UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 19, Page 1
February 9, 1995
UD's computer ethics draws national notice

     Since last fall, when the University launched an innovative
program to stress good citizenship on the Internet to its students,
requests for information about it have been received from more than 90
institutions in the U.S. and from as far away as Sweden and Australia.
     Susan Allmendinger, assistant director for systems security and
access in Information Technologies, said she has received queries on
the University's Electronic Community Citizenship Examination (ECCE)
from interested individuals at such institutions as Harvard, Duke,
Dartmouth, Princeton and Quebec's Laval University, plus community
colleges and even private companies.
     Compliments that have accompanied the requests include:
"Congratulations on a well-considered plan to improve the Internet
community," "What a good idea!" and "The book 'Responsible Computing'
arrived. Thanks. Nice job!"
     Allmendinger said representatives of these colleges and
universities often requested copies of the University's test. She said
when she responds to their request she informs them that they are
welcome to incorporate the University of Delaware's information into
similar efforts their particular institutions are making in this
responsible computing area.
     ECCE involves a 10-question, multiple-choice test that new
students must pass. Selected randomly from 10 different categories,
the questions cover a range of issues involving password security,
copyright restrictions, malicious misuse and judicial penalties,
computer right vs. privilege, software restrictions and proper access.
      Allmendinger explained that the program was an effort to educate
users about responsibilities, ethics and procedures. This was an
important area where staff in Information Technologies had determined
there was a void that had to be filled.
     "It was our awareness, in general," she explained, "that students
seemed to be unaware of basic rules related to computer use. We wanted
to let them know that there are basic rules and standards of behavior
that the University expects of them in using the computer."
     Most of the time, misuses of computing resources are not done
intentionally. "Instead," she explained, "they occur in an innocent
way out of ignorance or a lack of guidance."
     For example, she said students would not give their room or car
keys to others. But they casually, or proudly, announce the cleverness
of their passwords to others. Some people will smile and think that's
cute. There are some, however, who will take advantage of that
knowledge.
     At the other end of the spectrum, there are students who are very
sophisticated and knowledgeable about computers. Some of them may take
advantage of the system and cause serious disruption.
     Students are able to take the ECCE test at any time, and at any
available public personal computer station on the campus, she said,
and these are important components of the overall program.
     The test was designed to be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. In the computer age, which stresses immediate accessibility,
she said, it would have been counterproductive to have students wait
in line to take written tests to gain access to a computer.
     "We were very pleased with the automation of all of this," she
said, "and we are proud of the effort the Information Technologies
staff who worked on the project took to make it easily accessible to
students."
     Students were given a copy of Responsible Computing, a manual
containing all the information they would need to pass the test.
However, Allmendinger admitted, the questions could be answered by
some students with no studying. Some are able to answer the questions
by applying general experience and common sense.
     Those who give an incorrect answer immediately receive the
correct answer and an accompanying explanation. Students also are
allowed to retake the test as often as necessary until they pass.
     When the test is passed, a student can immediately go to a
password changing station and establish a secret password, and then
access the Unix computing systems.
     Information Technologies is developing a similar awareness
program for University staff in conjunction with Employee Relations.
Since staff use computing to conduct University business, the
informational aspects of the ethics and responsibility will be
stressed.
     Allmendinger said she was both surprised and grateful by the
number of requests she received and the overall response to the
University's efforts in the area of computer etiquette.
     "I was very interested to find that so many of us in the academic
community share the same concerns. I also welcomed the opportunity to
communicate with these people. I shared information with them, and
they did so with me.
     "There is a feeling of pride for the University," Allmendinger
added, "that we came up with an idea that so many people thought was
needed and useful."
                                                         -Ed Okonowicz