Ethical Scenario: “The Cake is a Lie”

Sometimes when you area very tired, you ask ChatGPT to do silly things. Like maybe you’ll say this to it:

Write an ethical scenario for college students to discuss. Focus on the statement “The cake is a lie.”

And then ChatGPT comes up with the following in response:

Scenario:

You are a group of project managers in a software development company, FutureSoft, working on a highly anticipated video game. The company’s marketing team has heavily promoted a special in-game reward, a unique item referred to as “The Cake,” which players can earn after completing a series of challenging tasks and puzzles. “The Cake” has been touted as an exclusive, must-have item that offers significant in-game advantages and status.

However, as the project nears completion, the development team encounters unexpected technical issues. These issues make it impossible to include “The Cake” in the game without delaying the release by several months and significantly increasing costs. The marketing campaign has already generated considerable excitement and expectations among the gaming community.

The leadership team at FutureSoft is considering an alternative: to include a humorous message in the game stating, “The cake is a lie,” implying that the promised reward does not actually exist. This would allow the game to be released on schedule and within budget, but it could also lead to disappointment and backlash from players who feel deceived.

Discussion Points:

• Honesty vs. Marketing:
  • How should FutureSoft balance the need for honesty with the expectations created by their marketing campaign?
  • Is it ethical to use a humorous message to cover up the absence of a promised feature?
• Stakeholder Impact:
  • Consider the impact on different stakeholders, including players, developers, and the company’s reputation. How might the message “The cake is a lie” affect their trust and loyalty?
  • Should the company prioritize its commitments to its customers or its internal project constraints?
• Transparency and Communication:
  • How should the project managers communicate the issue to the players? Should they be transparent about the technical difficulties, or try to downplay the absence of “The Cake”?
  • What strategies can be used to mitigate potential backlash while maintaining transparency?
• Alternative Solutions:
  • Explore alternative solutions to address the issue. Could the company offer a different reward or compensate players in another way?
  • What are the pros and cons of delaying the game’s release to include the promised feature versus releasing it on time without “The Cake”?
• Ethical Responsibility:
  • Discuss the ethical responsibility of the company in delivering on its promises. How does this responsibility weigh against practical business considerations like cost and deadlines?
  • Is it ethical for the company to mislead players, even if it’s done humorously? Why or why not?
• Long-term Implications:
  • What are the long-term implications of this decision for the company’s brand and player trust?
  • How might this situation influence FutureSoft’s future marketing strategies and promises to players?

Your Task:

As a group, you are tasked with preparing a detailed report that addresses the ethical, communication, and project management challenges associated with the “The Cake is a lie” scenario. Your report should include:

• An assessment of the potential impact on players and the company’s reputation.
• Recommendations for handling the situation ethically and transparently.
• A communication plan for addressing the issue with players and the broader gaming community.
• An evaluation of alternative solutions and their feasibility.
• A reflection on the company’s ethical responsibilities and long-term brand strategy.

Prepare to present your findings and recommendations to the company’s executive team, emphasizing the importance of maintaining player trust and delivering on marketing promises while managing project constraints.

CWPA 2016 Presentations

“Using the WPA Outcomes Statement to Support Innovation in Meeting Discourse Outcomes for a General Education Curriculum.” Sheraton Hotel, Raleigh, NC. 15 July 2016.

[gdoc link=”https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TCxsGL5MvS31MPHSnszr_pfk6ES3BlWN6XMObWb8BMQ/edit?usp=sharing” height=”800″]

“Toward a Programmatic Assessment Model for Multimodal Projects.” Sheraton Hotel, Raleigh, NC. 16 July 2016.

[gdoc link=”https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1P3jM4c5wI8GyLo5EdnOeyym8HtyAlDkpGEXECyt7U8Q/edit?usp=sharing” height=”800″]

@newsfromtengrrl for 2013-05-11

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• Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit | Video on http://t.co/Sk8fpUvpg7 http://t.co/KaDkxzDqse ->
• Best-Loved Assignments – ProfHacker – The Chronicle of Higher Education http://t.co/nrkU5zr1P2 ->
• One in three students wears 'lucky exam underwear' | BBC News – http://t.co/0pX5WnNph4 ->
• Document: San Jose State U.'s Faculty Association Responds to MOOC Backlash – Technology – The Chronicle of Higher Education… ->
• The Memo: American U.'s Moratorium on MOOCs – Technology – The Chronicle of Higher Education http://t.co/2Z42oXdm9f ->
• As MOOC Debate Simmers at San Jose State, American U. Calls a Halt – Technology – The Chronicle of Higher Education http://t.co/xpIpJ85n9u ->
• 'The MOOC Moment': New Compilation of Articles Available | Inside Higher Ed http://t.co/2fRsDJ6WtL ->
• Faculty who teach online are invisible on campuses (essay) | Inside Higher Ed http://t.co/yMsVlDanHU ->

Amazingly uncharacteristic optimism

Yesterday I decided that I really wanted ice. Ice in a glass. Crushed ice. Surrounded by icy cold liquid of some kind. So despite the fact that it is the weekend—and I NEVER get dressed or step outside on the weekends—I went to the store.

Then, as if getting dressed and going out into the sun wasn’t enough, I went to Lowe’s and bought some plants. That’s right. I have hanging ivy pots and a deep purple petunia on my front porch—AND I dug the wind chimes out of the basement and hung them up too. I haven’t put plants or the wind chimes outside since the summer of 2001.

2002. 2003. 2004. 2005. Nothing.

It’s not really clear what made me think I could accomplish this yesterday. My house is a wreck. Junk is stacked everywhere. Christmas stuff that I haven’t put away. Things I didn’t unpack after CCCC. Recent piles from the Lubbock trip. Yet I decided to make the front porch pleasant. I dunno why.

I did get the ice too, btw. Now if I’d write up all the CW notes.

Sitting around

I’m sitting around in my Tulsa hotel room. Leaving not only means that I have to get dressed and go out into the heat but also that I have to go back to the daily to-dos.

The problem with long road trips is that there are very long spaces for thinking and the ideas that were percolating throughout the conference get insistent in the bubbling out of the percolating and making a mess of the kitchen kind of way.

I was relatively happy doing ReadWriteThink work, but conferences make me question things. So many things came up that I want to research and write about—but when? Nothing counts. In fact some things need disclaimers to make sure no one confuses private rambling with official work for NCTE. The thing is that I don’t care so much that it counts, but I don’t have time to work on things other than work recently. I can’t even get my house cleaned up. How on earth would I find time to do that research project I talked briefly with Cindy about? I need to be an independently wealthy scholar.

Instead, I’m going to have to put on pants, as Oklahoma and Missouri are not clothing-optional states, and get myself on the road.

It’s time to load the car and head home from Texas. Unfortunately, I have reached the lazy point of the trip, where I would just as soon sit in the room and do nothing as go out into the heat to load the car and deal with the hassle of the swipe cards that no longer work. This dorm set-up has some incredibly stupid aspects to it.

Just told Samantha and Karen goodbye, as they head out to the airport for their flights. And greeted Cheryl as she entered the bathroom with the constantly running shower. I guess I have to go shower too now. Thought I wonder if it’s worth the bother—I’ll be dripping hot and feeling nasty again as soon as I take the first load outside :( Texas is so much nicer in the winter.

CW2006: Tuesday Wednesday (so I’m a few days behind)

As my audio blogposts mumble, I left Champaign on Tuesday, and I drove and I drove and I drove and I drove. There is much driving to get from Champaign to Lubbock. And the pathway that you drive is populated by far more of those large hollow metal animals than you’d think would be necessary. That one at least serves a purpose, trying to get suckers, um, I mean tourists to come in and eat an oversized steak. Many of them are totally beyond my understanding however. One place had a small menagerie of the critters—horses, cows, a ram, and a giraffe that was smaller than any of them. What kind of giraffe is that? and don’t forget about that zebra I audioblogged about when I was leaving Tulsa. What he has to do with gun cleaning and reloading is still a mystery.

The treasure trove of hollow animals is broken by long stretches of vast emptiness once you get past a certain point in Oklahoma. You begin to wonder if you haven’t joined the Joad family, and even more if you might not be Grandma who will never make it to the other side. There’s a lot of dry land that looks very human-unfriendly. Just before I left Oklahoma, I was interested to see a large field fire. You could see the smoke plumes miles down the road. Perhaps all those “Do not drive through smoke” signs there do serve a purpose. Fortunately for me, the smoke was far off the road and no driving through smoke was necessary.

Eventually I did make it to Lubbock, and after a tour of many side streets in West Lubbock and Wolfforth, I did make eventually make it down the many-rutted wagon trail that doubles as the road to Locke and Becky’s house. Menageries became a running theme for the trip as the Carter-Rickly herd of dogs, horses, cats, and other youngling. First there were horses to feed, and dogs to keep out of the horses food. The evilest dog is the newest, a puppy that just showed up. The boys are calling it Spike. I want to call it Barni, cuz it was found in the barn—and also it’s an annoyance like the large purple dinosaur. It’s also a girl, and Spike just doesn’t fit its hair-do.

I bowed out of the fun-filled weed spraying and horseshoe collecting and instead watched young Carter-Rickly 1 play in the pool. He has grown much taller since I last saw him. He’s tanned and has those long little boy legs that jump and run and fly around. He confessed that he doesn’t really remember me, but that he was telling his mom that he did. That didn’t stop us from silly giggling around the pool. My favorite part of the poolside antics was when Barni asked if she could jump in for a swim too. I gently helped her into the pool. Becky wasn’t really amused however. I think Barni really enjoyed it. She was swimming happily at the pool edge, but Becky made me grab her back out of the pool (getting drenched in the processs). I stand by my belief though: that puppy loved her pool time and it wasn’t traumatizing at all that she couldn’t climb out. Not at all. She relished in the joy of a life unbounded by the all encompassing dusty soil that is the panhandle of Texas. Really she did. Locke heard my account of puppy swim and he concurs. And when Locke agrees, you know that it is true. These really are great days.

Unfortunately, it was later Tuesday Wednesday evening that I learned of the depths of weeniehood that our Will Banks has attained. We’re talking far, far deeper than the Walk of Shame through a conference hotel lobby. A weeniehood much larger and all-encompassing than the horror of not getting a bagel with cheese when you ordered that very explicitly at the McDonald’s drive-through. It is a weeniehood that may go on record as the biggest weenieness in the history of computers and writing. Indeed so epic is Will’s weeniedom that I shared the details with the V2 people for publication.

Now what horror transpired? How did my once dear and sweet Willie Bobbie accomplish this feat? Well, weeks ago, he argued that I had to stay in the dorms because he would be in the dorms and we’d have fun. That evening at the Carter-Rickly hacienda I learned that he who was formerly known as Willie Bobbie wasn’t even coming to the conference. Did his massive weenieness let me know? Had I any idea that I was being stood up? Why no. SuperWeenie just ignored me completely and went flitting off to some bar or club or dance recital and left me abandoned. He whined something about travel money to Becky, but we all know that there is no amount of travel money deficit that would be too much if he truly loved his tengrrl. Sniffle, sniffle. Clearly he does not. The weenie. I shame him.

travelblog postponed

cheryl inspires
and people ask, “Why? Not yet?!!!”
sorry too tired

it will come later
patience my little one
tomorrow perhaps

what to write of then?
giggly lipstick cell phones
OH!!! the delicious

sleep now my darling
and dream of the red pantsuit
must rest my gray cells