Unit 7- Computer Ethics
Alba Gil
Reading
The 10 Commandments of Computer Ethics
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with determining what is right and wrong. Listed
below are 10 commandments to help you understand computer ethics. Anyone working in
the field of IT is going to encounter a lot of ethical problems. Why? Because computers are
very powerful and IT professionals are like wizards controlling this technology. We all know
from watching Harry Potter movies that wizards can be good or bad, and so can IT
professionals. Non- technical people are increasingly dependent and trusting of information
technology. If the next 20 years is anything like the last 20 years, the future is very bright for IT
workers. This is why IT professionals need to study and practice computer ethics.
People rely on computers to handle the more tedious details of their social, business, and
financial lives. Imagine what would happen if an enemy or a business competitor got access
to your email account, bank account, facebook profile, and company website? They could
destroy your reputation in a matter of hours. This is why we need to study Computer Ethics.
The idea of Computer Ethics was invented in 1950 by MIT professor Norbert Wiener. Norbert
predicted that the world would undergo “a second industrial revolution” — an “automatic
age” with “enormous potential for good and for evil”. Today we live in that world! Why did he
say this? Airplane drones can bomb a target while the pilot is safe in a computer room
thousands of miles away. Criminals can use phishing and other social engineering techniques
steal your financial information while sitting safely on another country. Companies can create
confusing privacy policies to gather and use information about you without your knowledge
or consent. Governments can block access to information using firewalls. These are all very
serious ethical violations that happen every day.
The main concerns of computer ethics are: Internet privacy, cracking, copyright infringement,
and Internet control. The Computer Ethics Institute (CEI) has laid these 10 commandments
down for people to follow. Below each of the 10 Commandments, I have put some comments
to help explain what the commandment means to me.
Rule #1: Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
You should not program a computer to do dangerous things to people. For example, to
program a robot to kill people, make viruses, or weapons of mass destruction. What this
means is that computers are not an excuse to do bad things to people. The programmer is
responsible for the actions of his programs.
Rule #2: Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
Everyone has the right to use computers. Likewise creating a computer virus is wrong
because it wastes people’s time and money and destroys potentially valuable property. As the
hippies used to say: “Live and let live!”
Rule #3: Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files:
It is illegal to open and read someone's real physical mail, and it is also illegal to snoop on
network connections and read someones email, passwords, files, databases, etc.
Rule #4 Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
This one is obvious. Stealing is just as bad with a computer or without one. Use your IT powers for
good!
Rule #5: Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
This commandment means that you shouldn’t use a computer to create false facts. For instance,
photoshopping a picture to make an innocent man look guilty. Perhaps another equally important
commandment should be, “Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet”. Just like in traditional
media, it is a common practice to spread half-truths, exaggerations, lies, and rumors on the
Internet. This is wrong.
Rule #6: Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
Think about how hard it is to write good software. Think about all the people and costs involved.
You have two choices: 1) buy a license or 2) find an open source alternative. Using pirated software
is not only unethical, it is dangerous because of hidden malware.
Rule #7: Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or
proper compensation.
Is it ethical to use a neighbor’s lawn mower or mixer without telling them? How about their Internet
connection? No it isn’t! Is it legal or ethical to do bad things on a computer while logged in as
someone else? No it isn’t! Don’t do it!
Rule #8: Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
If you copy text or images from a website and post them on your own website it is a crime in most
countries, and definitely not ethical. Why? You are causing irreparable damage to the creator of the
content. Why not ‘get a life’ and create your own unique and original content? You will be much
happier in the long run creating new things rather than stealing from other people.
Rule #9 Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing
or the system you are designing.
Do you write software that helps people to steal, kill, spy, gamble, or spread pornography? Please
ask yourself why. Is there a way you can use your IT talents for good purposes? Wouldn’t the world
be a better place if everyone was engaged in positive behavior instead of negative behavior? Think
about it!
Rule #10 Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and
respect for your fellow humans.
Things that you do ‘online’ can have real effects in your ‘offline’ life as well. Perhaps Mark
Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, said it best, “Having two identities for yourself is an example
of a lack of integrity."
Okay, that was a brief introduction to Computer Ethics. I hope you enjoyed it and it didn't sound
too "preachy". I also hope that you continue to think about ethical questions throughout your IT
career. It’s very important. Your career and maybe even your life can be ruined by making the
wrong ethical decisions.
Questions
1. What is the main idea of the passage regarding the relationship between computer
technology and ethical considerations? How does the author support this idea within the
text?
2. Why does the author emphasize the importance of studying and practicing computer ethics
for IT professionals? Use evidence from the text to support your response.
3. How does the author use the analogy of wizards from Harry Potter to explain the ethical
responsibilities of IT professionals? What does this analogy add to the reader's
understanding?
4. According to the text, what were some of the predictions made by MIT professor Norbert
Wiener regarding the impact of computer technology on society? How do these predictions
relate to the need for studying computer ethics?
5. What are the main concerns of computer ethics as mentioned in the text, and how are they
addressed by the 10 commandments provided by the Computer Ethics Institute?
Speaking
Do you believe in studying computer ethics, or do you think it is a waste of time? Do you
really think that IT people are like wizards who must decide whether to be good or evil? Is it
okay to program a computer to do bad things just to make money?
In commandment #6 it says that piracy is dangerous and unethical. In your opinion, how is it
dangerous and unethical?
Would you rather...?
1. Would you rather spend a day fixing computer viruses or preventing viruses from spreading?
2. Would you rather teach students basic coding skills or enforce strict internet usage policies
at school?
3. Would you rather have unlimited access to personal data or be completely anonymous
online?
4. Would you rather have the ability to hack into any computer system or have impenetrable
cybersecurity skills?
5. Would you rather work for a company with questionable privacy practices or refuse the job
even if it pays well?
Vocabulary
commandment
rule to be observed as strictly
"Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people" is the first of the 10
Commandments of Computer Ethics, laid out by the Computer Ethics Institute."
CEI (Computer Ethics Institute)
a nonprofit research, education, and public policy organization focused on the issues,
dilemmas, and challenges of advancing information technology within ethical
frameworks
"The CEI's mission is to facilitate the examination and recognition of ethical issues in the
development and use of modern information technologies."
consent
permission, agreement
"I needed written consent from my boss to change the security settings on the server."
consequences
results; things that happen as a result of a previous action; usually negative
"The server admin was unaware of the dire consequences of installing the wrong version
of Apache web server."
copyright infringement
to use somebody's content without proper permission
"The webmaster committed copyright infringement when he copied an article from
another website."
cracking
criminal hacking; exploiting security holes to gain unauthorized access to computer
systems
"Ethically speaking, cracking is no different from other forms of illegal trespassing or
stealing." dependent determined or controlled by something else "The software utility
was dependent on a specific architecture of CPU in order to run at optimal speed."
encounter
to meet or come across
"If you meet an alien from another planet it is called a "close encounter of the third
kind"."
ethics
a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality (what is right and
wrong)
"As computers become more powerful the need for computer ethics classes is
increasing." Internet privacy general techniques and technologies used to protect
sensitive data, communications, and preferences "The US government routinely tries to
expand and restrict Internet privacy laws."
Norbert Wiener (1894–1964)
mathematician and cybernetics pioneer; considered the forefather of computer ethics
"The Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility is awarded
annually by CPSR."
phishing
obtaining sensitive information through a deceptive email campaign, while pretending to
be a trusted person or business
"The man thought his bank was asking him to change his password, but it was actually a
phishing scam trying to trick him into revealing it."
photoshopping
digitally transforming or altering a photograph in order to misrepresent the original
"Magazines routinely photoshop pictures of models in order to remove pimples, moles,
and wrinkles" privacy policy a statement or a legal document that discloses the ways an
organization gathers, uses, and stores the end user's data "Every website that collects
user information should have their privacy policy posted online."
reputation
the common opinion about someone or something
"Being hacked can negatively affect a company's online reputation."
snoop
to search for private information without permission
"The IT security officer was caught snooping on an employee's private email account in
order to steal her personal bank account number."
social engineering
a broad term for any online or offline technique that uses deception to trick people into
giving out confidential information
"The hacker used social engineering methods to trick a bank teller into giving out
another user's password."
tedious
boring, repetitive, slow or long
"Debugging code can be a tedious process without the correct knowledge and tools."