UW Engineering Computing E-Citizen Examination

Just as you might lend your car to a roommate, it is OK to share your computer account with a friend.
1. This statement is true. It's my account.
2. This statement is false. I may not share my account with anyone.
3. This statement is true if my friend and I are taking the same class.
4. This statement is false, but it is OK to share my account with my younger brother because he is also a student here.
The best place to keep your password is
1. written on the back of my ID card.
2. on a piece of paper I carry in my wallet.
3. on the bulletin board in my room or office.
4. in my head. I should never write my password down.
5. in a computer file on my UNIX account.
John X. Smythe was born on July 27, 1976. He is ready to select a password for his computer account. Which of the following choices make the best passwords?
1. john
2. 072776
3. box*7car
4. j7x27s
5. boxcar
6. Something like either C. or D. above, but I shouldn't use either of these examples because they have been printed publicly and are now guessable.
You receive e-mail from someone you have never met. Upon reading the message, you discover that it is a "chain letter" -- e-mail to 30 people asking each of them to forward the message to 30 more people. What should you do about this message?
1. Send the message to everyone in my GenE 121 class.
2. Send the message to thirty people I have never met.
3. If the chain letter tells me that I will have bad luck if I do not forward it, I should make sure to forward it to at least thirty people.
4. Ignore the message, and don't pass it on to others.
Which of the following is acceptable behavior at the University of Waterloo?
1. Snooping around for computer files left unprotected unintentionally.
2. Walking up a residence hallway, trying every doorknob to see which rooms are unlocked.
3. Browsing in the stacks of the Davis Centre Library looking for an interesting book to read.
4. Cruising through a University parking lot trying car doors to see which cars are unlocked.
5. Sniffing the network to find passwords.
It's OK to share your computer password with
1. my parents.
2. my teacher.
3. no one. I should keep it secret at all times.
4. anyone I choose to.
Use of computing at the University of Waterloo is
1. a privilege granted me by the University so I can do my schoolwork, communicate with faculty and students and take advantage of information resources available on the Internet.
2. a right guaranteed under the Canadian Constitution.
3. this really neat thing I can use as much as I like without any obligations.
It is OK to give a copy of software to someone else under the following circumstances:
1. When he or she can't afford to buy it.
2. When he or she is my roommate.
3. Only if the license agreement that comes with the software explicitly allows me to do so.
If you are found guilty of violating the Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources,
1. I may lose my computing privileges.
2. I may be subject to other sanctions from the Dean's office.
3. I may be suspended or expelled from the University.
4. I may receive counseling on proper computing behavior.
5. I might be liable to prosecution under federal, provincial, and local laws.
6. If found guilty, I may be subject to any or all of the sanctions listed in items A. - E. above.
Although you expect that e-mail is private, you should recognize that
1. Computer security is imperfect and e-mail should not be used for truly confidential correspondence.
2. Certain directory and system log information (for example, e-mail addresses and login times) are not private.
3. System administrators may need to look at students' files in isolating serious system problems.
4. All of the above.
Which of the following are acceptable computing behavior at the University of Waterloo?
1. Downloading copyrighted songs from the Web to my computer.
2. Sending foolish messages to long mail lists.
3. Posting a note to a newsgroup or chat room in which I use offensive language.
4. Copying an essay from the Web, then turning it in to my professor as my own work.
5. None of the above.
Which of the following are appropriate behaviour?
1. Throwing a can of soda through my residence room window and screen.
2. Pouring a soda on a printer in one of the computing labs.
3. Attempting to crash a University computer-on purpose.
4. Tapping the computer network to monitor data packets that go across it.
5. All of the above.
You can make extra copies of your computer software for your friends.
1. This statement is always true.
2. This statement is usually false. I must check the license agreement for the software to see under what circumstance I am permitted to do this.
You can use your computer account for authorized computing activities. Such activities include
1. Sending e-mail to and receiving e-mail from my instructors and friends.
2. Reading and posting to newsgroups or publishing a Web page as long as I abide by University policy that governs these activities.
3. Running programs to crack or decrypt passwords.
4. Using Internet tools (e.g., Netscape, newsgroups, ftp) to find research material over the Internet for my next research paper.
5. Seeing if I can write programs to crash a computer.
6. A., B., and D. above.
Who is responsible for the smooth running of the Internet and all computer networks connected to it?
1. The computing center staff at the University.
2. InterPol, the international police agency.
3. Everyone who uses the network, including ME.
4. No one.
5. The Canadian Radio-Television Commission.
Forging electronic mail is a fun and easy way to play a practical joke on a friend.
1. True. It is a harmless prank.
2. False. It may seem like a harmless prank, but it is forgery which is a crime!
Your right to use a computer at the University of Waterloo is guaranteed by provincial and federal law.
1. This statement is always true.
2. This statement is incorrect. Use of computing at the University of Waterloo is a privilege granted to me by the University. It is not a guaranteed right.
If you're not sure whether or not something you're doing on the computers is considered appropriate behavior,
1. I should go ahead and do it. Someone will stop me and let me know if I do something I shouldn't.
2. I should ask my roommate his or her opinion.
3. I should ask one of my professors or I should call the IST Help Desk at 888-4357.
Which of the following may be considered inappropriate or unprofessional behaviour?
1. Hitting or threatening to hit another student.
2. Running a computer program that loudly plays music in a computer lab.
3. Sending e-mail to someone in which you threaten an act of violence.
4. All of the above.
Which of the following make the best choice as a password?
1. A string of letters, punctuation, and numbers that I can remember without writing down.
2. My first or last name.
3. My best friend's nickname.
4. My birthdate.
5. Some word that is not a proper name or nickname.
6. My username, student number, or access code.
The University thinks that responsible computing is very important because
1. it is important that students learn to obey rules.
2. the open nature of the Internet requires us all to be careful in our computing activities as our activities can affect other users.
3. being a good, ethical citizen is a part of being a member of any community -- the University and the electronic community included.
4. B and C. above.
Where can you find a copy of the Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources?
1. online at http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocist/use98.htm
2. on the UW Web, at the IST Home page.
3. on the UW Web in several places. I can "search" for it.
4. all of the above.
If you come into a computing lab and notice that someone has forgotten to log out properly you should
1. feel free to use the abandoned account in order to teach the person to be more careful in the future.
2. leave it alone if there are other free machines to use.
3. reset the machine if it has been idle for more than 30 minutes.
Which of the following are malicious misuse of a computer?
1. Stealing passwords.
2. Crashing a computer.
3. Forging e-mail messages.
4. Sending e-mail messages that threaten people.
5. All of the above.
At the University of Waterloo, which parts of the computing resources do you own?
1. All of the computing resources.
2. The University's computing network.
3. The e-mail messages I receive and the information stored in the computer files I create.
4. The software on the central computers.
At the University of Waterloo, your computer messages and files are considered private and confidential.
1. This is always true.
2. This is true except in unusual circumstances when a system administrator may have to look at my files in order to solve a system problem.
If your friends are talking about downloading licensed software and distributing those copies, you should
1. download a copy too.
2. remind them that what they are discussing is probably illegal and a violation of the Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources.
3. ignore the conversation.
Someone sells you a used computer, "including all of the software" but refuses to give you copies of the software manuals and license agreements.
1. I should feel free to use the software in the system.
2. I should erase the software from the computer and purchase my own licensed copies.
Which of the following is considered to be an acceptable use of your electronic mail and computer account?
1. Looking for ways to disrupt the smooth operation of the computer systems.
2. Sending electronic mail to a friend at the University of Toronto.
3. Sending a message to 100 people I don't know.
4. Using my computer account, electronic mail, newsgroups or home page to run a business.
5. Copying the University Staff Directory and printing it out for my parents' direct mail business as a way of helping them get more customers.
When thinking of a computer password, which of the following is a good rule to help you select a password?
1. Never using my name, a portion of my social insurance number, my birthdate, student number or user name, or any other "public" information about myself as a password.
2. Choose something that matches my user name. For example, if my user name is "beavis", I'd choose "butthead" as my password.
3. Ask my friends what passwords they've chosen to get some ideas.
4. Discuss my choice with a lot of people to see if they think it's a good idea.
If a faculty member, staff member or student accuses you of violating the Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources,
1. my case will immediately be turned over to the campus police.
2. the matter should be resolved as quickly and satisfactorily as possible for all involved.
3. the faculty or staff member and I will have to argue the matter in Small Claim's Court.
4. I should borrow someone else's account until the matter is cleared up.
Which of the following statements best describes the terms under which you may use the University's computing resources?
1. As a student at the University, I have the right to demand unlimited access to computing resources.
2. I am guaranteed access to the computing resources at the University by the laws of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the city of Waterloo.
3. The University grants me the privilege of using its computing resources for authorized computing activities such as course work, sending and receiving electronic mail, participating in newsgroups and publishing a web page. This privilege is extended to me so long as I abide by all relevant University policies.
4. The University restricts my computing privileges to use of the computing facilities for course work.
Why is it important that you abide by the Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources in your use of the University's computing resources?
1. Because the University wants to maintain an open computing environment in which faculty and students who choose to share information can do so readily.
2. Because the reliable operation of the entire Internet depends on the cooperation of all its members.
3. Because what I do on a computing system can affect other users of the computer or the networks to which that computer is attached.
4. Because the University expects it students to observe the same high standards of behavior on and off the computer.
5. All of the above.
You use a friend's computer and like one of the games he has on his system. So you make a copy of it and take it back to your room to use on your roommate's computer. Later on, you tell your friend what you did, and are surprised that he is angry with you for "pirating" a copy of the game. What should you say to him?
1. It's not like I stole your computer. I only took a copy of one piece of software. You can still use the original.
2. It's not like I copied your term paper so I could turn it in to my professor. I know that's plagiarism.
3. I'm sorry. I should have checked the license first. Then I would have known not to do it. Let's go to my room and destroy the copy I made right now.
If you own your own computer, the University expects that
1. I will be responsible for all use of my computer by me or by other people.
2. I will be responsible for the observation of all licenses for software used on my computer.
3. I will be responsible for all use of the network from my computer.
4. All of the above.
The University of Waterloo grants all its students the privilege of using electronic mail because
1. it's the latest thing.
2. it's a lot of fun to see how many people I can meet on the network.
3. competent use of computers is an important part of my university experience.
4. electronic mail and news can improve communication between students, faculty, and staff.
5. C. and D. above.
It is OK for students who publish personal Web pages
1. to invade others' privacy with libelous and confidential material.
2. to use copyrighted material such as cartoons, photographs, songs, etc., without proper attribution.
3. to use the Web page for commercial enterprises or fund-raising.
4. to imply that it is an official UW Web page by using the UW logo or pictures of Pounce the Lion, for instance.
5. None of the above responses is correct; all of the above responses would violate University policy.
The Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources governs what you publish on Web pages.
1. This statement is false. Responsible computing has nothing to do with what I put on my Web page.
2. This statement is true only if I am publishing official University information.
3. This statement is true. I must not violate copyright law or any relevant University policy or local, provincial or federal laws. I must respect the rights of others, including their rights to privacy.
The University gives students the privilege to publish personal web pages.
1. This statement is false.
2. This statement is false, except if I have special approval.
3. This statement is true. But the privilege is given with the stipulation I will abide by all relevant University policies and all relevant local, provincial and federal laws.
The campus computer network is owned by the University and governed by the Statement on Use of UW Computing and Network Resources.
1. This statement is false.
2. This statement is silly because computers and data networks have nothing to do with each other.
3. This statement is true and students who connect PCs in their residence rooms to the campus network must understand its implications.
If you take advantage of the ethernet connection in your residence room to connect to the campus network
1. I may run my computer as a multi-user machine in order to give other students login access to the network.
2. I may sell login access to my computer.
3. I may use my network connection for my personal, University-related activities only.
If you are going to leave the computer you are using for more than a few minutes,
1. I must lock the screen, to keep my files secure.
2. I can walk away, knowing that the screen saver will lock other users out.
3. I should log out, so that others can use the machine.

Please direct questions and comments to Paul McKone

This quiz is based on one developed at the University of Delaware