Links for Articles

Article 2: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/04/05/can-young-students-learn-from-online-classes/the-possibilities-of-online-learning

Article 3: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/03/2011323821633244.html

1- Is the Turing test a valid test of intelligence? Why or why not?

I don't think it is because it seems to me that the Turing test is really testing the response a computer would have rather than its intelligence. Of course its easy to tell the response of a computer because it is so technical while a human is more relaxed and prone to error. Computers can retrieve facts better than humans. It's testing the ability of a computer to be a human not its intelligence.

2- List several mental task that people do better than computers. List several mental tasks that computers do better than people. Can you find any general characteristics that distinguish the items on the two lists?

People Computer
- translating - processing
- planning -math
-searching
- synthesizing

General characteristics that distinguish the two are technical, and natural.

Discussion Question

You are planning on starting your own business selling clothes. Discuss pros and cons for starting an e-business.

Pros: A pro of starting an e-business is that its easier to sell if say one doesn't have a store that they can sell from; its more convenient. Also, the way of payment is better because if you had a store you would have to transfer the physical money into the bank account while with e-commerce one can get payment directly into their bank account through debit or credit.

Cons: A con could be that shipping and packaging the clothing could be a hassle. Also, if the business isn't marketed enough no one will know about it and there won't be very many customers. Another is that if one doesn't take time to set up the merchandise properly with a variety, then people won't be interested. Another is that you won't be able to establish a personal relationships with customers and thus less loyalty; customers are looking for the cheapest prices. Another is that the payment system can be unreliable depending on the system used. Also, if for some reason a customer is unsatisfied they can comment on their experience and lessen the business's good reputation. Also, it isn't available to everyone; not everyone has access to a computer or Internet access.

Chapter 13: Electronic Commerce and E-commerece RQs

2. Is e-commerce possible without the Internet? Explain your answer.

It is possible but today e-commerce is largely Internet based. Most business executives believe that the Internet is essential or important to their company's success. It continues to grow at a rapid pace.

3. Describe the three forms of commerce.

Business-to-business (B2B)- It represents interorganizational information systems. A company handles transactions within its own chain and with other businesses and organizations, such as its suppliers, distributors, and bank.

Business-to-consumer (B2C)- It represents retail transactions between a company and individual customers. Examples are dot com companies such as Amazon.com and E*Trade.com

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C)- It represents individuals, organizations, or companies that are selling and buying directly with each other via the Internet such as eBay.

4. What are the purposes of an intranet? What are the main characteristics of an intranet?

The purpose of intranet is to provide users within an organization easy access to information. An intranet usually consists of a network, at least one computer with server software installed (TCP/IP) and other computers with client software installed (including TCP/IP and Web browsers). Physical networks such as LAN or WAN are used and most use Ethernet to physically connect computers, printers, and other hardware including middleware for physical communication connection.

5. What are three important ways companies use intranets?

Companies use intranets to provide employees access to important information for their jobs, to facilitate employees' teamwork and collaboration within also in departments, and to process internal company transactions online.

6. What is the purpose of an extranet? What are the main characteristics of an extranet?

The purpose of an extranet is to connect intranets of two or more companies in an e-marketplace. Some of the characteristics are a secure private network, a public network, and a virtual private network network.

7. Describe some of the issues a company must deal with to successfully conduct business with consumers over the Internet.

Some issues a company must deal with so that they successfully conduct business with consumers over the Internet is the speed of transactions, large, up-to-date product selection, ease of use, secure transactions, and after-sale features.

8. List the capabilities e-commerce should provide.

- have a Web Server, both hardware and software

- Server must have capacity to handle the initial traffic on the site or have the ability to expand as Website traffic increases.

-E-commerce software must provide access to business information and on-demand customer service, transaction processing, typical calculations for a transaction including computing taxes and shipping costs, and collect payments from customers accurately and securely.

9. Describe some ethical issues involved in electronic commerce.

-A person's private info being used without permission.

- issues of ownership

- tracking of user behavior on Web site

All this has to do with the ethical issues of privacy, intellectual property and such.

Discussion Question 4/13

If someone discovers a cure for the common cold, should he or she hide it to protect all the jobs of all the people who work in the cold-medicine industry?

I think that they should because I'm sure that those who have jobs in the cold-medicine industry can get other jobs making medicine for a different disease since there are so many others diseases. Also, I think that the benefit of the cure overcomes that of the negativity of the job loss. Also, from the cure new jobs are really created such as someone who makes vaccination for the cure. Identify reasons why so many people react negatively to advances in technology that eliminate some jobs. One reason is that when one's job is eliminated it can be extremely hard to find another. Additionally, another reason do to this is that when one doesn't have a job it usually means that they are experiencing financial problems and even sometimes in today's recession homelessness. Another could be that they cannot provide for their family and may have to give them up for adoption.

Chapter 11: Computers at Work, School, and Home RQs

2. What are the major components of the automated factory?

a. Robots- computer controlled machines that are designed to perform specific tasks.

b. Computers- that help track inventory, time the delivery of parts, control the quality of production, track wear and tear on machines, and schedule maintenance.

c. Engineers- used CAD and CAM technology softwares to design products and the machines that carry out the task of making those products.

d. Web cameras- allow workers and monitors to watch the production really anywhere, even in a different continent.

6. What is de-skilling? What is up-skilling? Give examples of each.

De-skilling is when a job is transformed so that it requires less skill. For example, computerized cash registers replace numbered buttons with button labels that may say"large hamburger". Therefore clerks who use these machines don't really need to know math or the prices of items, they just press buttons and the computer does the rest. Up-skilling is when a job becomes more technical, requiring the worker to have more skills. For instance, a lot of clerical jobs become more technical when offices integrate databases, spreadsheets, email systems, Internet connections, fax modems, and other computer technology.

7. Describe several of the controversies surrounding the electronic sweatshop.

One thing is that these workers experience health issues and even anxiety and stress. Another is that workers are only paid minimum wage. Also, a rising number of electronic sweatshops are located across national borders from corporate headquarters in countries with lax labor laws and low wage scales.

9. What were the goals of education in the industrial age? Which are still appropriate in the information age? Which are not?

The goals in the information age were to teach students the basic facts and survival skills they would need for jobs in industry and agriculture- jobs that they would probably have for their entire lives. Students should learn in the same ways and the same things. The teacher's job is to "pour" facts into the students and occasionally test their level of knowledge. Students are to work individually, absorb facts, and spend most of their time sitting quietly in straight rows. Those that are still appropriate in the information age are the skills needed to survive in the world of jobs. Those which are not are that students should learn in the same way and that students are expected to work individually and absorb facts.

10. What kind of an education does a student need to prepare for living and working in the information age?

They need an education where these principles are executed: technological familiarity, literacy, mathematics, culture, communication, and learning how to learn. Learning must be a lifelong process. Students must learn more facts; the must learn how to think and learn.

12. Describe how multimedia can be used by teachers and students in the classroom. Give several examples.

Multimedia can be used by teachers through simple slide shows, elaborate graphical simulations,

and multimedia demonstrations such as videos. Multimedia can be used by students through CD-ROMs, videos, interactive kiosks, and Web pages.

14. Technology alone is no guarantee that students will learn better or faster. What else is necessary to ensure success?

To ensure success, schools need to include teacher training, ongoing support, and restructuring of the traditional "factory model" curriculum.

16. What are smart cards, and how are they used?

Smart cards look like standard credit card, but instead of a magnetic strip, it contains an embedded microprocessor and memory. Smart cards basically replace magnetic-strip credit cards. They store critical ID information and automatically records transactions for later retrieval.

Chapter 10: Computer Security and Risks RQs

2. Why is it hard to estimate the extent of computer crime?

This is because much computer crime is undetected and some of those that are detected are not reported to the authorities for fear of embarrassment and a result of even more of a loss due to negative publicity.

3. Describe the typical computer criminal. How does he or she differ from the media stereotype?

The typical computer criminal is a trusted employee with no criminal record who is tempted by opportunity, greed, and financial problems. The typical computer criminal can be clerks, cashiers, programmers, computers operators, and managers. While these might be different to the media stereotype such as former employees seeking to get revenge om their former bosses, high-tech pranksters looking for a challenge, spies looking for classified info, and etc...

4. What is the most common computer crime? Who commits it? What is being done to stop it?

Theft is the most common computer crime. It is committed by spoofers, identity thieves, and usually anyone who wants to steal money, goods, info, and computer resources. To stop it computer users are now using helpful tips to protect themselves against theft such as making all online purchases using a credit card, checking for secure, reliable websites, not disclosing personal info over the phone, handling email with caution......

6. Describe several different types of programs that can be used for software sabotage.

Viruses- software that spreads from program to program or disk to disk, and uses each infected program or disk to make copies of itself. Some viruses reproduce, display images on computer's screen, destroy data, or erase disks.

Worms- uses computer hosts to reproduce themselves. They travel interdependently over computer networks, seeking out uninfected workstations to occupy.

Trojan Horses- it performs a useful task while at the same time carrying out some secret destructive act.

7. What are the two inherent characteristics of computers that make security so difficult?

1. A computer does exactly what it is programmed to do, including reveal sensitive information. Any system that can be programmed can be reprogrammed by anyone with sufficient knowledge.

2. Any computer can do only what it is programmed to do

8. Describe several different computer security techniques, and explain the purpose of each.

Biometrics- something about you, like a voice print, fingerprint, retinal scan, facial feature scan, or other measurements of individual body characteristics. This is used to identify a person attempting to access computer equipment because the person attempting to gain access might have the authority to do so, so if the biometric is not matched with that of authorized personnel then that person will not gain access.

Passwords- these are the most common security tools used to restrict access to computer systems.

Access-control software- software that only allows user according to the user's needs. Some users can only open files that are related to their own work. Some users are allowed read-only access to files they can see but not change.

10. In what ways can computer security protect the privacy of individuals? In what ways can computer security threaten the privacy of individuals?

It protects us through passwords so that confidential information that we wish not to be shared with others will not get into the hands of identify thieves and hackers. This is also done through firewalls, biometrics, encryptions, and audits. Some ways in which security threatens privacy is when security systems track every move of an individual, even a minute by minute report on that individual. For instance, the use of an active badge which identifies an authorized or unauthorized person, find that person through computer screen just like security cameras, and remember every single place and instance that individual was at and was doing.

11. What are smart weapons? How do they differ from conventional weapons? What are the advantages and risks of smart weapons?

Smart weapons are missiles that use computerized guidance systems to locate their targets. They differ in that they lessen the use of human capability in tracking targets. The advantages are that they can greatly reduce the amount of civilian destruction in ear is everything is working properly. While the risks are that they reduce the amount of time people have to make life-and-death decisions. As the decision-making time goes down, the chances of making mistakes goes up. Another is software reliability so that if a bug were to penetrate a system it could multiply within no time. One error could cause a big disaster.