answers

Which principle is outlined by the Golden Rule in ethics?

Treat others as you wish to be treated. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of social contracts in ethical theory?

They endorse the idea of living under common laws for societal order. Signup and view all the answers

What complexity is often highlighted in ethical decision-making?

There are typically trade-offs to consider in ethical dilemmas. Signup and view all the answers

What does utilitarianism prioritize in ethical decision-making?

Maximizing overall happiness or utility. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately reflects the concept of negative rights?

They grant individuals freedom from interference. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Book Title and Edition

Gift of Fire, A: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology, Fifth Edition

Chapter 1 Title

Unwrapping the Gift

What We Will Cover

The Pace of Change
Change and Unexpected Developments
Themes of Technology Challenges
Ethics

The Pace of Change (Part 1 of 2)

Gutenberg's printing press is compared to the advancement of the microchip, an epochal technology with far-reaching consequences.
Quote from Michael Rothschild

The Pace of Change (Part 2 of 2)

1940s: The first computer was built.
1956: The first hard-drive disk that stored 5 megabytes weighed a ton.
1991: Space shuttles had a one-megahertz computer.
10 years later, some cars had 100-megahertz computers. Now, speeds of several gigahertz are common.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 1 of 24)

Quote from Betty Friedan

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 2 of 24)

Cell Phones
Relatively few cell phones in the 1990s.
By 2011, approximately 5 billion cell phones existed worldwide.
Usage went beyond conversations and messaging, including:
Taking photos
Sharing photos
Downloading Music
Watching Videos
Checking Email
Playing Games
Banking
Investment Management
Finding Maps

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 3 of 24)

Cell phone location tracking raises privacy concerns.
Cell phone cameras affect privacy in public and non-public places.
Cell phones may interfere with solitude, quiet, and concentration.
Talking on cell phones while driving is dangerous.
Other negative impacts include teenagers sexting, terrorists detonating bombs, rioters organizing looting parties.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 4 of 24)

Kill Switches
Allow remote entities to disable applications and delete files.
Used in smartphones, tablets, and some computers.
Primarily for security concerns but raises user autonomy concerns.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 5 of 24)

Quote from Jim Hightower

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 6 of 24)

Social Networking
www.classmates.com was the first online social networking site (1995).
Myspace (founded in 2003) had ~100 million member profiles by 2006.
Facebook started at Harvard as an online student directory.
Large-scale popularity due to ease of sharing aspects of lives.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 7 of 24)

Social Networking (continued)
Business use: connecting with customers and seeking donations
Groups use: organizing volunteers, demonstrations, and revolutions
Individuals' use: pooling resources through crowdfunding

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 8 of 24)

Social Networking (continued)
Negative aspects: stalking and bullying, jurors tweeting during trials, socialbots simulating humans

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 9 of 24)

Communication and the Web
Email messages were short and contained only text in the 1980s.
Texting, tweeting, and social media are preferred nowadays.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 10 of 24)

Blogs (Web logs) were initially for amateurs expressing ideas, now significant sources of news and entertainment.
Inexpensive video cameras and video-editing tools led to a surge in amateur videos.
Many web videos infringe on the copyrights of entertainment companies.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 11 of 24)

Telemedicine
Enables remote performance of medical exams and procedures, including surgery.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 12 of 24)

Collaboration
Wikipedia: an online, collaborative encyclopedia written by volunteers.
Informal communities develop and maintain free software.
Online watchdogs help investigate crimes.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 13 of 24)

E-commerce
Amazon.com (1994): started selling books online. Now a popular, reliable, and user-friendly site.
eBay.com: facilitates online auctions.
Traditional businesses establish websites.
Online sales in the U.S. reached hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Sellers sell directly to buyers, creating a peer-to-peer economy.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 14 of 24)

E-commerce and trust
People hesitated to provide credit card information for online purchases. PayPal addressed this by offering a trustworthy intermediary.
Encryption and secure servers improved online payment security.
The Better Business Bureau established a website to help consumers review businesses.
Auction sites implemented rating systems.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 15 of 24)

Free Stuff
Email programs, email accounts, browsers, filters, firewalls, encryption software, word processors, spreadsheets, multimedia editing software, and more.
Phone services using VoIP (e.g., Skype).
Classified ad sites (e.g., Craigslist).
University lectures.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 16 of 24)

Free Stuff (continued)
Advertising funds many free sites and services.
Donations support some services like Wikipedia.
Companies use services as marketing tools while fostering public relations.
Generosity and public service flourish online.
Many people share expertise.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 17 of 24)

Free Stuff (continued)
In order to generate advertising-based revenue, many free websites collect data on online activity to offer to advertisers.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 18 of 24)

Artificial Intelligence
A branch of computer science that enables computers to perform tasks traditionally requiring human intelligence.
Research has shown that computers can handle specific skills more easily than a five-year-old. This includes recognizing people, carrying on conversations, and responding intelligently to environments.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 19 of 24)

Artificial Intelligence (continued)
Many AI applications involve pattern recognition.
Speech recognition is widely used.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 20 of 24)

Artificial Intelligence (continued)
Turing Test: If a computer can convince a human subject that it is a human, it "passes" the test.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 21 of 24)

Discussion Questions: Surgeries done solely by machines are posed as a discussion question. Comparing that experience with automatic elevators or airplanes is used.
Conversing with machines versus humans is brought up for discussion.
Enhancing memory with computer chips raises the question about the human being in the future.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 22 of 24)

Robots
Mechanical devices performing physical tasks normally done by humans.
Robots can operate in hazardous environments.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 23 of 24)

Smart sensors, motion, and control
Motion sensors provide abilities to robots to: walk; trigger airbags; protect laptops from falling damage.
Sensors detect leaks, acceleration, position, temperature, and moisture.

Change and Unexpected Developments (Part 24 of 24)

Tools for disabled people
Assistive technology helps people with disabilities improve productivity and independence.
Researchers are developing chips capable of converting brain signals to control leg and arm muscles.

Themes of Technology Challenges (Part 1 of 2)

Old Problems in a New Context: Crime, pornography, violent fiction (re-emerging in context of technology).
Adapting to New Technology: Requires new ways of thinking.
Varied Sources of Solutions: Part of the changing world.
Global Reach of Net: Easy communication with distant countries.

Themes of Technology Challenges (Part 2 of 2)

Trade-offs and Controversy: Improving security may compromise convenience.
Perfection is a Direction: Not a static state.
Personal Choices, Business Policies, and Law: Distinctions matter.

Ethics (Part 1 of 9)

What is Ethics:
Studying the principles of doing what is right.
People are rational and make their own choices.
Rules govern interactions and actions that affect others.

Ethics (Part 2 of 9)

A variety of ethical views:
Deontological theories
Utilitarianism
Natural rights

Ethics (Part 3 of 9)

Negative Rights (Liberties): The right to act freely without interference.
Positive Rights (Claim-rights): An obligation for some to provide things to others.

Ethics (Part 4 of 9)

Golden Rules: Treat others as you want to be treated.
Contributing to Society: Honest, responsible, ethical, creative, productive work is virtuous.

Ethics (Part 5 of 9)

Social Contracts: People agree to a common law to create civil societies.

Ethics (Part 6 of 9)

No simple answers:
Actual behavior and situations are complex; trade-offs exist.
Ethical theories help to identify important guidelines.

Ethics (Part 7 of 9)

Do Organizations Have Ethics?: Organizations are responsible for individuals' decisions and actions.

Ethics (Part 8 of 9)

Important Distinctions:
Right, wrong, and okay
Distinguishing wrong from harm
Separating goals from constraints
Personal preference and ethics
Law and ethics

Ethics (Part 9 of 9)

Discussion Question:
Examples of liberties (negative rights) and claims (positive rights) that oppose each other.

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Description

Test your understanding of Chapter 1 from 'Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology'. This chapter discusses the rapid pace of technological change and its implications for society, ethics, and unexpected developments. Assess your knowledge of key concepts and historical milestones presented in this chapter.