Chapter 8: Errors, Failures and Risk

Name Rob Feind Class time: 11am
KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (EXCLUDING REFERENCE PAGE)

Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: A Gift of Fire
Sections read: Chapter 8: Errors, Failures, and Risk

1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:
a. A big reason for the problems with the elections of 2000 was that many of the names who voted in Florida had the same names as convicted felons, therefore a recount was in order (Baase, 409).
b. Devices such as Blackberries and portable gaming systems case repetitive strain injury, which is a pain in the joint area (typically by the hand) which can be very crippling (Baase, 411).
c. “Fly-by-wire” planes make it so that pilots indirectly tell the plane where to go by inputting commands; they don’t like this, as there is a lack of familiarity and it feels as if the plane has a “mind of its own” (Baase, 422)

2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?

With technology, it is hard to have a system that is completely error proof. However, this can also lead to devastating effects. From things such as billing errors (A woman being charged 6.3 million dollars instead of $63 for her electric bill) (Baase, 407), to an error election where a recount is needed as names match up with those of convicted felons, errors in technology have a clear and sometimes threatening effect (Baase, 409). The factors that cause this are a large population, automated processing without human common sense, overconfidence in the accuracy of the data, errors in data entry, the failure to update and correct errors, and a lack of accountability for errors (Baase, 410). Repetitive strain injury is caused by mini-keyboards and buttons on small devices, and while companies are trying to make these devices less straining on people, it is still up to the person to use the technology reasonably (Baase, 412). Even errors such as weather data not appearing can do something as extreme as ground every airplane and cancelling flights (Baase, 413). Voting on electronic terminals comes with its own issues; one county lost 4,000 votes because the system’s memory was full, and one county in Texas gained 100,000 votes out of the blue. Another concern is whether or not one can hack these terminals or not (Baase, 416). Many systems are abandoned, such as a supply management system a British food retailer invested $500 million into. Robert Charette estimates that 5-15% of these projects are scrapped for their inadequacy, which can be quite costly (Baase, 419). A legacy system is an out-of-date system still in use while fitted to work with modern systems – an example is the 3x5 card used by airlines to mark a reservation. Of course, older software fails more often, uses older computer language, and is hard to find replacement parts for. Companies keep legacy systems due to cost issues, the learning curve of new technology doesn’t apply, and the transfer of info to the new system may be disruptive (Baase, 420). “Fly-by-wire” planes, where the pilot inputted commands for the plane to follow, resulted in four crashers, as there was a lack of familiarity with pilots, as well as errors by the plane itself (In one case, the plane wouldn’t let the pilot break as he dismounted, as it didn’t know that he had dismounted) (Baase, 422). While there’s criticism, since new technology, there have been 76% more trades in the stock market and air travel accidents have decreased 60% from ten years earlier. It is also hard to tell if the technology itself is causing problems, or human skepticism of technology itself is also to blame (Baase, 424). Therac-25 is a radiation therapy machine that has accounted for massive overdoses and 6 deaths between 1985 and 1987. While only 100-200 rads were supposed to be administered, patients got between 13,000 and 25,000 (Baase, 425). A big issue with its hardware was that it eliminated hardware safety features, and because of this it frequently malfunctioned and underdosed, error messages were so common they were ignored, and not even the manual explained the strange error messages (Baase, 426). The Set-Up period was supposed to read a zero reading from the device to start it up, though it didn’t matter anyways, as after 256 nonzeros, the machine would incorrectly read zero anyways. Only some parts of the machine understood human edits, where the other parts never acknowledged them (Baase, 427). Errors in technology have an impact in our lives, whether it simply results in a silly typo or a machine that overdoses with radiation.


3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?

A similar situation I run into is with the GPS (and other location-based services) in my phone. For the most part, it runs smoothly, can help me get to point A to B painlessly and is fast. However every now and then it won’t load correctly (or at all), it will give me an overly painful and incorrect route to get where I want to go, and sometimes it won’t even correctly tell me where I currently am (at one time it told me I was somewhere in the nation’s capital). While this doesn’t hinder me much, I can easily see how it can be devastating to someone planning a cruise on it or trying to find somebody’s house.


4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.

One thing that strikes me is that while the blame is put on technology, human error also plays a part, as it does in almost every scenario. Regarding the Therac-25 scenario, technicians ignored “error” messages simply because they always showed up, and in another scenario technicians overdosed their patients simply because they mistook curies and millicuries (levels of radiation dosage) (Baase, 429). Human error also shows itself, as with technology that does not work correctly, it must take a human that did not put enough effort in the program to ensure everything worked, even including something as simple as making sure information in the credit bureau is correct and up-to-date (Baase, 408). We can wag our fingers at technology all we’d like, but the fact of the matter is that there will always be someone who did not test the technology as well as they could have, which can amount for the errors in technology.

5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?
I agree with the fact that technology can bring devastating errors, some as serious as crashing a plane because something is not being inputted correctly, and some can even bankrupt businesses (Such as the Warehouse Manager program mentioned on page 414 which gave false prices and in actuality made everything much slower). I have concluded that as painful and time-consuming as it may be, we must do our very best to make sure absolutely every kink is worked out in technology, as some people rely on this technology with their lives. We must not become overconfident in the success of the technology and always make sure everything is working perfectly, as this will severely lower the error ratio that we are used to seeing.


6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?

While it is a very relevant issue in today’s society, I am hopeful that as time goes on and technology becomes more sophisticated that it won’t be as much of an issue (though that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to second-guess the technology for safety’s sake). With technology that dictate whether we live or not (such as those pertaining to radiation therapy), we must always check every system as much as possible and make sure it is working correctly, as if we don’t it doesn’t seem much better than human experimentation due to negligence. There will always be errors, regarding technology as well as everything else, but we should still do everything we can to make as little errors as possible.



Therac-25

One resource on the web that I found particularly useful detailed exactly everything that happened in the Therac-25 situation. It details how the machine works, it’s problems, why they happened, as well as detailed accounts of the victims. It seems that a lot of the problems Therac-25 is so popular for stem from the fact that AECL went ahead and made the software do everything whereas it only regulated some functions in earlier models. Making it more user-friendly, eventually led to many of the problems that occurred with it (Especially in the case where the operator only pressed the up arrow and enter to change the mode, and continued to do so when an “Error-54” message showed up). It’s also interesting to see how AECL flat out ignored the issue until the FDA began to investigate them; before the fifth incident, their excuses would range from an electrical issue in the facility to it simply being “impossible” that it would malfunction. Even when they attempted to make it safer, they didn’t know what made it unsafe in the first place. More information on Therac-25 can be found at http://users.csc.calpoly.edu/~jdalbey/SWE/Papers/THERAC25.html

References

Baase, Sara. "Chapter 8: Errors, Failures, and Risk." A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Porrello, Anne. "Death and Denial: The Failure of the THERAC-25, A Medical Linear Accelerator." Cal Poly - Computer Science and Software Engineering. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. .

Chapter 6: Part Two

Name Rob Feind Class time: 11am
KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (EXCLUDING REFERENCE PAGE)

Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: A Gift of Fire
Sections read: Chapter 6: Crime (Sections 6.4 and 6.5)

1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:
a. Embezzlement is an important factor in employee crime, an example being Volkswagen, which lost over 200 million dollars in a fraud committed by high level employees (Baase, 333).
b. A “logic bomb” is software that destroys critical files; while sometimes for sabotage, some employees do this so they can be paid more to fix the problem (Baase, 333).
c. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act prohibits interception of email and reading of said email without a court order, however employers are given this power, and the act is much more lenient on them (Baase, 340).

2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?

With computers, employee crime has become much more common. Embezzlement, the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted, is easier to accomplish with computers (Baase, 332). The anonymity and complexity of computers makes this a far easier task to accomplish. Sabotage is also possible through a tool called a logic bomb, or software that destroys files such as the payroll. Rotating desks and ID checkpoints have been used to counter these crimes, though it still goes on (Baase, 333). Employee monitoring has also become much simpler, and as Cindia Cameron says, “technology now allows employers to cross the line from monitoring the work to monitoring the worker.” In the past time clocks and assembly line speeds dictated worker productivity – now computers make it more accurate and detailed. Cameras that link to individual computer monitors and keystroke counting are just a few of the measures put in place to supervise employees (Baase, 335). Recorded calls and beeping to signal a lack of work taking place has deemed this type of job an “electronic sweatshop” by critics. This monitoring may cause loss of independence, stress, low morale, and a general feeling of being a machine to employees (Baase, 336). Lewis Maltby wants to regulate employee monitoring, calling it a “blessing in disguise” to employers, as it would cause more long term loyalty and productivity (Baase, 337). E-mail privacy has also become an issue, especially if the employee uses the address for more personal reasons (Baase, 339). However it does have its practical uses, such as to check for offensive material, illegal software, and to investigate harassment claims. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act prohibits the interception of -email and reading of e-mail without a court order, however employers are excluded from this (Baase, 340). Online web surfing is also heavily blocked, though for more reasonable objectives; this keeps the employee productive and working for their money, and also protects against the threat of viruses (Baase, 343). Technology plays a large part in the workplace, and not only brings up issues of internet crime, but privacy as well.


3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?

One example of employee embezzlement involves Kimberly Sziraki, an individual who took 1.6 million dollars from the Merced nut processing plant that she worked at. Facing a maximum of 17 years in prison, Sziraki stole this money from the company within three years, mainly to feed her online gambling addiction. The most interesting part of this is that she was a manager at this plant. It goes to show that it doesn’t matter what position of power you are in, embezzlement still happens, and may even be easier for higher power workers. More info can be found at: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/06/11/1456054/kimberly-sziraki-pleads-no-contest.html


4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.

On page 334, it is stated that “Computers don’t steal – people do”. By this argument, embezzlement is just human greed made easier through new technology. This eases and agitates some concerns about technology and crime in the workplace, as the technology itself is not the problem and is not looking to harm people – at the same time, this makes a crook even more powerful than what they could be without the technology.

5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?

I agree that embezzlement makes it much easier to commit corporate fraud; as Baase states on page 333, the anonymity and complexity of computers makes this a much simpler task. One example of this is Volkswagen, and its $200 million loss to employees partaking in a foreign exchange fraud. With logic bombs, sabotage is also easier, as while it may be just for the sake of sabotage, it may be so the employee is paid to fix the problem they created, which may be a form of embezzlement in itself. I agree with Lewis Maltby in the sense that excessive employee monitoring is problematic, and a regulation of it will increase loyalty and productivity in the end (Baase, 337). E-mail monitoring, while somewhat justified, should have parameters; simple criticisms of the company should not get one terminated. There should be filters put into place that only allows the employee to e-mail coworkers at work, as private e-mails may distract from work and also allow viruses to enter the workspace.


6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?
This topic is relevant in today’s society as technology is continuing to have a massive effect on our careers. Embezzlement is a serious workplace crime that is committed without people knowing in some cases, as it is very easy to hide. Workplace monitoring is considered unethical in some instances, and even a blow to productivity. As food for thought, I believe that workplace monitoring may actually help to decrease embezzlement cases (except for in the case of management committing it), however it may not work at that level due to criticisms that will emerge of said monitoring becoming even more powerful than it was previously considered.






References

Patton, Victor. "Kimberly Sziraki Pleads No Contest in $1.6 Million Embezzlement Case."Merced Sun-Star. 11 June 2010. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. .

Baase, Sara. "Chapter 6: Work." A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Chapter 6: Work

Name Rob Feind Class time: 11am
KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (EXCLUDING REFERENCE PAGE)

Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: A Gift of Fire
Sections read: Chapter 6: Work

1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:
a. Telecommuting is the practice of working at a distance from an office or factory via computers, and has been increasingly common.
b. Old jobs are simply replaced with new jobs requiring the use of technology, and a flexible and educated economy will gain many jobs from this.
c. Offshoring refers to the displacement of work to companies/workers in other countries for a lower wage, and many believe this threatens job security for US workers.

2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?

With the computer age, work has been vastly redefined, and gained its own advantages and disadvantages. Many are worried that there is vast unemployment due to the increased efficiency of computers (Baase, 308). There is a clear impact on employment, as between the periods of 1983-1993 37% of bank teller jobs were lost to new technologies. As said by an Exchange official, “What was once done by our people is now done by technology” (Baase, 309). This stems from the idea that with more efficiency, less people need to work on the task. However, one can argue that productivity has increased dramatically (long distance calls increased from 9.8 billion to 94.9). With the loss of old jobs comes new ones aimed at using newer technology (Baase, 310). A net increase of 17.8 million jobs has occurred, demonstrating a flexible economy. In order to maintain this growth we must stay flexible and educated (Baase, 312). While after 1970 wages declined by 10%, fringe benefits also increased by 17% (Baase, 313). The standard of living has also increased, as it has become quicker to have the money for necessities such as food, and has also improved the quality of housing (Baase, 314). Safer environments were made, as cars are safer and materials such as radioactive dye were replaced with ultrasound. Working hours have declined since the earlier periods before this technology. However for many of these new jobs a college degree is required, therefore the benefits are not distributed as evenly to those who aren’t educated or cannot afford the education (Baase, 315). Some worry about the devalue of human intelligence as computers will now do most of the smart work (Baase, 318). Offshoring, the practice of hiring companies/workers from other countries for a lower wage, has become common practice. As of 2004, 12% of all information and technology companies offshored, more commonly to India. However it has its merits; this offshoring is what helped Ireland gain the financial boom that it so needed (Baase, 319). Knowledge work, or offshoring of more skilled work, has also become a large issue (Baase, 320), and while only 50 or so jobs are lost a month to offshoring now, experts believe it will only become a more common practice (Baase, 321). Other problems arise, such as irregular hours to workers in India, the inflation of the amount US companies need to pay Indian workers, and general disdain for call centers by the US population (Baase, 322). Needless to say, there are sides for both arguments regarding whether it is justified or just plain immoral. Searching for jobs online has become much easier with the rise of sites such as Monster.com, and training is very easy to come by (Baase, 325). Telecommuting, the practice of working for a company from home, has been on the rise, as these workers don’t even have to live in the same city as their employers. Obvious benefits are increased productivity, savings due to smaller company offices, and more employee satisfaction overall (Baase, 328). There are dissenters, and these people believe that productivity is actually decreased due to lack of supervision, that people are working too long or hard, and that it is generally more stressful. Some believe this also cause a sense of isolation for the individuals who partake in it. Using a computer for both personal and work-related objectives can be dangerous if a hacker were to gain access to this information (Baase, 329). Kotkin believes that this encourages the individual to engage more in their local community, however others still believe alienation is a more plausible outcome (Baase, 330). On the other hand, this makes small independent businesspeople able to create an at-home business that can make it big (Baase, 331). Some examples of this are eBay, Google and MySpace. Others believe that large companies are also profiting via actions such as merging with other companies and buyouts with small companies that may threaten their security (Baase, 332). Nonetheless, it is easy to see how drastically new information technology has affected the notion of work.



3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?
One situation I have experienced is the outsourcing of jobs by General Motors automotive company. For many years, GM has been offshoring to China, Mexico, South Korea, Japan as well as many others. GM has been drastically cutting its labor, my father being one of the many people who were laid off and forced to find other jobs. One article I found online was particularly useful in both explaining what it’s currently doing, as well as public dissent towards it: http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/gm-offshore-outsourcing-us-jobs



4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.

On page 310, Baase says that new technologies don’t destroy jobs, but rather create new, more advanced jobs to look forward to. I feel that this has been the case throughout history and people may just not realize it; Gutenberg’s printing press was probably critiqued in the sense that it would replace people who wrote articles that were not as efficient, but it is without a doubt labor has only increased since. The same goes to the weaving machines Baase mentions on page 309 – they were burned as people thought it would destroy their jobs, however since there has been no horrible numbers showing a decrease in the amount of jobs.


5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?

I agree with the idea that new jobs can thrive with new technology as long as the people stay educated and the economy stays flexible. On page 310 it is explained how the two goals of reduction of resources and increase of standard living have been met, which is proof enough that technology is not the demon we see it as compared to the job industry. One great example is the retail industry; in the technology age, it grew 3% in only 3 years, while jobs as a whole increased by 6% (Baase, 311). I believe as long as we stay flexible we should not be wary of new technology, but to embrace it.


6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?

This topic is relevant in today’s society, as more and more we are seeing jobs more involved online, and automated tellers and checkouts are becoming exponentially common. My stepfather telecommutes from his home office, and I can see the positive outcomes this chapter describes, such as more involvement in his community (he has a lot of time to go out and do what he needs to get done), and he seems much happier with his job than his old one of ten years back, where he worked in a small cubicle. Utilitarianism, while somewhat of a gray-area concerning offshoring, is an interesting way to look at it; does it support the number of dollars given (in which case the US would be the main concern), or does it concern the amount of dollars saved (shifting the interest to India)? After reading this chapter I am interested to see where the job economy goes, and whether the US as a whole will be able to keep up with its demands with higher technology that is created.




References

Baase, Sara. "Chapter 6: Work." A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Oak, Robert. "GM Offshore Outsourcing U.S. Jobs." The Economic Populist. 9 May 2009. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. .