CptS 401 Adam Carter Section 3.5-3.6
Discuss Paper
Question 4 Anonymizer.com provides tools and services to • obtain a new identity. • send e-mail and surf the web anonymously. • secretly spy on people visiting your Website. • create an anonymous avatar. • None of the above
Question 4 Answer B. send e-mail and surf the web anonymously. See bottom of p. 180. Why would you want to do this?
Question 5 It is legal in the U.S. for individuals who are not compensated by a political campaign to post political speech anonymously on the Web. • True • False
Question 5 Answer • True See p. 182 The Supreme Court has repeatedly thrown out laws against anonymous political speech on the grounds that “anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.”
Question 6 The following is true of individuals who anonymously post comments on the Internet: • They may abide by a less stringent code of ethics, and are exempt from some defamation laws. • They are exempt from ordinary ethics and defamation laws. • They are subject to the same code of ethics and defamation laws as those who post comments non-anonymously. • None of the above
Question 6 Answer C. They are subject to the same code of ethics and defamation laws as those who post comments non-anonymously See p. 183 Unfortunately, sometimes individuals get into trouble when they are shielded by anonymity…
Question 7 The practice of filing a lawsuit to stifle criticism by intimidation and high legal expenses is known as • FLACK • SWAPP • STACK • SLAPP • None of the above
Question 7 Answer D. SLAPP “The general tactic [of] filing a lawsuit to stifle critcism by intimidation and high legal expenses is not new to the Internet. It already had a name: SLAPP, a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation." (pp. 183-184). Courts have been generally resistant to issuing subpoenas in SLAPP lawsuits. “A federal judge ruled…that Internet postings are ‘full of hyperbole, invective,…and language not generally found in fact-based documents’” (p. 184)
Question 8 According to the book, the following issue(s) is (are) central to the idea of “Net neutrality”: • Whether companies that provide communications networks should be allowed to restrict or give special treatment to content transmitted through its lines. • Whether companies that provide communications networks should be allowed to take a stance on controversial political issues. • Whether companies that provide communications networks should be allowed to provide content providers with different levels of speed and priority for different prices. • More than one of the above • None of the above
Question 8 Answer C. More than one of the above (A and C) A and C are listed in the third paragraph of p. 187. Why is the Time-Warner “turboboost” package (~$50/month) not a violation of net neutrality?
Question 9 According to the book, a key argument in favor of Net neutrality is that: • Net neutrality will give telecommunications companies increased incentive to invest in broadband capacity. • Not having net neutrality will erode the diversity of the Internet and give telecommunications companies too much power • Net neutrality is in accordance with a free market view of government. • None of the above
Question 9 Answer B. "Supporters of neutral pricing fear that lack of pricing regulation will erode the diversity of the Internet....Some argue that flexible pricing will give telecommunications companies too much power over content on the Internet" (p. 188, second paragraph).
Question 10 According to the book, a key argument against Net neutrality is that: • It will slow the advance of high-speed Internet infrastructure. • It will impose gatekeepers on the Net that control its content, thus giving those gatekeepers too much power. • It will threaten free speech online. • None of the above
Question 10 Answer A. “Opponents of net neutrality argue that neutrality regulations will slow the advance of high-speed internet connection and improvements in infrastructure" (p. 188, third paragraph).
Are you okay with the CIA funding private US companies? • Yes • No • Maybe
Whistle blowers • Should government whistleblowers face criminal charges? • Yes • No • Maybe
Clicker question • Should people be held liable for the comments that they make on message boards or other online discussion forums? • Yes • No • Maybe
Discussion Exercise Question Are you in favor of, or do you oppose, Net Neutrality? • In favor of Net Neutrality • Oppose Net Neutrality • Don’t know
Class Discussion • Should anonymity be protected on the Internet? • What kinds of regulations should be imposed on web sites?
Discussion Question • Is video game violence protected under free speech regulations? • Yes • No • Maybe
