Posts Tagged: ethics


Posts Tagged ‘ethics’

Nov 14 2010

Framing Questions for Virtual Societies

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Week 12: Virtual Societies

Why Virtual Worlds Can Matter
– Thomas and Brown

1.  Thomas and Brown explain while all games provide players with a context for experiential learning, only a few create a context for learning that is primarily social in nature.  Of those that do create this social context, only a handful have the special property to allowing the players who engage in the space to actually create and change and evolve the world they inhabit.  Therefore, since higher learning is a result of the games that allow for player impact on the world, shouldn’t more games of this nature be encouraged rather than deemed as a time-waster?

2.  The article states the visual component of virtual worlds has redefined the landscape of online interaction away from text and toward a more complex visual medium that provides a sense of place.  Should the internet as a whole take on more of this “virtual place” component through avatars to promote social interaction as though in the real world?  In other words, should all sites (search engines, news pages, e-commerce) require a users presence through an avatar.

3.  The function of games has always been to separate play from “ordinary life.”  However, in recent years we have seen many people feel more comfortable in virtual “game” worlds than our real world.  Games today have many qualities of the physical world such as economies, social institutions, reputation, governance, etc.  Should the notion of “separate play from ordinary life” be scrapped as our digital world evolves into a blend of reality and virtual?  Is it possible that our way of life may not support separate platforms in the future?

Ethical Issues in Second Life
– Botterbusch and Talab

1.  There is been endless debate concerning copyright in relation to our digital world.  Have we reached a point in human existence that requires a change in laws thanks to the digital technology now surrounding our lives?  The past 100 years has seen more growth than any other time in history and our way of life today is vastly different than centuries before.  Therefore, a change in traditional laws may be in order to fit our time.

2.  As stated by Botterbusch and Talab, more than one author has noted that ethical issues in Second Life seem to be detached from the fear of consequences in the “real world” (such as illegal file sharing, spamming, multiple identities, illicit materials, etc).  Is this behavior being carried over to the real world by younger generations that seem to carry a disregard for online regulations?  Are games such as Second Life a bad influence and teaching disregard for regulations?

3.  Are the actions of avatars an indication of how that person will react in reality?  Or have people learned to distinguish between real world and virtual world behaviors or personalities?

Staging the new retail drama: At a metaverse near you!
– Papagiannidis and Bourlakis

1.  We all find advertising distracting and annoying, unless it happens to be one of the few ads relating to our likes.  Is it ethically wrong for advertisers to have information about your personal shopping habits in order to better filter ads that are more suited to your likes?  Would the more focused ads be positive (showing the consumer all the choices they have for products they would truly consider) or would it become negative (by overwhelming the consumer and not providing variety to items they may have never considered before)?

2.  There are many cases where avatars do not represent the actual person in real life.  Therefore, would the shopping habits of consumers in virtual worlds be a reflection of what those same consumers would purchase in the actual world?  Can marketers enter virtual worlds with the same focus as real life?

3.  Would shopping in virtual shopping world deem more profitable than simple e-commerce sites we see today?  Virtual worlds bring forth the social elements that people people enjoy about a shopping experience.

Nov 03 2010

Response Post for Privacy and Information Ethics

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My view of WikiLeaks has changed.  Before, I thought it was a sketchy site that was only interested in digging up controversy and saw Julian Assange, the face of WikiLeaks, as a dangerous trouble maker.  I was unclear about their sources and how they acquired the information that has put the spotlight on this site in recently.  Basically, I saw WikiLeaks as a site that was trying to take down journalism.

Clearly, WikiLeaks is a whistle blowing site.  But isn’t that what the purpose of the Internet was intended for?  Although it is a complex phenomenon, WikiLeaks represents the evolution of the Internet and journalism.  It has become a platform that citizens are comfortable using to spread global issues and concerns while protecting themselves and remaining anonymous.  Journalism as an institute has come under fire in terms of trustworthiness in recent years and WikiLeaks is the global community response.  It is the modern day example of a true “free press”

WikiLeaks gives me the sense that we now have the power to watch “big brother” instead of the other way around.  Thanks to technology, people are gaining more of an individual voice and have media platforms that suit their needs to get their message out.  Never before have ordinary citizens had the opportunity to change the world in such a dynamic way.  It has given power to the people that was normally reserved for media agenda setters.  A topic may not be deemed newsworthy by a team of journalists, but they will sooner or later pick up on the story if there is enough buzz in the global digital community.

So will WikiLeaks take the place of journalism?  I think not.  A site like WikiLeaks can’t solve all of the world’s problems or cover everything that may need special attention.  That’s why we have investigative reporters.  Journalism can adopt some of the techniques and tricks that WikiLeaks has pioneered in relation to digital information gathering.  However, if journalism wants to compete they need to get on the bandwagon quickly and not let this opportunity pass them by yet again.  Journalism can survive if it embraces the new digital culture of the new millennium.

Where as I thought WikiLeaks was scum only a few days ago, now I have respect for the site and it’s mission.  This proves that we need to better understand our evolving surroundings and advancing tools to better serve our communities.  WikiLeaks took this step and created controversy along the way.  But we have to keep in mind that times are changing and radical ideas are bound to shake our everyday lives simply because they’re different than what we’re used to from the past.  We may not agree with them at first because it alters our view of what is deemed correct.  As we evolve our technology and information outlets, we need to evolve our minds and societies as a direct correlation.  Otherwise we will never see progress.

Oct 31 2010

Framing Questions for Privacy and Information Ethics

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Week 10: Privacy and Information Ethics

Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?
– Boyd
1.  Online social networks have changed the world we know today.  What are some of these changes and are they more of a positive or negative effect on society?

2.  The article mentions how educators are requiring more help from their students than ever before when learning about new technologies and the Internet.  Of the educators that see social networks and our new online world as an evil, do they actually have enough background understanding to make this type of negative assumption?

3.  Social network sites are the latest generation of ‘mediated publics’ – environments where people can gather publicly through mediating technology.  Unmediated public spaces are like malls, cafes, and parks.  This article says, “public spaces have many purposes in social life – they allow people to make sense of the social norms that regulate society, they let people learn to express themselves and learn from the reactions of others”.  Can social networks correctly be classified as public spaces (mediated or not) even though most people’s social network personalities don’t accurately represent the real person?

Facebook privacy settings: Who cares?
– Boyd and Hargittai

1.  Is it possible that because younger generations that currently don’t care about the privacy setting controversies on Facebook haven’t had as many real-life situations (professional careers, marriage relationships, long term community reputations, etc) will change their minds when the effects of Facebook postings begin effecting their lives on a grander scale as they grow older?

2.  Is the flow of information on the Internet too free?  Has it gotten to the point that we need to enforce identity and privacy issues similar to those that outline most forms of information outlets?  Why has the Internet been branded the untouchable free information source if it has negatively effected out global community in so many ways?

WikiLeaks
1. Will WikiLeaks dominate this online niche or will we see new sites popping up that provide the same (or similar) service in the future?

2. Should WikiLeaks be allowed to continue?  Although the service exposes issues in our world society, should this type of detective work be left to watchdog journalism?

Oct 31 2010

Media Ethics

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1. When the book talks about establishing values, which values does it mean? There are a variety of values and everyone carries different values.

2. If the ethical code of journalism requires journalists to be unbiased in their reporting, does that mean news channels like Fox News and MSNBC are not true producers of news?

3. Are media related ethical dilemmas really as far and few between as the book makes it out to be or do the various forms of media have varying amounts of gray areas?

Oct 31 2010

Week 10 Questions

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  1. In the chapter’s discussion of ethics models, they focus only on journalists.  How can these models for making ethically-sound decisions in the workplace transfer to other professions such as advertising and public relations?
  2. This chapter lists the codes of ethics for a number professional societies.  Though they differ based on the profession, there are many similarities.  They all have clauses dealing with independence and fairness.  How would the context of these ethics vary across the different professions?
  3. Media Law and Media ethics often intertwine.  What are some examples of when a law and an ethic have not agreed?