Ethical Issues When Using Computers The reason ethics are important in computing isn’t the computers; it is the information stored in the computers.

What are Information Ethics? The rules that define right and wrong behavior in the computing profession. They are the basis for trust and cooperation among workers and organizations.

What Information Ethics are not Laws that carry a criminal penalty Detailed instructions for every possible situation

An Ethical person . . . Has an inner sense of what is moral and is able to choose correct behavior in many different situations, including those that are new and different. In the absence of laws or rules, the Ethical person knows what is right or wrong.

Consequences of unethical choices Lost opportunities Destruction of trust Damage to people and things Possible criminal charges

Copyright © Copyrights are a form of protection for the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other creative works. Defined as the rights possessed by the author of the work. These rights include: Copying Reselling Leasing Lending Publicly displaying or performing the work Transferring the copyright

Copyright Continued Any software or data created with a computer is owned by its creator and is automatically copyrighted as soon as it’s in any tangible form. “Tangible” means it’s recorded somehow. You cannot copyright a thought.

Trademark ™ A trademark protects a word, phrase, symbol or design (or a combination of these), that identifies and distinguishes the goods or services of one person or company from those of others.

Registered ® The registered trademark bug ® is used to indicate that your trademark is registered with the government, which gives you a wider range of statutory remedies in case of infringement. You only use the registered bug if you've actually registered the trademark formally, but you can use ™ freely. 

Places to look for Copyright notification Packaging containing one of these symbols: © Copyright ™ Trademark ® Registered Symbol stamped on the Disk or CD-ROM Execution of the program

Citing Information Technology has made information readily available. Thus, the issue of misusing information becomes a concern particularly when you use something and claim it as your own. Individuals creating “intellectual property” have the right to receive credit and be protected from the incorrect use of their creations.

“Fair Use” within Copyright Laws You can paraphrase or quote small portions of someone else’s work, provided that you give proper credit to the author for the material that you use.

Plagiarism If you don’t cite your work, you will probably give the impression to some of your readers that the material you borrowed originated with you. Plagiarism is a form of fraud. The dictionary defines fraud as “the act of deceiving or misrepresenting”.

Plagiarism Continued PLAGIARISM is extremely unethical, usually illegal, and always a serious violation of school policy. Don’t PLAGIARIZE, always give credit where credit is due.

Software Licenses When you buy software, you’re not buying the software itself. You’re buying permission to use the software. Breaking “this seal” means you agree to the terms of the license agreement.

Types of software licenses: Public Domain Freeware Shareware Open Source All rights reserved Creative Commons

Public Domain License This software has no owner and is not protected by copyright law. It was either created with public funds, or the ownership was forfeited by the creator Rare Unreliable Poor quality Virus-laden No cost? That may be exactly how much this software is worth.

Freeware License Some freeware is “really good stuff.” Pegasus Mail Freeware is copyrighted software that is licensed to be copied and distributed without charge. Freeware is free because the license says it is, but it’s still under the owner’s control. Some freeware is “really good stuff.” Pegasus Mail Eudora Light Netscape Internet Explorer Firefox

Shareware License The software is licensed for copying and sharing for a trial period, but payment must be made to the owner for permanent use. Some shareware trials expire on a certain date Purchasing (the right to use) the software may also get you a version with more powerful features and published documentation.

Open Source Examples include: Apache Linux Open Office PHP Miro VLC Free and Open Source software refers to the availability of source code. By providing the source code and stipulating that it remain open, programmers can add functionality and features to the software. Changes in the software must be available to other users. Examples include: Apache Linux Open Office PHP Miro VLC AbiWord

All Rights Reserved License May be used by the purchaser according the exact details spelled out in the license agreement. You can’t legally use it--or even possess it-- without the owner’s permission.

All Rights Reserved Characteristics Operate on one PC at a time Make one back-up copy of the software Permission stays with the software Software is not guaranteed for any particular purpose

Creative Commons A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work. A CC license is used when an author wants to give people the right to share, use and build upon a work that they have created. CC provides an author flexibility to specify who can use the work (for example, they might choose to allow only non-commercial uses of their own work).

Acceptable Use Policy A policy that is established by computer owners regarding acceptable use of the computer. Mountain Crest High School has an Acceptable Use Policy. You signed this AUP, before you were given your login account, giving you access to use the computers.

AUP Guidelines Computer use is a privilege, not a right. These terms are set up by the owners of the computers. By signing the AUP you agreed to these terms.

AUP Guidelines continued Typical AUP guidelines include: Password and Login information Where to store your files Ethical Conduct Not using someone else’s login and password Not using the network for commercial use No illegal activities No obscenity No downloads

School Computers Cannot be used for the following purposes: Commercial purposes (own business) Religious (promote religion) Political (endorse candidates)

Inappropriate Email Uses Spamming: Bulk, mass or repeated mailings. Many copies to one destination or one copy to many destinations. Flaming: Email message that expresses a strong opinion or criticism Trolling: Sending messages that contain statements intending to bait an argument or confrontation. Phishing: A form of criminal activity to fraudulently acquire sensitive information such as credit card details and passwords while masquerading as a trustworthy person or business.

E-mail Messages (as defined by receiver) Nuisance: Messages that continue after the recipient asks that they stop and are defined as a nuisance and are illegal. Harassment: Nuisance messages that are intimidating or threatening are even more illegal.

Conclusion Information Ethics is not just knowing how to make use of computers, it is making good decisions regarding professional and social conduct, specifically when information/computers are involved.