http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/104278

This article illustrates the profitability of the pornography market today, and also claims that about 12 percent of the websites available online are actually pornographic websites. Apparently, the pornographic market has surpassed the earnings of top technology companies.

Problem: With the proliferation of pornography in the society, there might be adverse effects on the behaviour of people.

However, certain people might also argue that people can relieve their desires through watching pornography and thus do not inflict harm onto others around them.

Questions to ponder about:
1. Since there hasn't seem to be any study proving the direct link between watching pornography and adverse effects on sexual behaviour, why should so many governments try to ban porngraphy on the Internet?

2. Being such a big market, should pornography be allowed legally to expand in any way they want because in a way, there are people benefiting from the profits of this market? Would the benefits and problems caused by this market ever be balanced?


**Just something I found interesting when conversing casually with my friends:
Recently, there is a news report about a 9 year old boy in China who attempted to rape a 20 year old girl. Apparently, this boy was recorded in a CCTV to be prancing up and down a pathway, and finally when he sees a girl coming by, he pounced on her.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9c0_1250750966

What was concluded from the video is that this boy was reading pornographic materials, and he had to find an outlet for his desires after that. My friend actually pointed out that firstly, the video, although seemingly realistic, doesn't look like it's real. He has actually stayed in China for several years, and he deduced that this video might be an attempt from the government to convince people that pornography is bad and that it should be banned.

Just a question that I had when we were talking about this issue: Is it ethical for authorities to fabricate materials to sway people's opinions although they might have had a good intention for their people? Is it fair to the people that such videos (or other materials) are given to them to be taken as truth?

http://www.orientexpat.com/forum/3467-student-arrested-in-taiwan-for-posting-manual-of-suicide/

A student has posted "The Complete Manual of Suicide" on the Internet. This 'guidebook' explains comprehensively the various methods of commiting suicide. This particular student did not have suicidal tendencies, and neither did he mean to convince others to end their lives. However, he was arrested by the police, and was even said to contribute to the sharp increases in suicide in that month.

Ethical problem:
The Internet is a platform for sharing information.

However, are all types of information desirable? Should information about suicide even be posted?

Questions to ponder about:
1. What is wrong in providing information about suicide?
2. When a problem arises, why is the blame always on the people who post certain information with no ill intentions? Don't individuals have the ability to evaluate what they read online?