Unit 13-1 Societal Issues

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Summarize what is being done to help the technological underclass gain access to the Internet.
• Understand how the Internet threatens your right to privacy, and know what you can do about that.
• Take steps to avoid being stalked on the Internet.
• Exercise the appropriate security measures to protect the privacy of your information on the Internet.
• Understand why protectionists seek to censor certain kinds of material on the Internet.
• Realize how much Internet traffic is pornographic or obscene, and consider who should have access to such material.
• Reflect on the impact of the evil side of technology that is being used to spread electronic hate on the Internet.
• Understand the concept of copyright and fair use in cyberspace, and realize how important it is to exercise your right of Fair
• Use of electronic resources.

Reading

Read chapter 25 of the Internet Literacy textbook to study the concepts covered by this unit.

Online Activities

As the communications infrastructure for the twenty-first century, the Internet is the most strategic resource in modern society. But will its true potential be reached? Who will control access? Almost any good thing can be misused; how will the Internet harm society? The following activities are designed to help you ponder these questions.

• As this book goes to press, only about 20 million Americans are using the Internet. We have a long way to go before achieving universal access. After you read what the textbook has to say about this, go to the equity section of the Interlit Web site and explore the links you find there.
• The constitution guarantees every American the right to privacy. The Internet threatens this right. Most users are unaware of how real the threat is. After you read what the textbook has to say about this, go to the privacy section of the Interlit Web site and explore the links you find there.
• To protect networks against unauthorized access by users seeking information to which they are not entitled, several steps can be taken. Security measures include passwords, encryption, firewalls, and proxy servers. Read what your textbook presents, then visit the security section of the Interlit Web site to learn even more.
• Some countries view technology as a cultural threat and are taking steps to counteract it. You will probably be outraged by some of the examples of protectionism discussed in chapter 25. As the author of your textbook states: "The Internet is a worldwide resource in which every country should participate and become a co-inventor. Restricting or denying access to the Internet will severely retard a nation's status in the twenty-first century. Every citizen in the world should have the right to unrestricted Internet access."
• Many people are concerned that in addition to being able to monitor electronic communications that stream across the Internet, network administrators also have the ability to censor them. To what extent and under what circumstances should the government act as a censor on the Information Superhighway? Study the examples presented in chapter 25; then visit the censorship section of the Interlit Web site to explore links to additional resources.
• A lot of bandwidth on the Internet is devoted to the transmission of pornographic and obscene sexual content. After studying the materials presented in chapter 25, follow the links to pornography and obscenity at the Interlit Web site to find out what's being done to create rating systems and other safeguards to regulate access to obscene materials.
• Unfortunately, the world contains many insecure individuals who, for some sick reason, are made to feel superior by defaming people based on race or ethnic origin. Not only does the Internet reflect the hatred in society, but it provides bigots with a wider audience. After studying what chapter 25 has to say about this issue, follow the links to the Interlit Web site to find out what you can do to make the Internet a nicer place.
• All of the elements presented in Chapter 12 (Commonly Found Internet File Types) of your textbook are protected by copyright. This includes illustrations, text, movies, video clips, documentaries, animations, music, and software. After reading what chapter 25 has to say about copyright, including how to register formally the copyright for your Web pages, go to the Interlit Web site and follow the links to the U.S. Copyright Office. From there, choose Copyright Registration Procedures, then Multimedia Works. (Web pages are considered to be multimedia documents.)
• Fair Use is a section of the U.S. Copyright Law that allows the use of copyrighted works in reporting news, conducting research, and teaching. Read the copy of the law printed in the Fair Use section of chapter 25. Then follow the Interlit Web site links to the Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia. Granted, you've been asked to visit these guidelines previously in this course, but their importance cannot be overemphasized. It's important for all users to be aware of and to practice the right of Fair Use. After all, it's the law.

Assignments

One of the most weighty assignments in this course is the term paper that you will publish to the Web and submit for a grade by putting a link on your home page that your instructor will click to read your term paper. If you are having trouble deciding on a term paper topic, consider writing about one of the societal issues discussed in this module. The exercises at the end of Chapter 25 are particularly stimulating in terms of possibly helping you decide upon a term paper topic.

This module also provides you with the link you will need to follow in order to answer this course assignment:

• Since 1995, Discreet Data Research has operated a Web site where people can find out information about you that is normally considered to be private or confidential. Follow the Interlit Web site link to Discreet Data Research and check it out. While there, peruse the different sleuthing services and investigative links. What is the most shocking service that you found at the Discreet Data Research site? That is, which service is the most disturbing to you with regard to information that anyone could find out about you through Discreet Data Research?