Debate Topics

[hauser]

I have posted the list of topics and questions to the class web site.  Look for the link to Debate Topics on the left side.

We will discuss the topics and questions here and then vote on Friday for our favorites.  Each capstone student must vote and the faculty are also welcome to vote (and comment here).  The voting will be in the form of a poll (probably).

[hauser]

I expected a lot more discussion here of appropriate questions at least. 

So far it has been that of dead toads at the bottom of a pond.

[jglaser]

I'm sure a lot of CSCE students have heard of bittorrent. Recently there was a lawsuit against a large web site; the site is titled the Pirate Bay. It is said that it is the worlds largest bittorrent tracker. Anyway, was the trial just? Is the site wrong to provide a public service that it does? Should the Pirate Bay be shut down?

Any thoughts? Ideas? More questions?

[Yuriy]

Could I get an example or an explanation of the questions below?

Should the network infrastructure remain neutral?

Is digital rights management an undue limitation on user's rights?

Is software/hardware generated using an open source model safer or more reliable?

[hauser]

Should the network infrastructure remain neutral?
One way to look at this is to ask:
Should ISPs be allowed to give preferential service to a company that pays extra for it?
That would mean that a large company could pay to have their services expedited.  A competitor's customers would see slower traffic and longer delays.

Is digital rights management an undue limitation on user's rights?
Most music apps limit the amount of copying and sharing you can do.  They do this to avoid being sued by publishers for making piracy easy.

Is software/hardware generated using an open source model safer or more reliable?
Is it better to have the code published and publicly reviewed or to keep the code secret?  Secret code cannot be so readily analyzed for flaws that might cause security holes.

[benkhaaa]

Liability:

When is the programmer responsible, when are the people who buy the software responsible, and when are the people who use the software responsible?

[hauser]

Achmed, to debate we need a yes/no question.  Try to rephrase your questions in that form.

[Aaron Davis]

With regards to Video Game Violence:

Should a govenment agency regulate video games' content, specifically violence or sexually explicit content?
(I believe the FCC may technically have regulatory power over this realm, but if so there really isn't anything happening)

Privacy:
Do people have a right to privacy in the digital age we live in?
Can we reasonably expect that we can have privacy?

Net Neutrality/Privacy:
Is making a connection across a wire trespassing? or Are remote connection attempts trespassing?
Is user-installed malware a violation of a user's privacy? (Just because the user didn't read the entire EULA...)
If data travels across a wire owned by (company/person/government) X does that entity own the data?  Does that entity have a right to copy the data?

[munsonpm]

Open/Source:
Should companies be forced to have code open sourced?

Liability:
Should programmers be responsible for when the programs cause errors that harm people or property?

Limits to AI:
Does an increase in computers in the workplace decrease the number of jobs available?

[hauser]

Net Neutrality/Privacy:
Is making a connection across a wire trespassing? or Are remote connection attempts trespassing?

-- I put this in Privacy.  However, I think the law already says this is illegal.

Is user-installed malware a violation of a user's privacy? (Just because the user didn't read the entire EULA...)

-- I don't think the EULA of malware would ever say that it was malware so that part seems moot.

If data travels across a wire owned by (company/person/government) X does that entity own the data?  Does that entity have a right to copy the data?

-- This isn't really neutrality but it is privacy.

[jglaser]

So were we going to do a poll on topics? Were we required to do so by today? I may have misunderstood it but thats what I thought the plan was.

[jglaser]

hmm.. No reply. Can we start another poll on when Dr. Hauser will come back?

[munsonpm]

I made a poll that we can vote on.  It is in a different topic in the forum for capstone.