Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Computers Are
Your Future

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Computers Are Your

Future
Spotlight 1
Ethics: Standards of Information Age
Conduct
2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Computer Ethics
Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned
with whats right and whats wrong.
Computer ethics deals with moral dilemmas
and the ethical principles for computer
professionals.
2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Avoiding Computer-Related Legal

Problems
Most organizations have a policy defining
what they consider to be acceptable computer
use.
Types of legal problems that arise from
computer use include:
Plagiarism
Software Piracy
Copyright Infringement
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the unauthorized and/or uncited
use of someone elses intellectual property.
Intellectual property rights refer to an individuals
ownership over original works.

Copyright infringement is plagiarism of

copyrighted material.
Legal implications of plagiarism:
Dismissal from school
Lawsuits
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Software and Copyrights

Public domain software can be copied, sold,
and modified.
Shareware is copyrighted software that can be
used without a license for a specified time.
Trial versions can be copied.
When the evaluation period ends, a registration fee
is paid for continued use of the software.

Commercial software is copyrighted.

You must purchase the software to use it.
Organizations purchase a site license to use the
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software on all oftheir
computers.

Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Software Piracy
Selling software that contains all or part of a
commercial software program
Using shareware beyond its evaluation period
Violating the terms of a software license
Making copies of site-licensed programs for
personal use
Giving or selling commercial software to
others
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Copyright Infringement
An increasing number of Internet users are
making illegal copies of music.
Rationalizations copyright violators use:
Its OK to download MP3 files if I only keep them
for 24 hours.
Its free advertising for the band.
Its legal because I dont charge any money for
sharing them.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Copyright Infringement
The Fair use doctrine
states that a brief
selection from
copyrighted work can be
used for commentary,
parody, news reporting,
research, and education.
2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Introducing Ethics
Computers cause new ethical problems.
Computer ethics deals with the ethical
principles associated with those problems.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Moral Dilemmas
Moral dilemmas occur when:
Its not clear which moral rule to
apply.
Two or more moral rules conflict.
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Ethical Principles
Ethical principles are tools which are used to
think through difficult situations.
Three useful ethical principles:
An act is ethical if all of society benefits from it.
An act is ethical if people are treated as ends and
not as a means to ends.
An act is ethical if it is fair to all parties involved.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Thinking Through Moral Dilemmas

When confronted with a moral dilemma:
Gather all the facts.
Talk to someone you trust.
Think through alternative courses of action.
Find a solution you can be proud of.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Computer Ethics for Computer

Users
When using the colleges computers:
Respect yourself.
Respect others.
Respect academic integrity.

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Ten Commandments of Computer

Ethics
1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Thou shalt not interfere with other peoples computer work.

Thou shalt not snoop around in other peoples files.
Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not
paid.
7. Thou shalt not use other peoples computer resources without
authorization or proper compensation.
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other peoples intellectual output.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write
or the system you design.
10. Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect for
your fellow humans.

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Netiquette
Netiquette refers to the guidelines that
involve showing respect for others and
yourself while you are online.

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Mailing List Netiquette

Read the discussions for the past few days before posting
questions.
Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) list before
posting questions.
Dont belittle people for grammatical errors.
Dont post inflammatory messages.
Learn how to unsubscribe from the list.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

E-Mail Netiquette
Promptly respond to
messages.
Delete messages after you
read them.
Speak of others
professionally and
courteously.
Run your computers antivirus program on any email received or sent.
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

E-Mail Netiquette (continued)

Keep the message short and to the point.

Dont type in all capital letters.
Spell check your message before sending it.
Be careful with sarcasm and humor in your message.
Be mindful of the recipients reaction when you request a
return receipt. This feature can be annoying and
intrusive.

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Internet Relay Chat Netiquette

Listen to the discussion for a while before joining it.

Learn the commonly used abbreviations.
Dont flood the channel with text.
Dont harass others with unwanted invitations.
Be careful if you are asked to type in a command. It may
have unexpected results.
Use the ignore command when being bothered.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Computer Ethics for Computer

Professionals
The field of computer ethics specifies ethical codes for

computing professionals.
The core of a computer professionals code of ethics is to
preserve and protect human life from harm.
CODES OF CONDUCT AND GOOD PRACTICE FOR CERTIFIED
COMPUTING PROFESSIONALS
The essential elements relating to conduct that identify a
professional activity are:
A high standard of skill and knowledge
A confidential relationship with people served
Public reliance upon the standards of conduct in established
practice
The observance of an ethical code
Excerpt from the Code of Ethics of the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Additional Ethical Responsibilities

Competence Professionals keep up with the latest
knowledge in their fields and perform services only in
their areas of competence.
Responsibility Professionals are loyal to their clients
and employees, and they dont disclose confidential
information.
Integrity Professionals express their opinions based on
facts, and they are impartial in their judgments.

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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

The ACM Code of Conduct

A computing professional:

Contributes to society and human well-being

Avoids harm to others
Is honest and trustworthy
Is fair and takes action not to discriminate on the basis
of race, sex, religion, age, disability, or national origin
Honors property rights, including copyrights and
patents
Gives proper credit when using the intellectual
property of others
Respects other individuals rights to privacy
Honors confidentiality
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Programmer Liability
Programmers can produce programs with errors.
Computer experts agree that the liability for a
program failure should be shared among the
programmer, the software company, and the
organization that buys the software.

A field called software engineering applies

external, impartial reviews to software
production.
Fault-tolerant systems are being developed that
continue working when a problem occurs.
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Computer Ethics in Business

A business must protect its data from:
Loss or damage
Misuse or errors
Unauthorized access

Backup procedures are used to protect data from

loss.
It is the organizations responsibility to ensure
that its data is as complete as possible.
Divulging customer data without asking
permission is considered unethical behavior by
privacy advocates.
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Computers Are Your Future Spotlight 1

Whistle-blowing
Whistle-blowing refers to employees reporting
their companys dangerous or illegal acts to
regulatory agencies or the press.
Some laws exist to protect whistle-blowers, but
many find themselves unemployed and
blacklisted.

2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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