Computers Are Your Future © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

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

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

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 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Plagiarism Plagiarism is the unauthorized and/or uncited use of someone else’s intellectual property. Intellectual property rights refer to an individual’s ownership over original works. Copyright infringement is plagiarism of copyrighted material. Legal implications of plagiarism: Dismissal from school Lawsuits © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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 software on all of their computers. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Copyright Infringement An increasing number of Internet users are making illegal copies of music. Rationalizations copyright violators use: “It’s OK to download MP3 files if I only keep them for 24 hours.” “It’s free advertising for the band.” “It’s legal because I don’t charge any money for sharing them.” © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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

Introducing Ethics Computers cause new ethical problems. Computer ethics deals with the ethical principles associated with those problems. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Moral Dilemmas Moral dilemmas occur when: It’s not clear which moral rule to apply. Two or more moral rules conflict. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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

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

Computer Ethics for Computer Users When using the college’s computers: Respect yourself. Respect others. Respect academic integrity. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics 1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people. 2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people’s computer work. 3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people’s files. 4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. 5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness. 6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid. 7. Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. 8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s 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. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Netiquette Netiquette refers to the guidelines that involve showing respect for others and yourself while you are online. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Mailing List Netiquette Read the discussions for the past few days before posting questions. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) list before posting questions. Don’t belittle people for grammatical errors. Don’t post inflammatory messages. Learn how to unsubscribe from the list. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

E-Mail Netiquette Promptly respond to messages. Delete messages after you read them. Speak of others professionally and courteously. Run your computer’s anti-virus program on any e-mail received or sent. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

E-Mail Netiquette (continued) Keep the message short and to the point. Don’t 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 recipient’s reaction when you request a return receipt. This feature can be annoying and intrusive. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Internet Relay Chat Netiquette Listen to the discussion for a while before joining it. Learn the commonly used abbreviations. Don’t flood the channel with text. Don’t 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

Computer Ethics for Computer Professionals The field of computer ethics specifies ethical codes for computing professionals. The core of a computer professional’s 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 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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 don’t disclose confidential information. Integrity – Professionals express their opinions based on facts, and they are impartial in their judgments. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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 © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

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 organization’s responsibility to ensure that its data is as complete as possible. Divulging customer data without asking permission is considered unethical behavior by privacy advocates. © 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc

Whistle-blowing Whistle-blowing refers to employees reporting their company’s 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