Facebook User Consent for Experiments

Facebook User Consent for Experiments Facebook Research is for the Betterment of Human Kind and as a Business they should be Free to Undertake Large Scale Online Experiments without the need to Contact their Users. Facebook and many other network platforms have used large scale online experiments, often without the consent and awareness of their users. These experiments are usually to better understand their users, in attempts to better their business and provide reasons for human actions and responses relevant to them and that industry. However, the question remains should businesses like Facebook be allowed to conduct such experimental research without receiving consent from their users? To answer this first we must understand what this research is and what are the implications of it to the users. The ‘experiment evidence of massive-scale emotion contagion through social network’ (Kramer et al. 2014, p. 8788) article explores how the emotional state of one can be transferred to another through emotional contagion. This notion is taken a step further by transferring this positive or negative emotion via networks, such as Facebook. This method faces many criticisms; one being that the experiment itself does not take into consideration the experience where a person’s positive or negative emotion is the result of an incident or an interaction rather than the exposure to another’s emotion. This criticism is more from a technical point of view. From an ethical stand point (Reid 2017) the issue is that mass research was conducted on people without their consent regarding a matter which would otherwise be considered private (their emotional response) by many. This issue will be further explored from an ethical (Reid 2017) and legal perspective, an in relevant contexts.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In 2014 Facebook was in the medias eye for experimenting on its 1.3 billion users. Facebook researchers altered the newsfeed of about 700,000 of its users without informing them (Wholsen 2014). When this became public there was an outrage by many users while some other people (mainly businesses) argued that there is nothing wrong with what Facebook did or the way they went about doing it. The argument for research was supported by claims that Facebook conducts many forms of research in a variety of fields to enhance the â€Å"Facebook experience† (Wholsen 2014) for users and better the advertising and promotions Facebook offers to its business clients. Additionally, if they had asked for consent from each user it would be a lengthy, time consuming and difficult process as there are 1.3 billion users. After commencement of the emotion contagion research experiment Facebooks reported revenue and profits increased, the research being one of the contributing factors (Wholsen 2014). It is therefore evident that this research is for the betterment of businesses. However, can that be said about the betterment of mankind? The sensitivity to context ‘privacy in public’ notion focuses on users perceived online environment. Many users may believe that the research Facebook conduct was a breach of their private discussions and postings whereas others may think that it was a public act. The mix of these perceptions only aid in the difficultly of knowing what can be collected and distributed. There are three ethical concepts derived from what the basic human rights to privacy are. These are; confidentiality, anonymity, and informed consent (Eynon et al. 2009, p.188). For there to be full disclosure, consent and to be considered as an ethical means of obtaining data users, would need to know what they are consenting to and to what extent they are able to give this consent (Eynon et al. 2009, p.189) Based on this it is apparent that Facebook did not implement the informed consent aspect of this concept during their research. Additionally, Facebook didn’t submit a proposal to Institutional Review Board for pre-approval of the study. From a legal perspective Facebook asks for consent from users in their Data Usage Policy agreement during sing up. This agreement addresses that user’s information can be used for testing and research purposes (Kramer et al. 2014, p. 8789). However, this is a very weak form of consent and does not address the forms of research which can take place. This is a very broad statement and can include a lot or very little depending on interpretation. This agreement is compulsory to abide with no opt out options, if users are to use the social media program. This issue raises puts all Facebooks practices into question by its users and media including what this means for Facebook advertisements in terms of how honest they must be with what they are advertising based on the data collected. Although the Code of Practice acts as a guide to prevent many misleading advertisements including the requirement that advertisers are not to be deceptive or misleading in their advertisements and have evidence to support their advertised claims, there are still loop holes (Reid 2017). Facebook is available in more than 130 countries and not all of these countries have a Code of Practice and some have varying rules and guideline in theirs. Those countries not covered by the Code of Practice put their users at risk from misleading and deceptive advertisement, from Facebook and other businesses. There is a lack of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by Facebook. CRS addresses many factors including quality of environment, employment practice, diversity, benefits and relationship for employees and consumer protection (Reid 2017). The policy is flexible enough to be applicable across all industries and in a range of situations. In this case, specifically addressing the negligence of the consumer protection factor. There are many benefits to complying with CSR for businesses and their customers including increase in profits in the long run, improved public image and the evasion of government interface. However, the downfall of not complying are reduction in profits and creates bad image for the businesses reducing benefits to owners/stakeholders. This is evident for many companies who have adapted this method of research and avoided transparency by not contacting their consumers. Mass scale research provides great data but brings the high risk that the data collect can be tracked back to the participant/user because the data itself is so complete (Eynon et al. 2009, p.191) Through there are billions of Facebook users the contagion research conduct is so complete that the through the likes (clicks) and their user references can allow for back tracking. Even if the information collect is anonymous there is still room for some access back to users (Eynon et al. 2009, p.192), particularly for infamous hackers. Using this situation in any other context, for example Dungons and Dragons. This online game allows it’s users to have conversations with other users during the game. This conversation can be tracked back by linking their text snippet to context of the conversation even when encrypted (Eynon et al. 2009, p.192) and like so the virtual game has had issues with piracy where they conduct research on users without consent, later exposed through a hacking incident. This is just one of the many examples where mass scale research has gone wrong because the company had failed to contact their users. Exposing users to something that causes physiological status changes is experimentation is the kind of thing that requires user consent. Informed consent is the most essential part of research ethics. It creates a trusting bond between a participant and a researcher which allows for accurate and true data to be collected without the objection from the participant or in this case the users. As a bare minimum, all businesses should disclose on their website to their users that their formation or data is being tracked anonymously. Lack of doing so a breach of a person’s privacy, at least from an ethical perspective. Therefore, this in no way will better mankind only create trust issues due to lack of transparency. In ability to trust a business is bad for the business itself and its customers, long term. If customers no longer trust a business they will slowly separate themselves from them looking for alternatives. Additionally, it creates a bad reputation for the business, as it did for Facebook who is still in the medias eye for it in a negative light despite their public apology. This negative back lash is one that will associate with the business in the long term and gradually it will (and has) caused many issue to conduct other forms of research, including Facebook having to review their privacy policy as a result of the uprise negative response from their unconsented research. To conclude, there are many benefits for undertaking large scale online experiments without user/participant consent in the sort run however long term it does not benefit anyone let alone better mankind. References Eynon, R, Schroeder, R & Fry, J 2009, ‘new techniques in online research: challenges for research ethics’, Twenty- First Century Society, vol.4, no.2, pp.187-199 Kramer, A, Guillory, J & Handcock, J 2014, ‘Experiment evidence of massive-scale emotion contagion through social network’, PNAS, vol. 111, no. 24, pp. 8788-8790. Reid, D 2017, ‘Lecture 1’, ADV20001, Advertising Issues: Regulation, Ethics & Cultural Considerations, Learning material on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, May 29, viewed 9 July 2017. Reid, D 2017, ‘Lecture 2’, ADV20001, Advertising Issues: Regulation, Ethics & Cultural Considerations, Learning material on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, June 5, viewed 9 July 2017. Reid, D 2017, ‘Lecture 17’, ADV20001, Advertising Issues: Regulation, Ethics & Cultural Considerations, Learning material on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, July 10, viewed 9 July 2017. Wholsen, M 2014, ‘Facebook won’t stop experimenting on you, it’s just too lucrative’, Wired, 10 March, viewed 10 July 2017, .

Filipino nationalism Essay

Jose Rizal first and probably most known novel, Noli Me Tangere certainly illustrates Filipino nationalism. The novel was truly significant in the establishment of national identity amongst the Filipinos. This novel stirred a great amount of controversy as Rizal illustrated the affairs of the Spaniards in the Philippines. According to the Spaniards officials, the novel of Jose Rizal was full of rebellious ideas and schemes in opposition of the Spanish government. But for Jose Rizal, this novel was his way of giving confidence and pushing his countrymen to struggle against the bad qualities and doings of the Spanish government. The novel presented how Filipinos were powerless and poor in their own country under the rule of the Spaniards (Rizal, 290). Rizal truthfully depicted the Filipino nationality through his emphasis of the Filipinos’ qualities like a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude, the commitment and dedication of a Filipina together with her influence to a Filipino’s life, and the total genuine common sense shared by the Filipino people under the Spanish system. The intense messages brought by the novel and Rizal’s other work El Filibusterismo, made some Spanish officials really furious as these novels portrayed immense abuse and corruption by the Spanish regime in the Philippines. Subversive and heretical are the descriptions that the Catholic Church had for Noli Me Tangere and the Spanish authority had banned the novel in some parts of the country during that time. Maria Clara’s is one of the lead characters of Noli Me Tangere. She is the heroine in the novel personifying the ideal Filipina, warm, loving and committed to her partner Crisostomo Ibarra who was the hero of the novel. Other characters had symbolisms in the real-life events in the Philippines during Jose Rizal’s time. Padre Damaso (Father Damaso) was another character with significance as he was a representation of the covert or secret fathering of illegitimate children by the Spanish clergy that time. Throughout the novel, Rizal captured the attention of the Filipinos by illustrating the prejudices of the Indios and the brutality and fraud of the Spanish priests through his writings. The fictional revolution Rizal had visualized in his novel, with middle-class intellects leading never occurred. However, Noli Me Tangere still influenced a revolution against the Spaniards indirectly. With Emilio Aguinaldo as the leader, the revolution of 1896 took place; the Philippines finally got its independence in 1898 (Rizal, 290). The novel that Rizal had written may not be the weapon used during the revolution, but it certainly played a huge role in stirring the emotions and rage that the Filipinos had against the Spanish rule. Noli Me Tangere served not only a novel that attacked the Spanish colonial rule, but also as a character of Filipino nationalism. It was an essential instrument in forming a unified consciousness and national identity amongst the Filipinos, as numerous Filipino people up to that time were identified with their own regions to the benefit and advantage of the Spaniards. The novel openly criticized and exposed the many elements of the Spanish colonial society. The novel sent its message to the Filipinos, calling out for them to recover self-confidence and recognize the value of their own worth. Noli Me Tangere encouraged the Filipinos to go back to the heritage of their ancestors and asserts themselves of equal status to the Spaniards. Works Cited Rizal, Jose. Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not). Penguin Classics: Tra Edition, 2006. Print. Rizal, Jose. Noli Me Tangere article.

The Murder Of The Clutter Family - 1135 Words

Many people say the documentation of the murder of the Clutter family is Truman Capote’s best work. It started out as an article for The New Yorker, and evolved into the non-fiction novel; the first of its kind. Capote traveled to Kansas with friend Harper Lee to research the killings. In the course of six years bringing this narrative together, Capote began taking drugs and drinking heavily due to the dark nature of the book. Truman Capote tells the true story of a family murdered in In Cold Blood, through character analysis and symbolism to prove nature is a stronger force than nature in shaping a person’s character. Capote expresses his idea of nature vs. nurture in Dick Hickock and Perry Smith and whether killers are born or made. With this in mind, he writes, â€Å"Dick became convinced that Perry was a rarity, ‘a natural born killer,’— absolutely sane but conscienceless, and capable of dealing with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows† (205). This makes apparent Perry’s instincts to kill and Dick’s desire to manipulate Perry’s instincts to do so. Dick uses Perry as an image of who he wants to be, even though Perry feels shame and embarrassment. Capote inspects their motivations for the killings based on their backgrounds. Capote uses Perry as a sympathetic character; asking the reader if Perry’s life had been easier growing up, would he have committed the murders? A point often overlooked is Capote’s detailed exploration into Perry’s childhood and lifeShow MoreRelatedThe book In Cold Blood chronicles the events leading before and after murder of the Clutter family500 Words   |  2 PagesThe book In Cold Blood chronicles the events leading before and after murder of the Clutter family (consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Clutter and their two teenage children, Kenyon and Nancy) in Holcomb, Kansas. The family, brutally killed in 1959, lived a picturesque life; moreover, as no apparent motive could be deduced, neighbours in the small town grew suspect of each other. Capote’s book follows the killers Dick Hickock (Richard Eugene Hickock) and Perry Smith’s (Perry Edward Smith) journey whichRead MoreThe Clutter Family Roles In Truman Capotes In Cold Blood1281 Words   |  6 Pa gessequence of events that transpired before, during, and after the members of the Clutter family are unexpectedly murdered on November 15, 1959. He describes in detail the background of each of the main characters, which helps to clarify the motives of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith as they murder the Clutters. He illustrates how a positive or negative influence of an individual’s environment, lifestyle, and occasionally family can impact them into adulthood. These influences can determine the role thatRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of In Cold Blood By Truman Capote1080 Words   |  5 Pagesafter the Clutter family was murdered on November 15, 1959. He describes in detail the background of each of the main characters. This helps to clarify the motives of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith as they murder the Clutters. He illustrates how a positive or negative influence of a person’s environment, lifestyle, and sometimes family can either influence them to become contributin g members of society or make them turn to a life of crime, this is shown by Capote through the Clutters, Richard HickockRead MoreThe Relationship Between Herbert And Bonnie Clutter1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe famously known novel, In Cold Blood was written by Truman Capote and was published in 1966. The novel written by Capote was based on the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The novel later became a classic 1967 film directed by Richard Brooks. Throughout the film and the book, one seems to notice the multiple differences that occurs within both. While some viewers and readers may debate about the similarities and differences of In Cold Blood film v. In Cold Blood text, oneRead MoreTruman Capote s The Cold Blood Response1005 Words   |  5 Pagesawoken one morning to the unexpected and gruesome murder of the Clutter family. While reading this non-fiction novel I experienced the whole story through the eyes of the residents of Holcomb. We learned about the l ife of the Clutters before the murder, the life of the murders, and the final outcome of the trial. While reading this non-fiction novel I feel that I was there when the crime was committed. You get to know the people of this town, the murders, and the victims. In this paper I am going toRead MoreAnalysis Of Truman Capote s Cold Blood 1542 Words   |  7 PagesIn his 1965 novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote chronicles the murder of the wealthy Clutter family and the subsequent capture and trial of their killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The events of the book play out over a period of nearly six years, from the crime’s conception to the execution of the murderers, supplemented by Capote’s numerous interviews with living members of the Clutter family, their neighbors, their murderers, and the detectives on the case. It is widely regarded as the firstRead More Truman Capotes In Cold Blood Essay example1295 Words   |  6 Pages3. Number of pages: 336 4. Theme (s): - Murder - Feelings 5. The Clutter family. Herb Clutter: He’s the father of the murdered family. He’s forty-eight yr. old. Herb is a normal man, who makes a living with the farm he owns. His social contacts in the neighborhood and the people of Holcomb community are very good, people love to talk with him and Mr. Clutter is a member of the agricultural society. Mrs. Clutter: She’s the mother of the family, and loves miniature things. She has two kidsRead MoreUse of Characterization in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood Essay examples944 Words   |  4 Pagesa key element of In Cold Blood. The characters can be divided into three groups: the Clutter family, the two murderers, and the characters who were emotionally attached to the murder. Each killers psyche is researched by Capote, and each is individualized by his specific psyche. Capote goes to great lengths to show that the townspeople viewed the Clutter family as an ideal American family. Mr. Herbert Clutter was the most successful farmer in Holcomb: He was, however, the communitys most widelyRead MoreBook Report On The Cold Blood Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagesnarrative focused on the murder of the Clutter family in the small Kansas farm town of Holcomb. This four part story explores the Clutter family’s dynamic; the detective of the case, Detective Albert Dewey; the two murders time of being undiscovered; and the time Dick and Perry have on Death Row. The first chapter, titled â€Å"The Last to See Them Alive,† begins with introducing the members of the Clutter family through the interviews of friends, family and neighbors. The father, Herb Clutter, is a strict, religiousRead MoreTruman Capotes In Cold Blood1591 Words   |  7 Pagestheme in American literature, and in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the idealistic dream is critical ly evaluated. In this paper, I will explain the context of the work, and then I will compare and contrast Dick any Perry (the murderers) with the Clutter family (the murdered) in relation to the theme of the fragility of the American Dream. Capote wrote what he considered to be the first nonfiction novel. Simply defined a nonfiction novel is one in which an event is reported using traditional literary

Spinner Dolphin Facts

Spinner dolphins were  named for their unique behavior of leaping and spinning. These spins can involve more than four body revolutions. Fast Facts: Spinner Dolphin Size: 6-7 feet and 130-170 poundsHabitat: warm tropical and subtropical waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian OceansClassification: Kingdom: Animalia, Class: Mammalia, Family: DelphinidaeLifespan: 20 to 25 yearsDiet: Fish and squid; locate prey using echolocationFun Fact: Spinner dolphins gather in pods that can number into the thousands and are known for spinning and leaping.   Identification Spinner dolphins are medium-sized dolphins with long, slender  beaks. Coloration varies depending on where they live. They often have a striped appearance with a dark gray back, gray flanks and white underside.  In some adult males, the dorsal fin looks as if has been stuck on backwards. These animals may associate with other marine life, including humpback whales, spotted dolphins and yellowfin tuna. Classification There are 4 subspecies of spinner dolphin: Grays spinner dolphin (Stenella  longirostris  longirostris)Eastern spinner dolphin (S. l.  orientalis)Central American spinner dolphin (S.l.  centroamericana)Dwarf spinner dolphin (S.l.  roseiventris) Habitat and Distribution Spinner dolphins are found in warm tropical and subtropical waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Different spinner dolphin subspecies may prefer different habitats depending on where they live. In Hawaii, they live in shallow, sheltered bays, in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, they live on the high seas far from land and often associate with yellowfin tuna, birds and pantropical spotted dolphins. Dwarf spinner dolphins live in areas with shallow coral reefs, where they feed during the day on fish and invertebrates. Click here for a sighting map for spinner dolphins. Feeding Most spinner dolphins rest during the day and feed at night. Their preferred prey are fish and squid, which they find using echolocation.  During echolocation, the dolphin emits high-frequency sound pulses from an organ (the melon) in its head. The sound waves bounce off objects around it and are received back into the dolphins lower jaw. They are then transmitted to the inner ear and interpreted to determine the size, shape, location and distance of prey. Reproduction The spinner dolphin has a year-round breeding season After mating, the females gestation period is about 10 to 11 months, after which a single calf about two and a half feet long is born. Calves nurse for one to two years. The lifespan for spinner dolphins is estimated at about 20 to 25 years. Conservation The spinner dolphin is listed as data deficient on the IUCN Red List. Spinner dolphins in the Eastern Tropical Pacific were caught by the thousands in purse seine nets targeting tuna, although their populations are slowly recovering due to restrictions placed on those fisheries. Other threats include entanglement or bycatch in fishing gear, targeted hunts in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, and coastal development which affects the sheltered bays that these dolphins inhabit in some areas during the day. Sources and Further Information American Cetacean Society. Spinner Dolphin: . Accessed April 30, 2012.Stenella longirostris (Short-Beaked) and Delphinus capensis (Long-Beaked)Culik, B. 2010. Odontocetes. The toothed whales: Stenella longirostris. UNEP/CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany. Accessed April 30, 2012.Hammond, P.S., Bearzi, G., Bjà ¸rge, A., Forney, K., Karczmarski, L., Kasuya, T., Perrin, W.F., Scott, M.D., Wang, J.Y., Wells, R.S. Wilson, B. 2008. Stenella longirostris. IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. Accessed April 30, 2012.Nelson, B. 2011. Why Does This Dolphin Have Its Fin On Backwards?. Mother Nature Network, Accessed April 30, 2012.NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources. Spinner Dolphin (. Accessed April 30, 2012.Stenella longirostris)OBIS SEAMAP. Spinner Dolphin (. Accessed April 30, 2012.Stenella longirostris)Perrin, W. 2012. Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828). In: Perrin, W.F. World Cetacea Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http:// www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?ptaxdetailsid137109 on April 30, 2012.The Mammals of Texas. Spinner Dolphin. Accessed April 30, 2012.