Activity 3 – Cases

Case 1 – Missing White House E-mail

Questions:

1. What is the White House records management process? What is the significance of the records management process?

Record Management Process is the process of transferring e-mails to the Executive Office of the President to computer systems in the White House. The significance of records Management process is to allot the text of the e-mails to be searched in response to subpoenas and other inquiries.

2. Daniel Barry discovered a problem with the record management process in January 1998, but didn’t determine the extent of the problem. What further actions might he have taken to correctly assess the situation while avoiding potential personal repercussions?

Daniel Barry reported to the supervisor but they don't take action because they thought it was just a minor case. But then, even though it's just a minor problem they must take action and check the system and must not blamed it to the technician. It must be checked by the programmer of the system. Proper maintenance must be done with the physical asset of the system.

3. What could Barry’s supervisor have done to identify the extent of the problems earlier? Why might he have failed to follow through on resolving the problem? Can you identify any reasons why there was a six-month delay from the time the problem was finally recognized until it was fixed?

As a starting point, the supervisor must check the reported error even if it's minor. And not doing so would simply mean, he failed to follow the steps and measures of resolving problem. He does not supervised well and just blamed other person. Blaming in times of crisis is of no help. Well then, there was a six moth delay from the time problem was recognized and fixed because there are still some things to consider like the long process of investigation (find and fixed process).
4. Considering the above case, how useful and crucial e-mails in the business environment?
It is crucial because nowadays more business is occurring specifically in the field of doing the transaction online or e-business. Crucial in terms of sending important and private documents like for instance paypal accounts, documents, certification, shipments, funding documents, codes and other important business factors that could be sent. E-mails is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to send and information especially when the business of organization have long distance location of areas.
Case 2 Pamalihog Situation
A coworker calls you at 9 A.M. at work and asks for a favor. He is having a little trouble getting going this morning and will be an hour or so late getting into work. He explains that he has already been late for work twice this month and a third time will cost him for hours pay. He asks you to stop by his cubicle, turn his computer on, and place some papers on the desk so that it looks like he is “in”. You have worked on some small projects with this co-worker and gone to lunch together. He seems nice enough and does his share of the work, but you are not sure what to tell him.
Questions:
1. What would you do? Why?
In dealing with such a situation, you must consider two main things – the badness and goodness of what you are going to do. After considering these things and have come up with some thoughts in the mind, try to weigh it up and decide on what to do.
First thing, I would frankly tell him that I am not doing it. Asked why? I simply don’t want to do it because it’s not good for me and for the company to pay for some kind of a tardy person.

As an IT graduating students of the College, what Certification or Licensing you are aiming for? Why?

Being a Philnits certified systems analyst is one of my biggest dreams. Having this certification would greatly help me lend a good job with great salary.

Should an IT Professional either be licensed or certified? Why or why not?

Yes. For some reason, licensing could become a venue to assess the expertise, knowledge and skills of an individual in the field; hence, excellence and quality of performance is always assured of. It could serve as an evidence proficiency and capability of doing the things you are expected to.

Why there's no standard examination in IT

As we all know Information Technology is very dynamic in nature and changes as time passes by. There’s no such thing as permanent in IT. It changes every now and then. Its area of expertise is immeasurable. Obsolescence happens every now and then. A known fact is applicable for sometime but may be come useless as the days grow old.

Considering myself as an IT professional after my graduation

I do believe that my qualification is lacking to be called ‘IT PROFESSIONAL’. It is also clearly stated that professional should practice its chosen career or profession and as a new graduate I should first make a choice of what field in IT I should take. It is not easy to be called a professional. I must have enough experience, expertise, proficiency, comprehension, and aptitude in the field.

Monitoring Employees: My Own Stand Point

Organizations, whether big or small have recognize the need to use information technologies. These may be provided by the administration or brought in the workplace by the employees. The need to monitor employees’ usage of information and communications technology tools in the workplace rooted in the misuse of these said technologies.
Essentially, these technologies; as its main purpose is to aid employees in doing their tasks effectively and efficiently. But for some extent, these technologies are being misused by the employees. Take into consideration the scenarios of an employee making chit chat to friends through the phone even during office hours; using the internet services of a company in doing monkey business such as opening Facebook, Twitter, Friendster and other social networking sites; sometimes, playing online games. These are just some of the reasons why employers keep an eye of their human resource in the workplace.
Employers have come to put some CCTV cameras, install tracking software or application in the office computers and telephone lines. But, why would they do these? All of these measures are just company’s means of protecting their business. These acts of the employees may affect their productivity and concentration in the business and to the extreme, would greatly affect the business’ production and market competitiveness.
To end, employees must also take into consideration the fact that employees also have their right to privacy even during workplace. Company must make some measures to let their employees know that they are monitored while in the workplace. With these, harmonious relationship at work is established.

Professional Organization

Here are the benefits of joining a professional group:

• Expand your professional network. Our contacts become stale and limiting if we have a narrow circle of workers.
• Learn about industry trends. Leaders from industry present and discuss current industry topics.
• Increase others awareness of your company
• Gets you to think outside of the box (many companies and their workers have tunnel vision)
• Discover what other companies are doing

International IT professional organizations:

• Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) - The organization’s mission is to provide superior leadership and education in Information Technology. AITP is dedicated to using the synergy of Information Technology partnerships to provide education and benefits to our members and to working with the industry to assist in the overall promotion and direction of Information Technology.
• American Society for Information Science (ASIS) - Since 1937 ASIS has been the society for information professionals leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information. ASIS brings together diverse streams of knowledge, focusing what might be disparate approaches into novel solutions to common problems. ASIS bridges the gaps not only between disciplines but also between the research that drives and the practices that sustain new developments
• The Information Technology & Telecommunications Association (ITTA) - The Information Technology and Telecommunications Association is the resource for information technology and telecommunications professionals involved in transporting, connecting and integrating data, image, video and voice.
• Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) - Founded in 1973, the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals is acknowledged throughout the information and technology sectors as an authoritative source of professional certification. The CCP examinations demand a high degree of professional competence. The tests are organized into 17 specialty exams ranging from Business Information Systems to RPG/400 Language.
• The System Administrators Guild (SAGE) and the USENIX Association - The organization’s mission is to advance the status of computer system administration as a profession, establish standards of professional excellence and recognize those who attain them, develop guidelines for improving the technical and managerial capabilities of members of the profession, and promote activities that advance the state of the art or the community.

National IT professional organizations:

Information Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) - is a private, independent and non-profit association whose members are composed of leading product and service providers of Information and Communications Technology. The group is aimed at promoting ICT development and its usage as it contributes to the economic growth and global competitiveness of the Philippines.
Information Technology Foundation of the Philippines - was established in 1994 and acts as an umbrella for around eleven ICT associations in the country. The mission of ITFP is to represent and act as the single voice of the Philippine IT sector. The objectives are to accelerate the development of the Philippine Information Technology industry and help the segment by conducting and supporting projects and activities that will lead to the attainment of its purposes.

Information Systems Audit and Control Association ISACA-Manila Chapter is an organization for Information Systems (IS) professionals in the Philippines providing a source of information, education and guidance in IS auditing, control and security. They provide complimentary download of COBIT™ and offers CISA. and CISM™ accreditation to its members.
Local IT Professional Organizations:Cebu Educational Development Foundation for Information Technology (CEDF-IT)- is an offshoot of the first Cebu IT Summit convened last March 2001. The Cebu IT Summit identified the need to enhance the quality and quantity of human resources in the IT industry and CEDF-IT was the response to this challenge by the major players in the industry, the academe, and government and NGOs.
Council of Deans for IT Education in Region XI (CDITE-XI) started in year 2001 and spread its wings under the presidency of Vic Calag (UP-Mindanao) for three years until year 2004. It would be worthy to note that the vision of CDITE-XI is to make Davao as the center of quality and world-class IT education and training in Mindanao. The mission is to produce highly competent and efficient IT professionals with sound social and ethical standards. The five main programs are: (1) Administrators and Faculty Development; (2) Academe-IT Industry Linkage; (3) Inter-School Cooperation; (4) Advocacy; and (5) Networking. The core values are commitment, professionalism, excellence, continuing education, integrity, social relevance and unity.