OTBA ENGLISH 1.

                                                       OTBA-ENGLISH

                    THEME 1 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND VALUES

1.   What is the responsibility of those offering cloud services?  

Ans. Understanding the trust the user has on their services, it becomes a responsibility of the third parties offering cloud services to keep the personal data of the user safe and not reveal it to anyone without permission.

2.   How can we say that information technology has made us socially more powerful?

Ans.Traditionally, the information available on the internet was controlled and accessed only by religious, educational, financial, healthcare and government organisations. However, with the increased use of information technology in our daily lives, the access to information has been given to everyone. This has made us socially more powerful as the need of the organisations to grant permission to access the information is no more prevalent.

3.   Pooja's father took her to a village to meet their relatives. She was mesmerised with the beauty of the place but could not understand why the villagers had no clue what internet is. On returning, she searched internet and came to know that digital divide prevails in many places in the world. As Pooja, write a letter to her cousin, Shivani, relating her experience. 

Ans. Traditionally, the information available on the internet was controlled and accessed only by religious, educational, financial, healthcare and government organisations. However, with the increased use of information technology in our daily lives, the access to information has been given to everyone. This has made us socially more powerful as the need of the organisations to grant permission to access the information is no more prevalent.

4.  Government of some societies encourage digital divide by censoring the access of some information for the public. Is it right? 

Ans. No, it is incorrect on the part of the government to decide what the public should be able to view or access. People should have the right to information and should not be dictated.

5.  Varun, a college student, runs away from his home. However, he is soon traced by the police with the help of information technology. What do you think they might have done for this purpose?

Ans.  To search Varun, the police might have checked his financial transactions as well as the web pages he had visited before running away. Checking the statuses and messages he sent on networking sites could have also been of great help. Moreover, they would have used the GPS to track his mobile phone and in turn reached him.

6.   Dharna wanted a house loan but was refused by the bank based on a computer report. How is this linked to Cybernetics? Give a detailed answer on what might have happened.

Thus, when Dharna had applied for the house loan, the computer data base might have extracted all her information that had been stored there, like her income, assets, education, job, age, etc. Based on this information, the computer must have assessed whether she would be able to repay the amount she had asked as a loan. This is an objective report which does not take into account any other source of payment which has not been enlisted. Since this automated report might not have come in favour of Dharna, her application might have been refused.

7.  Aditi told David that his data has been stored in the cloud. What did she mean?

Ans. By saying this, Aditi meant that information that David has shared with internet, has been stored in a remotely placed server. Such a server is termed as a cloud.

8. Tanisha's younger brother asked her to list all the information technologies and their respective moral impacts. However, she was not able to do so.

Based on the information gathered from the text, what do you think was the reason behind this?

Ans. Tanisha was not able to list all the information technologies available due to the quick changes and development in the number and types of information technologies. Moreover, they keep moving in and out of fashion which makes it difficult to classify their moral impacts as well.

9. Write an essay on 'Information Security.'

Information Security

Information technology has made our lives easier, simpler and more productive. Though we can share and store information for later usage or in order to access some sites, the question of its safety lingers. Information security is a social as well as moral issue.

Though the users grant control of their personal information to the third parties, they expect their data to remain secure and restricted from being used by others and more so by those who may harm them. To take an example, there may be frauds and larceners who may rob a person of his/her identity for personal gains. The lives of the victims of such crimes gets ruined at the hands of such frauds. Moreover, the victims may spend their whole life to build trust, bank balance and self respect.

To resolve such issues, a new industry has been developed which is dedicated to securing computer systems from frauds and hackers as they are difficult to access. However, till then we have to be careful, alert and far sighted to understand and avert such problems.

10. Gagan asked his father if there are any moral challenges involved in the usage of information technology and what were they. What would have his father answered?

Ans. Gagan's father would have replied in affirmative to his question, stating the moral challenges involved in information technology. These moral challenges are related to the production, access and control of information.

11. Transition from the oral tradition to that of noting down the information was not welcomed by everyone. What would have been the reason behind it?

Ans. Any kind of change is always opposed and questioned. Similarly, since people were used to the traditional method of remembering information and transferring and gathering it through oral method, they could not appreciate the importance of writing information. People like Socrates believed that this method would not help to develop wisdom and understanding.

12.Wrrite a speech on the misuses of information technology to be given in the morning assembly.

Misuses of Internet

Good morning everybody. Today, I would like to express my views on how internet is being misused.

Information technology has become irreplaceable in our fast moving and digitally guided lives. But with the benefits that this technology has brought, one should understand the responsibility of safeguarding its usage.

Many people use internet to trap people in their malicious plots. They either hack or post information about the concerned person from/on internet. Some, however, post information or tag people on networking sites unaware of the consequences.

One should understand that information posted on networking sites or anywhere on internet is permanent and may be used by spammers, identity thieves and other criminals for their personal gains. This may spoil the professional, married and social lives of innocent people. Moreover, such information makes our employers, friends and even relatives judgemental.

Thus, it becomes morally incorrect to misuse internet as it interconnects the lives of different people.

Thank you.

13. Given a choice to write an answer by copying from some website or using the clues to write your own answer, what would you choose? Why?

Ans. I would choose to take clues from the internet and write the answer using my own knowledge and understanding. This would develop my learning and even help me to write answers in exams.

14. While surfing the internet, Mukti clicked on a link due to which her computer got infected with a virus and later its hardware crashed. She complained this to be an issue of 'clickjacking'. What do you think might have happened?

Ans. While browsing the internet, Mukti might have clicked some suggestive links that pop up on the website. However, after clicking that link, she might have been taken to some location other than the one she had expected. This might have affected her system since usually such sites contain many other links that further infect our system. Such sites pay the clickjacker for bringing viewers. This technique is called clickjacking.

15. Sushil was a brilliant student in school days. After graduation, he decided to be a shooter and participate in the Asian World Championship. For this, he bought a rifle and started practising vigorously. Unfortunately, he was soon booked by the police as a terrorist, ruining his life and career forever. Based on your understanding of the text, why do you think could this have happened?

Through Cybernetics, which is the automated information synthesis, serious and life altering decisions can be made. Though one cannot question the usefulness of computers, we should not forget that it is but a machine. It reads the information,  learnings and makes predictions based on complex logic and mathematics, which may result in slightly incorrect predictions at times. In Sushil's case, the fact that he had bought a rifle and was practising for it, might have been misinterpreted by the computer in a powerfully negative way. Thus, ruining Sushil's life and career for ever.

16. If  by mistake, a friend of yours reveals the password of his email account to you, then will you open his email account? Why?

Ans.  Our email accounts usually contain confidential information which people do not like to share with anyone. Thus, opening anyone's email account or using any other personal information without the person's consent would be ethically incorrect and would amount to breach of trust. Thus, I would not open his email account.

17. Geeta browsed some web pages and then went on to sleep. The next day, she again tried opening the same web pages and was surprised to see how fast she could open those sites. Also, the search engine she had used, suggested similar web pages. How do you think was this possible?

When Geeta browsed the web pages, the browser software might have recorded the web pages that she had visited. This helped her to load those web pages faster the next time she tried to visit them. Besides, the search engine might have detected which other sites she had visited, thereby suggesting similar websites.

18. “For Socrates there is something immoral or false about writing since it does not help foster wisdom and understanding.” Elucidate.

Ans. Transition from the oral method of passing information to writing words and storing information in books, etc. did not go down well with everyone. Socrates found this change of tradition as immoral and wrong. He believed that by using such a method, the development of our wisdom and understanding would suffer. By this, he probably meant that writing down things would make it objective with no requirement to use one's brain or intellect to synthesize knowledge. It will lead to only using or reproducing the required or sorted information. Moreover, people would not use their brain to reproduce things once learnt or informed. What Socrates believed was not wrong, yet one cannot deny that such developments have made our lives much easier.

19. Your sister has changed her mobile number. She wants to give her new number to her friends but does not want to do so through her Facebook status. Is she correct? 

Yes, she is correct in doing so as giving personal information as statuses on networking sites is not safe. Unknown people may use the information to harm us. Moreover, since a phone number can reveal our address, whereabout, etc., it should be circulated discretely.

20. Your sister has changed her mobile number. She wants to give her new number to her friends but does not want to do so through her Facebook status. Is she correct? 

Ans. Yes, she is correct in doing so as giving personal information as statuses on networking sites is not safe. Unknown people may use the information to harm us. Moreover, since a phone number can reveal our address, whereabout, etc., it should be circulated discretely.

Q3)

21.A company named PTT, conducted a survey on the popularity and usability of different search engines available on internet. Their findings are listed in the data below.

Search Engines	Popularity/Usability
A	7%
B	78%
C	10%
D	5%

Based on this data and the given text, write a report mentioning the reasons for the difference in the usability of different search engines. You are a correspondent, Preeti Negi.

Ans. Search Engines and Their Usability

Preeti Negi

Correspondent

Delhi, 12 December 2013

The search engines available on internet have drastic difference in their popularity. In a survey conducted by PTT, it was found that B has the maximum popularity and usability. The reason behind this is the accuracy and usefulness of the information provided by this site. With education, awareness, and increased usage of web services, it has become comparatively difficult to fool the user. Besides, how and to what extent the filtration is done by the search engines to ensure correct and required information reaches the user is probably the reason for the low popularity of A and D. These together make up to merely 12%. C too is not very popular but has a better a standing than A and D.

22. Mrs. Kumar bought a computer for her 11 year old son. But before sharing his information on the internet, she asked him to keep in mind the primary moral concerns related to the recording of information. What did she mean?

Ans. Mrs. Kumar wanted her son to use information technology in a manner that does not hurt anyone morally, socially and emotionally. While recording information using internet, one should collect, store and access data keeping in mind the interest of oneself as well as others.

23. Dilip and Sawant were farmers and very good friends. Dilip had a big farm, while Sawant had a small field. But both knew their boundaries and never tried to intrude or trespass the other's farm.

Is this situation similar to the world of digital information? Give a reasoned answer.  

Ans. No, this situation is not similar as digital information is “non-exclusory.” It means that if moral issues are not to be considered, then everyone can use the same information that is available on internet by copying it from a digital source to another without deleting or destroying the original copy. However, this in not possible in the given case, as two people cannot use the same farm for agriculture.

24.  Suhail shared his bank account details online with an insurance company. However, he soon realises that his account has been hacked and all his savings have been robbed. He is dismayed and writes a letter to the editor of Meerut Times on the moral values concerned with access to information.

2 Shantipath

Meerut

2 December 2013

The Editor

Meerut Times

Meerut

Sir,

Subject: Moral Values and Access to Information

Through the columns of you esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the moral values concerned with the access to information. Recently, the bank account details I had shared online with an insurance company were used by someone to access my bank account and all the money was transferred to some other account. Though I had reported the matter to the police, they have not been of much help.

The information provided by the user comes with a belief that it will be kept safe and will not be revealed to others without permission. However, to betray them is morally incorrect and the punishment should be severe. The third parties should keep in mind the privacy, ownership, trust and truthfulness of the information being transferred.

I am sure the concerned authorities will try to develop a secure system which will be difficult to use without user’s permission. Their efforts in this regard would be highly appreciated.

Your truly,

Suhail

25. Jhilmil decides to teach the usage of computer to her maid. She wants to start her lesson by talking about the basic usage of information technology. What should she tell her maid?

Ans. Jhilmil should tell her maid that information technologies are used to record, transmit, organise and synthesise information. Though there are many information technologies that help us to perform some of these functions, the one that performs all of them is a computer.

1)

26 Why do you think is it important to safeguard our personal information from being hacked by someone?

Ans.If the personal information of a person is hacked, then money from his bank account may be robbed. His identity may be stolen by someone for personal motives or to pursue criminal plans. The person may be robbed of his trust and self respect. People may even use the personal information to insult or expose us.

27. Joe, a software designer and developer, told his friends that people like him have a tough job as they have to make uncomfortable compromises while designing information technologies.

Why did he say this?

Ans. The designers and developers of information technologies have to constantly make uncomfortable compromises to fulfil the ever-growing and widespread needs of the users. Many users want the information provided on internet to be quickly accessible and easy to use and that too at a very low cost. On the other hand, they expect their information to be secure and authentic. However, all this cannot be clubbed together. Due to this, the designers and developers take a middle path making uncomfortable compromises. They either maximise the quick and easy access at a low cost andminimise the security and authenticity of the information or vice versa. 

28. What is the moral issue involved when a third party uses our information?

Ans. Collection, storage or usage of information without one's consent is morally and ethically incorrect. Not everyone is comfortable in sharing their personal information. Moreover, if it gets in wrong hands, there may be danger to one's property, respect, emotions and even life.

29 Without our being aware, websites like Facebook, Google, etc. change their terms and conditions. Is it correct? 

Ans. It is morally incorrect to change the terms and conditions of the websites without prior notice to the users. At times, notifications are made to the user to 'accept' the terms and conditions. But very few people read all those terms before accepting them. Thus, only the changed conditions should be notified to the user in order to make them aware or to ask for their permission to do so.

30. As a prank, Raghu's friends recorded his video where he is sitting with a girl and talking. Using the Photoshop tool, they replaced the picture of the girl with some other girls and posted the video on a networking site. This tarnished the image of Raghu as well as the girls. 

As Raghu's father, explain the seriousness of this issue to Raghu's friends. 

Ans. Raghu's father will probably say the following things to Raghu's friends:

'Though what you did was in good humour, you all should understand that this can ruin their lives. This small prank could pose a question on the character of Raghu and the girls and can become a huge problem in their marriages. Their career, self respect and trust in friendship will be at stake. How do you think will they ever be able to trust you or any of their other friends again in life? Moreover, may be this time what you did was for fun, but how can you guarantee that the same thing will not be done by some unknown person for self pleasure or to merely tarnish their image in society. Also, friendship is all about wanting for your friends what you would like for yourself. So, I hope none of you would ever repeat such a thing again in life.'