Post #2 Internet/browser Tracking

Internet Tracking

 
           

Web Cookies, are a method of collecting user data. Cookies are basically a parcel of text sent by a server to a Web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser each time it accesses that server. Things like your shopping carts and type of websites visited are kept track of and solid to advertising companies. Internet browsers and online companies use this information use this information for marketing schemes. It was mention in another class mates blog that Google recently change its privacy statement so that it lets users know that Google will be selling internet activity to third parties. Many ethical issue arise form internet tracking. Is it the user ethical responsibility to know how and when its being track or is it the companies ethical responsibility. looking at this from a contract based theory is a good idea because most sites you visited and organizations your involved with have some sort of privacy statement telling the user how the organization handles data and if it not mentioned in the article there should be some policy that companies violate and should be reprimanded for. Third party cookies, however, pose a higher threat to security and often come from banner ad services that track a user’s moves throughout the Internet, presenting ads and other information based on what it determines your interests may be. (Spanbauer). I think policies should be developed the protect the user more and puts ethical responsibility more on the companies. Many people don't realize that their privacy on the internet isn't what they believe it to be. If you chose to be monitored maybe as a user you should get some sort of compensation for giving up some of your privacy like if a particular company watches your internet activity maybe they could offer you special deals on products which in the end will help the company even more do to a possibility of increased sales. So next time your surfing remember some one is watching you. Here are three article I found that were interesting to me.

 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-search/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225380456599176.html
http://www.ethicalinvestigator.com/internet/

Post #1 Apple Vs. Samsung, Technologies and Patents from Professional Ethics View

Post #1
Technologies and Patents from Professional Ethics View
Apple Vs. Samsung
Some articles explaining Apple Vs. Samsung case.
 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerkay/2012/08/28/apple-a-monopoly-it-could-happen/
http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/08/apple-versus-samsung
http://www.forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2012/08/26/why-the-apple-vs-samsung-verdict-is-a-big-mistake/
 

            Hi my name is Jesse I'm taking Computer Ethics this fall at the University of Montana and would like to use this blog to discuses ethical issues involving cyber ethics. The stand I take is neither right or wrong the point is to have and educated and informed conversation involving cyber ethics.

            You might have heard recently that Apple won a Controversial case over Samsung a South Korean Based company. Apple sued Samsung over patents concerning the Apple's new version of the iphone (iPhone 5) and their tablets. Apple won the court case in California with a restitution of 1 billion to be paid by Samsung to Apple and Samsung is not allowed to sell their tablet 10.1 in the United States. What interest me most about this article is that some of the patents that Apple won against Samsung are controversial. Things like a rectangle shaped smart phone. I'm not sure how ethical the actions by these two corporations are, but it seems like you shouldn't be able to have a patent on a geometrical shape. It's like if a cereal company had a patent on a cereal box that's rectangle, every cereal box is rectangle but other cereals are not suing over it. I think one thing Apple realizes is the design of the phone plays huge into marketing the phone but Apple has become the most valued company in history (before it was Microsoft which peeked in late 1999). So one could say that its not ethical for Apple to sue Samsung because the are already worth so much that they should allow equal opportunity for other companies to progress. The one thing that comes to mind is that Apple has the potential or if not already a monopoly and there are currant laws that forbid monopolies that maybe should be applied to Apple (Microsoft went through monopoly regulations). People have mentioned in other articles that granting Apple this win slowdowns the progress or further development by other companies by limiting them to things like geometric shapes on phones. People have been using things like geometric shapes to build and create things for thousands of years why should Apple get the soul right to certain shapes concerning development of technologies. Determining what is ethically right for these companies is hard to decide. Apply ethical theories might help us determine what these companies are doing ethical wrong. Utilitarianism Theory might imply that Apple shouldn't sue Samsung because less technology will be available to the population potentially causing problems such as lack of educationa and opportunity, brought on by the court case. Utilitarianism basically boils down to maximizes overall "happiness" of the majority of the population. If Apple hadn't of sued there is a great potential to maximizes overall "happiness" of the majority of the population. One flaw might be that of is Samsung is stealing form Apple and that is morally wrong. My argument is that even if they're stealing its benefiting to the majority of the population and therefore can be ethically viable under Utilitarianism.

When leaving a post here are some questions I came up with for food for thought:

What do you believe to be the ethical issues of this court case?

Can you come up to any solution to help resolve the conflict?

What ethical theories can you apply to this article?

Should the United Stated upgraded it laws for patents?
One could notice that there has been a set of standards in the production of flat screen TVs and things like basic shape are not being patented. Should Apple be able to have patents on things most companies around the world would consider a standard design for all products relating to that market?