Tutorial One Information Technology and Ethical Issues

Purpose of this blog
The purpose of this blog is to learn to set up a blog where I describe the use of common place technologies and links to occupational therapy practice. I am doing this blog also because I HAVE TO!!!!!!! It's unfortunately a requirement for the course I am participating in which is Occupational Therapy / Participation in Occupation in Hamilton. Being a computer dislexic, this is a biiiiig challenge for me!

What is a blog?
A blog is a website people can go on and write about whatever they want and share it with whoever they want. It's like an online diary that can include photos and images.
It's a way of sharing information with other people I choose to share with and they can reply or comment on my blog if they wish to do so

What kind of services are offered by Blogger?.
Services offered by Blogger as as follows:
You can send photos and txt from your phone
Upload photos from computer
send camera phone photos straight to blog.

Well here I am, a technophobe finally blogging for the first time! Yeha I found my way around all the bits and pieces of this rather confusing communication tool and here I am. Call me old fashion but give me picking up the phone or txting anytime! However, now I am here I might as well do as I supposed to do and write up about Tutorial One: Informaiton Technology and Ethical Issues.
Definition of IT Technology/information
"...is the study, design, development, implementation, support and management of computerbased information systems, in particularly software applications and hardware". (retrieved 07.03.10 from www.ansers.com/topic/information-technology).

How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?
It's everywhere!!! Even little kids are provided with computers to watch movies or practice their time tables on it! Teenagers go into an instant state of severe emotional and physical withdrawing symtomps as soon as their cellphones are taken away!

What IT devices or system do you feel comfortable and competent with?
That depends what you mean by "comfortable" and "competent"! I haven't gone as far as fondly talking to my computer while working on it. But as long as no-one mucks about with it I feel very comfortable and competent answering my e-mails, writing letters and do my online banking stuff. Since I started studying a year ago, my knowledge has expanded to using Blackboard/Moodle and with minimum swearing (oops, should I mention that?), I even managed to set up a Blogger as well as a Flickr account! However, someone changes the set up slightly and I'm thrown back to my early tandrum years! I'm also quite savy with my cellphone and can txt without looking and hurray, even my kids can understand what I'm saying (and sometimes answer).

How is IT being used in Occupational Therapy?
On my first placement, patient files where in the process of being all put on computer. Consequentely all the reports were written and stored there as well. I helped a client write out a CV on a computer, using a template we downloaded. The internet is a great place to source information / resources from all over the place, including libraries, which is great.
Clients can use the computer to download music, play games, watch videos, communicate with real and virtual friends, buying and selling things on trade me or simply use the internet to look for various topics of interest to learn more about. Computer games can be used as a tool to improve someones physical, cognitive and behavioural problems (Griffiths and Gray, 2005).

What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices(e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet)?

The ethical implications are huge as showen in those articles we had to read in class. From loosing privacy as outlined in the article "Goodle Street View's dunny relief" to websites promoting eating disorders and risking peoples lives as outlined in the article "Anorexics, bulimics learn methods online" to the fact that "many websites around the world are beyond the reach of disabled persons" as outlined in the article "Disabled deprived of access to many top websites".

Provide a definition of Computer Ethics\
"Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the behaviour of a group or individual. Therefor computer ethics is a set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers. Some common issues of computer ethics include
intelectual property rights (such as copyrighted electronic content), privacy concerns, and how computers affect society" (retrieved 07.03.10 from www.techterms.com/definition/computerethics

Provide a definition of Intellectual Property
A term refering to "a number of distinct types of legal monopolies over creation of the mind, both artistic and commercial, and the corresponding fields of law" (retrieved 07.03.10 from en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellecutal_property).

Provide a definition of Social Justice
"Fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the natural law that all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race, religion etc. are to be treated equally and without prejudice" (retrieved 07.03.10 from www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Social_justice).