The Internet provides many ethical issues and questions that don?'t even occur to many users. For example, if you get an interesting or funny e-mail, do you have any responsibility to see if it is true before you forward it to friends? What if the information is about a particular person or business and is false and by forwarding it you are harming the reputation of that person or business? Part A: Discuss your thoughts on these questions Consider the following real life example: In the spring of 2005 a computer hacker found a way to access an independent web site that several prestigious universities used to process business school applications.
He posted the information on a Business Week online technology forum. Several prospective students waiting to see if they were getting into their desired business school, used the access to check on their applications. The access was unauthorized and the website was able to track all of those that used the ?illegal? entry to check their applications. The affected schools responded very differently to the actions. Part B: Discuss whether you think the behavior was illegal or unethical, whether the prospective students should receive any punishment and what that punishment might be.