The Importance Of Legal Vand Ethnical Standards For Technology Essay, Research Paper

The Importance of Legal and Ethnical Standards for Technology

By Stephanie Smith

Everyday millions of people are using the Internet. The Internet gives people the freedom to look up and download a variety of information. But where is the line drawn to determine how far someone is allowed to go when using the Internet? Laws and regulations for the Internet are just as important as they are in everyday life. Netiquette, Acceptable Use Policies, and Copyright laws are exceptionally vital when using the Internet.

Netiquette is etiquette for the Internet. It is a set of ten rules for behaving properly online. The purpose of Netiquette is to help new users of the Internet minimize their mistakes, and to help experienced cyberspace travelers help the new users. The following list is a set of rules for Netiquette. The number one rule is to “remember the human” (Shea). This means do unto others as other do unto you. The second rule of Netiquette is to “adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life” (Shea). Because people sometimes forget that there is a human being on the other side of the computer, some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal behavior is acceptable in the Internet. The third rule of Netiquette is to “know where you are in cyberspace” (Shea). What is perfectly acceptable in one area may be dreadfully rude in another. The fourth rule is to “respect other people’s time” (Shea). It is your responsibility to ensure that the time Internet users spend reading your posting is not wasted. The fifth rule is to “make yourself look good online” (Shea). Those you talk to on the web cannot see you. No one will be judged by appearances, but you will be

judged by the quality of your writing. The sixth rule is to “share expert knowledge” (Shea). The reason asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions and answering them. The seventh rule is to “help keep flame wars under control” (Shea). “Flaming” is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back an emotion (Shea). The eighth rule of Netiquette is to “respect other people’s privacy” (Shea). The ninth rule is “to not abuse your power” (Shea). Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them. The last rule of Netiquette is to “be forgiving of other people’s mistakes” (Shea). Internet etiquette is necessary when going online. The rules are simple and easy to abide by. Guidelines for using the web help to minimize possible mistakes.

Acceptable use policies are policies created by companies stating what is okay when using an Internet site. The acceptable use policy has been created to promote integrity, security, reliability and privacy of a company’s web site management facility, network, and customer data contained within. A company retains the right to modify the acceptable use policy at any time. Internet users “shall not post, transmit, re-transmit or state material” on or through any of the services or products, which in the sole company is in violation of any local, state, federal or non-United States laws of regulation (Acceptable Use Policy). The acceptable use policy sets guidelines for Internet users. These are important rules for Internet sites because it restricts what a user can do with a site. The Internet allows a large amount of freedom to users. Acceptable use policies are necessary rules to keep users from getting out of hand.

Many people who use the Internet take for granted the resources available. Often Internet users copy, print, and download information from certified Internet sites. What is not realized is that by copying and printing someone else’s information ideas are being stolen, ideas that have been copyrighted. It is so easy to save images and information from web sites. Because of this, artists are “content providers” who are very concerned that their property is going to turn up somewhere on the web without their permission (Copyrights…). Copyrights are simply the right to own what you have created. The laws pertaining to copyright protect the work you have created from being stolen, altered or used without your permission. It arises automatically when a protectable work has been fixed in a tangible medium such as a floppy disk or hard drive. A poem or picture is as much protected on a disk as on a piece of paper or canvas. Copyright is the right to exclude, not to publish. The copyright laws are just as important on the web as they are in texts. Without them, people could copy and take credit for work that is not theirs.

Laws and regulations are created to help manage our society. These rules are important in everyday life. Laws on the web are just as valuable or even more important than the laws that are given to us by our government. The Internet is generous and allows much freedom to those that use it. It is easy to take advantage of the resources provided to web users. The rules of Netiquette, acceptable use policies, and copyright laws help to manage the freedom of web users. Without restrictions and regulations, the Internet would be taken advantage of.

Bibliography

Acceptable Use Policy. Intermedia Business Internet. 21 March 2001

Copyrights ….. Copyright Issues on the Internet. 21 March 2001

Shea, Virginia. The Core Rules of Netiquette. Netiquette. 21 March 2001

Usage Policy. IDT. 21 March 2001

Web Etiquette. Etiquette for Information Providers. 21 March 2001

The World Wide Web. The Copyright Website. 21 March 2001