CSC 302-02 Possible Topics Winter 2015

Note: these topics are just ideas for appropriate areas for 2-minute talks. In all cases, the social or ethical effect of computers (or vise-versa) is to be presented. The more contemporary the issue and the examples you use, the better.

The readings and the web and class discussion can give you many more ideas.

Privacy Topics

  1. National or State ID numbers
  2. Implanted ID chips
  3. Computer or Software universal ID numbers
  4. Data Mining/"Big Data"
  5. Privacy of data in the Cloud -- e.g. fitbit data in court or sold by fitbit
  6. Email privacy
  7. Employee productivity monitoring
  8. Employee use of resource monitoring
  9. Employer monitoring of your social networking sites
  10. Spyware
  11. Public place surveillance
  12. Wiretapping/Internet monitoring

Social Implications Topics

  1. Cyber Security
  2. Cyber War
  3. Automation. Computers taking the place of people.
  4. Electronic voting implications
  5. Various corporate competitions/conflicts/takeovers
  6. Outsourcing software jobs to foreign countries
  7. Importing programmers from foreign countries.
  8. Corporate and personal philanthropy.
  9. Political implications of the web, etc. -- domestically or globally.
  10. Use of social networks in election campaigns
  11. Is high-tech really more productive?
  12. Various "Digital Gap"s.
  13. Probably a dozen possible topics from The World Is Flat by
  14. Self-driving cars
  15. Internet of Things
  16. High-frequency stock trading
  17. Taking days off without technology
  18. Platnum albums only counts sales, not streaming
  19. Waze directing traffic through neighborhoods
  20. Sharing Economy vs government regulation (e.g. Uber, etc.)
  21. Everybody should program?
Legal Issues
  1. Microsoft Trial(s) -- past, present, future
  2. General or specific case anti-trust legal issues
  3. Intellectual Property (Copyright, patents, trade secrets)
  4. Internet domain names -- how many? who controls?
  5. Government Hearings (FCC, FTC, Congress etc)
  6. Software Liability
  7. EULA(End User License Agreement)-based censorship clauses
  8. Shrinkwrap EULA legality issues
  9. Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA)
  10. Various existing and proposed laws (USA PATRIOT, DMCA, ATA, etc.)
  11. Internet taxation (sales tax; access tax)
  12. Anti-spam legislation
  13. Rights of Bloggers (e.g., Is a blogger a journalist?)
  14. Business process patents (e.g. Amazon.com's "1-Click")
  15. Patent Trolls
  16. Whose law is it anyway?
  17. Drug online sales -- Silkroad, acorn, etc.
  18. Digital assets after death

Health Topics

  1. Ergonomic issues in the workplace
  2. Repetitive Stress Injury
  3. Medical databases -- data on effects VS privacy issues
  4. Computer accessibility for those with disabilities
  5. Automation in the health industry
  6. High tech medical devices
  7. Privacy of health information

Software Engineering Topics

  1. Case studies of failures (e.g. Mars lander).
  2. CMM and ISO 9000
  3. Professional Licensing, pro/con.
  4. Design Responsibilities - Selecting the right solution.
  5. Project cost and time estimation
  6. Quality through the Personal Software Process.
  7. Taking responsibility for the social impact of ones work.
  8. When is it OK to ship a product?
  9. Quality of user support
  10. User Interface quality/impact
Other Topics
  1. Digital manipulation and forgery
  2. Cyber Money (e.g. bitcoin) / payment system wars (e.g. applePay)
  3. Telecommuting
  4. Software Bundling
  5. Regulation of telecommunications industry / internet
  6. Net neutrality
  7. GPS car tracking (e.g. Dealer; e.g. Police)
  8. Hacking cars (e.g. controlling brakes)
Last updated on 4/3/15