6^th Commandment….Thou shall not!

                                      The Morality of Piracy.

          When personal computer has existed, surface piracy has been an important moral  issue. Torn what to do between  buying pirated wares and be able to save money or get something which is real , guilt free but it takes your  2 months hard earned money? Which is right and wrong?  There are actually people who encouraged  piracy because you pay less and get the same outcome. Business enterprise  sometimes give in to what there customers request for. I’ll buy a laptop and I need an MS Office to start off the system. But you bargained with the salesman, can you download it for me, a recopy of the ware you wanted. Of course, he wanted a sale of his stuff rather loss a client for the day. So you end up getting your request and the salesman doing the deed. But where does morality stands? Ethics dictates what is right and wrong behaviour. Making ethical decisions in the realm of information technology is quite difficult. Consider the commamdments below.

                          The Ten Commandment for Computer Ethics

1. Thou shall not use a  computer in ways that may harm people.
2. Thou shall not interfere with other people’s computer work.
3. Thou shall not snoop around  in other people’s computer files.
4. Thou shall not use a  computer to steal.
5. Thou shall not use a  computer to false witness.
6. Thou shall not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
7. Thou shall not use other people’s computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
8. Thou shall not appropriate  other people’s intellectual output.
9. Thou shall think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are  designing.
10. Thou shall always use a  computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

Otherwise, man has to protect his financial capacities as well. Business should protect themselves from losses due to unauthorized copying. They should coordinate  with authorities that are responsible for such act. They have to look out for perpetrators in their own business. Provision of laws that will apply to everyone. We cannot point a finger on anyone to blame ,somehow we are guilty in some other ways. We should adhere to our moral standards, sometimes we have to sacrifice to attain the best product in life.

        Turning the Tides….. from a Trainee to a Trainor.

(a never ending story)

It was almost 18 years ago when I’ve reached the doorstep of Western  Visayas Medical Center, applying as Medical Officer , a resident physician or simply called the”trainee”. I have my consultants or mentors during my training in family medicine, teaching me the game of life and  deal  with others lives as well .I have my own learning but all of these are concluded when my consultants would give a nod or utter the word okay and reiterate what I have said. It means I have met their expectations and assured myself that I could end my residency training by 4 years and look for another job of course.

It’s not the end of the story either, here comes a newly license physician applying for residency training in family medicine. After a pre and post residency exam, 2 months of uncompensated training and an interview he was accepted. He had to start his residency, he had to learn and he should attend the didactics, conferences, case audit and clinical rounds. The usual scenario that happens in our profession: the resident admits patient whether it is service case or pay; refers to us the case and actually discuss  the case, we talk about the management and diagnosis. There was learning, but this time I was the mentor. I have the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating his learning for that matter. I was the trainee back then and now I assume the role of the trainor. The knowledge and skills are passed on and even the attitude from one genre to the other

The step ladder approach will always be adopted, seniors taught the juniors, juniors should learn because someday they’ll start teaching the next batch of learners that will look up to them. Everything he does is a reflection of the department not of a particular person. In this kind of work we have, we have come to pass and here comes the other willing to learn and it doesn’t stop there, it is a cycle of learning and quest to find cure.

We will not be staying forever as consultants, my residents will soon be and sooner they will have this department for them to manage. Its passing a legacy of learning the knowledge of life. Actually without knowing it, knowledge management is prevalent in our setting. It has come and go and returned back. as long as there are people who wants to learn.  Age is not a question regarding this matter, just continue to learn from each other. Indeed, knowledge is power and knowledge sharing is empowerment.

Barriers to knowledge management in our setting are also identified; people are afraid to do things because they might be penalized, these holds true with us because we are dealing with life. Don’t hesitate to ask and look for help, you might just save another life.  The usual thing is that we are assigned with other administrative responsibilities other than being a doctor. So the perpetual excuse is willing to help but no time to share. But there is no excuse for learning when we are on a training program. The responsibility of developing their knowledge and skills lies on us. So, it may be tacit or explicit, it is still knowledge with a heart.

A Transformation In Dilemma

A business intelligence should be considered before a decision to implement it. It should be clear and well understood to justify the investments. Some considerations must be made in order to successfully integrate the usage of business intelligence systems in a company. Business intelligence which is well conceived and properly implemented, allow all users to make informed decisions every time and in every situation. Information taken from a competent installation of BI makes employees more productive, suppliers more efficient and customers more loyal.

Without BI, a company runs the risk of making critical decisions based on insufficient or inaccurate information. Making decisions based on gut feel will not get the job done. The following strategies will help us in encouraging the organization to make use of the business intelligence tools. We should clearly illustrate the big picture; what are we going through. The advantages and disadvantages of BI. Measure what matters which entails the key performance areas, emphasize on goals and objectives. Educate other department one of which is to campaign effectiveness and collect valuable customer.

Ultimately the BI system must be accepted and utilized by the users in order for it to add value to the organization. If the usability of the system is poor, the users may become frustrated and spend a considerable amount of time figuring out how to use the system or may not be able to really use the system. If the system does not add value to the users´ mission, they simply don’t use it.
To increase user acceptance of a BI system, it can be advisable to consult business users at an early stage of the implementation. This can provide an insight into business process and what the users need from the BI system. Taking on a user-centered approach throughout the design and development stage may further increase the chance of rapid user adoption of the BI system,
As quoted in 2007 article, H. J. Watson gives an example of how the competitive element can act as an incentive. Employees who perform well are appropriately rewarded and those who do not are given the incentive to improve performance. Watson describes how a large call centre implemented performance dashboards for all call agents, with monthly incentive bonuses tied to performance metrics. Also, agents could compare their performance to other team members. The implementation of this type of performance measurement and competition significantly improved agent performance. Punitive programs are seldom discussed on this areas probably because organizations tend to encourage their employees to adopt to such new trends of business intelligence.
Thus, a transformation of an organization to adopt to business intelligence tools would not be a dilemma when we strengthen the understanding of the underlying pattern of the business and gain new dynamics but the outcome of such endeavor may lead to the success or failure of the organization.

Blog#3 Online Shopping……
Customer is always right or is it caveat emptor?

Never did I imagine that online shopping is happening in our very own homes. Actually  I never had an experience buying something through the internet, only a friend  of mine have done it for me, when we  asked him to get us a ticket online for the Madame Tussauds reservation in Bangkok. We got the actual tickets right there and then without hassles and no line to be followed and waited. It was indeed convenience that we are pointing to the accessibility in the net. It was an experience that help me realized that everything is possible when we talked about business made online. And even more what we have expected. There are a lot of perks, you can shop online on your own time.  You can buy gifts online and have them shipped straight to the recipient. Shopping online makes it easier to find unique and one of a kind gifts that you will not find in your local department stores. There are many online store websites dedicated to that special item you are looking for.

But shopping online can also give you an extra cost to the product by having to pay for shipping. When shopping online you have to wait to receive your products, whereas shopping in store means you can get your product right away. You won’t be able to compare products in person. Returning or exchanging items bought online can be more difficult than making a return or exchange of products you’ve purchased in a store. When shopping online for a product you should do a price comparison between several online stores to find the best deal. Always make sure to print out a copy of your receipt and/or write down the confirmation number for your purchase.

Three products I would consider to buy without hesitation are; shoes, bags and books. But I have to choose one company or person which I can rely and make transactions. These are the things which I could  easily return if there is something wrong with it.

While those products that I should think about before buying are ; clothes, accessories and beauty kits. Taking into consideration my size, I hate to haggle and return those clothes if it doesn’t fit me. What if it was pre owned and used somewhere else before I got it in my hands? Accessories and beauty kits or essentials are better seen and selected on hand, you need to check for it because some would post an item truly different from the original item.  The hypoallergenic issues should be handled carefully with these items.

Those that I hesitate to buy over the internet are; jewelries, gadgets and cars. These three are quite expensive and it needs careful scrutiny of its content. I intend to purchase this in an actual setting.  I cannot risk my money. Despite of the perks and enticing ads, the security of purchasing on my part is quite fearsome. Just imagine sending your personal or credit card information over the internet. Thinking of all these issues will pose us questions like; does “ customer is always right”  still exist with these kind of transaction? Or “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) should be emphasize always.

We have reached the Information Age, wherein the pen and the paper was of limited use. Rather several concepts have been created to develop innovative ways of handling information technology security.

In contemplating whether to outsource IT security or not  is quite difficult but deciding what to outsource and to whom seems more difficult to think. The promised benefits of outsourced IT security is so encouraging. But to think of the potential risks of it are considerable. In my work environment, we cannot outsource everything probably because some things just don’t outsource well. Knowing what to outsource is the key. It is not a must to outsource rather it is how beneficial is it in your setting or the quality of service you wanted to offer. It is high time that organizations should consider outsourcing IT security. Like in the hospital, documentation can be done immediately, queries can be made instantly, transfer of data is accessible. It is a way of controlling access to sensitive electronic information so only those with a legitimate need to access it are allowed to do so. It allows the organization to focus on our core competencies rather to a lot of things left behind. We need to consider  the viability of service providers, differences in motivation, goals & attitude, quality of service, lack of expertise, costs that are unable to be planned for, options to work with you or the service provider itself. Outsourcing is a viable option  for information techno logy functions.

 A simple task has become a complex process with systems that should be reviewed and updated. And we have to consider confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.Outsourcing employers should protect employee confidential information by taking steps to maintain the confidentiality and security of employee data when retaining or transferring data to the outsourcing services. Privacy is a major concern of such innovation. Another point is the unauthorized access to information whether such access is by unauthorized personnel or use of the information in an unauthorized manner. Employers should determine whether the outsourcer has the proper security mechanisms in place to comply with the relevant privacy laws and employer’s security expectation.

Once an organization  decides to outsource, let us consider the factors before finalizing any agreement (e-Zest, 2007); there should be any form of liability insurance to protect against loss or damages. That the outsourced company should stipulate their specific task including maintenance or a third party involvement or are they the sole taker and doers of this services to be provided. Software licenses shall be indicated and updated. Ownership of information shall be discussed and agreed upon. The organization need to determine the length of time we have to outsource its IT function, specifically the starting point and the end point of the project. We should also emphasize the importance of system access and security. Asset ownership needs to be determined as well, before the contract signing. There should also be a reassurance that there is a disaster recovery that will protect the company’s IT functions.

Considering all these factors, we need to look at the pros and cons of outsourcing IT services not just for the present situation but also for the future outcome of an organization.

I.T. and me……...

 I came to a point remembering the scenario  almost 16 years ago. My boss was having her additional units for computer and she wanted me to do the same. But how could that be when I have to make a 24 hours duty every other day? How could I manage such out of hours learning. It is a must because we have presentations in powerpoint, researches for completion, census to tally and how could I be at par with the people I’m working with. It was the advent of STI, AMA, and computer schools. I wasn’t able to stretch a few hours of my life then, rather I opted to spent it for a luxury of sleep. Thus, I ended up tickling the office computer, just imagine the big old desktop with the diskette. Eventually the computer had a headache after I toil all his keys just to learn. But through that experience I was able to learn many things and was having fun at the moment. My kid was able to teach me while having her lessons in school, actually I envied her because she was able to learn too early and not able to hustle of what her generation requires. For now, here I am surviving and still learning the latest trend of my time.