Additional Task

 

1.In the studies of Social Contract Theory ethical principle, the terms positive and negative rights are used. Compare and contrast these rights.

Positive rights

Negative rights

-          A right obligating others to do something on your behalf -          Limited right: A right that may be restricted based on the circumstances -          Positive rights tend to be more limited Examples: -          Rights to free education -          Right to health care -          Government exists to administer the      rules

-          A right that a person  can guarantee by leaving you alone -          Absolute right: A right guaranteed without exception -          Negative rights tends to be more absolute Examples      -          Freedom to observe religion practices      -      States that a person starving to death has a right to life though the right to life does not entail some other person providing aid to a person in dire need.

• Pros

– Framed in language of rights

– Explains why people act in self-interest without common agreement

– Provides clear analysis of certain citizen/government problems

– Workable ethical theory

• Cons

– No one signed contract

– Some actions have multiple characterizations

– Conflicting rights problem

– May unjustly treat people who cannot uphold contract

2.Explain Identity Theft and provide example to support your answer.

  Identity theft is a form of stealing someone's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name. The victim of identity theft (here meaning the person whose identity has been assumed by the identity thief) can suffer adverse consequences if they are held accountable for the perpetrator's actions. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

Example of identity theft cases are as follows:

Defendant Sentenced for Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud

On November 19, 2012, in Miami, Fla., Louis Gachelin, of Miami, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Gachelin pleaded guilty on July 13, 2012, to one count of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to court documents and statements made in court, in March and April 2012, Gachelin cashed and attempted to cash 29 fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks totaling approximately $100,000.

Indiana Woman Sentenced for Filing False Claims for Refunds

On October 31, 2012, in Indianapolis, Ind., Lowkeysha Lipscomb was sentenced to 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $42,067 in restitution. According to court documents, Lipscomb filed false claims for refunds using the Social Security Numbers of other individuals both living and deceased. Lipscomb and another co-defendant would prepare fraudulent Forms W-2 and used this information to file false tax returns. The tax refunds were deposited in bank accounts and loadable debit card accounts controlled by the defendants. 

3. Describe 5 types of software piracy

 i.End-user piracy. 

It is illegal to copy or possess software without licensing for each copy.Individual users and companies alike must acquire enough licenses to cover their software installations.Volume Licensing applies only to Windows desktop upgrades, not to the full Windows operating system.

ii.Manufacturer piracy.

It is illegal for a computer manufacturer to copy software and preinstall it without permission on more than one computer.To learn how to locate proper license documentation, visit the Certificate of Authenticity site.

iii.Internet piracy.

It is illegal to offer unauthorized copies of software for download over the Internet.If software is available on the Internet, make sure the software publisher has authorized this distribution.

iv.Counterfeiting.

It is illegal to manufacture unauthorized copies of software and distribute those copies in packaging that reproduces or resembles that of the manufacturer.Counterfeit registration cards with unauthorized serial numbers are often included in these packages.

v.Online distributor piracy.

Software counterfeiters will sometimes promote "special deals" they've made with the software publisher, advertise "liquidated inventories," or try to generate interest in software they acquired through "bankruptcy sales."
Watch out for phrases like these. They can lead customers to think they're getting genuine software at a discounted price.

 

4.Explain the two types of digital divide

        The term 'digital divide' is where some people have the access and the capability to modern information technology such as telephone, televison or Internet while others do not. It shows the gap between those two groups. The two types of divisions are global divide and social divide.

            For global divide, the focus is set on global disparities between developed and developing countries in terms of accessing the modern information technology. In global divide, the access of this modern information technology is higher in wealthy countries such as United States where they have enough money to provide or to buy those modern IT things. The access is also higher in where the IT infrastructure is good as this make it easier for them to be able to use and access. Besides that, the access is higher where the literacy is higher and in English-speaking countries because many of this technology operated in English, whether the manual instructions, the communication through it and the command used. The access is also higher where it is culturally valued.

            As for the social divide, the access is higher for young people and well-educated people as these two groups eager to learn new thing and able to adapt to this modern information technology easily. The well-educated people exposed to this technology in their daily life especially in working environment.