Nigel McKelvey

An Investigation into Tenacity Levels at CoderDojos1

This paper provides an overview of CoderDojos and the philosophy that it aspires to. The research was conducted in one county in Ireland and focused on four CoderDojo locations that were geographically disperse. The findings used a scale known as Grit in order to gauge the tenacity levels of children attending these Dojos. Comparisons were drawn between genders. It also provides a rationale for future research with the addition of qualitative methods.

Applying ethics to modern games development

New problems accompany new technologies, and there is a rapid change in society as a result of mobile technology, broadband internet and sophisticated games, which of course bring many benefits. However some people selfishly exploit these new technologies for personal gain to the detriment of others. Applying ethical theories to these new and emerging technologies from a legal, ethical and social point of view can provide some interesting insights. This paper surmises some issues arising from the games development industry, and applies theories from an ethical, societal, legal and moral point of view. Data was gathered from 42 computing students across various disciplines and their views/opinions on ethical issues of computer games are presented. The majority of these students were undeterred by the violent content in computer games, and considered aspects such as the graphics, mechanics and storyline as the most appealing aspects of computer games. However, many of them believed that moral and ethical standards should be taken into account by games developers, and by parents when purchasing games for their children.

Cloud Computing and Security in the Future

We are starting to depend more and more on ‘cloud’ technology, in business and in our own personal lives. With so much personal data being stored in our personal clouds, questions are being asked about where the responsibility lies for the protection of data. For instance, is it with the consumer or with the provider? People have a right to know where their files are being stored and what is protecting them. The same goes for the consumer. They are obligated to ensure that their passwords are of a good strength and that they are safe while browsing the web, especially on public networks. The personal cloud industry is on the rise, and if the experts are correct in their predictions, the business world will be a better place for it, better in terms of portability and flexibility. The power to set your office up wherever you happen to be sitting, anywhere in the world, will be what personal cloud providers are offering. This is the future for cloud computing. Security and privacy are now more relevant than ever. This chapter examines the issues around cloud data protection and security and also investigates if the current Data Protection Act defines sufficient guidelines for data controllers on how they should collect and store user information in relation to thin-based clients using online or cloud-based service or if a lack of clarity in the Data Protection Act could cause these services to misuse the user’s data.

Drones and Privacy

Drones, also referred to as UAVs Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, are an aircraft without a human pilot. Drones have been used by various military organisations for over a decade, but in recent years drones a have been emerging more and more in commercial and recreational capacity. The paper is aimed at drone and UAV technology capabilities and how they could and are currently effecting privacy laws globally in comparison to those currently in the Rep. of Ireland. Being investigated is the collection, retention and purpose of which civilians information is being gathered. The authors also discuss the laws preventing the development and evolution of drone technology in the US in comparison to the Rep. of Ireland.