1. Behind the Machine “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

2. Behind the Machine: Are computers beneficial? Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

3. Behind the Machine: Are Computers Beneficial? Medical advances Brought the world closer together No time zones, not international boundaries Easy access to information Easy access to research New ways of shopping New political structures MoveOn.Org Changing Nature of Work Information worker Changing the way we Date, Meet, Marry? eHarmony Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

4. Behind the Machine: Are Computers Detrimental? Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

5. Behind the Machine: Are Computers Detrimental? Loss of social community E-commerce vs Downtown shopping center Is Big Brother watching our every move? Within US computer haves vs have-nots Many countries have no computers or even electricity Changing work expectations New skills 24/7 contact Jobs moving off-shore It’s not my “fault,” the computer made a mistake! Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

6. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymous? The quality or state of being anonymous, which is the condition of having a name or identity that is unknown or concealed. www.w3.org/2003/glossary/subglossary/ws-gloss.rdf/ www.w3.org/2003/glossary/subglossary/ws-gloss.rdf/ Anonymity is the state of not being identifiable within a set, called the "anonymity set". When referring to human beings, we say that a person is anonymous when the identity of that person is not known. Being anonymous usually is a result of not disclosing one's identity. This may be simply because the person was not asked, as in an occasional encounter between strangers, or because the person is unable or unwilling to tell. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymity en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymity " Anonymity" and "confidentiality" do not have the same meaning and are not interchangeable. www.virginia.edu/vprgs/irbsbsterminology.html www.virginia.edu/vprgs/irbsbsterminology.html Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

7. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Why would someone want to be anonymous? The Founding Fathers often chose anonymity in their protests by using pseudonyms on printed material or not listing authorship at all. Signing the Declaration of Independence was a very big deal! Is this new to the Internet? Is Anonymity on the Internet more important than in “real life?” Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

8. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymous Internet Services? Should people be able to Email and Surf the Web anonymously? Anonymizer.com Zero-Knowledge System SafeWeb Some of these providers use encryption services so that even the ISP cannot identify the user Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

9. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymous Internet Services? SafeWeb – developed tools to assist individuals living under governments that limit Internet access such as China, and Iran. CIA uses SafeWeb – So no one knows you’re a spy! Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

10. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech Bill of Rights protects free speech, but – there are still times when we do not want to be identified? Examples? Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

11. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech “In 1995 the Supreme Court invalidated an Ohio law under which a women was fined for distributing pamphlets against a proposed school tax without putting her name on them. The Court ruled that distribution of anonymous political leaflets (by an individual) is an exercise of freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. The Court said ‘anonymous pamphleteering is not a pernicious, fraudulent practice, but an honorable tradition of advocacy and of dissent. Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.’” Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

12. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech As a result of this Ohio ruling, a federal court threw out a 1996 Georgia law against using a false identity on the Internet. But, going to court to enforce one’s rights can be expensive. Often the threat of legal action shuts down free speech. Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

13. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech The ability to post anonymously is good. Is it? Is it always good? How do we filter truth from fiction? How do we protect ourselves from libel or defamation of character? juicycampus.com Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

14. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech “Because of its potential to shield criminal activity or because they consider it “ bad netiquette” some services choose to discourage or prohibit anonymity. Some require identification of all members and users. Some do not accept any e-mail from known anonymous re-mailer sites. On the other hand, Web sites that emphasize debate on controversial issues or have discussion groups on socially sensitive topics often consider anonymity to be a reasonable way to protect privacy and encourage open, honest discussion. Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

15. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech Anonymity on the Internet issued for criminal and antisocial purposes including the planning of terrorist attacks. Law enforcement officials argue for laws that require ISPs to maintain records of the true identity of each user and to maintain records of online activity for a specific period of time for potential use in criminal investigations Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

16. Behind the Machine: Do computers make us more anonymous? Anonymity and Free Speech Protecting the Many from the Few This Can limit Free Speech because the basic rules of our legal system change! To do so – we become Innocent until proven guilty Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner