Term | Definition |
accountability | the mechanisms for assessing responsibility for decisions made and actions taken |
carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) | type of RSI in which pressure on the median nerve through the wrist's bony carpal tunnel structure produces pain. |
computer abuse | the commission of acts involving a computer that may not be illegal but are considered unethical. |
computer crime | the commission of illegal acts through the use of a computer or against a computer system. |
computer vision syndrome (CVS) | eyestrain condition related to computer display screen use; symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, and dry and irritated eyes. |
cookies | tiny file deposited on a computer hard drive when an individual visits certain web sites. used to identify the visitor and track visits to web site. |
copyright | a statutory grant that protects creators of intellectual property against copying by others for any purpose during the life of the author plus an additional 70 years after the author's death. |
descartes' rule of change | if an action cannot be taken repeatedly, it is not right to take at all. |
digital divide | large disparities in access to computers and the internet among different social groups and different locations. |
digital millennium copyright act (DMCA) | adjusts copyright laws to the internet age by making it illegal to make, distribute, or use devices that circumvent technology-based protections of copy-righted materials. |
due process | a process in which laws are well-known and understood and there is an ability to appeal to higher authorities to ensure that laws are applied correctly. |
ethical "no free lunch" rules | assumption that all tangible and intangible objects are owned by someone else, unless there is a specific declaration otherwise, and that the creator wants compensation for the work. |
ethics | principles of right and wrong that can be used by individuals acting as free moral agents to make choices to guide their behavior. |
fair information practices (FIP) | A set of principles originally set forth in 1973 that governs the collection and use of information about individuals and forms the basis of most U.S. and European privacy laws. |
golden rule | Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. |
immanuel kant's categorical imperative | a principle that states that if an action is not right for everyone to take it is not right for anyone. |
information rights | the rights that individuals and organizations have with respect to information that pertains to themselves. |
informed consent | consent given with knowledge of all the facts needed to make a rational decision. |
intellectual property | intangible property created by individuals or corporations that is subject to protections under trade secret, copyright, and patent law. |
liability | the existence of laws that permit individuals to recover that damages done to them by other actors, systems, or organizations. |
non-obvious relationship awareness (NORA) | technology that can find obscure hidden connections between people or other entities by analyzing information from many different sources to correlate relationships. |
opt-in | model of informed consent permitting prohibiting an organization from collecting any personal information unless the individual specifically takes action to approve information collection and use. |
opt-out | model of informed consent permitting the collection of personal information until the consumer specifically requests that the data not be collected. |
P3P | industry standard designed to give users more control over personal information gathered on web sites they visit. stands for platform for privacy preferences project. |
patent | a legal document that grants the owner an exclusive monopoly on the ideas behind an invention for 17 years; designed to ensure that inventors of new machines or methods are rewarded for their labor while making widespread use of their inventions. |
privacy | the claim of individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or interference from other individuals, organizations, or the state. |
profiling | the use of computers to combine data from multiple sources and create electronic dossiers of detailed information on individuals. |
repetitive stress injury (RSI) | occupational disease that occurs when muscle groups are forced through repetitive actions with high impact loads or thousands of repetitions with low-impact loads. |
responsibility | accepting the potential costs, duties, and obligations for the decisions one makes. |
risk aversion principle | principle that one should take the action that produces the least harm or incurs the least cost. |
safe harbor | private self-regulating policy and enforcement mechanism that meets the objectives of government regulations but does not involve government regulation or enforcement. |
spam | unsolicited commercial e-mail. |
spyware | technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. |
technostress | stress induced by computer use; symptoms include aggravation, hostility toward humans, impatience, and enervation. |
trade secret | any intellectual work or product used for business purpose that can be classified as belonging to that business, provided it is not based on information in the public domain. |
utilitarian principle | principle that assumes one can put values in rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action. |
web beacons | tiny objects invisibly embedded in e-mail messages and web pages that are designed to monitor the behavior of the user visiting a web site or sending e-mail. |