Networked Communications and Spam Impact

Spam is unsolicited, bulk email that is profitable because it costs only about $10 to send an ad to a million email addresses, making it significantly cheaper than traditional junk mail.

Spam in email traffic rose from 9% in 2002 to a peak of 85% in 2009 and has since declined to around 57% by 2023.

Firms obtain email addresses through web sites, chat-room conversations, computer viruses, dictionary attacks, and contests.

<p>Botnets, which are networks of compromised computers, are primarily responsible for sending out most spam.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ann did not necessarily do anything wrong, but her email was not well received by half of the recipients who complained.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social media undermines trust and creates ideological echo chambers by reinforcing users' existing views.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social media and platforms like Craigslist have significantly reduced advertising revenues for newspapers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Censorship is the attempt to suppress or regulate public access to material deemed harmful or offensive.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The printing press broke the monopoly on information distribution held by governments and churches, promoting free expression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Self-censorship occurs when a group decides not to publish material to avoid persecution or maintain good relations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mill's Principle of Harm states that power can only be exercised over someone to prevent harm to others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The First Amendment prohibits Congress from making laws that abridge freedom of speech or of the press.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Jeremy Jaynes' conviction was overturned because the anti-spam law was too broad and infringed on First Amendment rights.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Historically, laws like De Scandalis Magnatum restricted speech, but the 18th century saw no prior restraints on publication in England.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Restrictions, such as forbidding cigarette advertising, can be justified when they lead to greater public welfare.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>We should treat others as ends in themselves and never merely as means to an end.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The benefits from selling cookies ($108) exceeded the harms ($70), making the action favorable overall.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The harms of potential employee grumbling and low morale outweighed the benefits, making her action wrong.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Text messaging was used to organize demonstrations against Estrada.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Misinformation about one candidate was spread through Twitter, misleading the public.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The increase in unsolicited emails was driven by the near-zero cost of sending messages, easy access to email addresses, and the profitability of mass advertising.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Companies have implemented spam filters and invested in new software specifically designed to combat spam, while law enforcement has targeted botnet command centers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Internet allows for one-way communication that can often be unfair, promoting spam as more messages correspond to greater profits for senders.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spam results in wasted productivity, costing businesses tens of billions of dollars annually due to the time spent filtering and managing unwanted emails.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The emergence of spam highlighted the need for socio-technical solutions, prompting the development of technologies and strategies to handle unsolicited emails effectively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ideological echo chambers reinforce users' existing beliefs and limit exposure to diverse viewpoints.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social media and platforms like Craigslist have substantially reduced newspapers' advertising revenue, forcing many to close or lose value.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The printing press challenged the monopoly of governments and churches on information distribution, leading to broader access to diverse ideas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Self-censorship occurs when groups choose not to publish material to avoid persecution or maintain good relations with authorities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mill believed that the truth emerges from the clash of ideas, emphasizing the importance of free and open discourse for societal growth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Kant and Mill opposed censorship, advocating for the use of reason and the belief that no opinion is infallible, respectively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ratings systems advise audiences on content suitability, influencing what is published based on perceived acceptability.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Government filtering can suppress free expression and limit access to information, posing risks to democratic engagement.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Restrictions like banning cigarette advertising are justified when they promote greater public good and protect health.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Jaynes' conviction was overturned, affirming that laws cannot broadly prohibit protected speech, even if it is unsolicited.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It emphasizes that individuals should always be treated as ends in themselves and not merely as means to an end.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The benefits included $108 gained for the Girl Scouts, while the harms due to lost productivity totaled $70, indicating that benefits exceeded harms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The consequences would likely include employee discontent and lower morale, making the overall harms greater than benefits.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social Contract Theory justified Ann's actions by stating that Acme Corporation had no prohibition against using its email system for such purposes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The relevant virtues are honesty, fairness, and respect, with Ann demonstrating honesty but lacking in fairness and respect.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spam illustrates that technology can enable new practices, such as mass communication, which can lead to undesirable social consequences, like unsolicited emails.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spam emails rose from 9% to 85% of email traffic, creating significant productivity losses for businesses and prompting the development of spam filters.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ann's email raises ethical questions about consent and unwanted communication, as the majority of recipients were unhappy despite some participation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The design of the internet allows for one-way communication, which encourages the proliferation of spam as messages are nearly cost-free to send.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Spam filters may lead users to become less discerning about the emails they receive, potentially fostering a reliance on technology for communication management.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ideological echo chambers can undermine trust and informed dialogue by isolating users from opposing viewpoints, leading to a skewed perception of reality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The decline of traditional newspapers diminishes the ability of the Fourth Estate to inform citizens and hold power accountable, leading to a potential lack of oversight in governance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The internet complicates censorship due to its global reach, many-to-many communications, and difficulty in regulating content across varying national laws.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>John Stuart Mill argued against censorship because he believed that no one is infallible and that the truth emerges from the clash of ideas, which censorship would obstruct.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Governmental filtering restricts access to information and can limit free expression by suppressing unpopular or dissenting views.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The printing press broke the monopoly on information distribution held by governments and religious institutions, facilitating greater access to diverse viewpoints.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ratings systems encourage self-censorship by guiding creators in their decisions on what content to produce, often to avoid negative reactions or penalties.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Jeremy Jaynes case highlighted the balance between regulating spam and protecting First Amendment rights, leading to the recognition of broad definitions that hinder free speech.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Justified restrictions on freedom of expression include prohibiting harmful content like cigarette advertising to protect public health.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social media's tailored content delivery can limit exposure to diverse ideas, which can disengage users from informed democratic processes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>She could have posted a sign-up sheet to identify those interested in the cookie sale before sending the email.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>While Ann was honest in her communication, she failed to be fair and respectful, leading to significant complaints from her coworkers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>There would likely be widespread employee grumbling and lower morale, as established by the Rule Utilitarian Analysis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>According to Social Contract Theory, Ann acted within her rights since Acme Corporation had no prohibition against using the email system for such purposes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The benefits amounted to $108 from cookie sales, while the harm due to lost productivity was $70, meaning overall benefits exceeded the harms.</p> Signup and view all the answers