Date

Topic

Reading

Writing assignments/ Discussion Projects

January 9

Introduction

none

 Discussion Project on Ethical vs Non-ethical Questions

January 16

Overview: Personal, Professional, and Social Issues in Information Technology

Quinn, Chapter 1;  Benkler, Wealth of Networks, Introduction (online here); The Case of the Killer Robot (online here)

Response to reading

Cases for Discussion

January 23

Ethical Theories 1: Relativism, Religion, Kant

Quinn, Chapter 2 through p. 73;  Excerpts from Kant (with notes); "The Truth in Ethical Relativism" by Hugh LaFollette

Response to reading;

Discussion Project: Applying Kant

January 30

Ethical Theories 2: Utilitarianism, Social Contract theory

Quinn, Chapter 2, the rest; "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" by Peter Singer; Prisoners' Dilemma: Game and Explanation: "We are all Prisoners" and "An Ethic Based on Prisoners' Dilemma" by Jonathan Wallace

Response to reading;

Discussion Project: Applying Utilitarianism

February 6

Professional/Business ethics 1: responsibilities, standards, codes

Quinn, Chapter 9, through p. 433

Response to reading

February 13

Professional/Business ethics 2: whistleblowing, loyalty

Quinn, Chapter 9, the rest; also "Encouraging Internal Whistleblowing in Organizations" by Lilanthi Ravishankar ;  "Illusions of whistleblower protection" by Brian Martin, University of Wolongong;  Brian Martin's summary of Robert Jackall's discussion of whistleblowing;  Summary of Jackall's book "Moral Mazes" (pdf) by Damian Grace, University of New South Wales

Response to reading;

Mid-term exam questions (due March 6)

February 20

Computer Reliability

Quinn, Chapter 7

Response to reading; Discussion project on software warranties

February 27

Spam, Pornography, Free Speech, Censorship

Quinn, Chapter 3

Response to reading; no discussion project

March   6

Privacy 1

Quinn, Chapter 5, through p. 234; MSNBC article on privacy law

Response to reading; Midterm exam due; no discussion project

March 13

Privacy 2

Quinn, Chapter 5, the rest

 Response to reading; Paper topic statement due; Discussion project on Surveillance

March 20

Spring Break -- No class

March 27

Intellectual Property 1

Quinn, Chapter 4

 Response to reading; Discussion project on Copyright

April     3

Intellectual Property 2

Benkler, Wealth of Networks, Introduction to Chapter 2 (pp. 35-41); Chapter 3 (pp. 59-90); last section of Chapter 5 (pp. 161-175)

Response to reading ; Paper drafts due; no discussion project;

Final Exam questions

April   10

The Internet and Democracy

Benkler, Wealth of Networks, Chapter 7 - html here, pdf here (Chapter 6 is optional); "The Daily We" by Cass Sunstein; "Bloggers and Parties: Can the Netroots Reshape Democracy" by Henry Farrell

 Response to reading

April   17

Access and Equity; course evaluations

Quinn, Chapter 8 -- pressed for time? -- pp.385-397 on Globalization, the Digital Divide and the Winner-Take-All Society are the top priority

Response to reading; Final Exam due

April   24

 No meeting - email papers

 None

Final version of papers due