CS4345 Sample Midterm
April 24, 1997

SAMPLE

Midterm Exam
(answer key in italics)

________________________________________________________________________

This exam is closed book and closed neighbor. Two points will be deducted from your grade if you fail to put your name on your exam.

1. (6 pts) Name three policy analysis principles discussed by Professor Bozeman in class.

 


2. (12 pts) Name three different reasons for studying the impact of computing and provide examples.

 

3. (10 pts) Assume a "snoop" like the wily hacker peruses the executable files of another person but does not do anything as a result. Do you consider that the snoop was doing something wrong? Why?

 

Would your answer be different if the files contained email messages? Why?

 

Would your answer be different (in either case) if the snoop did something (e.g. ran a program to process his data or used the information in an email message)? Why?

4. (10 pts) Consider the Texas A&M case discussed in class last Thursday. What plausible impacts beyond the obvious impact on the professor and perpetrator do you think this will have? List two and explain.

increase secirity of passwords

isolation of LANS to prevent spread

create social turmoil

make individuals feel bad

comprise university's reputation


5. (10 pts) Explain what is meant by "systems rationalism" and "segmented institutionalism" as perspectives for the social analysis of computing. Illustrate.

Systems rationalization:

emphasizes positive impacts

assume there exists a consensus on social goals

place high emphasis on efficiency

narrow bounds on role of computing

types: rational, structural, human relations

 

Segmented insitutionalism:

examines consequences of many impacts on social life

assume political and group conflict

place high emphasis on individual rights

efficiency secondary

broad bounds on scope

types: interactionist, organizational politics, class politics

 

(Traded off points b/w completeness of definition and sharpness of illustrations)

 

6. (10 pts) Compare and contrast the Wells Fargo and Bank of America computerization examples. Name two economic or organizational impacts (besides the obvious loss or gain of dollars) and illustrate each with an example from one of these cases.

 

4 pts - Discussion of each case

6 pts - examples

 

7. (8 pts) Do you consider the article by Giuliano, "The Mechanization of Office Work," to be utopian? Why?

Yes

Portrays information age in glowing terms

Assumes better tech ==> better jobs

(Utopianism _ completely outdated - common wrong answer)

 

8. (12 pts) Define "Groupware" and give three examples. What is meant by "integration of function" in groupware?

 

4pts - Groupware: Software designed for the use of collaborative work groups. Computer-based tools that can be used by work groups to facilitate the exchange & sharing of information

3 pts - 3 examples

5 pts - Integration of function: the flow of control during work by an individual or team member & Flow of data during the process of individual interaction w/ the s/w or during interaction among team members


9. (10 pts) Name a consequentialist ethical theory and a nonconsequentialist ethical theory, define both.

Consequentialist:

Egoism

Utilitarianism

 

Nonconsequentialist

Divine

Categorical Imperative (Kantian)

 

10. (10 pts) Consider the case of an employee who is leaving his or her current employer (a computer software company) in a few weeks. Before leaving the company, the employee would like to transfer many proprietary files. Please state and explain what action the employee would take given a nonconsequentialist ethical perspective, using the four phases of the ethical situation analysis method discussed in class.

5 pts - Nonconsequentialist action & explanation

5 pts - use of 4 phases