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Skill Development: 1) Identifying General Legal Links, 2) Powerpoint

Skill Reading: Review previous readings and review information at http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/using/default.asp http://www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/ppt/

Discussion Content: Law, Life, and Technology

When we look back to the lives of our forebear or over our shoulders at the lives of the many, many less fortunate throughout the world today, we can be very thankful about the extent to which technology has made our lives much easier. Technological revolutions in transportation, home comforts, health, and communications have made us the most mobile, prosperous, hearty, and connected people in the history of humankind.

But technology clearly comes at some costs. Arguably, for example, the technology revolution has exacerbated the gulf between the "haves" and "have-nots" both here and abroad. For another example, many psychologists contend that the frenetic, high pressured world of the technologically-driven economy has cost us dearly in terms of mental health. Similarly, religious leaders and ethicists worry about our moral fiber.

And, then, there is the problem of privacy. Of privacy, Justice Louis Brandeis once said, it is "the right to be let alone -- the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men." (Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438, 478 (1928) (Brandeis, J., dissenting). Yet, today, and increasingly, we worry about loss of privacy in the face of seemingly inexorable technological invasions -- and not just, or even mostly, invasions by government.

Search and Reading Assignment: Begin by visiting the Electronic Information Privacy Center at http://www.epic.org/privacy/ . Click or scroll down to "Privacy by Topic: The A to Z's of Privacy." You should decide on one topic of interest to you. You should then explore that topic, using the link(s) provided by EPIC and one other source on the topic. Then, you should write a 4-page paper on your findings, including the problem, your assessment of the problem, the legal response (if any) to the problem, and your sources. Submit by Tuesday, October 22.

WebChat: See assignment on WebChat, Week of October 21. Your WebChat contrinution must be submitted by Saturday, October 26^th at midnight.

Cross-Campus Research: Agree upon the division of labor for your research project. By Friday, October 25^th, submit your agreed upon work scheme and your plan for the supplemental project to both instructors. All group members should be included on this mailing.

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Last Updated:  10/02/02