Research Proposal on "Ethics and Social Responsibility"

Research Proposal 3 pages (1323 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Ethics and Social Responsibility

Ethics of Wireless Access

Selling broadband Internet access that includes wireless access is an area of services marketing that is troubling. The lack of quality control standards and the potential for those installing the services to potentially defraud customers by either not delivering the levels of broadband speeds paid or. The potential also for installers who are often paid below industry average and don't care if neighbors steal or use broadband access configure wireless networks in peoples' apartments and homes so anyone can use the signal. This is not only unethical to the customer paying for the service; it is unethical to their companies who subsidize thousands of free-loading Internet users as a result.

Introduction

The dilemma of enforcing wireless access to those that only have paid for it as a service is one of the most difficult ethical and legal dilemmas in the it industry today. From the relatively simple means of using IP address scanners to the more sophisticated approaches to amplifying free signals, accessing the Internet without paying for it has become one of the most debated topics today. This ethical dilemma is broader than just the information technologies (it) industry. It is now so pervasive that its practice is commonplace in apartments and neighborhoods where the homes are relatively close together and in business districts where the businesses are clustered together. Nations including the United States have laws that specifically prohibit the stealing of Internet access, and there have already been cases of prosecution of individuals intentionally using someone else's Internet access.

Often the ethical dilemma is that the technician knowingly installing an unsecured connection because it is more efficient and takes less time, and in some cases, is seen as retribution to their companies for what they perceive as a lower than industry wage. In general the technicians, even on service calls, appear to be rushed and overbooked for their appointments from personal observation. In addition to the ethics of the Internet provider over-scheduling their technicians also need to be considered in any ethical analysis of this situation. Clearly if ethical use of WiFi networks is to be achieved, more thorough training and evaluation of installers is needed.

Ethical and Unethical Use of Wireless Access

Within the it industry today there is an ongoing debate about the legality of neighbors using the wireless Internet (WiFI) signals of those they live next to and within distance of to gain access to the Internet. One side of the ethical argument in favor of allowing this states that it is not actually "stealing" the Internet signal as the owner or primary subscriber can still use it (Conroy, Emerson, 2008). Others however have stated that given the ability to monitor performance degradation based on the growth of WiFi network users on a given network (Kim, Li, 1999) that it is unethical and in several states in the United States, including Florida for example, it is considered illegal (Rowell, 2006). The ethical dilemma of knowingly allowing others to use an Internet connection via WiFi has become the basis of certain Internet service subscribers deciding that they want to in turn propagate these signals and give their neighbors access free (Rowell, 2006), while others actively seek out litigation and prosecution for those that actively use Internet WiFi connections they do not pay for.

Assumptions Regarding Wireless Access

In defining this ethical dilemma, the basis of the technologies used for delivering WiFi also has to be taken into account. The basics of how residences are wired for Internet access begin for many with either cable modem or Digital subscriber Line (DSL) access. The cable modem approach delivers the greatest levels of bandwidth, often with Internet speed approaching T1 lines, which are the commercial grade Internet connections organizations use. In suburban and less densely populated areas, a cable modem connection, which costs less that $50 per month, often can have the performance of a TR1 line costing $1,000 per month… READ MORE

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