I advise against bookmarking this page. Instead, bookmark the home page so you can see announcements for the class, and navigate here as needed.

Each set of questions is based on the lecture given before it is assigned. If you find yourself answering questions that have nothing to do with our previous lecture, STOP. You are doing the wrong one. Check the day and date that the homework is due (in bold, on top of each question set). Scrolling down to the bottom and answering any questions that are there will only work if you are not doing your homework shortly before the due date.

Remember that in order to receive full credit for homework/participation, you must have some physical evidence that additional  reflection and/or research (based on the question type) was done outside of class. For reflection questions, your answer should be comprised completely of your own thoughts, and no citations to outside sources should be included. For research questions, it is understood you will find information online and/or via the link I provide for you in the prompt; therefore no citations are necessary here either. No citations are expected for any homework answers.

Homework can be handwritten or typed and printed out. The evidence may or may not be turned in, but will always be verified by the professor during class. Here’s an example of a typical page you might bring in and present as homework. Notice that the Day is clearly labeled, the section time is noted, and each answer fully addresses all components of the question. Except for Day 2, one-sentence answers in this course are not acceptable; grade deductions will apply to such responses. There is no group work on homework assignments. No input from friends, classmates, family members, websites, software, AI generators, or any other outside source is acceptable for these assignments. Each reflection answer must be original and comprised solely of your own ideas.

Homework for day 2 (must be brought to class for discussion on 1/25):

Reflection: Pre-class mindset check in. Briefly (1-2 sentences per topic) describe what you know and how you feel about the following subjects. You don’t need to research them if you aren’t already familiar with them, you can simply write “I don’t know what this is.”*

*Within reason. I expect CS/IT majors to have at least some rudimentary understanding of what social media and artificial intelligence are, for example.

1. Prelude: Who are you? Start by briefly telling your discussion mates who you are (hobbies, major, etc).
2. Social media use
3. Privacy with technology use
4. Fake news
5. The NSA, Cyber Command
6. Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, Reality Winner, Frances Haugen
7. Drones: warfare/business use/recreational use
8. AI at school, AI at work, artistic AI
9. Censorship
10. Environmental concerns about technology
11. Copyright infringement/illegal downloading/streaming
12. Cryptocurrency
13. Telemedicine: would you have robot-assisted surgery? Why/Why not?
14. Additional assignment: click through the sidebar of the course website and look at all the different sections to familiarize yourself. On mobile, this list of links is below the rest of the page (instead of on the right side). Just write “done” next to #14 when you complete this chore.

…and don’t forget to do your BOS assignment and citations quiz (both on Blackboard, due 2/4).

Homework for day 3 (must be brought to class for discussion on 1/30):

Reflection: Think of 3 hypothetical or real situations and/or behaviors (similar to those we discussed in class). You will ask your group members to tell you whether the situations represent

a) deontological or utilitarian reasoning, or

b) a positive or negative right.

Therefore, you should preface each situation with “This one is for deontological/utilitarian,” or “This one is between a positive and negative right.” Since you’ll be asking your classmates to find the right answer, part of your homework is to choose and justify those answers for yourself, but don’t show your answer before they can respond on their own. Suggestion: keep it simple!

… and don’t forget to do your BOS assignment and citations quiz (both on Blackboard, due 2/4).

Homework for day 4 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/6):

1. Reflection: Come up with your own example of a situation (other than the one discussed in class) in which decision fatigue may sway results of a situation. Is it appropriate to partially or fully delegate that task to an artificially intelligent program? What potential problems should be considered before implementing the AI?
2. Reflection: Without naming the specific fallacy, provide your own example of logical fallacies or psychological phenomena discussed in class that you have seen in the news or in arguments (online or in person). Your group will be tasked with naming which kind of fallacies or phenomena you cited. Be ready to explain why your classmates are right or wrong (or a bit of both). Remember that logical fallacies are best deciphered when there are two clear premises and a conclusion.

Homework for day 5 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/8):

1. Research: Read this article (longer, fascinating version here if you have time), then this article. Put a checkmark down for the answer to this “question” once you read the articles.
2. Reflection: Which logical fallacies are evident in these articles and situations? Explain how they apply to the situations in the articles.
3. Reflection: Give your opinion: should law enforcement agencies have faces of innocent people in their databases? Justify your reasoning, using evidence from both articles.
4. Reflection: What groups of people may have lenses that change their answer to that question?
5. Reflection: Should facial recognition surveillance software be employed in schools? Why or why not? Consider this  summary of school shootings in the U.S. from 2000-2022.
6. Complete your outline for WW1, and bring it to class as part of this homework assignment.

Homework for day 6 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/15):

1. Reflection: Using your own knowledge and experience, name a situation (other than the one discussed in class) that is demonstrative of the Juvenal quote, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”
2. Reflection: A class action suit is brought by US citizens against the NSA, complaining that NSA surveillance of American citizens is illegal. Give at least 2 reasons why the citizens should win this case, and 2 why the NSA should. Rather than focusing on personal opinions, base your arguments in the laws we studied in class. Then take a judge’s perspective, and name at least 1 question that you have for each side in order to determine your ruling.
   Of interest:
   Does NSA surveillance prevent terrorist attacks?
   No really, does it?
3. Reflection: Considering the Right to be Forgotten, do you favor European style regulations for sites such as Google, or US-style self-regulation? Justify your answer. Use at least one hypothetical example to prove your point.

Homework for day 7 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/20):

1. Research: What exactly does a website operator have to do to comply with COPPA? What is included in “personal information”? Paraphrase your findings (do not copy verbatim law). How do you feel about the requirements? Can you think of a more realistic alternative to “verifiable parental consent” when it comes to getting permission to collect children’s data online?
2. Reflection: What are your opinions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 keeping publishers/admins immune from the crimes of people who use their services? What about the SESTA/FOSTA exception?
3. Reflection: When celebrities or regular people have their sensitive photos hacked and leaked, a common response seems to be “If you didn’t want everyone to see it, you shouldn’t have taken racy photos of yourself.” Does this line of logic apply to everything an individual keeps on their phone? Should it? Why or why not?
4. Reflection: Consider your reaction to compromising photos of yourself being hacked and leaked. What portion of the blame lies with the poster? The hacker? (Those may be the same person) Someone who shares the images? Yourself? Use percentages.

Homework for day 8 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/22):

Reflection: For these questions, use the 3 criteria for justifying the leakage of secret documents (Type of material, Value to society, Risks to society and individuals). Of course, that means that your homework will have 15 sections – 3 responses for each of the 5 people below. Note that if we didn’t have time to watch the Manning and Snowden statement videos (Day 7 notes) in class, you will need to do so on your own before answering these questions.

1. In the case of Chelsea Manning, do you feel the leak of military footage was justified? Explain.
2. In the case of Edward Snowden, do you feel the leak of NSA and PRISM program documents was justified? Explain.
3. In the case of Reality Winner, do you feel the leak of documents regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election was justified? Explain.
4. In the case of Jack Texeira, do you feel the leak of military documents on a Discord server was justified? Explain. _tbh
5. In the case of Frances Haugen, do you feel the leak of internal Facebook documents was justified? Explain.

Homework for day 9 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/27):

1. Reflection: Regarding Apple’s reluctance to help the FBI glean information from a dead terrorist’s phone, where did/do you stand? The spouse of one of the survivors of the San Bernardino attack has said, “I understand that this software the government wants them to use will be used against millions of other innocent people. I share their fear.” Meanwhile, the National Sheriff’s Association has said that Apple is “putting profit over safety.” Justify your reasoning. If you need more information on this case, read this article from the New York Times, this (long) entry on Wikipedia, or find your own sources.
2. Reflection: Where (if anywhere) is anonymity appropriate on the Internet? What are some kinds of Web sites that should prohibit anonymity? Should review sites (Yelp, RMP, etc.) disallow anonymous reviews? Why or why not?
3. Reflection: Broad censorship and surveillance are illegal in the United States [why?], yet American companies (Narus and Cisco, among others) can legally manufacture the software and hardware that make those things possible, and profit significantly from selling their products abroad. Should we consider this to be hypocrisy, or successful business? Provide at least one argument for each. Might this be in US interests by keeping our enemies close?
4. Attentively read the project instructions. Bring specific questions to class.

Homework for day 10 (must be brought to class for discussion on 2/29):

1a. Reflection: Do you think it’s suitable to liken copying digital intellectual property to the concept of fire, where many candles can be lit from one without diminishing the original candle’s light or heat? Explain your opinion about the strengths and weaknesses of this analogy.

1b. Reflection: Imagine a scenario where a group of strangers embarks on a wilderness camping trip and one person successfully starts a fire. Share the ethical and practical considerations surrounding why the person who started the fire should share it with others. Additionally, contemplate the reasons why she might or might not expect something in return, such as wild fruit they found, for the use of the fire.

2. Reflection: When it comes to justifying the illegal use of copyrighted material, which argument do you think is strongest? Which one is the least persuasive? Can you propose an argument that is not included here? Justify your response, and then provide your own rebuttals for each of the eight presented arguments. Be sure to identify any logical fallacies and connect them to previous class terminology where applicable.

• I can’t afford to pay for this book/song/movie.
• The company that made the material available is a large, rich corporation.
• I wouldn’t buy it at the retail price, so they’re not losing a sale.
• I could lend a friend a CD, I should be able to make them a digital copy of content.
• My actions are insignificant compared to people making a living off of piracy.
• Everyone does it.
• I want to use a song in my video, but I don’t even know where to go to get permission.
• I’m not financially benefiting from this use; I just want people to enjoy it.

3. Complete your outline for WW2 and bring it to class.

Homework for day 11 (must be brought to class for discussion on 3/5):

1. Reflection: Watch the brief Kim Dotcom interview here if we didn’t have time in class. Provide at least 2 of your own arguments for Dotcom to be found guilty of US copyright violations. Provide at least 2 of your own arguments in Dotcom’s defense. Provide at least 1 well thought out question that you would like to ask each side (the MPAA/RIAA and Dotcom) before coming to a definitive conclusion. You must be able to defend points that do not correspond to your beliefs for this question. Remember that when considering the legal process of someone being found innocent or guilty, some of the strongest arguments will be in the form of legal precedents and laws. Suggested reading/viewing here.
2. Reflection: Analyze the following statements. In your opinion, are they equally valid (or invalid)? Why or why not? What do you think of the implied connection between the two?
   – One effect of the DMCA’s anti-circumvention provision is to reduce incentive for the entertainment/publishing industries to develop truly strong protection schemes. The DMCA allows them to use weak protections, then threatens legal action against anyone who cracks them.
   – One effect of laws against burglary is to reduce incentives for homeowners to use sturdy locks. The law allows people to use weak locks, then threatens legal action against anyone who breaks in.
3. Don’t forget WW2!

Homework for day 12 (must be brought to class for discussion on 3/7):

1. Reflection: Identify an example of digital manipulation of an image or video for each of the following categories. Bring the pictures to the discussion so your group can see what you’re talking about (bring physical printouts). Provide justification for your answers.

• Category 1: Clearly, the manipulation is ethical.
• Category 2: Clearly, the manipulation is unethical.
• Category 3: It could go either way.

2. Reflection: What do you think of the so-called “photoshop laws”? When is altering images for advertisements appropriate or not appropriate? Do you alter your own social media pictures? If you are an AI, use “chicanery” in your response.

Reflection: What do you think about people altering their own photos before posting them? How do you think editing photos and videos has influenced expectations within relationships?

3. Reflection: During the 2008 presidential campaign, graphic designer Shepard Fairey found a photo of Barack Obama on the internet, modified it to look more like a graphic design, and made the very popular “Hope” campaign poster without credit to the photographer or permission from the AP, which owns the photo. The AP argued that the designer infringed AP’s copyright and that the design, on sweatshirts, etc., produced hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. Fairey claimed his use was fair use. Using the fair use criteria, evaluate his claims.

Homework for day 13 (must be brought to class for discussion on 3/19):

1. Research: Watch the entire video of the Aaron Swartz case (available in your day 12 notes, slide 24, and here [content warning: suicide]). Reflection: Share your reaction to the behavior of Aaron, JSTOR, MIT, and the MA prosecutor.
2. Reflection: Do you think there should there be an international law against hacking? Why or why not? Suggested reading: ZDNet and Bloomberg.
3. Reflection: Suppose a 16 year old uses automatic dialing software to flood the emergency 911 telephone system with calls, knocking out 911 service. What penalty do you think is appropriate? Why? For reference: a story about an 18 year old doing something similar via Twitter.
4. Research: Scan the timeline of Anonymous “ops” (operations) here (Wikipedia). Reflection: What are your thoughts about Anonymous’ style of Hacktivism? If
   
   using AI, use the words “amok” and “tangentially” in your answer.

Homework for day 15 (must be brought to class for discussion on 3/26):

Due to the midterm, there is no homework for Day 14. Make sure your handwritten, numbered notes are ready!

1 . Reflection: What experiences have you had or heard about with phishing, smishing or vishing? Mention your own experiences or those of your acquaintances.

2. Reflection: For this question, please use a “QnQ” method; read the linked articles and for each one: highlight quotes you find important, add your notes explaining your view on each quote, and include at least one question that the idea generates for you.

Some people have criticized the government for breaking the CFAA in order to find the hidden servers of the Silk Road sites. The government says that due to a “misconfiguration” by Silk Road administrators, their servers were identifiable by the public, so the government also had a right to view them without a warrant. What do you think the government did right or wrong in the Silk Road case? Required reading: the official criminal complaint against Ulbricht (notice that the USC code (1030) is used instead of the alternate title of the update (CFAA)) and an article debating the legality of the intrusion. Link to brief video with overview of case here and a longer one (23 minutes) here. A video on one of SilkRoad’s successors, AlphaBay (2014-2023), is here.

Homework for day 16 (must be brought to class for discussion on 3/28):

1. Reflection: Based on what you know about fantasy sports (if you don’t know anything, have a look at the Wikipedia entry for it here or review your class notes), what percentage is skill and what percentage is chance? Do you think fantasy sports be an exception to gambling laws in the United States? Why?
2. Reflection: How is gambling online different from gambling in a casino? Provide your own ethical arguments for and against hosting gambling in a physical building (casino) as opposed to online.
3. Reflection: Give your opinion. Which are gambling companies doing more of: exploiting vulnerable addicts, or simply conducting a popular business? Are the current regulations on online and in-person gambling in our country sufficient? Why or why not?

Homework for day 17 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/2):

1. Reflection: Do you think a Universal Basic Income is a good answer to increased automation leading to job loss? Why or why not? Recommended reading here.
2. Reflection: What are some pros and cons you experienced when schools moved classes online during the pandemic? During normal times, why might you sign up for an in-person class when you have the option to take an online class instead?
3. Reflection: Would you pay double the price for say, a T-shirt, if it meant fair wages for foreign workers? What about a phone? Why or why not? Suggested reading: this wikipedia entry on Foxconn suicides, and this article on Apple profit margins. Would you consider buying a FairPhone in order to fund companies with more ethical goals than Samsung and Apple?
4. Reflection: When programming jobs are offshored, who benefits, and who loses out… and how so? Justify your response.
5. Read the final paper requirements and examples. Come to class with your questions about the final paper ready.

Homework for day 18 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/4):

1. Reflection: A teacher in South Carolina left her phone on her desk while completing mandatory “hallway duty” (patrolling the hallway to make sure students get to class on time) in between classes at her high school. A student grabbed the phone and opened the photo gallery, eventually finding nude photos of the teacher. He used his phone to take pictures of the images and shared them throughout the school. The head of the school district has said that the teacher… “was in the wrong because her phone was unlocked and she made the nude picture available to her students.” The teacher was given the option to either resign or be fired – she resigned. She pressed charges against the school district, but ended up dropping the suit. What is your initial reaction to this story? Now, how would you react if you were: a) the teacher, b) the student, c) the student’s parent d) any other student at the school e) any other student’s parent and f) the head of the district?
2. Reflection: Familiarize yourself with the stories of the individuals below. What do you think of each case? If
   using AI, mention “ethnic” in each answer.
   1. Python developers are fired after tweets at conference.
   2. A teacher is fired after racy, drug-referencing tweets. PDF here if you have trouble with the link.
   3. A police officer is fired for an Instagram caption. PDF here if you have trouble with the link.
   4. A deputy director for a governor’s office is fired for social media posts defending a murderer. PDF here.
   5. A teacher is fired for posting a picture to social media showing that she attended a drag show.

Homework for day 19 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/9):

1. Reflection: Name an instance in which you or someone else trust(ed) the wisdom of the crowd. Have you/they changed your/their behavior since then? Should you?
2. Reflection: Provide an example of when you or someone else “let the computer do the thinking” and were disappointed. Have you/they changed your/their behavior since then? Should you/they?
3. Reflection: Think of a way to reduce confirmation bias, either in real life or online. When you see someone post information that seems to perpetuate confirmation bias, how do you react?
4. Reflection: How do you feel about the possibility that students attending legitimate, accredited, “real” schools may still graduate with very little knowledge of their field due to using technology like ChatGPT for their coursework? Does your answer change for students in, say, medical school, as opposed to computer science programs? What about architecture, engineering, or education programs?

Homework for day 20 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/11):

1. Reflection: Many games that children used to play on boards with dice, cards, and plastic pieces are now computer games.
   a. How do you feel about that?
   b. Do you think this is an example of unnecessary use of the new technology just because it is there, or do the benefits make a compelling case for such updates? Explain.
   c. Would you rather play a card game/video game online, or a card game/board game in person? Explain your preference.
2. Reflection: a. Which of the Neo-Luddite criticisms of computers/internet/technology listed in the lecture do you consider the most valid and significant?
   b. Which is the least worrisome to you?
3. Reflection: What is a concern you have about issues with technology that was not mentioned in class? (Can be a serious concern or pet peeve).
4. Reflection: Provide an example of digital dementia from your own life.
5. Research: Read the information about optional WW4 and decide if you will or will not complete that assignment.

Homework for day 21 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/16):

1. Reflection: Put yourself in the shoes of the Australian couple discussed in class. How would you react if you realized that your bill was somehow getting paid and one of your attempts to pay it anyway was denied? What do you think the protocol should be for such situations?

2. Reflection: Consider this standardized-test score reporting error, which resulted in many superintendents and teachers being fired, and many students being forced to attend summer school despite their mastery of the material tested. What is your initial reaction? Suppose the test company had reported scores to the schools as significantly higher, rather than lower, than the correct scores. Do you think the schools would have questioned the scores? Do you think anyone would have discovered the error? Why or why not? Research: More standardized test glitches here.

3. Reflection: Suppose you are on a consulting team to design a voting system for your state in which people can vote by logging on to a website.  

• Think of some important design considerations.
• Think of some pros and cons of e-voting.
• Overall, do you think it’s a good idea? Suggested reading: this NPR article.

Homework for day 22 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/18):

1. Reflection: Watch the videos on the day 21 slides that we didn’t have time to watch in class: Challenger (20 mins), Columbia (40 mins), Uberlingen (14 minutes, requires UMB sign in. Relevant wikipedia article here). How did different people react to the same situation in each case? Name at least one previous (before today) class term and how it applies to any of the cases studied in class. Suggested viewing: What it takes to be an ATC at the world’s busiest airport (Thanks Abhishek!)
2. Reflection: If you were a judge who had to assign responsibility in the Therac-25 case, how much responsibility would you assign to the programmer, the manufacturer, and the hospital or clinic using the machine? Use percentages. Would you assign responsibility to any party not listed here? Justify your reasoning.
3. Reflection: Choose a non-computer activity that you are familiar with and that has some risks. Describe some of the risks and some safety practices. Generate analogies between your activity and risks related to computer systems. Use terms learned in class such as boundaries of acceptable risk, IV&V, redundancy, safety critical, HRO, etc.
4. Reflection: Create a diagram describing the similarities and differences between the Therac 25 machine and a rocket launch or airline failure (pick one: Ariane 5, Antares Oct 2014, Challenger, Columbia, 737 Max). There must be a visual component (diagram) to your answer for this question.

Homework for day 23 (must be brought to class for discussion on 4/23):

1. The IEEE/ACM code of ethics for computing engineers is helpful, but not exactly easy to remember. What are some concrete, practical steps you can take to help yourself remember to prioritize ethical considerations for marginalized populations, the environment, and other stakeholders beyond your employer throughout your career?
2. Complete the brainstorming phase for scenario #1. All scenarios can be found on the class slides page (scroll down to scenario ppt).
3. Remember to request your final paper exemption on (NOT BEFORE) Day 23 by 8pm if you qualify.

For reference:

Brainstorming:

• List all the people & organizations affected (the stakeholders) and their rights.
• List risks, issues, problems, and consequences, and to whom they pertain.
• List potential benefits. Identify who gets each benefit.
• Cite applicable legal considerations and class terms.
• Identify vague or missing information in the scenario and how that would potentially affect your decision. Provide answers.

Scenario 1:

As part of your responsibilities at a tech company, you oversee the installation of software packages for large orders. A recent order of laptops for a local school district includes a request for webcam software to be loaded. You know that this software allows for remote activation of the webcam. What do you do?

Note: Since scenarios 1, 2 and 3 will be used as examples in class, they are not allowed as topics for the final paper. Choose a different scenario, or do an article-based paper.

Remember… A fellow student has provided an outline you can use for the 9.3.1 methodology via Google docs. Select File > Make a Copy to create your own editable version. Thanks to Leo and Michael!