BUSS 207 BUSINESS AND IT ETHICS

LECTUREFIVE:
5.1 Introduction
Welcome to the fifth lecture in this course. In this lecture we shall discuss the use of computers
in society and its effect.

5.2 Specific Objectives

At the end of the lecture you should be able to:
 Describe different areas computers are used
 Identify some computer dilemmas
 Describe the effects of using computers in society

5.3 Lecture One Outline

5.3.1Computers in Human Systems
5.3.2The Impact Of ICT On Society
5.3.3 Social Problems

5.3.1 Computers in Human Systems

The modern electronic computer is certainly one of the most influential inventions of the
twentieth century. Computers have entered almost every arena of human society. They operate in
our homes, our workplaces, and our schools. They come in so many shapes and sizes that it is
sometimes difficult to recognize them: while laptop and desktop computers are commonplace,
computers can also be found in home electronics, automobiles, airplanes, automatic teller
machines (ATMs), security systems, and many other devices and situations. Many of the world's
societies depend heavily on computers in the operation of their transportation systems,
commerce, utilities, law enforcement, governance, and more. Examples include:

1. Electronic Publishing
Word processing software has revolutionized the process of producing the printed word.
Many of the operations previously performed by large printing companies can now done
on personal computers, a phenomenon known as desktop publishing.
2. Media Storage
A CD-ROM can store about 680 million characters eg the Bible contains around 5
million characters. That means a single CD-ROM could contain the text for over 100
books about the size of the Bible. DVDs can hold even more characters—6.5 to 13 times
as many as a CD; HD-DVDs and Blu-ray DVDs can hold far more. Such enormous

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storage capacity allows one to easily store, transport, and copy text from a large number
of book
3. Hypertextuality
This Web book, in fact, is an example of the changing nature of textuality. Electronic
text is not merely the on-screen version of printed text; rather, electronic text can have
special characteristics. For example, whereas the printed word is inherently static,
electronic text is dynamic: it can change, move, and even disappear. This is one of the
meanings of hypertextuality. Finally, some electronic texts may also be
termed hypermedia because they include or link to such digital media elements as
sounds, video, 3-D imagery, and animations
4. New Vocabulary
Many new words have become part of the standard language dictionaries because of their
popular use in connection with information technology. Likewise, the addition of such
prefixes as cyber-, info-, techno-, virtual, and e- transforms ordinary words into
"cutting-edge" terminology.Chat abbreviations, smiley ,text messaging ,Lolest rofl
5. Talking to and through Computers
Voice recognition software, which enables a computer to respond to spoken words, is
becoming more common. You have used such software yourself whenever you have
heard a telephone recording say, "Please press or say one." Such software enables hands-
free computing, which can be enormously beneficial to those who have difficulty using a
keyboard or pointing device. Many predict that talking to a computer may one day
become standard procedure for most computer users. Talking through emails, chat,
conferencing etc
6. Computer Economics
Stock Market: Today's financial markets experience larger swings partly because of
program trading, where large stockholders use computers to decide when to buy or sell
stock in large quantities. When the specified conditions are met and the programs trigger,
the large transactions can cause other programs to trigger, leading to a spiral of selling
and buying that produces the large swings in the market. On the other hand, computer
trading has also allowed more people to participate in the stock market through low-cost
Internet stock trading sites
E-Commerce: There has been a meteoric rise in online business, a phenomenon that is
termed e-commerce. Many consumers now pay their bills entirely online. Online
shopping at sites like Amazon.com has become routine for many consumers. It did not
take many years for online auctions at sites such as eBay to become enormously popular
7. Computer Politics
Candidates for national offices (and many candidates for local offices) offer websites to
provide voters with a multimedia blitz meant to inform and persuade. Politicians have
quickly learned to use the new tools of communication born of the IT revolution. A
significant portion of the populace that cannot be effectively reached by television or
radio political advertisements can be contacted via a website or an informational e-mail.
Also, citizens are now able to contact candidates and elected officials by e-mail and the
World Wide Web
8. Electronic Government
Many governments offer many websites as well as means to contact offices and

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departments by e-mail. Government reports, statistics databases, federal grants, and much
more can be accessed on the Web. Much of this information was not easily available to
the general public before the advent of the Web, partly because people had to know of its
existence in the first place
9. Computers and Religion
Information technology has also entered the spiritual spheres of human society.
Religious Organizations and Computing: Many religious organizations (churches,
synagogues, religious-issues organizations, etc.) provide information about themselves
over the Internet. They communicate with members via e-mail and keep organization
records in computer databases. Some churches use multimedia presentations during
worship services, presenting sound, images, and sermon notes through a projector
system. Some churches even conduct online worship services!
Online Devotion: There are many religious websites on the Internet. Featuring online
devotionals, testimonials, Bible translations, links to other Christian ministries, and much
more..
10. Computers in Science
Scientists use computers to collect, store, analyze, and manipulate large data sets. This
allows them to gain insight into complex systems that might otherwise be too large to
manage. The computer also enables scientists in different parts of the globe to work on
the same design interactively through e-mail, teleconferencing, and Web collaboration
Computers in Engineering: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is a powerful design tool
in the hands of engineers. For example, Finite Element Analysis models an engineering
design as a large number of small interacting elements, which allows the designer to
study interactions of stress and strain in the computer before ever actually building
anything.
Computers in Medicine: In the field of medicine, computers have enabled the complete
mapping of the human genome. Teams of scientists used gene sequencing technology to
identify 30,000 human genes, representing over 3 billion chemical base pairs.
Information technology has also led to creation of designer drugs and even virtual
reality surgery, where doctors in training can practice their technique in a computer-
simulated operation before attempting the real thing.
11. Computers in Education
Assignments and Teaching: Many professors use and require their students to turn in
typed documents, it is more convenient to have computer labs on campus for student use.
Faculty Usage: Teachers at all levels use computers to administer assignments, keep track
of grades or offer online instruction. Many teachers use online resources in their daily
lessons.
Online Education: There is an entire "sub-industry" of education called "online
education." Online education is done primarily through the usage of computers and the
Internet where the student does the class work from home.
Self-Learning: in addition to books, video and other materials, self-directed learners often
use computers to continue their education outside of, or in addition to, traditional
facilities.

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Social Networking: Popular networking sites like MySpace and Facebook can also be
used for educational purposes, as some instructors integrate aspects of those sites into
their lessons.
12. Computers in Business
Information technology can be found on the factory floor, in the corporate office, in the
field, and at the CEO's desk.
Robotics are commonplace on the assembly line today, where human workers were
formerly necessary.
Computers are being used not only to track accounting information but also to archive
and share corporate data, provide precise manufacturing process control, and simulate
anticipated consumer response to new products.
Telecommuting (working from home by using a computer to connect to the corporate
network) has become commonplace, providing employees with new flexibility in their
work hours. Computers have changed entire industries
13. Computers in Recreation is another area of computer application. You can play electronic
golf at home. You can play chess with the computer as your opponent. Some software
combined entertainment and education. Movies and Music with special effects.

5.3.2 The Impact Of ICT On Society

The widespread use of computers and computer technology in its present form has also resulted
in a shift in computer usage. The computer started as a utilitarian tool but has now also been
embraced as a social tool. Playing this double role as a utility and an entertainment tool, the
computer has become an integral part of our social fabric.
 Faster communication speed: In the past, it took a long time for any news or messages to
be send. Now with the Internet, news or messages are sent via e-mail to friends, business
partners or to anyone efficiently. With the capability of bandwidth, broadband and
connection speed on the Internet, any information can travel fast and at an instant. It
saves time and is inexpensive.
 Lower communication cost: Using the Internet is cost-effective than the other modes of
communication such as telephone, mailing or courier service. It allows people to have
access to large amounts of data at a very low cost. With the Internet we do not have to
pay for any basic services provided by the Internet. Furthermore, the cost of connection
to the Internet is relatively cheap.
 Reliable mode of communication: Computers are reliable. With the internet, information
could be accessed and retrieved from anywhere and at anytime. This makes it a reliable
mode of communication. However, the input to the computer is contributed by humans. If
the data passed to the computer is faulty, the result will be faulty as well. This is related
to the term GIGO is a short form for Garbage In Garbage Out. It refers to the quality of
output produced according to the input. Normally bad input produces bad output.
 Effective sharing of information: With the advancement of ICT, information can be
shared by people all around the world. People can share and exchange opinions, news and
information through discussion groups, mailing list and forums on the Internet. This
enable knowledge sharing which will contribute to the development of knowledge based
society.

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 Paperless environment: ICT technology has created the term paperless environment. This
term means information can be stored and retrieved through the digital medium instead of
paper. Online communication via emails, online chat and instant messaging also helps in
creating the paperless environment.
 Borderless communication: Internet offers fast information retrieval, interactivity,
accessibility and versatility. It has become a borderless sources for services and
information. Through the Internet, information and communication can be borderless.

5.3.3 Social Problems

The use of computers has brought about various social issues. In this section we identify some of
the issues.

5.3.3.1 Computers and Our Humanity

The term cyborg (short for cybernetic organism) was coined in the early 1960s in connection
with the U.S. space program, a venture that required an unprecedented blending of the human
mind and body with technology—especially information technology: computer software,
hardware, and robotics. And some researchers in the field of nanotechnology— technology that
occurs at a microscopic level—envision a day when microscopic robots (nanorobots) will be
injected into patients in order to perform tasks such as attacking cancerous cells
Our colleges, our governments, and other institutions quite often view us through a collection of
data records instead of "in person." Consider also the increasing extent to which we conduct our
interpersonal relationships via e-mail and instant messaging—a phenomenon often
called telepresence. This, too, represents an odd mixture of the embodied and the disembodied.
Cultural theorist N. Katherine Hayles contends that this is so and that, as a result, we live in
a posthuman age, where the word human no longer has the same meaning as it did in the past.
These are disturbing assertions. Information technologies can indeed improve the bodily
conditions of human beings, allowing the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dying to live, and
those separated by geographical distance to remain connected. Nowadays, people tend to choose
online communication rather than having real time conversations. People tend to become more
individualistic and introvert.
Questions to consider :
1. How do we negotiate between the miraculous nature of such technologies and the potentially
dehumanizing effects of the same technologies?
2. Have we all allowed our lives to become so inextricably entwined with information
technology that we can no longer consider ourselves apart from it?
3. Are we becoming "cyborgs"?

5.3.3.2 Privacy
Most users of information technology are aware of the spectre of lost privacy. For many,
however, this fear is not grounded in an informed understanding of what and where these risks of
privacy are. With the huge influx of desktop computers for corporate employees, corporate IT
departments have had an increase in problems with computer abuse. A significant number of

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employees illegitimately use their computers and high-speed corporate Internet connections to
surf the Web for personal reasons, and in some cases to access inappropriate materials such as
pornographic images. Many corporations have implemented strict Internet-use policies that
require discipline for employees caught in such practices. In order to protect the use of their
systems, many companies have started monitoring the computer activities of their employees
Similarly, the discount cards that have been introduced by supermarkets in recent years pose a
dilemma for consumers. Use of such cards provides shoppers with discounts that would be
unavailable otherwise. On the other hand, such cards enable supermarket chains to track every
single purchase a consumer makes, resulting in a fairly rich profile of the consumer based upon
preferences in food, drink, tobacco products, health and hygiene products, day and time of
shopping, and more. The legal status of such records is debated, and some retailers have
discontinued these programs
Today's computers are powerful enough to store massive databases containing information
identifying an individual's purchasing habits, personal credit history, Internet browsing patterns,
identifying information (such as social security number, address, and phone number), and more.
Our legal system has been slow to catch up with the technological changes, providing
opportunities for invasion of individual privacy and abuse of personal information. Not only can
corporations abuse such information by misusing it or selling it indiscriminately, but such large
collections of centralized personal data also provide openings for criminal activity. The daily
news regularly carries stories of stolen credit card numbers, or even stolen identities. Computer
hackers break into large corporate databases containing customer profiles, making off with
enough information to electronically impersonate the victim, causing financial and personal
havoc.

Questions to consider:
Is it ethical to monitor employees?
Is it ethical for supermarkets to use information gathered from cards for their benefit?
Are you safe while transacting online?

5.3.3.3 Myth of Web Anonymity

The "magical" experience of browsing the World Wide Web often lulls users into a false sense of
security. The Web seems like a "virtual" space, where neither personal identities nor
consequences for behaviour exist. However, Internet users reveal far more about themselves than
they may realize. Many sites, for instance, deposit cookies on the user's hard drive. When this
happens, the user has been tagged, in the same way that we see biologists tag wild animals on
TV nature programs. With cookies on their hard drives, Web users divulge information such as
the webpages they have visited most often and the length of time they have viewed certain pages.
We believe in the anonymity of the web so much that we are able to display sides of us that we
would not ordinarily want the people we interact with face to face to see.
Question to consider
Are you the same person online and in real life?
Should the internet have its own social rules?

5.3.3.5 Property ownership

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The non-physical, "virtual" nature of information causes numerous complications for traditional
notions of property. And copies of digital media such as music CDs and computer software are
often perfect, exact copies, their contents indistinguishable from the original.
The contexts in which such reproduction is legal or illegal are often unclear. Long-standing
copyright-law concepts such as fair use (which allows, for instance, certain reproductions for
educational use) and first sale (which allows libraries to buy works and lend them to borrowers)
are being reconsidered in the age of digital reproduction. It has, for example, always been legal
to make backup copies of one's own music for personal reasons, but it has never been legal to
distribute or sell those copies; this remains true for digital music. Because of the ease and low
cost of digital reproduction and distribution, and because digital copies are virtual, not physical,
many users do not even consider whether their participation in digital copying of copyrighted
material is legal. Consequently, many users are ignorant of the question of whether or not they
are committing theft. And many choose to remain in that ignorance. Losses of over $60billion

5.3.3.6 Modeling Reality

Computers are often used to make models or simulations of real or imagined entities and
phenomena. In fact, many computer scientists contend that this is really what computers
fundamentally are: modeling systems. Computer models are inevitably reductive, and if they are
misinterpreted, they can lead to disastrous decision-making. Computers can allow humans to
live a double live through real world simulations

5.3.3.6 Digital Divide

The "digital divide" is a term used to describe the gap between those who have access
to ICT and those who do not. It is based on Country, Cities versus Rural Communities, Income,
Gender, Age and Disabilities. There are a multitude of causes and enablers and as long as these
exist in any society, the digital divide will exist. Study after study, since the inception of the
concept, have pointed to social, economic, and geographic factors as influencing the digital
divide.
The immediate implication of the digital divide is that lack of access to information for those
unable to connect to the internet and a lack of ICT skills for those who don't have access to a
computer. This lowering in employability is likely to lead to a lower paid job, which will lead
further into a downwards spiral, as the user is separated by the income digital divide, leading to
even fewer ICT skills, making them even more unemployable and so the cycle continues, getting
deeper and deeper.
Questions to consider:
Many people simply choose not to be online, does that mean that it is wrong for us to continue
migrating services online?.

5.3.3.7 Ergonomics

Ergonomics is an applied science concerned with designing human–machine interactions that

offer and maintain a safe, comfortable, healthy, and habitable work environment. With the
increasing automation of the workplace, our dependence on machines is on the rise, and the field
of ergonomics is correspondingly expanding. It now covers a wide array of work environments
and factors that influence the employee’s health and wellness through prevention of occupational

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diseases. Within information technology it is important that people have an awareness of the
various health and safety issues. Steps should also be taken towards preventing common
problems rather than trying to cure them at a later date. Health issues include:

1. Back problems: Many computer users suffer serious back problems. This is probably due
to a poor posture or an awkward position while sitting at a computer.

Solutions

o A fully adjustable chair should avoid poor posture.

o Footrests can reduce these problems.
o Screens should tilt and turn to a position that avoids awkward movements.

2. Eyestrain: Eyes can become strained after staring at a computer screen for a long time,
particularly if working in bad light, in glare or with a flickering screen.

Solutions

o Screen filters can remove a high percentage of the harmful rays emitted from a computer
screen.
o Use screens that do not flicker.
o Take regular breaks - do not work for more than one hour without a break.
o Lighting must be suitable and blinds fitted to windows to reduce glare.

3. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI): Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is damage to the fingers,
wrists and other parts of the body due to repeated movements over a long period of time.

Solution

o To prevent RSI, make sure your posture is correct, use wrist rests and have a five-minute
break from typing every hour.
o Use a light touch on the keyboard to place less stress on body parts.
o Use ergonomically correct work equipment.

5.3.3.8 Internet

The Internet has become a virtual social landscape, providing electronic versions of
communities, friendships, romances, political groups, religious affiliations, and more. Today's
psychologists must be ready to counsel persons who have become addicted to Internet
pornography or gambling, have become involved in an online affair, or have simply become
withdrawn and lonely as they spend too much time on their computers. The Internet provides a
seductive atmosphere that has the trappings of anonymity and ultimate freedom to explore any
possibility without barriers and without consequence. Although the technology provides a new
angle, we really see some of the same old vices that have been with us since the Fall. Information
technology provides the enticing power to disclose only what one chooses to reveal—at least we

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believe we have such control. Information truly is power, and such power can corrupt. There is so
much illegal and inappropriate information available on internet without any restrictions. Even children
can get access to mature and blood related games, pornography and other stuff which is not suitable for
their age. Its proving access to pornography, addictions, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, sexual
predators and unhealthy online relationships.Internet is becoming a platform to share copyrighted or
illegal material, music, videos and other documents. Computer viruses, phishing, Trojans etc. are
increasing rapidly creating several crimes. Financial crimes are also growing at a steady pace which
requires attention amongst all internet users. The freedom of use to internet at anytime and by anyone is
luring the criminals to do heinous crimes via internet. Another aspect of internet is people can spend
unlimited amount of time without any bore or hard feeling. Recent trends shows that the publicizing the
personal life and information in social network websites is increasing and the tendency of considering the
virtual online world as real world is increasing very rapidly. Recent medical studies show that addiction
of internet is causing personal, professional as well as social problems leading to depression, anxiety,
lower productivity, time distortion, escapism and dissociation

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5.4 Activities
Answer the questions posed in various sections of this lecture. For each position you take defend
your answer.
Identify positive impacts of computer and internet use in society

5.5 Summary
The modern electronic computer is certainly one of the most influential inventions of the twentieth
century. Computers have entered almost every arena of human society. They operate in our homes,
our workplaces, and our schools. They come in so many shapes and sizes that it is sometimes
difficult to recognize them
The widespread use of computers and computer technology in its present form has also resulted in
a shift in computer usage. The computer started as a utilitarian tool but has now also been
embraced as a social tool. Playing this double role as a utility and an entertainment tool, the
computer has become an integral part of our social fabric. It has come with both positive and
negative impacts such as cyber crime, psychological problems, pornography etc

Ergonomics is an applied science concerned with designing human–machine interactions that offer
and maintain a safe, comfortable, healthy, and habitable work environment. With the increasing
automation of the workplace, our dependence on machines is on the rise, and the field of
ergonomics is correspondingly expanding. It now covers a wide array of work environments and
factors that influence the employee’s health and wellness through prevention of occupational
diseases. Within information technologygy it is important that people have an awareness of the
various health and safety issues. Steps should also be taken towards preventing common problems
rather than trying to cure them at a later date. Health issues include: RSI, Backaches, eye sight
problems

5.6 References
Notes extracted from various internet sources

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