SECTION 3.5-3.6CptS 401

Adam Carter

Discuss Paper

Question 4Anonymizer.com provides tools and services toA. obtain a new identity.B. send e-mail and surf the web

anonymously.C. secretly spy on people visiting your

Website.D. create an anonymous avatar.E. None of the above

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Question 4 AnswerB. send e-mail and surf the web

anonymously.

See bottom of p. 180.

Why would you want to do this?

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Question 5It is legal in the U.S. for individuals who are not compensated by a political campaign to post political speech anonymously on the Web.A. TrueB. False

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Question 5 AnswerA. True

See p. 182

The Supreme Court has repeatedly thrown out laws against anonymous political speech on the grounds that “anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.”

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Question 6The following is true of individuals who anonymously post comments on the Internet:A. They may abide by a less stringent code of

ethics, and are exempt from some defamation laws.

B. They are exempt from ordinary ethics and defamation laws.

C. They are subject to the same code of ethics and defamation laws as those who post comments non-anonymously.

D. None of the above

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Question 6 AnswerC. They are subject to the same code of

ethics and defamation laws as those who post comments non-anonymously

See p. 183

Unfortunately, sometimes individuals get into trouble when they are shielded by anonymity…

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Question 7The practice of filing a lawsuit to stifle criticism by intimidation and high legal expenses is known asA. FLACKB. SWAPPC. STACKD. SLAPPE. None of the above

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Question 7 AnswerD. SLAPP

“The general tactic [of] filing a lawsuit to stifle critcism by intimidation and high legal expenses is not new to the Internet. It already had a name: SLAPP, a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation." (pp. 183-184).

Courts have been generally resistant to issuing subpoenas in SLAPP lawsuits. “A federal judge ruled…that Internet postings are ‘full of hyperbole, invective,…and language not generally found in fact-based documents’” (p. 184)

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Question 8According to the book, the following issue(s) is (are) central to the idea of “Net neutrality”:A. Whether companies that provide communications networks

should be allowed to restrict or give special treatment to content transmitted through its lines.

B. Whether companies that provide communications networks should be allowed to take a stance on controversial political issues.

C. Whether companies that provide communications networks should be allowed to provide content providers with different levels of speed and priority for different prices.

D. More than one of the aboveE. None of the above

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Question 8 AnswerC. More than one of the above (A and C)

A and C are listed in the third paragraph of p. 187.

Why is the Time-Warner “turboboost” package (~$50/month) not a violation of net neutrality?

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Question 9According to the book, a key argument in favor of Net neutrality is that:A. Net neutrality will give telecommunications

companies increased incentive to invest in broadband capacity.

B. Not having net neutrality will erode the diversity of the Internet and give telecommunications companies too much power

C. Net neutrality is in accordance with a free market view of government.

D. None of the above

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Question 9 AnswerB.

"Supporters of neutral pricing fear that lack of pricing regulation will erode the diversity of the Internet....Some argue that flexible pricing will give telecommunications companies too much power over content on the Internet" (p. 188, second paragraph).

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Question 10According to the book, a key argument against Net neutrality is that: A. It will slow the advance of high-speed

Internet infrastructure.B. It will impose gatekeepers on the Net

that control its content, thus giving those gatekeepers too much power.

C. It will threaten free speech online.D. None of the above

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Question 10 AnswerA.

“Opponents of net neutrality argue that neutrality regulations will slow the advance of high-speed internet connection and improvements in infrastructure" (p. 188, third paragraph).

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Are you okay with the CIA funding private US companies?

Yes No Maybe

Whistle blowers Should government whistleblowers face

criminal charges?

A. YesB. NoC. Maybe

Clicker question Should people be held liable for the

comments that they make on message boards or other online discussion forums?

A. YesB. NoC. Maybe

Discussion Exercise Question Are you in favor of, or do you oppose, Net Neutrality?

A. In favor of Net NeutralityB. Oppose Net NeutralityC. Don’t know

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Class Discussion Should anonymity be protected on the

Internet? What kinds of regulations should be

imposed on web sites?

Discussion Question Is video game violence protected under

free speech regulations?

A. YesB. NoC. Maybe