Al's TAFE Certificate IV I.T. (Website Design) Exercises

Semester TWO

Ethics, Privacy and Copyright » This is a supplementary subject.

To complete this subject you will need to complete the questions in the following workbook. This will involve doing some online research and reading, plus adding your own thoughts and reflections on the subjects. For some questions I will be looking for a specific answer, but for others your opinion and ideas will be valuable also. A list of online resources has been included at the end of this workbook for your help. (Create a Word Doc for your answers if you need more space.)

To print a word document with my answers click here!

Question 1

What is your personal opinion about using copied software? (PS Answers will not be used against you. I'm simply looking for your thoughts at this point). (5 marks)
- Software is so expensive. Take an average working class family. When you look at the price of the computer, periphials, operating system, web security software and then we get into various software packages depending on needs, it can sometimes double to cost of the computer. Accordingly, I believe nearly every family has some version of copied software in use. As for businesses I believe there is no excuse (as such), seen as they are making a living from that software. In saying that there are heavy penalties for using copied software therefore I have original versions of most software, some freeware and some trial software from magazines.

Question 2

What are the six principal areas of ethical behaviour (in relation to IT) based on the principles publicised by the Australian Computer Society (ACS)? (20 marks)
- Describe each one and its implications in your own words.
  1. To uphold and advance the honour, dignity and effectiveness of the profession of information technology,
    - To be honest, loyal, forthright and impartial whilst always striving to increase the esteem of the IT profession.
  2. Honesty,Values and Ideals
    - To stand true to one’s self with respect to their moral & ethical beliefs.
  3. Standards of Conduct
    - Act with professional responsibility and integrity in my dealings with the community and clients & employers.
  4. Priorities
    - To preserve the security, confidentiality & integrity of the information of others, and advise clients of any potential conflicts of interest.
  5. Competence & Professional Development
    - To provide value for money in the services and products supplied, be aware of relevant standards, and act accordingly, accept responsibility for my work and to always act professionally.
  6. Information Technology Profession
    - To seek the professional opinions of colleagues, co-operate in advancing information processing, distance myself professionally from someone who is known to behave unethical & protect and promote professionalism in information technology.

Question 3

Visit http://onlineethics.org/cases/lamacchia/index.html#ap. (10 marks)
- What is your opinion on this case?
  - This is a blatant case of stupidity. He knew it was wrong that’s why he used an alias. To copy software for your own personal use (although illegal) is bad enough but to make illegal software freely available, and worse still to make a profit from it (either selling the software or using it for your primary business) is asking for trouble.
- Have views changed since 1994 when this occurred, and in what ways?
  - Yes. Laws have been tightened because of cases like this and others.
- Is it right to make illegal software freely available?
  - It’s both illegal and wrong to make illegal software freely available.
Visit the following site which sells OEM software illegally http://jbdrwsa.njjfkjan.info/?EnaJGFFVFIfxWEEhwtqwxy
- The website is not available any longer. Most likely taking offline for their illegal activities.

Question 4

Last year a new law was passed in Australia regarding SPAM. (5 marks) Try http://www.aar.com.au/privacy/over/spam.htm and/or other sites.
- What does it mean for you if you want to advertise your web services to a large group of people using an online email newsletter?
  - Commercial electronic messages must contain a functioning unsubscribe facility, must provide information about the person who authorised the sending of the messages, a nd must not use electronic address-harvesting software to obtain address lists.

Question 5

Look at the Information Sheet G57 from the Australian Copyright Council on Websites and copyright. (16 marks)
- What should a copyright notice on a website say?
  - At a minimum a website copyright statement should include, who owns copyright of the material, what visitors to the site are permitted to do with material on the site and who to contact to get a copyright clearance in relation to any of the material on the site.
- Who owns the copyright of a website that you design?
  - A website as a whole may not be protected by copyright. However, one or more people may own copyright in the graphics, others may own copyright in the text, others again in the compilation of material on the site and yet another person or company may own copyright in the navigation software.
- What provisions apply to student usage of copyright material?
  - There are special provisions in the Copyright Act that allow individuals to copy material for research or study, provided the use is fair.
- Who has the responsibility to enforce copyright on the Internet?
  - Generally, it is the copyright owner who must take legal action if his or her copyright is infringed.

Question 6

How would you go about obtaining a copyright clearance? Prepare a sample you would use for this purpose. (10 marks)
- I would e-mail the webmaster (or specified contact) and ask for clearance.
  
  Dear Webmaster,
  
  I would like to use a copy of your logo and a link to your site in my site as your site contains very useful and knowledgeable information which visitors to my site may find beneficial.

Question 7

Many websites have Privacy Policies on them. Imagine you are creating a Privacy Policy for a website that you are building that requires visitor's details like name, address, phone etc for a login membership form. What affect do Australian privacy laws have on what you would say? (14 marks) Try http://www.aar.com.au/privacy/index.htm and/or other sites.
- An organisation must only collect personal information by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. At the time of collection (or as soon as practicable afterwards) it must take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual is told:

Question 8

What licenses do you need to run Microsoft Office on 3 PCs in a web design studio and also on 2 laptops owned by the studio? (5 marks)
- Open License Business. This program requires an initial acquisition of only five licenses.

Question 9

Imagine you have just developed a brilliant piece of web development software that allows users to add e-commerce facilities to any Dreamweaver built website in minutes and very easily. The software took you 2 ½ years to develop and you are selling it for $349 as a stand-alone package that integrates with Dreamweaver MX. You are selling about 450 licenses per month and have discovered that software piracy is now losing you about 300 sales per week. Prepare a ½ page word document to web software users giving at least 5 reasons why people should report any licensing frauds of your software. Explain why you think the price of $349 per license is justified. (15 marks)
- First things first, if I was selling about 450 licenses per month at $349 per license I’d be a very happy man. Now let’s be serious.
Piracy hurts everyone: purchasers, manufacturers, employees, and many others. Here is a brief summary of the consequences and why people should report it;
1. Illegal distribution of software in large quantities affects the worldwide economy. Just with lost tax revenues that would benefit local communities and the hundreds of thousands of jobs in software and related industries alone.
2. Also, software piracy stifles innovation. The cost of combating software piracy, plus lost revenues, could be spent on research and development to benefit users.
3. Additionally, pirated software can carry viruses or may not function at all. Unlicensed users do not receive quality documentation and are not entitled to receive technical support or product upgrades, patches, or updates.
4. Organisational productivity also suffers when employees use pirated products. Pirated software often leads to version control problems that prevent employees from efficiently sharing files, while driving up IT support costs. The benefits of being compliant are all users have high-quality, fully functional software and are entitled to receive support if they have questions.
5. All registered licensees receive information about productivity-enhancing updates, upgrades, and special offers. Organisations that manage their software licenses effectively standardise employees on common platforms; get rid of obsolete, unused assets; and manage more efficiently, resulting in fewer IT support calls, lower administration costs, and higher user satisfaction. Organizations in full compliance know exactly what their software requirements are and can budget and plan more effectively for the future.
When you buy legal software, you are contributing to the businesses that can improve your software in the future, as well as to the worldwide economy. When your organization complies, you have the assurance that you are protecting your company from the legal fees, financial penalties, and bad press that accompany piracy lawsuits. When someone copies software without buying the appropriate number of licenses, it is copyright infringement. Each of these activities is a form of software piracy:
1. An individual copying software for a friend, or
2. An business copying software for company use, or
3. A business underreporting the number of computers using the software.
- $349 for good reliable software is justified by the fact that they are buying something that is reliable, tested, virus free, and provides an avenue for the buyer to contact the supplier for further information etc and/or if they encounter problems. The programmer can then set about further development for future versions.