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CS 33006 Homework #6 Social & Ethical Issues
Due electronically by 9:15am on Monday 9 November 2009
Grading: 25 points for social & ethical content
1. What is the difference between a virus and a worm?
2. What are two reasons why a fast-moving worm is usually more dangerous than a worm that
replicates more slowly?
3. In what way is email bombing similar to email spam? In what ways are they different?
4. Oberlin College requires (or required, according to Quinn, when he wrote the third edition of
his book) that every computer brought to campus by a student be inspected for viruses. If the
system administrator find viruses, they remove them. After that point, if a student’s
computer gets a virus and spreads it, the student is fined $25. Is this morally right or wrong?
Explain your answer, preferably citing some of the ethical theories that the textbook usually
uses in such an analysis. [ This question counts 10 points ]
Submit your answers to me to me electronically, via email to walker@cs.kent.edu with
“Homework 6” as the subject of the email.
You are welcome to (1) simply type your answers as the body of the email, or to (2) type your
answers into a word processor such as Microsoft Word, Open Office, or Google Docs and email
me the file in .DOC or .PDF format. In the latter case, use your last name as the name of the file.
As before, I will reply to your email to confirm the receipt of your assignment.