Monday & Wednesday,  2:40 - 4:25 PM, CCB 101

   COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Although Computing & Society is a required course for CS majors, it is not a typical computer science course. Rather than dealing with the technical content of computing, it addresses the effects of computing on individuals, organizations, and society, and on what your responsibilities are as a computing professional in light of those impacts.

The topic is a very broad one and one that you will have to deal with almost every day of your professional life. The issues are sometimes as intellectually deep as some of the greatest philosophical writings in history - and sometimes as shallow as a report on the evening TV news. This course can do little more than introduce you to the topics, but, if successful, will change the way you view the technology with which you work.

You will do a lot of reading, analyzing, and communicating (verbally and in writing) in this course. It will require your active participation throughout the semester and should be fun and enlightening.

There are three primary objectives for the course:

• Explain and evaluate consequences of computing on individuals, organizations, and society.
• Critically analyze situations of computer use and descriptions of technology and policy proposals, identifying the salient issues and evaluating the reasoning behind them.
• Communicate with others about computing impacts in writing and speech.

You will be challenged to broaden your understanding by learning something of the history of computing and the issues surrounding its use over time, the similarities and differences in public attitudes and policies concerning computing in the U.S. and in other countries. Some of these issues are unique to computing; others arise in the context of other technologies; still others are new manifestations of more general ethical, political and constitutional law issues.
You will have ample opportunity to analyze critically various situations and descriptions in papers, books, on the Web, and from your own observations.

You will be able to practice your ability to communicate by writing coherent and well-structured critiques of situations and papers, researching and organizing a longer paper, and leading and participating in class discussions.

A detailed topical outline is given below.

1. Techniques of Rhetoric and Logical Argumentation. Arguments as claims supported by reasons. Types of argument concerning the social consequences of computing and the aptness of computing-related policies. Evidence, authority, and the anticipation and rebuttal of objections. Communicating with professional peers, customers, and the public.
2. Impact of Computing on Society, Individuals and Organizations. Effects of computer use on social behavior, job satisfaction, organizational structure, and social stratification (e.g. the digital divide and gender disparities in computer science education).
3. Ethical Foundations. Rules as the basis for policy making and legislation relevant to computing; software as a mechanism for encoding and enforcing business practices, and norms of conduct. Consequences as the basis for policy making and design decisions: Assessing and balancing the benefits and costs of alternatives to stockholders. Virtue ethics as the basis for professional conduct and resolution of moral dilemmas (e.g. whistle-blowing).
4. Governance and Regulation. Governmental and non-governmental regulation of the dissemination of computing technology (e.g. Export controls, regulation of the Internet and wireless communications, professional bodies). Jurisdiction and community standards in an age of virtual and global commerce.
5. Free Speech and Content Constraints. Constitutional protections and restrictions. Anonymity, censorship, the protection of minors, etc. Special problems raised by digital media and the Internet.
6. Intellectual Property. Patent and copyright principles as they apply to software and digital media. Ownership and licensing compared. Proprietary technology and reverse engineering. Technology for intellectual rights management (e.g. DVD encryption).
7. Privacy. Personal information, its disclosure and misuse. Identity theft. Privacy-protection principles, laws, and technology. Surveillance and changing interpretations of the Fourth Amendment.
8. Security. Hacking compared to vandalism, trespass and theft. Major security threat categories, their countermeasures and social consequences. Encryption, information warfare and national security.
9. Professional Responsibility. Professions as more than jobs requiring expertise. Software development compared to established professions. Professional codes of conduct, their validity, effectiveness and scope. Social responsibility and personal and corporate accountability and liability for harm.

    SYLLABUS: