UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2013/2014
ORDINARY EXAMINATION FOR THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BIT 2109 PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN IT
DATE: APRIL, 2014 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question ONE and any other TWO
QUESTION ONE
(a) Define professionalism and highlight FOUR characteristics of a professional.
(5 Marks)
(b) Open source software projects distribute their software, including the source code,
for free. How might the introduction of software patents change this model?
(2 Marks)
(c) Describe the THREE basic types of ethical inquiries. (6 Marks)
(d) Highlight any FOUR approaches to moral ethics. (4 Marks)
(e) Ethical and Societal Issues is like a coin with two side the only difference it has
the bright side and the not-so-bright side for head and tail. Discuss (6 Marks)
(f) “IT has led to job loss” Justify the statement. (3 Marks)
(g) Using relevant examples discuss why it is not recommended to rely solely on law
as moral guidline. (4 Marks)y
QUESTION TWO
(a) Johnson (1995) defines computer ethics as „the study of the ethical questions that
arise as a consequence of the development and deployment of computers and
computing technologies.‟ Moor (1985) defines computer ethics as „the analysis of
the nature and the social impact of computer technology and the corresponding
formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology.‟
i. Do you think the TWO definitions above adequetly define computer
ethics, give reasons for your answer. (4 Marks)
ii. Do comparative analysis of the definition sugesting similarities and
difference. (4 Marks)
(b) Briefly discuss the any FOUR concepts of moral dimension of technology.
(12 Marks)
QUESTION THREE
(a) Revolution in technology and particularly internet, has led to organizations
collecting large amounts of personal data from huge range of sources which can
be accurate or inaccurate. The organizations can sell or share the data with other
organizations without owners‟ concent. A hacker penetrates the database in bid to
try and correct some information which owners think that is incorrect. The hacker
is also able to identify which organization is holding information about who and
for what purpose; he/she has a choice to report to the relevant authority for
relevant action.
i. Do you think the organizations have a right to access personal
Information and share the information.Give reason for your answer.
(4 Marks)
ii. Is the hacker ethically justified and why. (4 Marks)
iii. Imagine you were the hacker would you report to the relevant authorities
what exactly happend, give reason for your answer. (4 Marks)
iv. If you were in authority how best will you handle the above case.
(4 Marks)
(b) If the case in a above was that the user shared with the company their personal
data what will be your reaction. (4 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR
(a) Discuss any THREE major that contribute to computer addiction. (6 Marks)
(b) Briefly describe how use of ICT affects the following application areas and
suggest using relevant examples the ethical implications of ICT in those areas.
i. Jobs
ii. Education
iii. Crime and policing
iv. Retailing
v. Business
vi. Money and banking
vii. Communication
(14 Marks)
QUESTION FIVE
(a) The basic principles of ethics are constant, no matter to what areas they might be
applied. The principles of medical ethics, legal ethics, and computer ethics are not
different from one another. Theft is theft no matter whether done as a street
robbery or with a computer. However, new circumstances related to the computer
do cause new questions about how these principles are to be applied. You are
required to describe any FIVE features of computers that give rise to new ethical
problems. (10 Marks)
(b) Robyn is the IT Manager for an SME. Her immediate boss is Daniel who has
become more and more frustrated at what he sees as improper use of the
company’s computer resources by the staff. He reached breaking point when,
during the lunch hour, he spotted Allison reading a confirmation e-mail from a
travel agent regarding her upcoming holiday. Storming into Robyn’s office he
instructs her to intercept all staff e-mail and provide him with a copy. He further
instructs her to also read all e-mail and to let him know whether it is work related.
i. Do you think it‟s right for Robyn to implement what her boss wants?
(2 Marks)
ii. Give reasons to support your answer above. (4 Marks)
iii. Suggest the best approach you would take in the above case if you were
David. (4 Marks)
