Technology Handbook

Module 6

Online Ethics, Safety, and Privacy

Ethics and Technology

Key Terms
Computers can be used to do wonderful things. They can be
used to complete homework assignments, workplace
digital paper trail
projects, as well as keep friends and family in touch with one
plagiarism another. However, they can also be misused.

Knowing some simple ethical guidelines will ensure that you

are always doing the right thing:

Because your school may have a fast Internet

connection, you may be tempted to use these
connections to download large files. Check with your
teacher first, as there may be policies forbidding this.

E-mail systems leave a “digital paper trail.” This

means that what you type into an e-mail can be found
by a system administrator. Be sure not to abuse
company or school e-mail systems—it may come
back to haunt you!

Avoid plagiarism, or taking somebody else’s ideas

and passing them off as your own, whether it is one
or two sentences or an entire term paper. The “cut-
and-paste” feature built into modern software makes
a lot of mundane tasks, like moving a paragraph of
text, quick and easy—but also makes plagiarism all
too easy. Be on guard against falling into this trap.

It is acceptable to quote online sources in your work,

but you must make sure you identify those sources
and give them proper credit.

Also, some Web sites do not allow you to quote from

them. Check each site or resource you are quoting to
make sure you are allowed to use the material.

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You would not steal office supplies from your office

or school, so make sure you do not take home
computer-related resources like CD-ROMs or
floppy disks.

It is not legal to download copyrighted music and

videos and share them for free. Only use legal file
sharing sites, which usually charge a small fee.

Follow copyright laws. If you want to use part of an

online work that has been copyrighted, contact the
Webmaster of the site or the author of the article to
request permission.

Evaluate the information listed in a Web site

carefully. Be sure each site is relevant, reliable,
recent, and verifiable.

Whether in the classroom or at the library, you likely spend

time working at a computer. Remember that the computer is
TIP there to help you get your work done. If you instead use the
P computer to play games, check your personal e-mail, or
Sites that include look at offensive material on the Internet, you are
bibliographical inappropriately using the resource that is being provided for
information tend to
be more reliable. you and others.

Many institutions are taking action to prevent such misuse.

Hidden software applications watch everything users do
while they are on a machine, including which Web sites
they visit, what e-mails they send, even what keystrokes
they key. If you are engaging in inappropriate activity on a
school computer, you could be suspended from school, or
perhaps even prosecuted.

While it might seem harmless to do a few small personal

tasks while you are at work, the costs really do add up.

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Billions of dollars are wasted in American businesses every

TIP year due to personal use of company computers. These
P losses can be eliminated if computers are only used for
A good guideline to business purposes.
keep in mind: Do not
do anything on a
computer that you
would not do if your
teacher or parents
were standing
behind you,
watching.

Tech Check
Answer the questions on a separate piece of paper.

1. Explain What is a “digital paper trail”?

2. Predict When is it acceptable to quote from

someone else’s work?

3. Analyze Why do you think music companies are

trying to stop illegal downloading of music files?

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Copyrights and Wrongs

Key Terms
A copyright protects someone who creates an original work.
When you create something—a book, a play, or a single
copyright
sentence—you can copyright it, thereby claiming that you
Copyright Act of created it and you are the owner. The goal is to prevent
1976
unauthorized copying of that work by another party.
permission
public domain Copyright protection is provided by the Copyright Act of
derivative works
1976, a federal statute.

At one time, if you wanted to copyright something you had

to fill out a form, file your work with the Copyright Office in
the Library of Congress, and pay a fee. Today, this is no
longer the case. If you create an original work, it is
automatically protected by copyright law—even if you forget
to put the “© 2008” marker on the document. However,
registering a copyright with the office does provide some
additional protections, should you ever have to go to court
over your creation.

What do you do if you want to use a portion of a copyrighted

work in your own work? You need to obtain permission, or
authorization to do so, from the copyright holder.

Obtaining permission depends on the work in question. If

you want to use an excerpt from a book, you will need to
write a letter to the publisher, since they are the owner of the
copyright. Each instance is different, but many publishers are
willing to grant permissions to individuals for educational
purposes. If you want to reproduce information you found on
the Web, contact the Webmaster or author of the article to
request permission. Always ask permission to use the content
that has been developed by someone else. In many cases,
permission is granted for free use although sometimes a fee
is charged to use the content.

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Once a copyright is in place, how long before it expires?

TIP The answer depends on when the work was created. For all
P works created since January 1, 1978, copyright lasts until
Sometimes the 70 years after the creator’s death. For works created before
author, or an that date, the answer is considerably more complex. The
organization other copyright would last anywhere from 28 to 67 years from the
than the publisher, date of creation, with possible options for renewal.
owns the copyright.
Check the copyright
page in the front of Once a work’s copyright has expired, that work is
the book to make considered to be in the public domain, meaning that
sure. nobody owns it and anybody can reprint it as they please.
This is why you can find so many different printed versions
of classic literature from writers like Dickens, Shakespeare,
and the like—the publishers do not have to pay any fees for
the right to print those books. Now, one can read for months
on end the complete collection of Shakespeare!

It is important to remember that although public domain

material is free to use, it is still necessary to cite the source
of the material. In addition, if you are unsure about whether
it is necessary to ask for permission to use intellectual
property, it is best to ask for permission to make sure you
avoid violating copyright laws.

Following are some common misconceptions about

copyrights:

“If it does not say it is copyrighted, it is not

copyrighted.” Original work published after March
of 1989 is copyrighted, whether it says so or not.

“I found it on the Internet, therefore it is okay for

me to copy it.” Most of the text on the Internet is
indeed copyrighted. Copying information from the
Internet is a serious breach of copyright, and can
result in prosecution.

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“It is okay to put copyrighted material on my Web

site, because I do not charge people to look at it.” It
does not matter whether you are making a profit
from the reuse of copyrighted material—you are
distributing it, and that is illegal.

“I have changed the material, so it is no longer

copyrighted.” Copyright law says that only the
owner of the copyright can make “derivative
works”—that is, new works based on the existing
material. This law allows only the owner of the
copyright to profit from the intellectual property.

“I can reprint the material, because it is considered

fair use.” Be careful! Fair use refers to the right to
TIP reprint brief excerpts from copyrighted works
P without obtaining permission. However, there are no
Under fair use, clear definitions on how much of a work can be
educational used. Some examples of the fair use doctrine include
purposes are
sometimes quoting a book or part of a book in a book report or
considered parodying a work. The purpose and character of the
acceptable, such as use must be considered.
when teachers copy
a few pages of a
book to hand out to
students to teach a Tech Check
lesson. Answer the questions on a separate piece of paper.

1. Recall What is a derivative work?

2. Analyze Give an example of a fair use of

copyrighted material.

3. Identify Name a work that is in the public domain.

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Online Ethics, Safety, and Privacy

Netiquette
Key Terms
New rules of etiquette have evolved for the new online
netiquette communication media provided by the Internet: e-mail, chat
rooms, and newsgroups. Nicknamed “netiquette,” the basic
flame
guidelines described here are important to keep in mind
spam whenever you are communicating with someone online.

E-mail
Of all the conveniences provided by the Internet, e-mail is
the most widely used. It has changed how people live, work,
and socialize. Letters that used to take days to arrive in the
mail now take mere seconds. Business communication has
become much more efficient thanks to e-mail. Here are a few
things to keep in mind when sending e-mail:

Make a good impression in your e-mail

communications. Be clear and concise. Keep all your
responses in context. Proper spelling, capitalization,
and grammar are as important in e-mail as they are in
the papers you are writing for your English classes!

Do not send large attachments, unless the recipient is

expecting them. Be sensitive to the time that it takes
to download an attachments on different computer
configurations.

When forwarding e-mails, trim off unnecessary

information like old headers and quotes—these can
build up quickly! Delete the e-mail addresses for
prior forwarded names.

Do not say anything about someone that you would

not want them to hear. Even after you click Delete, e-
mail records stay in the system for a long time.

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Never send or forward chain letters. Even if they

seem like a good idea, they are often fraudulent.

Do not “spam.” Spam, or junk e-mail, is a billion-

dollar problem, clogging e-mail systems and
wasting time. Spam floods the Internet with many
copies of the same message.
Do not SHOUT. It is difficult to convey emotion in
e-mails. Avoid using capital letters. All capital
letters can be considered rude. Make sure your
Caps Lock key is off.

Chat Rooms
Chat rooms can be useful communication tools, but they
can also be raucous free-for-alls. Look for sites that include
procedures and guidelines that contributors must follow.
Some things to keep in mind:

Choose the chat room wisely. Some chat rooms

have questionable people, so do some research first.

Behave as though you were communicating face-to-

face. Remember that words can be misinterpreted,
and things like sarcasm and body language may not
come across online.

Do not threaten, harass, or abuse any participants in

TIP a chat room. Treat people online exactly as you
P would treat them in person.
The Usenet system
is made up of Take turns with the conversation. Just like in a real
thousands of conversation, allow people to finish their thoughts,
discussion groups, and do not interrupt.
each on a particular
topic.
Be aware of “lurkers,” people who are reading the
conversation but not taking part.

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Newsgroups
Having a rewarding newsgroup experience requires some
basic netiquette, including the following guidelines:

Join newsgroups that have rules for participation.

Stay on topic. Most newsgroups are very specific,

and readers do not appreciate posts (contributed
information) that do not fit the topic.

Do not “flame.” A flame is an aggressive or

insulting letter. People in newsgroups often get
TIP passionate or excited in these conversations, which
P make it easy to flame. Respect the opinions of
Behave online as others. Never say something that you would not
you would in the real want to say out loud.
world—honestly,
ethically, and wisely.
Know your facts. There is no fact-checking process
in newsgroups. Just because somebody makes a
statement does not mean it is true. Remember this
when quoting or replying to someone.

Do not hide behind a screen name.

Tech Check
Answer the questions on a separate piece of paper.

1. Define Define “netiquette.”

2. Summarize What are some general “netiquette”

rules?

3. Analyze Why do you think it is bad netiquette to

send large files to someone who is not expecting them?

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Online Ethics, Safety, and Privacy

Staying Safe Online

Key Terms
The Internet can be a wonderful place. There is much to
learn, explore, and discover. Through the Internet, you can
identify theft
stay in touch with friends and relatives and meet new friends
phishing who share your interests. While the Internet helps
communications, spending a lot of time at computers can
also isolate people. It is important to balance the time you
spend online with other activities.

The Internet is widely used in personal, school, and business

settings. In each of these settings, there is a set of formal and
informal rules that online users must follow. Following such
rules will keep you safe online.

Information is valuable. Companies that operate on the

Internet are constantly seeking more information about
customers, as well as potential customers. By building vast
databases of names, addresses, and information about buying
habits, those companies can market their products and
services with increased efficiency, thereby increasing sales.

But in addition to legitimate sites that ask you for

information like name, address, or age, there are many
questionable sites that are looking for data as well. Before
you key any information into an online form or in a chat
room, be sure to evaluate to whom you are sending that
information and why you are sending it. When you are
online, remember people may not be who they seem.

Identify theft is a crime in which someone takes your

personal information—such as your name, address, social
security number, driver’s license number, date of birth, or
mother’s maiden name—and uses it to establish credit and
charge items to you. In some cases, identify thieves arrange
to have mail, such as a credit card bill set up in your name,

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sent to their house so that you are not aware of the charges
that you owe until someone investigates your credit history.

In many business transactions, such as renting an apartment

or securing a car or home loan, the owner or banker runs a
credit check to see if you have any debt that you have failed
TIP to pay. Imagine your surprise when you find out that you
P owe thousands of dollars on a credit card that you never
Be aware of scams
applied for! Not only will you have to prove that you were
intended to steal the victim of identity theft to avoid paying the debt, but you
your personal will also be unable to rent an apartment or buy a car or
information from house until you clear your credit history.
you.
In the past, identify thieves scavenged victims’ trash for
credit card bills or other correspondence with personal
information that can be used to establish credit. With the
Internet, thieves no longer need to dig through your trash.
They use the Internet to solicit the information from you. If
you come across one of the following Internet scams, report
it immediately to an adult:

“Phishing” is a scam in which an identity thief

sends you an e-mail in which he or she pretends to
be a representative from a company with which you
do business. For example, you might receive an e-
mail that is supposedly from your bank or Internet
provider that asks you to provide personal
information to update your account.

Some identity thieves send e-mails in which they

claim that they are from a foreign country and they
need help transferring money to the United States.
They ask for your bank information and promise
that they will pay you for your assistance.

Ironically, some people have actually received e-

mails from companies that claim to offer identity

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theft protection and credit repair. However, after
they send their personal information, they find out
TIP that those who sent the e-mail were quite the
P opposite.
If you receive any e-
mail asking for
personal
The “You won a prize!” scam is increasingly
information, assume common. This scam involves receiving an e-mail
it is a scam and that indicates you have won a prize, perhaps a trip or
proceed with a of cash. Of course, you must provide your
caution. personal information in order to receive the prize.

In order to avoid these scams, always keep in mind what

people really need to know to complete a transaction. For
example, when you call your bank, the banker often asks
for your mother’s maiden name because he or she needs to
verify your identity. However, if someone claiming to work
for your bank calls or e-mails you, he or she has no need to
know any information already included in your bank file.
Clearly, this person has contacted you only to solicit your
personal information.

To stay safe online, take the following precautions:

Know to whom you are giving the information.

Check the URL in your browser. Does it match the
domain you visited? Or were you redirected to
another site without your knowledge?

Why are you giving the information? For example,

if you are ordering something online, you will need
to give your address in order for the product to be
shipped. There should always be a good reason for
all the information you provide.

Never give out your social security number, your

birth date, or your mother’s maiden name without
adult consent. This information is often used to

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secure credit reports, and giving this information to

a dishonest source can ruin your credit.
TIP
P
Never give personal information of any sort to
If you are still unsure
whether it is safe to someone you meet in a chat room. Always remain
give the information, anonymous.
check with a parent
or another trusted Never give your password to anyone. Even if you
adult.
call your Internet provider help support, you should
not have to provide your password.

Tech Check
Answer the questions on a separate piece of paper.

1. Define What is “phishing”?

2. Predict What information will you need to give if

you order something online?

3. Discuss Write a paragraph that discusses the

dangers of the Internet.

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 Module 6
Assessment

Online Ethics, Safety, and Privacy

Key Term Review

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Be sure not to abuse company or school e-mail systems, as e-mail systems leave a(n)
_______________________.
Technology Handbook Answer Keys
2. Taking somebody else’s ideas and passing them off as your own is called
_______________________.
3. A(n) __________________________ protects someone who creates an original work.
4. Copyright protection is provided by the __________________________, a federal
statute.
5. If you want to use a portion of a copyrighted work in your own work, you need to
obtain __________________________ from the copyright holder.
6. Once a work’s copyright has expired, that work is considered to be in the
__________________________, meaning that nobody owns it and anybody can reprint
it as they please.
7. A(n) __________________________ is a new work based on existing material.
8. __________________________ refers to the right to reprint brief excerpts from
copyrighted works without obtaining permission.
9. New rules of etiquette that have evolved for the new communication media provided by
the Internet are called __________________________.
10. __________________________, or junk e-mail, is a billion-dollar problem, clogging
e-mail systems and wasting time.
11. A(n) __________________________ is an aggressive or insulting letter.
12. __________________________ is a crime in which someone takes your personal
information and uses it to establish credit and charge items to you.
13. __________________________ is a scam in which a person sends you an e-mail in
which he or she pretends to be a representative from a company with which you do
business.

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 Module 6
Assessment

Online Ethics, Safety, and Privacy

Concept Review

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

14. If you quote online sources in your work, you must identify those sources and give
them proper __________________________.
15. If you want toHandbook
Technology Answer
reproduce information Keys
you found on the Web, contact the
__________________________ or __________________________ to request
permission.
16. Never send or forward __________________________. Even if they seem like a
good idea, they are often fraudulent.
17. Make sure your Caps Lock key is off to avoid __________________________.
18. To have a rewarding newsgroup experience, stay on
__________________________.
19. Today’s identity thieves use the __________________________ to solicit the
information from you.
20. Make sure the URL in your browser matches the domain you visited and that you
were not __________________________ to another site without your knowledge

Critical Thinking

Complete the following exercises to reinforce your understanding of the lesson.

21. Predict Think of three types of businesses that you think rely on copyright laws to
protect their assets and make their business more profitable. Write down the type of
business and then describe how copyright laws could help that type of business.
22. Compile Create a checklist of Internet scams you learned about in this module as
well as any you have heard about or seen on your own. You can place your list next
to your computer as a reminder for staying safe online.

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