Adriel Domfeh
12/9/2022
This class has truly been an interesting course. I have learned many things throughout this course that I can use in my major and in every aspect of my life. There are three topics that were discussed in class that have truly changed the way I think.
The first topic Is privacy. After reading the Googleization of everything the way I though about privacy changed. I’ve always known google street view has been used in this generation for a lot of good purposes, but I was not aware of how many people have disrupted the privacy of many individuals through this service. What caught me by surprise is that even though Google Street view knew this, they did not seem to do much about it. The Consequentialist tool for moral reasoning showed me a new perspective on right and wrong. The consequentialist tool for moral reasoning showed me that Google was in the wrong. The consequence of Google allowing people’s property to be seen online resulted in many individuals feeling as if they were exposed. From my understanding of consequentialism, google should have done a better job of listening to how people felt about Google Street view invading their privacy due to the consequences of the company’s actions. From reading about this it is clear to my understanding that the closure of private information is calming to people, and it should be a priority in big companies, organizations, and individuals from home.
The second topic I am going to discuss has deepened my understanding of ethics in a professional environment. This topic was Professional Ethics. Through my understanding of the Code of Ethics, I learned that honesty is an essential component of trust. Without trust, an organization cannot function effectively. The honest computing professional will not make deliberately false or deceptive claims about a system or system design but will instead provide full disclosure of all relevant system limitations and problems. In Sourour’s incident where he Wrote the Code for the Pharmaceutical quiz, I was able to understand why what he did was morally wrong. I am also aware and able to spot out if a company only attempts to push a specific product to sell instead of a product a consumer truly needs.
The last topic I am going to discuss changed the way I think about military information. This topic was the case analysis of whistleblowing. Military information has always been looked at to me as good classified private information. From my understanding through Manning’s actions, the US soldier who leaked hundreds of thousands of US military documents, the military also hides bad classified information. With US helicopter crew killing a group of Iraq civilians in Baghdad, Manning exposed what is believed to be the American military disregard for human life. This was essentially collateral murder that was leaked. The reason why he exposed this is that so many people like are aware of what is truly going on. I also learned through this story what a moral and immoral case of whistleblowing looks like.
a takeaway I would like my future self to remember and be guided by is considering ethical issues in this world that can be relevant to my life or major. Through the knowledge I’ve gained in this class I want to pay particular attention to privacy within my home and working environment. I also want to pay more attention to freedom of speech, content control on the Internet, individual and social responsibility, cybercrimes, and the social impact of digital technologies. I want to be one of the individuals who are ethically obligated in a professional working environment. Starting from this present moment I will be guided by the broad understanding of central issues in cybernetics that I have. I will also remember the ways that fundamental ethical theories relate to core issues. This class experience has now enabled me to see the world from many different perspectives and lenses.