Information Technology and Ethical Issues.

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."[1] IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology Retieved 11.22am 27th May 2009



Information Technology is extremely prevelent in our society. Most bussinesses run with a computer system and it is unusual for a private home not to have a computer these days particularly in the under 50 generation. It is very difficult to manage without a computer at home now as more and more, bussinesses are relying on people to have access to the internet and are penalising people for using an intermediary eg buying plane tickets.

I feel comfortable using a computer, but it is a skill which I have had to develop over the last few years in order to keep up with the young ones! It is second nature to them to use a computer almost.

While out on placements, I have noticed that the use of computers is intergral to practice. Therapists are able to access information, communicate with other staff and organisations, write reports and notes and document any other information, eg statistics.

The drawbacks to this are that the reliance on the computer means that if anything were to go wrong with the system, as happens from time to time, then there is a huge disruption to the productivity of the practice. Also with sending emails constantly, it is possible to send information very quickly and unretrieveably to the wrong person.



Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct. The term "computer ethics" was first coined by Walter Maner[1] in the mid-1970s, but only since the 1990s has it started being integrated into professional development programs in academic settings. The conceptual foundations of computer ethics are investigated by information ethics, a branch of philosophical ethics established by Luciano Floridi. Computer ethics is a very important topic in computer applications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics Retrieved 11.47am 27th May 2009



Intellectual property (IP) are legal property rights over creations of the mind, both artistic and commercial, and the corresponding fields of law.[1] Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; ideas, discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property retrieved 12.15pm 27th May 2009



Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which justice[citation needed] is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society. (Different proponents of social justice have developed different interpretations of what constitutes fair treatment and an impartial share.) It can also refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice Retrieved 12.18pm 27th May 2009

Definition: A legal procedure to ensure that a patient or client knows all of the risks and costs involved in a treatment. The elements of informed consents include informing the client of the nature of the treatment, possible alternative treatments, and the potential risks and benefits of the treatment.
http://psychology.about.com/od/iindex/g/def_informedcon.htm Retrieved 12.22pm 27th May 2009

An understanding of all these issues as a practitioner ensures that client confidentialitly is at the centre of our practice and we must be aware that by usuing this technology we do not breach that.

youtube explained

google.about.com/od/moreaboutgoogleaps/p/youtubeprofile.htm - 26k



Follow this link to find out all about youtube.

Making a Movie

Today we made a movie to go on our blogs. Our topic was "overcoming an adversity". We only had about half an hour to make it, so, we adopted the KISS principle. This essentially means Keep It Simple Students! Our story line involved basis props that were readily available, these being a door and some students. We drew up the plan on the story board and this made it easy to implement the sequence. The sequence was straight forward (pardon the pun!), and involved each of us going through the door normally with one student demonstrating difficulty opening it.

Essentially we just had two shots each. One showing us approaching the door with the other coming through the door. By keeping the sequence of the film simple the procedure ran fluidly and was relatively easy to put together. For audio effects we selected a modern song that highlighted the title of the film 'The Wrong Way". The best part of all was making up the credits at the end of the film!

You can see the film on this blog post.

Whirlwind tour of Blogger

Susan Boyle I Dreamed A Dream

Here is Susan again singing Memories. I 'm sure she will be a success even if she doesn't win the competition.

Investigating online communities

For the tutorial this week, I was required to join an online community. I chose to join the couchsurfing community. This is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit. It is a very clever idea I though. The site provides a forum for people to meet other in whatever location they may be traveling to. In particular it would be ideal for those people who were traveling alone as it would save them having a very lonely time in some places. The concept is based on good will. You stay at someone's house for free, they show you around their town or tell you what to see and in return you may do something helpful for them eg cook a meal for them or do some gardening, help with the dishes.

The beauty of this concept is that the travellers get to experience the host's town or city from a local persective and not as a tourist. What a visitor experiences is only a snap shot of what it is like to be in that community; their visit may be taylored to showcase the more interesting aspects of the host's life and therefore the visitor may not truely experience the routines of everyday life in the community.

Discussion Groups are formed amongst the members who have similar interests. Here is a topic which is close to my heart. This is an exerpt from one of the discussions.....

"The people of this group realized that TV is an absolutely unnecessary part of life. We see much better alternatives what we can do instead of sitting hours of hours in front of a coloured window" :)

"To get rid of the world of media and cultural opinion-leaders is like a step in a different, magic world.
It´s like a step back to reality. The time of illusions is over."