Final Assignment, Fall 1995

Your assignment is to write a report on one of the topics outlined below by creating a report summarizing the topic as may be used in class readings and providing links to important documents that support your presentation. As far as possible, all your references should be "on-line"; this may require that you convert them from a paper format to HTML. If you do this make sure that you have permission to reproduce the material! To assist you I have started a collection of materials in several directories. I would hope that you can add to these materials and add a summary of your own.

The topics are:

• Privacy and Computers. As I see it, there are at least three elements to this study:
  1. A history ofthe concept of privacy in the United States, starting from Justice Wendell Holmes. Privacy is NOT an element of the US Constitution, nor has been made a right in any subsequent amendment. What are our rights of privacy?
  2. A certain amount of privacy of records is required by the 1974 Privacy Act that required maintainers of records to protect them and to ensure their accuracy. How does this affect providers of computing services?
  3. The recent discussions about the "Clipper Chip" bring up the question of the privacy of communication, especially the right to encode our communications by a means which is not subject to scrutiny by a governmental agency. Do we have right to prevent governmental snooping?
  4. What are international ramificiations of privacy? For example, if a government has the authority to snoop, what is to protect persons in other countries from cross-border snooping?
  Choose two or three of these aspects of privacy (or choose another of your own, after consultation with one of us), and write a report for posting on the WWW.

• Censorship: During the past year there have been a number of instances where censorship of Internet has been in question. For example, Carnegie Mellon University proposed limiting student access to certain newsgroups. The US Senate is working on a Communications Bill that includes an amendment (usually referenced as the Exon amendment after the proposer, Sen. Exon) to require some form of monitoring of postings on newsgroups and bulletin boards (BBS).

  Write a report on this topic -- does the free speech amendment apply to Internet when Internet is wider than just the US? Should maintainers of newsgroups and BBS be required to act as censors also?

  Choose two or three of these aspects of censorship (or choose another of your own, after consultation with one of us), and write a report for posting on the WWW.

• Green Machines: This is a difficult topic because there is little to be found on the subject; thus anyone undertaking this will be given a little more leeway in grading to make up for the true basic research nature of this work.

  "Green machines" refers to the process of designing or choosing a computer (though you should probably restrict yourself to personal computers or workstations) that is "environment friendly". The US Environmental Protection Agency has a program entitled "EnergyStar" which provides a listing of PCs that minimize their use of power, and, for example, have sleep capabilities to conserve electricity. Is this important?

  Computer components are manufactured using comparatively harsh chemicals, including cyanide compounds and other environmentally dangerous products. What steps are being taken by manufacturers (such as Intel) to protect the environment? Do manufacturers (IBM, Apple, Del, etc.) produce "Green Machines"?

  Computer keyboards and CRT displays are thought to have adverse effects on the people who use them. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common problem among data entry clerks. There is concern that emanations from CRT displays may be hazardous to pregnent women. Are steps being taken to remove these dangers?

  Can computers really be recycled or do they pollute the land fills they inhabit? Is there any concern on the part of manufacturers to produce a recyclable PC?

  If you agree that there is a need to develop a "Green Machine", then write a report (with links) on the status of this development. How would you determine whether the machine you are using today is a "Green machine"?

• The last possible topic is Freedom of Speech: This is slightly intertwined with the topic of Censorship, but perhaps from the other end of the spectrum of communication. That is, Censorship deals primarily with not allowing persons to access what is already available; Freedom of Speech is the concept of being free to make an utterance in the first place -- before it can be censored! Obviously this is a constitutional right in the US, but the interpretation of the amendment is where the problems arise. What are the international aspects of this in an international medium such as Internet? Can there ever be a world-wide right of speech? Or should those countries that do not recognize such a right solve their own problems by the use of censorship?

  Choose two or three of these aspects of freedom of speech (or choose another of your own, after consultation with one of us), and write a report for posting on the WWW.

As usual your report should be accompanied by a journal that documents your activities in completing this project and anwers the 10 questions in the outline given in the class notes.

Due dates:

Hand-ins

1. The final, revised, report (in HTML format);
2. The draft that was reviewed on November 13, 1994;
3. Your journal for this assignment, carefully answering the questions posed in the description of the writing process.