Class Reflection

Throughout the course of this class I have learned much more than I thought I would in a technical writing class. Not only have I learned tips for creating effective documents like resumes and cover letters, I have learned about many different ethical perspectives and schools of thought. With the semester project, I have learned a great deal about how to make a website and how to make and edit videos. I have learned many things that I never thought I would, and I realized that I can learn to do things like making a website if I use the tools that are out there.

Dombrowski Ethics 5 p 152 - 233

Dombrowski – Ethics 5, p 152-233

Ch 6: Tobacco and Death- When Is a Cause Not a Cause?

Over 60 million people have died from smoking – tobacco industry has failed to acknowledge its ethical responsibilities

“sophistic” here is contrived contention where none is warranted, denying obvious realities and making the worse case seem better just to win an argument

The effects of smoking deaths are much harder to visualize and less likely to outrage people than the blatantly obvious Challenger disaster because they are slow, lonely, and not as widely publicized

Self-serving posturings were disguised as technical facts, knowledge was represented as “beliefs” in order to deliberately mislead the public

CAUSE

People tend to think only about themselves, not in terms of “populations” which is what is affected by smoking

Statistical causation is a probability of what will happen within a population, not to one individual

Sometimes it can take a long time to notice or confirm a cause-effect relationship

The tobacco industry has engaged in misinformation and denial, called the link of smoking to death a “controversy” when it is really a fact, no debate necessary

Concomitant variation- proposed by John Stuart Mill- an increase in independent variable causes an increase in a dependent variable, decrease makes decrease, even if mechanism is unknown

Tobacco-death correlation similar to restraint devices in cars and decrease in accident deaths

Even though we don’t know how smoking causes cancer, we know it does

Dr. John Snow, 1854 in London- realized cholera might be spread through water, shut down a water pump and cholera outbreak subsided- without knowing exactly what was causing the cholera

The question of what ‘cause’ means reflects the values of the communicators and is similar to the arguments of the sophists

Sophists were seen as charlatans, like used-car salesmen, used power of language to alter beliefs and persuade

Some newer thinking explains that the sophists were cast in a negative light simply because they “lost” against their critics, ‘to the victor goes the spoils’

Plato and Aristotle thought that rhetoric should be based on ethics, what is good and right, ethics comes before winning and rhetoric

Eristics- arguing for the sake of beating an opponent (rather than for the good of society)

Protagoras- there are two sides to every matter

Tobacco industry sought doctors and researchers who would oppose the smoking-death link as causal and distracted focus from cancer

In 1958, British American Tobacco company researchers realized that there is a link between smoking and lung cancer

Tobacco Industry Research Committee (TIRC) was created to discredit reports of smoking causing cancer and perform “research” to disprove it

Almost all scientists believed the causal relationship, some were focused on self-interest

Tobacco industry knowingly and willfully brought disease and death to a number of their customers

DOCUMENTS

1997- 350 billion dollar settlement with tobacco companies, but this settlement might prevent future lawsuits so some are opposed to parts of it

Tobacco industry had lots of money to defend themselves, plaintiffs didn’t, state governments supported tobacco due to tax revenues, out of court settlements prevented a legal precedent being set with a case decided against the industry

Many documents that could be used against the industry are confusingly worded to prevent use as evidence

The tobacco industry destroyed their own documents that could be used against them in court

1950’s

Hill and Knowlton pr firm was hired to help tobacco industry campaign against reports linking smoking and cancer- they were to complicate the matter and divert attention from smoking as the cause of cancer

“A Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers” was released, claimed “cause” and “proof” can’t be used in the smoking debate, formation of the TIRC

The document uses misleading words (experiments, theory), casts doubt on reports, but is technically correct

It regards the tobacco industry as the ‘victim’ in a role reversal, similar to sophist arguments

1970- Helmut Wakeham, research director at Philip Morris, to company president- they TIRC (now CTR) is interested in disproving allegations, not finding the real truth

Tobacco industry tried to say:
1. there are many causes of lung cancer
2. there is no agreement among authorities
3. no proof cigarette smoking causes cancer
4. validity of the reports should be questioned

Tobacco industry released other ads thanking smokers for their support rather than supporting “medicine men”

1960’s

US Surgeon General appointed advisory committee to investigate the matter, many qualified voices overwhelmingly outweighed the few scientists still supporting the tobacco industry’s “not proven” claim

The industry acknowledged that nicotine is addictive even though the exact mechanism was unknown, yet refused to use this line of reasoning with smoking causing cancer

Industry admitted to itself that the TIRC couldn’t really conduct meaningful research

1970’s

Industry started making filtered cigarettes, not admitting they were necessary but only due to “public perception” that filters were needed and smoking was bad

They used euphemisms (biological activity for cancerous tumor), acknowledged a “controversy”

Potentially harmful research at the CTR was stopped or headed by lawyers so the company could claim ignorance of damaging data
1980’s

Reports on research were limited to “snippets” to control release of harmful information, info was misrepresented

Industry insiders told Frontline about the control of information within tobacco industry

1990’s

Many technical documents became publicly available, lawsuits began

A SINGLE WORD

Tobacco CEOs said under oath that they didn’t “believe” that nicotine was addictive, even though industry documents showed they knew it was, but people can’t be prosecuted for their ‘beliefs’

GRAPHICAL IMAGES

The exact meaning and intent of images is hard to pinpoint

Joe Camel was an image of coolness and happiness, distracting from the realities of cigarette smoking – the industry was sued with the claim that it was marketing to children

RJR realized they were losing customers, needed to replace them, marketed to teens with Joe Camel- just because it was self-preservation doesn’t make it ethical

Concern for technical excellence can dominate other values

Images of the Marlboro Man were also misleading, he actually died from lung cancer and his widow sued the tobacco industry

ETHICAL APPRAISAL

Aristotle- industry’s deliberate avoidance and suppression of knowledge shows they don’t wish to find the truth. They aren’t honest, avoid making tough decisions, and sacrifice millions of lives for personal gain

Kant- the tobacco industry opposed those who were working for the public good, did not treat the public as it would like to be treated

Utilitarian- tobacco industry tries to show benefits of jobs for tobacco workers and tax revenues, but these don’t outweigh the cost of millions of lives

Feminist and Ethics of Care- impersonal treatment of others by industry is bad, deliberate rejection of responsibility for the care of their customers is bad

CH 7: STAR WARS: HOPE VS. REALITY

The SDI program was unfounded on realistic technical possibilities, future hopes were confused with actual realities

Claims were exaggerated, misrepresented about what the program could really accomplish

CONTEXT

There are no real means for accomplishing the goals of the program, so money was wasted and program was terminated – technical communication that led to this was exaggerated, misleading

OVERVIEW OF SDI

Plan was enacted by President Reagan in 1983, based on “technological optimism”- that any problem could be solved by technology with enough time and money thrown at it

Scope of program was gradually reduced until it was only protecting a few cities from a few missiles- you have to make sure your goals are technically feasible

This example is not really unethical, just shows the powerful influence of values in shaping public discourse

A Complex System

The system is very complex and required a software system to integrate all the parts of the system, meaning very much was demanded of it

SDI was for intercepting and eliminating incoming ICBMs

Due to short time frame, the whole response would have to be computer automated

Enemies could use tactics that confuse the SDI system

Existing systems that aren’t nearly as complicated don’t work very well, computers wouldn’t do well in space

CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

The government knew of complications from the beginning

Four “misapprehensions” regarding the president’s plan:
1) individual, separate devices like lasers are not the same as the whole system they would be used in, which is really complex
2) SDI is unlike any prior program
3) hopes for entirely new technologies are not realistic
4) the system can’t be tested, it’s like nothing ever before

There is no guarantee that the system wouldn’t fail when actually needed

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING

Congress concerned with possible unethical misrepresentation of technical feasibility

Lt. Gen. Abrahamson was director of SDI, his testimony made hopes seem feasible

Sen. John Glenn’s response basically said he didn’t think any of the technology has actually been invented yet, and it hadn’t

The numbers used, such as 5 layers and 85% effectiveness were basically made up and based on wished-for technologies that do not exist

SDI DOCUMENTS, PRO AND CON

Pro

Proponents of the system used arguments of values and how terrible nuclear war would be, didn’t really discuss how technically feasible it actually was

Keyworth, science advisor to the president, wrote articles defending the program with moral issues again, not technicalities

Defensive Technologies Study group, headed by NASA’s Fletcher, gave an optimistic view of it but only states that after a lot more research we could determine whether SDI is feasible

Parnas, a software engineer, resigned from the panel

Con

The hardware hasn’t been completely invented, the software is seemingly impossible to create, there are so many variables it isn’t realistic

MIT computer scientist Herbert Lin described the “unknown unknowns” and compared SDI to much less complicated software systems that didn’t work right

Union of Concerned Scientists wrote a book outlining how SDI software is impossible

Parnas

Parnas wrote a statement on SDI very clearly and ethically outlining his views on why SDI software is impossible

Parnas’ ethos is apparent, he had 20 years experience in software design and military experience, he had nothing to gain and lots to lose in resigning from the panel

He showed that the other members of the panel had almost no experience and much to gain from the panel, while he had all the experience and resigned

In utilitarianism, personal good will often differ from public good- it is often criticized as least “ethical” mode of thinking

Many of Parnas’ peers wished he wouldn’t have been so critical so that their funding wouldn’t dry up, but he didn’t want the government wasting taxpayers’ money

STAR WARS BOYCOTT PLEDGE

Many scientists signed a Star Wars boycott pledge, agreeing that it was technically infeasible and they wouldn’t support it

Patriot: Small-Scale SDI

Patriot system used to shoot down Iraqi SCUD missiles; the military touted it as highly successful, but later investigations showed it failed most of the time

Technical Claims about Air Operations

Claims that infrared systems could work in conditions of poor visibility, yet not including clouds and weather – the main source of poor visibility

ETHICAL APPRAISAL

Aristotle – SDI support unclear, ethical in preventing violence but unethical in masking the lack of technical feasibility

Kant – not sure, same as above- could be conditions we don’t know about that made them make these choices also

Utilitarianism – if the statements were really just to get funding, they’re unethical

Feminist Perspective and Ethic of Care – could be ethical in avoiding violence, could be unethical in seeming authoritarian and wasting so much money that could be spent on the poor, healthcare, etc.

CONCLUSION

Concern for basic security can cloud judgment, the program had good goals but it was unrealistic

Harty: Ethics, 347-381 and Dombrowski "Challenger"

Harty “A Word About Ethics” and Dombrowski “Challenger”

Dorothy Windsor- “Communication Failures Contributing to the Challenger Accident: An Example for Technical Communicators”

2 major contributions to the Challenger accident:
1) managers and engineers viewed the same facts from different perspectives
2) the general difficulty of sending or receiving bad news, particularly when sending to a superior

You must share not only information but your interpretation of it

Bad news is not passed on as often as good news, people are less likely to believe it

PHYSICAL CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT

Physical cause of the accident was the failure of a rubber seal on the solid rocket booster

Testing of the O-rings actually damaged them, causing them to malfunction

EARLY RESPONSES TO BAD NEWS: DISBELIEF AND FAILURE TO SEND UPWARD

Marshall treated O-ring problem as serious when communicating down to MTI but not serious when communicating up to NASA

Marshall only recognized it as serious when blame seemed to be on MTI

CONTINUED BAD NEWS REJECTION DESPITE CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE

MTI still believed in the backup O-ring despite contradictory evidence

A launch constraint was enacted, but focused on the wrong issue and was ultimately waived and disregarded

INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION OF CONCERN FROM MTI ENGINEERS

MTI engineer Boisjoly sent a critical warning memo to his management

MTI’s Russell sent a memo to Marshall, but it was simply the facts and did not sound very urgent or critical as it was sent to an outsider

THE SPLIT BETWEEN MANAGERS AND ENGINEERS

MTI engineers became increasingly against launch but didn’t communicate urgently enough, they recommended postponing the Challenger launch but by this time Marshall wouldn’t listen

Managers wanted to go ahead with the launch (mainly to please their superiors) while engineers were more realistic and resisted

CONCLUSION

Managers should establish an open atmosphere in which engineers feel comfortable relaying bad information

People should realize that they are probably erring on the side of optimism, don’t stick to intellectual inertia and take responsibility if they are wrong

Darrell Huff- “How To Lie With Statistics”

Samples can have built-in bias

Every piece of information in the group should have the same chance of being selected for the sample

Truncated graphs can make data appear more impressive and drastic

Changing the ordinates of graphs can also make them appear more impressive (zooming in)

Means and medians can vary greatly, especially when discussing income, as the vast majority earn a reasonable amount and a few millionaires drastically raise the mean

You must take error and deviance into consideration and not be misled by simply reading the data (ranges of 47-87 and 15-104 both have a mean of 61)

Altering two-dimensional data can imply a greater difference between two bars/icons if the reader interprets them three-dimensionally

Decimals can make data seem very accurate, more than just an approximation

Bias of sample’s opinions must be considered (prejudiced people)

Cause and effect relationships can be misconstrued and reversed if only a correlation is noted

Dan Jones- “Determining the Ethics of Style”

Doublespeak is intentionally misleading, not careless

WHAT IS ETHICS?

The study of right and wrong conduct
what is good and bad with moral duty and obligation
Theory or system of moral values

ETHICS AND TECHNICAL PROSE

It’s not always easy to determine what’s right and wrong, many situations have multiple variables

ETHICS AND THE PROFESSIONS

Computer Ethics Institute wrote 10 Commandments of Computer Ethics

Computers bring about many ethical issues regarding intellectual property, morality of copying programs/files, creation of viruses, hacking, creation of artificial intelligence

Codes of conduct are valuable because they establish ideals and help define the character of a profession, encourage employees to act ethically

Carolyn Rude- “Legal and Ethical Issues in Editing”

Laws and codes of ethics aim to protect the good of society and individual rights

Corporate policies should establish commitment to ethical behavior, products should be reviewed by a variety of people

LEGAL ISSUES IN EDITING

Editors insure that documents do not violate intellectual property, product safety, libel, and copyright laws

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY includes any information that is in some fixed form- patents, trade secretes, artwork, writing, pictures, music- encourages people to create things that will better the quality of life

COPYRIGHT LAW protects original works of authorship so others can’t reproduce or steal work

Copyrights often lie with employers for their employees’ works

US Government work is public domain, not copyrighted

Copyrights are automatic, don’t require registration; however you can register them for maximum security
Copyrights don’t necessarily translate into other countries

Fair use allows for copying for educational and noncommercial uses

Trademarks prevent copying and use of brand names, phrases and logos

It is illegal to share trade secrets with other companies

Product Safety And Liability

Companies are responsible for even the misuse of their products

Warning labels are necessary to inform customers of potential dangers, clear instructions are necessary

Libel is a defamatory statement about someone without basis in fact that lowers their public reputation, people can be sued for it if it is proven

Editors must insure factual accuracy of negative statements

DOMBROWSKI- Challenger Disaster- Information Vs. Meaning

Values play a powerful role in shaping technical discourse

Space shuttle missions are risky, but astronauts are under the assumption that all necessary precautions have been taken- not the case with Challenger

Unwarranted assumptions of the audience rendered the “smoking gun” memo ineffective

TWO GOVERNMENTAL REPORTS

The Presidential Report (Rogers Commission) is very long and discusses some things that aren’t critical to the matter of the Challenger explosion

A large amount of information doesn’t necessarily mean a report is thorough

The report focuses disproportionately on the braking system, which was not a main cause of the explosion

The inclusion of so much almost irrelevant information tries to make the event appear inevitable rather than being due to a series of judgment errors that could have easily been fixed, is misleading

Differences Between Reports

Presidential and congressional reports used same information but came to different results and recommendations

Presidential commission uses vague, contradictory language, fails to address ethical responsibilities

Distinction between personal responsibility and procedural decision making (just following procedures, not much choice/thought)

Congressional report states that Challenger was not a problem of technical communication but of personal decision making

TWO CRUCIAL SHIFTS IN MEANING

O-ring charring shifted from a cause of concern to a sign of safety, they became accustomed to it happening and no longer saw it as dangerous- this was a shift in perception, not actual data

Engineers argued against launch at the L-1 meeting but they were overruled by managers and NASA.. Dombrowksi thinks technical communication was fine here, Harty didn’t

The burden of proof shifted- now the engineers had to prove the launch shouldn’t occur rather than simply raising doubt about safety- unclear data “didn’t support a postponement” rather than “didn’t support a launch”

SMOKING GUN MEMO

Boisjoly’s memo is the smoking gun; it is technically well-written and the blame falls on the readers not heeding his warnings

Boisjoly used powerful emotional language to convey the seriousness of his subject

If you have communicated well it is up to your audience to act

GRAPHICAL IMAGES

Data in numbers can be almost irrelevant or beside the point sometimes

People determine the meaning of data, it doesn’t determine its own meaning

ETHICAL APPRAISAL

Aristotle would say that Boisjoly acted ethically, showing honesty and courage and working toward good for others. He would encourage open debate between the two reports, as the congressional committee’s clearer report would show itself as the better one

Kant would agree that Boisjoly acted with a sense of duty without regard for personal consequences. The presidential report shows confused language and misleading conclusions so it doesn’t seem ethical

Utilitarianism would weigh the benefits to the nation with the risk of the astronauts lives, they knew they were in a dangerous situation but didn’t know the extent of it. The presidential committee might have been doing the greater good by saving the reputation of NASA, but the congressional committee acted differently

Feminist and Ethics of Care: the management was authoritarian in overriding the opinions of the engineers at the L-1 meeting, and they did not have a caring attitude toward the astronauts when they ignored the risks to their safety, and therefore it was unethical to launch

CONCLUSION

This issue shows how values and ethical judgment play a role in communicating even highly technical information.

Harty p. 306-334, Cover Letters and E-Resumes

Steven Graber- “The Basics of a Cover Letter”

Effective cover letters attract an employer’s attention by highlighting the most attractive features of the product

FORMAT

Appearance of a cover letter shows organizational skills and attention to detail

The Parts of a Letter

2 styles for cover letters

Business style- all elements begin at the left margin
Personal style- return address and complimentary close begin at centerline, paragraphs are indented

Return address
Avoid abbreviations, though abbreviating the state is acceptable; include contact info

Date
Appears two lines below the address, write it out

Inside Address
Four lines down, give addressee’s full name, then title, company name, company address
Make sure the text of the letter is vertically centered

Salutation
Two lines underneath address, use “Dear Mr.___:” or “Dear Sir or Madam”

Length
3 or 4 short paragraphs on one page

Paper Size
Use standard 8.5 by 11” paper

Paper Color and Quality
Use matching paper and envelopes for your resume and cover letter, good paper with weight and texture

Typing and Printing
Use computer with letter-quality printer, serif font same typeface and size as resume

Envelope
Use standard business envelope, type the address and address it to the contact person

CONTENT

Personalize Each Letter
Try to address your letter to the most influential person who is appropriate

Mapping It Out
Cover letter should give an overview of your abilities and explain why you’re good for the job

Indicate why you want the job

First Paragraph: state the position for which you are applying
Second Paragraph: explain your abilities, why you’re a good fit for the job
Third Paragraph: show how you exceed requirements, include awards/accomplishments
Fourth Paragraph: close by saying you look forward to hearing from them

Complimentary Close
Sincerely, then print your name 3 lines down and sign above it- line up with return address and date

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COVER LETTERS

Use a polite, formal style with confidence and respect

A reserved, confident tone is good, similar to a job interview

Use concrete examples of skills and accomplishments

Use the fewest words possible, avoid jargon

Avoid catchphrases

Refrain offering salary information unless the advertisement requires it

Proofread very carefully; reprint it if there are mistakes

COVER LETTER BLUNDERS TO AVOID

Avoid including unrelated career goals as well as clichés and obvious comparisons

Don’t include irrelevant information

Don’t use mass mailing, inappropriate stationery, or anecdotes

Verify the accuracy of any company information you include, don’t bluff

Don’t appear desperate or admit shortcomings in the letter

Don’t misrepresent yourself or use demanding or presumptive statements

Don’t include irrelevant personal information

Carefully edit your letter for tone and typographical issues, always retype it if there are errors

COVER LETTERS FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Use your strengths as selling points, regardless of their origin and your lack of job history

RESPONSE TO A BLIND ADVERTISEMENT

Tailor your response to any specific information given

COLD COVER LETTERS are used to directly contact an employer without previous correspondence

BROADCAST LETTERS are used by well-qualified individuals to advertise their ability to top-level professionals in a particular field

LETTERS TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES AND SEARCH FIRMS should highlight your skills and explain what kind of job you’re interested in and salary information

NETWORKING LETTERS refer to a mutual acquaintance to garner reader’s attention

Dikel and Roehm- “Your Resume On the Internet”

Don’t rely too heavily on the Internet at the expense of networking and actively searching for jobs

THE MYTH ABOUT THE INTERNET RESUME

You don’t need a completely different resume just for the Internet

Different formats for your resume:
Hard copy- nice looking with bullets
Scannable version- nice looking, no bullets just word processed
Plain-text version- plain for copy/pasting
Email version-plain, small size for emails

Don’t post your internet resume with other personal information that could be used to discriminate against you

RULES FOR RESPONDING ONLINE

Email your resume and cover letter to the person or company indicated in the job listing

Format the resume correctly for email; include it in the body rather than as an attachment unless otherwise instructed

Use the advertised job title in the subject line of the email, and read the application instructions included in the job announcement and follow them exactly

E-RESUMES ARE NOT JUST FOR EMAIL

Copy and paste your resume from a prepared copy you have already formatted to look great online

PREPARING A PERFECT PLAIN-TEXT RESUME

Email has more formatting restrictions than most online resume databases

Steps for creating plain-text resume:
Check keywords that define your job qualifications
Save your resume as a text-only document
Delete any page numbers
Use all CAPS for words that need special emphasis
Replace each bullet point with a standard keyboard symbol
Use straight quotes in place of curly quotes
Rearrange text if necessary
Limit line lengths
Save as Text Only with Line Breaks
Copy the entire text in your ResTextBreak.txt document that you’ve opened in Notepad, and paste it in the body of the email message.

WHERE SHOULD THAT RESUME GO?

Post your resume only on one or two of the large databases

Post it on one or two targeted resume databases specific to your industry or location

Protect Yourself Online

Make sure a site has a comprehensive privacy policy, allows you to limit access to your personal information, allows you to search the site before registering, and allows you to edit and/or delete it once it has been posted



Before You Post, Something to Think About

Do you want your resume public, and are you ready for the consequences?

RESUMER BLASTERS: THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE OR A NEW FORM OF SPAM?

Wide distribution of your resume offers you little control of your personal information

Your resume may be sent to employers who aren’t interested or even looking to hire

Don’t waste money on a service like this that probably won’t benefit you much

ONLINE GUIDES AND GUIDANCE

Online Writing Lab, OWL, Purdue University

The Damn Good Resume, damngood.com

The Resume Place, resume-place.com

Susan Ireland, susanireland.com

Harty p.275: Resumes and Other Written Materials for a Job Search

-there is no one right way to write a resume

-managers look for a variety of skills including written and oral communication skills, computer skills, interpersonal skills, self reliance, and time management

John L. Munschauer- "Writing Resumes and Letters in the Language of Employers"

WHY USE A RESUME?

-Don't confuse customers by flaunting things that aren't relevant to their needs

GIVING YOUR MESSAGE

-Even if you are going to approach the employer in person, practice writing a letter

-Focus on the interviewer's needs, not your wants

The Importance of Knowing What the Job Is All About

-using prose can help you put into words the things you want to convey to the interviewer

LETTERS OF APPLICATION

- Resumes should be well organized, neat, professional-looking and free of grammatical errors

-Paragraphs should outline who you are and what you want, why you wrote to the employer and areas of mutual interest, special talents, and should suggest a course of action

Hard Work and Attention to Detail Make a Good Letter

-Editing and rewriting is very important

Don't Delegate the Job of Letter Writing

-Write your own letter, and use an outline

-The value of a resume is often in the practice more than the document itself

RESUME PREPARATION

-Using single spacing can draw less attention to less-than-impressive items

-Organize your qualifications into relevant groups and be sure to have a good reason for including a qualification or work experience

-Explain why you included less relevant work experience and how it contributes to your resume

Use words that fit the job in question and downplay terms that might lead the employer to think in terms other than the job

The Functional Resume

Design headlines to highlight and organize your work experience

The functional resume allows you to develop a different message for each job you apply for

“Career interest” can sound better than “job objective”- your resume should clearly show what kind of job you are looking for

If you can keep the resume to one page, do it; if not, make it two and keep white space and organization

Get your resume critiqued before you use it- get them to look at the format, then the information

Multimedia Aspect of Project

I think for the multimedia portion of my project I am going to do a series of instructional videos that will illustrate how to perform particular techniques and play certain songs. This visual aspect will allow the user to follow along easily and copy the motions that I am doing to learn how to play. I think a series of smaller videos would serve my project better than one large video and would help to explain more concepts better.

Ethics Chapter 4: Nazi Records

Chapter 4: Nazi Records – The Origin and Use of Information

Excessive emphasis on the values of scientific objectivity can mask vital ethical issues

ORIGINATION, DISSEMINATION, AND USE OF INFORMATION

Nazi Past

“Undesirables” were sent to concentration camps for slave labor and death in an attempt to “purify” the Aryan race and so “scientific” experiments could be carried out on them

In ethical considerations, one must consider how information was obtained and how it will likely be used

Controversy in the Present

Medical specimens derived from concentration camps and Nazi experimental data should not be used, according to many people. Much of the scientific data was actually unscientific and fabricated anyways

Science must deter unethical studies by refusing to use research from them

Values in Nazi Medical “Science”

Nazi medical “research” included abandonment of the Hippocratic oath and abandonment of the patient’s health as the most important factor

Doctors presided over the killings to make the killings appear legitimate medical issues and useful research rather than mass killing

Diffusion of responsibility between all the levels of what was carried out helped participants justify their own complacency

Euthanasia was distorted by the Nazis to include the killing of those they deemed ‘not worthy of life’ without the patients’ own wishes discussed

‘special treatment’ was taken to mean medical killing as a new and necessary tool

Doctors who participated did so out of either psychopathic cruelty, personal aggrandizement, or to attempt to support Nazi theories

Nazi antiscience

Objectivization- treating people as objects rather than humans equivalent to the researcher

Nazi scientists’ objectivity basically meant abandoning and rejecting human values, not something normal science does

Nazi science was opposite to normal science in many ways- a predominance of Jews in traditional medicine and science led Nazis to use opposite measures, to use science as a means to justify their political views and “better” their pure race rather than yielding boring, traditional results that come from normal science

Research in the US

Nazi research can be treated the same as evidence obtained in violation of Miranda rights, it is inadmissible and treated as if it does not exist

Tuskegee syphilis experiment occurred due to white doctors’ views toward African-American patients

Kant’s categorical imperative applied to all beings capable of reasoning, therefore even if Nazis viewed Jews as ‘nonhuman’ the fact that they could reason meant they should be protected

NAZI TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM

Technical expediency and vague language mask what is really being discussed and the ethics behind it

People are referred to as “load”, “volume”, “cargo” to depersonalize it

“special vehicles” are vans used to murder people

One excuse given by a Nazi included that he thought the Jews killed weren’t really people

In Nazi Germany, means and ends became blurred, creating a cycle of self-justification where what could be done was done because it could be done

Hirt’s document about obtaining Jewish skulls was masked as furthering scientific knowledge but really furthered the mass killing of Jews

X-Ray paper follows all proper technical procedures but displays extreme emotional and ethical distance between the researcher and the subject, and it avoids concern for how the information was obtained and how it will be used

GRAPHICAL IMAGES

Social Darwinism was applied in Nazi Germany and used as justification for “purifying” the Aryan race

The goal of science was eugenics, to purify the Aryan gene pool

Politics and racism actually came before true science in their methods

Religion, faith, and culture were made to appear biologically determined

Charts allow technicians to remain detached from the values of the practice, they are just “following the charts”

Technology was used in determining whether someone was Jewish or not by measuring facial features, this made it impersonal and objective

ETHICAL APPRAISAL

Aristotelian ethics would condemn the actions of the Nazis but his praise of technical expedience might lend support for using data from Nazi studies for beneficial reasons today

Kantian ethics would condemn the Nazis also, “treat others as you want to be treated”, though the use of Nazi data depends on who you empathize with, victims or potentially benefitting people

Utilitarianism would say the great bad outweighed the unethical “good” of purifying the Aryan race, and that using Nazi data could only benefit people today if it is real data

Feminism and ethics of care would denounce the authoritarianism of the Nazis, they were uncaring and unethical in their treating of human beings as objects. Using the Nazi data would show care for the people who could benefit today