Ethical and Professional Issues: Reading Responses

Prior to this reading assignment I was familiar with the concept of fake news but did not really understand how wide spread it is. The term is tossed around by everyone and it is often used as a scapegoat for when someone does not share a common belief with another. The Cambridge Dictionary defines “fake news” as false stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke. With our world becoming more and more online and social network driven, it is becoming very important to double check what you are reading and what others want you to believe. To me, it is amazing to see how effective some fake news articles can be, appearing to look and sound like an actual event or story. I think that fake news is mostly annoying but believe that in some circumstances it can be very dangerous. I think that some people are too quick to judge and ultimately are very gullible and do not fact check stories that seem lik...

When choosing whether to store information with a third party cloud computing service or to maintain and manage that information yourself, there are many tradeoffs to consider. One thing to consider is that there are things that a third party may be able to do better and more efficiently than you can. A third party might be able to secure your information better than you can. However, if you maintain the data yourself, you have more control over and do not risk the third party giving up or selling off your information. Personally, prior to our readings and in class discussions over these topics I did not think much of the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. That being said, I have always and will continue to trust third parties with my information. I believe that for some people it would be worth it to manage their own private cloud service. For some businesses and people, it is imperative that they always have full control over all of their data and, therefore, would a...

The topic on online censorship has both legal and moral consequences that must be addressed. First, if the United States were to implement a mass online censorship program, in many cases it would most likely infringe upon its citizens’ right to free speech. In addition, we must ask ourselves if we want to silence individuals whose only, or most effective, avenue of being heard is through the internet. That being said, based on my prior beliefs and the readings, I do believe it is okay go have some online censorship in specific situations such as in the fight against terrorism. I will return to this topic later. To me, it seems like online censorship is a very slippery slope and, for this reason, there must be only very specific situations in which it is okay. Addressing the situations presented in the question, I do not believe that it is ethical for companies to remove dissenting opinions for governments. I understand this situation is simply a suppression of individuals beliefs in...