Sample Worksheet - Fraud / Unfair Business Dealings

[Worksheet 1 For the SoftRAM Case Study]

Read the short article entitled "A Trick of Memory?" If you don't know any words look them up in a general and/or technical dictionary. Then respond to the following questions. Answers have to be readable but don't have to be complete sentences.
  1. Where does the article come from? Can you expect accurate technical information from this source? Can you expect accurate non-technical reporting from this source? Indicate what kind of bias or inaccuracy that might be found in an article from this source(if any).
  2. What is the SoftRAM product supposed to do? List the people who say that it works. List those who claim it doesn't work.
  3. Is there technical reason for SoftRAM claiming that its product works? Are there any non-technical reasons for a company claiming its product works? What evidence does the "SoftRAM" company provide in this article for its claims?
  4. If the company is lying about its product - is this fraud? Yes or No! + why
  5. What does the German Computer Magazine claim? Give two or three possible technical and non-technical reasons for their claim. What evidence do they provide?
  6. If the German magazine writers are lying - is this fraud? Yes or No! + why
  7. How come some users can be happy with a product that others claim does not work? Give a technical and TWO non-technical explanations that might be true.
  8. Reread your answers: On balance - is this a case of fraud or not? If so, who is committing the fraud?

Reference:
"A trick of memory? (memory compression software)" by Julian Dibbell, 27 November 1995, Time Magazine, Page 81.

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