Cumbie's World #8 & #9 #8-9 | Page 9

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. eventually  will  we  will  no  longer  need  to  write  checks  because  all  companies  will  want  to  use  online  banking   to  do  transfers.   If  it  is  so  difficult  to  quantify  the  benefits  of  information  systems  for  individual  firms  and  for  entire  industries,   why  do  managers  continue  to  invest  in  information  systems?  Competitive  pressure  forces  managers  to  invest  in   information  systems  whether  they  like  it  or  not.   You  might  ask,  then,  so  why  waste  time  making  the  business  case  for  a  system?  Why  not  just  build  them?  Given   the  vast  number  of  potential  systems  and  technologies  that  could  be  developed  or  acquired,  a  strong  business   case  aids  the  decision-­‐making  process  and  helps  direct  resources  in  more  strategic  ways.   Do  you  carry  genes  for  chronic  diseases  that  may  make  you  bad  risk  for  health  insurance  companies  or  for  a   potential  employers  who  provide  health  insurance  for  their  employees?  I  know  that  I  carry  the  genes  to   develop  cancer  and  to  have  a  heart  attack  young.  I  know  these  two  are  very  costly.   Would  you  want  to  know  if  you  carry  the  gene  or  genes  for  a  fatal  disease  for  which  there  is  currently  no   treatment  or  cure,  such  as  Alzheimer’s  disease?  Yes,  I  would  want  to  know  because  I  have  seen  someone  live   and  die  from  Alzheimer’s,  and  if  I  would  know  that  I  would  someday  develop  it  I  would  start  living  life  to  the   fullest  so  that  when  I  do  forget  people  could  always  say  she  live  the  best  life  she  could.     How  ethical  are  mail-­‐order  genetic  testing  laboratories  that  offer  genetic  analyses  without  counseling  to  help   clients  interpret  results?  I  mean  the  client  knew  what  they  were  getting  into  before  they  ordered  the  test,  and   I  think  there  needs  to  be  dummy  proof  instructions  on  how  to  interpret  the  results  so  that  the  client  does  not   get  the  wrong  idea,  but  then  that  is  about  it.   Is  genetic  testing  another  example  of  technology  outpacing  legal  and  ethical  issues?  No  it  is  something  much   needed,  and  it  has  saved  many  lives.  Sometimes,  the  pros  outweigh  the  cons.   How  will  knowing  your  genetic  profile  affect  your  life  and  your  future?  I  would  hope  it  would  show  me  that  you   never  know  what  will  happen  so  live  life  to  the  fullest  while  you  have  the  chance.   And  how  can  we  protect  such  information  form  those  who  would  abuse  it?  There  is  no  way  this  can  happen   because  today  there  are  to  many  bad  people  who  want  to  steal  other  people’s  information.    The  question  must  be,  then,  why  does  all  this  maintenance  occur?  The  maintenance  occurs  because  things  will   cluttered  if  software  is  unkempt,  and  the  maintenance  occurs  to  keep  the  software  up  to  date.   Correct?  Yes,  but  software  must  still  be  maintained.    How  do  hackers  find  security  holes?  Smart  hackers  may  study  an  application  until  they  recognize  an  entrance   hole,  while  not-­‐so-­‐smart  hackers  simply  “free  ride”  on  the  efforts  of  others  by  following  “recipes”  posted  on   hacker  Web  sites.    The  solution?  Microsoft 4