Information Techology and Ethical Issues

Information Technology (IT) /Information Communications Technology is The production, storage, and communication of information using computers and mircroelectronics. Hanks, P. (ed). (1989) Collins Concise Dictionary. Glasgow; Bath Press.
Is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?
It is very prevalent, almost everyone has a computer or cellphone with internet capability, and most people use facebook, email, forum sites or google to search.

What IT devices do yo feel comfortable and compent using?
~cellphones
~laptops/PC's
~I-Pod/MP3's
~Camera (digital and video)
~Radio/stereo
~TV
~DVD/Video players
~YouTube
~Facebook, Trademe etc
~Satellite programmes - FreeView, MySky
~Moodle/Blackboard

Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences, consider how IT is being used in OT practice?
~Internet used to search diagnosis/conditions
~Programmes to spreadsheet patient data on the ward
~Programmes to chart, store and send patient information eg DOB/scans/test results.

What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. Mobile phones) or systems (e.g. Internet)
Once it is shared on the internet or a shared harddrive, anyone can copy, duplicate, or replicate it and you no longer maintain control over it. No law protects a photo from this, nor can any law stop this from occuring due to technological advances.

Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing profssionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct. http://en/wikipedia/org/wiki/Computer_ethics

Intellectual Property (IP) is a umbrella term for various legal entitlements which attach to certain types of information, ideas or other intangiables in their expressed form. The holder of this legal entitlement is generally entitled to various exclusive rights in relation to the subject matter of the IP. http://en/wikipedia/org/wiki/Intellectual_property

Social Justice mostly refers to an ideal society where "justice" refers to economic status rather than to the administration of laws. It is based on the idea of a society which gives individuals and groups fair treatment and a jsut share of the benefits of the society, although what is "fair treatment" and a "just share" remain unclear or subject to interpretation. http://en/wikipedia/org/wiki/Social_justice

Informed Consent is a legal condition whereby a person can eb said to have given conset based on an appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of an action. http://en/wikipedia/org/wiki/Informed_consent.

An understanding of IT and the ethical issues it encompasses will help us in our practice because it will help us to be careful about how we store information so we dont use/spread/provide information athat could allow ourselves/our practice to break any laws or get in trouble.