1.8 Ethical, Legal, Cultural and environmental concerns.

1.8 Ethical, Legal, Cultural and environmental concerns.

1. Open Source

   • allows users access to the code to edit/change themselves.
   • usually free
   • Benefits: can edit/customise freely, a strong social support forum, usually free, good for companies, allows collaborations
     • Disadvantages: relies on support networks of other users, to edit codes you need expert knowledge, de-bugging is hard, may need to buy in external suppor

2. proprietary software

   • lisenced software
     • costs money
     • produced by "professional company"
     • many features built into one program
   • Benefits: provides free customer support, meets professional standards, always someone to go back if you have problems, likely to be more tailored to market needs, may be broader.
     • Disadvantages: costs may be significant, limited to expansion by only what is available, reliant on one company, may not fully meet the needs of a customer.

3. Data Protection Act (1998)

   • it covers what can be collected, how long it can be kept for, steps to keep it up to date, sending and using the data, who can see that data
     • PEOPLE WHO COLLECT PERSONAL DATA NEED TO REGISTER WITH THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER.

4. Computer Misuse Act

   • Makes it illegal for computers to access computer systems without proper authorisation
     • access computer systems with the intent to commit a criminal offence
       • alter data without permission (viruses, physical deletion etc.)

5. Copyright Designs and Patents Act

   • Protects peoples written,dramatic,musical,film broadcasts property
     • Makes it an offence to copy or distribute other peoples intellectual property without permission

6. Creative Commons License

   • Allows people with protected work to allow free distribution of the work
   • It may be a musician who wants to do this to allow remixing of their songs
     • It may be an author who wants other people to edit and improve their book

7. Purpose of the kernel in an operating system.

   • Takes care of low-level hardware operations
   • connects applications to the hardware.