bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Live Music and Performances in a Virtual World
Authors: Berry Joanna
Published: May 2011

The introduction of the Internet and its rapid expansion in the 90s, coupled with technological advances in software and hardware, allowed the digitisation of virtually the entire value-chain of the music industry (Berry, 2006). The industry saw its traditional value exploiting methods, in particular CD sales, become less effective and in many cases obsolete. At the same time, new stronger and more direct relationships started forming between the artists and their audience, radically changing how many of the industry’s functions, such as its supply chain management, were undertaken. In this article, we discuss how information and communication technologies affect one aspect of the music experience, that of live and virtual performances. This choice allows us also to illustrate a change of attitude toward technology from all stakeholders, especially music labels. The article first presents a number of examples of “live” performances with “real” performers that were reproduced and repackaged using various multimedia technologies and then distributed through a number of online and digital channels. Following this, the article discusses the emerging phenomenon of virtual performances on Second Life and considers their potential implications.
A Managerial Analysis of Fiber Optic Communications
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Ghanem Hassan
Published: May 2011

A form of fiber-optic communication delivery in which an optical fiber is run directly onto the customers’ premises is called Fiber to the Premises (FTTP). This contrasts with other fiber-optic communication delivery strategies such as Fiber to the Node (FTTN), Fiber to the Curb (FTTC), or Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC), all of which depend upon more traditional methods such as copper wires or coaxial cable for “last mile” delivery (Fiber to the Premises, 2007). While high-speed fiber-optic cables are more often used to provide the primary links, the “last mile” to each home still plays an important role in the quality of service and bringing high-speed broadband to an area that is largely dependent on this last-mile connection. FTTP involves laying optical fiber from a central location (switch) to a termination point (the home or business), and could potentially deliver broadband at speeds of up to 100Mbps. The actual speed is determined by the size of the Passive Optical Network (PON). The technology is capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 2.5Gbps; this amount is divided by the number of termination points on the PON to determine the actual bandwidth to each end point. Replacing copper infrastructures with fiber to every home in an area is an expensive proposition, but the rewards could be great for telecom providers. An FTTP infrastructure would enable those providers to not only provide high-speed broadband; they could also expand into other areas such as cable programming. The Baby Bells have another incentive to roll out FTTP as well; the FCC requires them to share their copper wires with their competitors, but that requirement would not apply to new FTTP infrastructures. This ruling gives providers a major incentive to roll out FTTP, despite the large initial investment that is required. Copper, the predominant connection to the home used today, has inherent limitations both in terms of length from home to switch, and amount of bandwidth that is provided. FTTP also has a great advantage over Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), which provides broadband over existing copper, because DSL infrastructures must have more central relay points due to distance limitations. DSL is limited to only a few thousand feet between the switch and the home; FTTP allows for up to 49.6 miles (80 kilometers) between the home and the central switch. Cable broadband already has a head start, but FTTP offers some advantages, in that cable has a limited upstream bandwidth. FTTP, while still very new, holds great promise. It will enable providers to easily provide customers with a single bundle of services that comprise voice, data, and video. Ultimately, FTTP will deliver higher bandwidth to the home, and a wider range of services at an affordable price. While some FTTP projects focus on replacing existing copper cable, new “greenfield” areas such as new housing developments are likely to see FTTP from the very beginning (WiseGeek, 2007).
Measuring and Mapping the World Wide Web through Web Hyperlinks
Authors: Maggioni Mario A. , Thelwall Mike , Uberti Teodora Erika
Published: May 2011

The Internet is one of the newest and most powerful media that enables the transmission of digital information and communication across the world, although there is still a digital divide between and within countries for its availability, access, and use. To a certain extent, the level and rate of Web diffusion reflects its nature as a complex structure subject to positive network externalities and to an exponential number of potential interactions among individuals using the Internet. In addition, the Web is a network that evolves dynamically over time, and hence it is important to define its nature, its main characteristics, and its potential.
Methods and Issues for Research in Virtual Communities
Authors: Pace Stefano
Published: May 2011

The Internet has developed from an informative medium to a social environment where people meet together, exchange messages and emotions, and establish friendships and social relationships. While the Internet was originally conceived as a commercial marketspace (Rayport & Sviokla, 1994), nowadays the social side of the Web is a central phenomenon to truly understand the Internet. Social gratification is among the most relevant motivations to go online (Bagozzi & Dholakia, 2006; Stafford & Stafford, 2001). People socialise through the Internet, adding a third motivation to their online activity, other that the pleasure of surfing in itself (the “flow experience” described by Hoffman & Novak, 1996) and the usefulness of finding information. Virtual communities are springing up both as spontaneous aggregation (like the Usenet newsgroups) or forums promoted and organised by Web sites. The topics of a community range from support for a disease to passion for a given product or brand (Muñiz & O’Guinn, 2001). The intensity and relevance of the virtual sociality cannot be discarded. Companies can receive useful and actionable knowledge around their own offer studying the communities devoted to their brand. Hence social research should adopt refined tools to study the communities in order to achieve reliable results. The aim of this article is to illustrate the main research methods viable for virtual communities, examining their pros and cons.
New Technology for Empowering Virtual Communities
Authors: Lebow David , Lick Dale , Hartman Hope
Published: May 2011

In an essay entitled, The Next Information Revolution, Peter Drucker (1997) compared the existing business environment to conditions in the sixteenth century within the emerging publishing industry. Up until the mid 1500s, the people who controlled the industry were skilled printer craftsmen. By the end of the century, a major shift had occurred as publishers replaced craftsmen as the industry leaders. What had happened, according to Drucker, was that the focus shifted from the “T” in IT to the “I.” Drawing an analogy to the present, Drucker suggested that the current information revolution will have a transformational effect on society only when new technology realizes its potential impact on the meaning of information. This article describes a hybrid social software and hypermedia authoring system, referred to as HyLighter, which may fit Drucker’s definition of transformational technology. Social software (also referred to as social networking software) is a broad category of Internet applications for connecting individuals and forming virtual communities using various forms of computer- mediated communication. Hypermedia refers to a computer environment in which multiple linkages enable users to navigate from one segment of audio, video, graphic, or textual data to another segment. Hy- Lighter builds on the affordances of these and related technologies to extend the capacity of the document as a medium for the social construction of meaning. In the process, HyLighter aims to improve individual and group performance in a wide range of domains and interdisciplinary problem areas, improve the quality of instruction, and develop proficient learners (i.e., strategic, self-regulated learners who know how, when, and where to apply appropriate learning activities across various content areas) (Hartman, 2001). This article also describes an advanced adaptation of HyLighter, referred to as Coalesce, which is currently under development. When fully realized, Coalesce will help users merge ideas together from many sources into a unified whole that expresses a new perspective. The process identifies important ideas in multiple texts and exposes a range of views on selected points among a group of users. It also coordinates group activities in organizing and elaborating on the ideas of authors and readers toward achieving a cohesive, meaningful whole. In sum, HyLighter emphasizes responding to a document and social analysis whereas Coalese empasizes the social construction of a new document through social analysis and synthesis. Such new and emerging technologies supports a type of knowledge-building process aimed at empowering virtual communities engaged in knowledge intensive enterprises in a world awash with information.
Optical Burst Switch as a New Switching Paradigm for High-Speed Internet
Authors: Rodrigues Joel J.P.C. , Freire Mário M. , Monteiro Paulo P. , Lorenz Pascal
Published: May 2011

The concept of burst switching was initially proposed in the context of voice communications by Haselton (1983) and Amstutz (1983, 1989) in the early 1980s. More recently, in the late 1990s, optical burst switching (OBS) has been proposed as a new switching paradigm for the so-called optical Internet, in order to overcome the technical limitations of optical packet switching, namely the lack of optical random access memory (optical RAM) and to the problems with synchronization (Baldine, Rouskas, Perros, & Stevenson, 2002; Chen, Qiao, & Yu, 2004; Qiao & Yoo, 1999; Turner, 1999; Yoo & Qiao, 1997; Xu, Perros, & Rouskas, 2001). OBS is a technical compromise between wavelength routing and optical packet switching, since it does not require optical buffering or packet-level processing as in optical packet switching, and it is more efficient than circuit switching if the traffic volume does not require a full wavelength channel. According to Dolzer, Gauger, Späth, and Bodamer (2001), OBS has the following characteristics: • Granularity—the transmission unit size (burst) of OBS is between the optical circuit switching and optical packet switching; • Separation between control and data—control information (header) and data are transmitted on a different wavelengths (or channels) with some time interval; • Allocation of resources—resources are allocated using mainly one-way reservation schemes. A source node does not need to wait for the acknowledge message from destination node to start transmitting the burst; • Variable burst length—the burst size is variable; • No optical buffering—burst switching does not require optical buffering at the intermediate nodes (without any delay).
Privacy Risk in E-Commerce
Authors: Stern Tziporah
Published: May 2011

Privacy, or the right to hold information about oneself in secret (Masuda, 1979; O’Brien & Yasnof, 1999), has become increasingly important in the information society. With the rapid technological advances and the digitalization of information, retrieval of specific records is more rapid; personal information can be integrated into a number of different data files; and copying, transporting, collecting, storing, and processing large amounts of information is easier. Additionally, the advent of the World Wide Web and the fast-paced growth of the Internet have created further cause for concern. The vast amounts of digital information and the pervasiveness of the Internet facilitate new techniques for gathering information—for example, spyware, phishing, and cookies. Hence, personal information is much more vulnerable to being inappropriately used. This article outlines the importance of privacy in an e-commerce environment, the specific privacy concerns individuals may have, antecedents to these concerns, and potential remedies to quell them.
RFID Technologies and Applications
Authors: Kaspar Christian
Published: May 2011

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a radio-supported identification technology that typically operates by saving a serial number on a radio transponder that contains a microchip for data storage. Via radio waves, the coded information is communicated to a reading device (Jones et al., 2005). RFID does not represent a new development; it was devised by the American military in the 1940s. Since the technology’s clearance for civil use in 1977, RFID has been successfully used for the identification of productive livestock, for electronic immobilizer systems in vehicles, or for the surveillance of building entrances (Srivastava, 2005). Due to decreasing unit costs (especially for passive transponders), RFID technologies now seem increasingly applicable for the labeling of goods and semi-finished products. By this, manual or semi-automatic data entry, for instance through the use of barcodes, can be avoided. This closes the technical gap between the real world (characterized by the lack of distribution transparency of its objects) and the digital world (characterized by logically and physically unambiguous and therefore distribution-transparent objects). In addition, RFID facilitates fully automated simultaneous recognition of more than one transponder without direct line of sight between reader and transponders.
Road Map to Information Security Management
Authors: Janczewski Lech
Published: May 2011

Developments in multimedia technology and in networking offer to organizations new and more effective ways of conducting their businesses. That includes both internal as well as external contacts. Practically every business person owns a mobile phone, has PDA/laptop with wireless capabilities, and is able to communicate with colleagues/clients all over the world and from every place on the globe. As a result, well defined barriers between different organizations are becoming less and less visible. This technical progress intensifies the competing forces. In the past, an organization was directly exposed to competition located within their city or region. Now, due to easy communication, their competitor could be located on the opposite side of the globe. The advantage of using multimedia technology and networking could be accomplished only if data handled by a company are secure, that is, are available only to the authorised persons (confidentiality), represent true values (i.e., had not been changed during storage, processing, or transport), and are available on demand (availability). Thus, managing security of information becomes an obligatory part of running any modern IT system. There is not absolute IT system security. If a system is accessible by authorised people, by definition it is impossible to eliminate chances of unauthorised access. However, proper means exist to dramatically decrease the probability of occurrence of such unauthorised activities. This article illustrates the importance of proper managing in information security processes in an organization and presents a first level guidance on how to approach this problem. The most widely known document on information security is an annual Computer Crime and Security Survey (CCSS), conducted by San Francisco’s Computer Security Institute in cooperation with the FBI (CSI, 2006). It is based on responses from over 500 professionals representing all types and sizes of organizations from huge international corporations to small businesses from nationwide government agencies to small community centres. The message the survey is conveying is frightening: • Total losses for 2006 were $52,494,290 (USD) for the 313 respondents that were willing and able to estimate losses. • Losses due to virus contamination caused the most significant loss (over $15 million). • Unauthorised access to information was the second-most expensive computer crime among survey respondents. • As in previous years, virus incidents (65.2%) and insider abuse of network access (47%) were the most cited forms of attack or abuse. • The impact of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act on information security continues to be substantial. In fact, in open-ended comments, respondents noted that regulatory compliance related to information security is among the most critical security issues they face.
Tourist Applications Made Easier Using Near Field Communication
Authors: Hui Eow Amy Sze , Guo Jiayu , Guan Sheng-Uei
Published: May 2011

Near field communication (NFC) is a new wireless connectivity technology that enables short-range communication between electronic devices. The operation of NFC is intuitive, making it easy for consumers to use. With built-in security, it has great potential for payment and financial applications. However, NFC is a relatively new technology and the related industries are still brainstorming for extensive applications to make it more marketable. Hence, the aim of our research is to design and build a working prototype for tourists using NFC and smart card. Undoubtedly, photo-taking is an integral part of every tourist’s holiday. However, it is noticed that pictures alone are often incomplete. People hardly remember the details of the places they have visited and find it a hassle to keep records of the attractions. Hence, it is more meaningful if digital photos have short descriptions attached with little effort. Another observation is that although it is often cheaper for tourists to purchase tour packages, it is a hassle to keep track of several tickets. Such inconvenience can be reduced with a single device that is able to store tickets electronically. With the above observation in mind, we propose an NFC system (HolidayPaL) that would benefit tourists so that they have more memorable holidays. Firstly, NFC tags will be placed at each attraction, storing relevant snippets of site descriptions. The tourists can then use their NFC-enabled cameras to input the descriptions, which will then be attached to relevant photos. Personal comments can be added later as well. Tourists can subsequently view the photos and captions using some photo-album software. These captions give tourists better understanding and more vivid memory of the heritage and culture of the places visited. Another feature of the proposed application is to use NFC devices to store electronic tickets. Tourists can purchase a package over the counter and transfer it to their handheld devices via NFC. Subsequently, they can just tap their NFC devices at the entrance of each attraction to gain admission. The proposed NFC application will benefit three groups of people: individual tourists, the tourism industry, and digital camera manufacturers.
Ultra-Wideband Solutions for Last Mile Access Network
Authors: Khatun Sabira , Saeed Rashid A. , Kamariah Nordin Nor , Mohd Ali Borhanuddin
Published: May 2011

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is an alternative wireless communications technology that offers high bandwidth wireless communications without the constraints of spectrum allocation. Fundamentally different from conventional radio frequency communications, UWB relies on a series of narrow, precisely timed pulses to transmit digital data. Transmitters and receivers that use UWB can be much simpler to build than their conventional counterparts, resulting in lower cost and higher power efficiency. Moreover, the inherent properties of UWB emissions allow them to potentially coexist with conventional wireless systems on a noninterfering basis. In April 2002, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released UWB emission masks and introduced the concept of coexistence with traditional and protected radio services in the frequency spectrum, which allows the operation of UWB systems mainly in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz band, limiting the power level emission to -41dBm/MHz. Within the power limit allowed under the current FCC regulations, Ultra-wideband can not only carry huge amounts of data over a shortto- medium distance at very low power (this range can be extended by using ad-hoc or mesh networks), but it also has the ability to carry signals through doors and other obstacles that tend to reflect signals at more limited bandwidths and a higher power (Reed, 2005). At higher power levels, UWB signals can travel to significantly greater ranges. In March 2005, the FCC granted the waiver request, filed by the multiband Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) alliance (MBOA), in which it approved the change in measurement for the all UWB technologies (neutral approach) (Barret, 2005). The FCC’s waiver grants effectively removes the previous transmit power penalties for both frequency-hopping (OFDM) and gated UWB technologies (TH and DS). Hence, they are allowed to transmit at higher power levels and then become idle for some time, as long as they meet the limits for average power density. This new rules allow those technologies to achieve up to four times better performance and double the range.
Unified Architecture for DVB-H Electronic Service Guide
Authors: Varela Carlos
Published: May 2011

Presently, there are three main ESG systems used in DVB-H (DVB, 2004) systems : 1. CBMS (DVB, 2006), promoted by the digital video broadcasting project (DVB). 2. OAI (NOKIA, 2006), promoted by NOKIA. 3. OMA (OMA, 2006), still in draft version, promoted by the open mobile alliance. All of them have a lot of similarities and are based on same concepts and technologies. Some of these similarities are: • The use of XML (W3C, 1998) to describe fragments. • The use of FLUTE (Paila, Luby, Lehtonen, Roca, & Walsh, 2004) as transport protocol. • A similar data model. • All of them can split the broadcast contents in several sessions.
Usability in Mobile Computing and Commerce
Authors: Chen Kuanchin , Sockel Hy , Falk Louis K.
Published: May 2011

Usability is an acknowledged important aspect of any system or product design. Many times it is related to not only product features, but also ultimately profit that can be generated from the product. Good interface design promotes higher mutuality (feeling similar and connected), which in turn leads to higher levels of involvement and a favorable impression of credibility. Many practitioners and researchers (such as Jakob Nielsen, 2000) have elaborated on usability aspects, but few have agreed upon a unifying definition. In 1998 the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defined usability as the “Extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use” (ISO 9241-11, 1998, p. 2). From this definition it can be construed that effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction are three pillars for usability measures. In this regard, the ISO defines: • Effectiveness as the “accuracy and completeness with which users achieve specified goals,” • Efficiency as the “resources expended in relation to the accuracy and completeness with which users achieve goals,” and • Satisfaction as the “freedom from discomfort, and positive attitudes towards the use of the product.” The ISO standard acknowledges that the level of usability depends highly on the intended context of use (e.g., users, hardware, software, and social environments). Researchers have demonstrated that the three ISO usability components are distinct. Frøkjær, Hertzum, and Hornbæk (2000) found only a weak relationship among the three usability components. Walker, Fromer, Di Fabbrizio, Mestel, and Hindle (1998) found that efficiency did not translate into user satisfaction. These empirical studies suggest that efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction may be independent aspects of usability and a causal relationship among them may be weak or even nonexistent.
User Interface Issues in Multimedia
Authors: Fulcher John
Published: May 2011

Much has changed in computer interfacing since the early days of computing—or has it? Admittedly, gone are the days of punched cards and/or paper tape readers as input devices; likewise, monitors (displays) have superseded printers as the primary output device. Nevertheless, the QWERTY keyboard shows little sign of falling into disuse—this is essentially the same input device as those used on the earliest (electromechanical) TeleTYpewriters, in which the “worst” key layout was deliberately chosen to slow down user input (i.e., fast typists). The three major advances since the 1950s have been (1) the rise of low cost (commodity off-theshelf) CRT monitors in the 1960s (and in more recent times, LCD ones), (2) the replacement of (text-based) command line interfaces with graphical user interfaces in the 1980s, and (3) the rise of the Internet/World Wide Web during the 1990s. In recent times, while speech recognition (and synthesis) has made some inroads (i.e., McTeal, 2002; O’Shaughnessy, 2003), the QWERTY keyboard and mouse remain the dominant input modalities.
Venture Investing in Voice-Over-IP (VOIP)
Authors: Andriole Stephen J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the due diligence that Safeguard conducted prior to its lead investment. In 1999, the ICP/broadband services marketplace was explosive. The availability of capital to finance the build out of fiber optic networks, ISPs, and other high-speed communications networks was seemingly endless. Precipitated largely by the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, which allowed for new market entrants to compete with the incumbent telecommunications providers (such as Bell Atlantic, Bell South, U.S. West, etc.) using the incumbents’ own infrastructure, the growth of new providers of communications services to commercial and residential customers was double, perhaps even triple, digit. Public equity and debt markets along with the private equity market had locked onto a capital-intensive quest to secure the increasingly valuable “pipe” into the home and/or business to provide an increasing array of services. Differentiation beyond simply provisioning data and voice services manifested in the offering of unique value-added services, and was becoming increasingly important as a competitive advantage to these ICPs. NexTone, along with many other VoIP businesses, was responding to this need that would consume a variety of newly available services due to competitive pressures developing in the services marketplace and the ubiquity of IP networks.
Enterprise Investing in Wireless Technology
Authors: Andriole Stephen J.
Published: May 2011

This is an example of enterprise investing in a specific technology—wireless communications technology—in an effort to provide access to network and core applications to Villanova University administrators, faculty, and students. Like many universities, Villanova is investing in wireless technology to provide mobility to its community of technology users.
The Ethics of Human Enhancement in Sport
Authors: Miah Andy
Published: May 2011

This chapter outlines a technoethics for sport by addressing the relationship between sport ethics and bioethics. The purpose of this chapter is to establish the conditions in which a technoethics of sport should be approached, taking into account the varieties and forms of technology in sport. It also provides an historical overview to ethics and policy making on sport technologies and contextualises the development of this work within the broader medical ethical sphere. It undertakes a conceptualisation of sport technology by drawing from the World Anti-Doping Code, which specifies three conditions that determine whether any given technology is considered to be a form of doping. In so doing, it scrutinizes the ‘spirit of sport’, the central mechanism within sport policy that articulates a technoethics of sport. The chapter discusses a range of sport technology examples, focusing on recent cases of hypoxic training and gene doping.
Community Education in New HIV Prevention Technologies Research
Authors: Nkala Busi
Published: May 2011

An estimated 39.5 million people are living with HIV worldwide. There were 4.3 million new infections in 2006 with 2.8 million (65%) of these occurring in sub-Saharan Africa with important increases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where there are some indications that infection rates have risen by more than 50% since 2004. In 2006, 2.9 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses (UNAIDS, 2006). The continued increase in new HIV infection is a call for concern. It is imperative that more innovative ways of combating the infections are found sooner. There is an enormous body of evidence that HIV infection is caused mainly by sexual contact. There is also undisputed evidence that there are other contributing factors such as extreme poverty, survival sex, gender inequality, lack of education, fatalism, religious barriers and others. This chapter seeks to support the need to do more research in finding new technologies and innovative ways of dealing with the spread of HIV. The chapter suggests that the involvement of researched communities be effectively involved. Involving communities in finding solutions will help, in that research protocols and health programmes will take into account the cultural acceptability of the new technologies and systems and ensure that recipients of health services become effective organs of change. The chapter seeks to highlight the fact that, if the recipients are involved in all stages of development of health programmes, including technologies, we may begin to see changes in how new technologies are taken up or may shift toward getting technologies that are acceptable. There are various suggested and implemented ways which aid in achieving the protection for individuals and communities; such as community involvement, community participation and community education (Collins, 2002; Gupta 2002), this chapter will focus on community education and a proposal for a community principle.
The Public / Private Debate
Authors: Nakada Makoto , Capurro Rafael
Published: May 2011

In this article we give an overview of the range and characteristics of intercultural information ethics (IIE) focusing on the public/private debate in the so-called information age. IIE is a relatively newly emerging field which addresses a variety of issues such as similarities and differences of views on the public/private spheres in different cultural and social traditions, the comparative analysis of moral norms of communication in global information network(s) or the Seken-Shakai-Ikai trichotomy as a specific typology of structures underlying today’s Japanese information society. We examine these problems, in particular the public/private debate, from a perspective in which cultural differences arise from the underlying dimension of sharing with others a common world and with special reference to the differences between Japanese and Western culture(s).
Educational Technoethics Applied to Career Guidance
Authors: Cortés Pascual Pilar Alejandra
Published: May 2011

Educational orientation should be set within a specific socio-historical context, which is nowadays characterized by the Society of Information. From this starting point, we think that the understanding of both an ethical analysis of technology as well as of the means of communication, which individuals will have to deal with in their professional development, must be considered as content linked to professional orientation. This idea becomes more definite in the concept of educational technoethics and it is studied from two parameters: the intrinsic values that technology and the means of communication include (the aim of technoethics) and their use as mediators of ethical values (means of technoethics). Therefore, the proposal that is currently being implemented in the project “Observation Laboratory on Technoethics for Adults” (LOTA) as well as its implications for professional orientation are concisely presented from both points of view. The present text is a review and update of a previously published article (Cortés, 2006)
Predictive Genetic Testing,Uncertainty, and Informed Consent
Authors: Rueda Eduardo A.
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on showing legitimate ways for coping with uncertainties within the informed consent process of predictive genetic testing. It begins by indicating how uncertainty should be theoretically understood. Then, it describes three dimensions of uncertainty with regard to both the role of genes in pathogenesis and the benefit to patients of undergoing predictive genetic testing. Subsequently, the ways by which institutions tame these uncertainties are explained. Since viewing genes as exceptional informational entities plays an important role in taming uncertainties, it explains why this conception should be abandoned. Then, it discusses how institutional taming of uncertainty becomes a source of paternalism. What is stressed is that in order to avoid paternalism and ensure transparency within the informed consent process, open-to-uncertainty mechanisms should be implemented before the public and the individual. How patients should deal with potential implications of testing for their relatives is also considered.
Spyware
Authors: Klang Mathias
Published: May 2011

It is well known that technology can be use as to effectively monitor the behavior of crows and individuals and in many cases this knowledge may b the motivation for people to behave differently than if they were not under surveillance. This internalization of surveillance has been widely discussed in privacy literature. Recent software developments have created new threats to the integrity of the individual. Today a form of software, commonly known as spyware, poses an increased threat of covert surveillance. Computer users subjected to spyware are often unaware of the surveillance and therefore continue to behave in a natural manner. This chapter argues that the integrity of the computer user is not protected under law and any rights the user may believe she has are easily circumvented.
Moral Psychology and Information Ethics
Authors: Crowell Charles R
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the ways in which moral psychology can inform information ethics. A “Four Component Model” of moral behavior is described involving the synergistic influences of key factors including sensitivity, judgment, motivation, and action. Two technology-mediated domains, electronic communications and digital property, are then explored to illustrate how technology can impact each of the four components believed to underlie moral behavior. It is argued that technology can create a kind of “psychological distance” between those who use technology for communication or those who acquire and use digital property (e.g., software or music) and those who may be affected by such uses (e.g., e-mail recipients or digital property owners). This “distance” potentially impacts all four components of moral behavior in such a way that the usual social or moral constraints operative under normal (non-technology-mediated) circumstances (e.g., face-to-face communication) may be reduced, thereby facilitating the occurrence of unethical activities like piracy, hacking, or flaming. Recognition of the potential deleterious impact of technology on each of the four components leads to a better understanding of how specific educational interventions can be devised to strengthen moral sensitivity, judgment, motivation, and action within the context of our increasingly digital world.
Current and Future State of ICT Deployment and Utilization in Healthcare
Authors: Stahl Bernd Carsten , Rogerson Simon
Published: May 2011

The ever-changing face of ICT can render its deployment rather problematic in sensitive areas of applications, such as healthcare. The ethical implications are multifaceted and have diverse degrees of sensitivity from culture to culture. Our essay attempts to shed light on these interplaying factors in a cross-cultural analysis that takes into account prospective ICT development.
Emerging Technologies, Emerging Privacy Issues
Authors: Conger Sue
Published: May 2011

With each new technology, new ethical issues emerge that threaten both individual and household privacy. This chapter investigates issues relating to three emerging technologies—RFID chips, GPS, and smart motes—and the current and future impacts these technologies will have on society. The outcome will be issues for social discussion and resolution in the coming decades relating to use of these technologies.
Enterprise 2.0
Authors: Soriano Javier , Lizcano David , Reyes Marcos , Alonso Fernando
Published: May 2011

The Web is becoming in many respects a powerful tool for supporting business strategy as companies are quickly becoming more and more reliant on new Web-based technologies to capitalize on new business opportunities. However, this introduces additional managerial problems and risks that have to be taken into consideration, if they are not to be left behind. In this chapter we explore the Web’s present and future potential in relation to information sharing, knowledge management, innovation management, and the automation of cross-organizational business transactions. The suggested approach will provide entrepreneurs, managers, and IT leaders with guidance on how to adopt the latest Web 2.0-based technologies in their everyday work with a view to setting up a business Web strategy. Specifically, Enterprise 2.0 is presented as a key enabler for businesses to expand their ecosystems and partnerships. Enterprise 2.0 also acts as a catalyst for improving innovation processes and knowledge work.
Integration of Public University Web Sites and Learning Management Systems
Authors: Ostheimer Bernard
Published: May 2011

Internet technology has found its way into all areas of business and research. The World Wide Web is also used at universities to achieve different goals. On the one hand, it acts as a means of outer appearance, on the other hand, as an instrument of knowledge transfer and knowledge examination. Of course other purposes in addition to those named above do exist. Often different systems are used to achieve the different goals; usually, Web content management systems (WCMS) are used for the outer appearance and learning management systems (LMS) for transfer and examination of knowledge. Although these systems use the same medium (i.e., the WWW), it can be stated that often there is a heterogeneous landscape of systems. Resultant is the object of investigation of the present chapter. The chapter analyses the challenges concerning the integration of public Web sites and LMS a typical European university has to face.
Anonymous Communications in Computer Networks
Authors: Nácher Marga , Tavares Calafate Carlos , Cano Juan-Carlos , Manzoni Pietro
Published: May 2011

In our daily life no one questions the necessity of privacy protection. Nevertheless, our privacy is often put at risk. The first problem has to do with the fact that privacy itself is a concept difficult to define. As a matter of fact, in many countries the concept has been confused with data protection, which interprets privacy in terms of the management of personal information. Nowadays, the term privacy is extended to territorial and communications protection. We will focus on the privacy of electronic communications. When referring to this type of communication, the first aspect we think about is security. In fact, this concept is widely discussed, and nowadays we often hear about threats and attacks to networks. Security attacks are usually split into active and passive attacks. We consider that an active attack takes place when an attacker injects or modifies traffic in the network with different purposes, such as denial of service or gaining unauthorized access. Unlike active attacks, a passive attack takes place whenever the attacker merely inspects the network by listening to packets, never injecting any packet. Malicious nodes hope to be ‘invisible’ in order to collect as much network information as possible just by using timing analysis and eavesdropping routing information. A way to avoid this type of attack is to anonymize both data and routing traffic. In this manner we can hide the identities of communicating nodes and avoid data flow traceability. Various scenarios can be devised where anonymity is desirable. In a commercial transactions context, if we think about an off-line purchase, we accept that some users prefer to use cash when buying some goods and services, because anonymity makes them more comfortable with the transaction. Offering anonymity to online commerce would increase the number of transactions. Military communications are another typical example where not only privacy but also anonymity are crucial for the success of the corresponding mission. Finally, if we attend a meeting where some delicate matter is being voted on, it could be necessary for the identities to remain hidden. Again, in this case, anonymity is required.
Artificial Intelligence and Investing
Authors: Rada Roy
Published: May 2011

The techniques of artificial intelligence include knowledgebased, machine learning, and natural language processing techniques. The discipline of investing requires data identification, asset valuation, and risk management. Artificial intelligence techniques apply to many aspects of financial investing, and published work has shown an emphasis on the application of knowledge-based techniques for credit risk assessment and machine learning techniques for stock valuation. However, in the future, knowledge-based, machine learning, and natural language processing techniques will be integrated into systems that simultaneously address data identification, asset valuation, and risk management.
Audience-Drive Design Approach for Web Systems
Authors: De Troyer Olga
Published: May 2011

In the last years, Web systems have evolved from a simple collection of hypertext pages toward applications supporting complex (business) applications, offering (rapidly changing) information and functionality to a highly diversified audience. Although it is still easy to publish a couple of pages, it is now recognized that appropriate Web design methods are needed to develop more complex Web sites and applications (generally called Web systems). In the past, Web systems were created opportunistically without prior planning or analysis, and without any regard for methodology, resulting in Web systems that were lacking consistency in structure, navigation, and presentation, and were not transparent. A lot of these systems were also suffering from the classical maintenance problems and development backlog. In the same period, Web technology evolved at an equally dazzling rate enabling more advanced Web applications, but with the unfavorable consequence that Web development is no longer simple and easy. The latest developments in the field of the Web are related to the vision of the Semantic Web: an extension of the current Web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers, and people to work in cooperation (Berners-Lee, Hendler, & Lassila, 2001). Together with the Web, a new problem unknown in classical information systems emerged: competition for the visitor’s attention. Especially for commercial Web systems, it is important to hold the interest of the visitors and to keep them coming back. As stated by usability expert Nielsen (2000, p. 9), “all the competitors in the world are but a mouse click away.” Much more than in “classical” software systems, the usability of Web systems is a primary factor for their success.
Business Strategies for Outsourcing Information Technology Work
Authors: Chakrabarty Subrata
Published: May 2011

Firms pursue various strategies to exploit resources and capabilities and gain a competitive advantage (Porter, 1996). Interfirm relationships are collaborative agreements between organizations (Chakrabarty, 2006a; Whetten, 1981), and firms need to be careful in adopting suitable strategies to deal with interfirm relationships (Chakrabarty, 2007b). Interfirm relationships represent a sort of trade-off that organizations must make, whereby, in order to gain resources of other organizations, an organization must relinquish some its independence because the relationship also brings certain obligations with it (Whetten, 1981). Top management strategists might find their commitments to other firms as a sort of liability, and therefore, a serious evaluation of whether the benefits from the interfirm relationship outweigh the inevitable costs is needed before entering into interfirm relationships (Whetten, 1981).
Computer Music Interface Evaluation
Authors: Politis Dionysios , Stamelos Ioannis , Margounakis Dimitrios
Published: May 2011

One of the most intriguing fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) involves the communication aspects of computer music interfaces. Music is a rich communication medium, and computer music is the amalgam of interface science and musical praxis forming a dynamic subset of HCI. There are structural similarities between the job of a music composer and that of a user interface designer (although their objectives may be different). While sound has been used in general purpose interfaces as an object, its use has been deteriorated at a primary level, that of a signal-processing approach. However, music composition and performance are highly abstract human activities involving a semantic and a symbolic mechanism of human intellectual activity. This article analyzes the unique problems posed by the use of computers by composers and performers of music. It presents the HCI predicates involved in the chain of musical interaction with computer devices, commencing from the abstract part of symbolic composition, then coping with usability issues of the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) implemented for musical scripting, and concluding to a synthesis stage which produces digitized sounds that enhance or replace original analog audio signals. The evaluation of HCI elements for computer music under the prism of usability aims at the development of new graphical tools, new symbolic languages, and finally better user interfaces. The advance in technology on this area creates the demand for more qualitative user interfaces and more functional and flexible computer music devices. The peculiarities of computer music create new fields in HCI research concerning the design and the functionality of computer music systems.
Constructivism in Online Distance Education
Authors: Reid-Martinez Kathaleen , Grooms Linda D. , Bocarnea Mihai C.
Published: May 2011

The past two decades have ushered in a very pronounced gravitation toward a constructivist approach to teaching and learning in all realms of society and most particularly in the online distance education environment. Augmenting communication in and among those in the academic, business, and military communities, the exponential advancement of science and technology has availed vast amounts of information to virtually millions of people around the globe. In conjunction with this knowledge explosion has been a growing concern for the democratization of the learning process, with constructivism driving much of the educational agenda. This article examines the resurgence of this approach to teaching and learning, its convergence with rapidly changing technological advances, and how it forecasts future trends in online pedagogy.