The Importance of Computer Ethics

Important Questions To Ask1) Do you ever connect your

computer to a network?2) Do you legitimately own all of the

software, games, and programs you have or use?

3) Where did the contents of your homework come from? Did you document information from other sources?

4) Do you ever use other people’s computers or look at or copy their files without their knowledge or permission?

5) Do you use cable TV, computer networks or other services without paying for them?

6) Do you have any “how-to” files or documents about hacking, stealing computer access, or passwords?

7) Do you ever use an assumed name or alias to impersonate someone who you are not?

8) Do you ever try to access someone’s email other than your own?

All of the above questions deal with computer and internet use.

All of these fall into the category of “Computer

Ethics”

Computer ethics defined:

Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the behavior of a group or individual. Therefore, computer ethics is set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers. Some common issues of computer ethics include intellectual property rights (such as copyrighted electronic content), privacy concerns, and how computers affect society.*techterms.com

Most codes of ethical behavior describe actions as “ethical” that do one or more of the following

Promote the general health of societyMaintain or increase individual rights and

freedomsProtect individuals from harmTreat all human beings as having an inherent

value and accord those beings respectUphold religious, social, cultural, and

government laws and norms.

The Golden Rule of Ethical Computer Behavior

An ethical action is one that does not have a damaging impact on oneself, on other individuals or on society

Issues to think about:1. The ability to send unsolicited commercial messages

to millions of Internet email users (spamming) was not possible before there was email or the Internet. Does the fact that the financial burden of unsolicited advertisements now falls on the recipient rather than the sender create the need for new rules?

2. Organizations collect and use data about individuals to do "target marketing." When does the knowledge of an individual's tastes and interests help organizations provide customized services and when does that knowledge help them manipulate the user?

3. Digital photography has made the manipulation of images undetectable, an impossible feat with chemical photography.

4. Intellectual property in digital format can now be duplicated with incredible ease. Do we need clearer definitions of property?

5. Computer viruses, hackers, and chat rooms filled with invisible strangers have been a factor in most our lives for less than ten years.

3 P’s of Technology Ethics1. Privacy - I will protect my privacy and respect the privacy of others.2. Property - I will protect my property and respect the property of others.3. Appropriate Use - I will use technology in constructive ways and in ways which do not break the rules of my family, church, school, or government.

In today’s society too many people believe it is ok as long as you don’t get caughtKids who cheat on tests often think that they are so smart that they won't get caught, one student was quoted as saying: "The best thing that ever happened to me in high school was getting caught cheating." Several years ago there was a huge cheating scandal at West Point Military Academy, Dozens of smart, future officers were expelled because they broke the ethical code of conduct. The Academy's rules also said that a student cadet was morally and ethically bound to report on other students who were cheating.

These are the same kinds of questions that you and everyone who uses the Internet face. Will I get caught?

Imagine you are driving out in the country with no other car or person in sight…. You come up to a red light. Do you run the red light? How many times as a driver have you gone over the speed limit because you know you won’t get caught?

Ethics is about responsibility

You need to understand that businesses and government and the Internet community are getting much, much better at finding people who do illegal things on the Internet. The technology is called 'Detection' and can mean many things. Some security products detect when a hacker is trying to break into a computer. Other products detect spam mail.

You, too, are going to be constantly faced with choices - ethical and legal - about how you behave on your home and school computers and on the Internet. You never really know who is listening or watching what you do.

Questions to think about1) Several of your friends have

hacked into computers and never been caught. How do you feel about that? Is that a good or bad thing?

2) If there were only a 5% chance of you getting caught doing something illegal or unethical, would you do it? A 25% chance? A 75% chance? How would you determine what would your magic number would be?

Software PiracyThere are many different types of

software:Freeware – you never have to pay

for it. Shareware – the author expects

you to pay a reasonable fee if you use the program regularly, but there is nothing to stop you from using it anyway.

Purchased – You are expected to pay for it no matter what. This can be up to $10,000 plus per copy.

Copying software without paying for it is called piracy.

* Now, for a moment, think about Music. Music on the Internet. MP3 files are all over the Internet, and they are free. Free digital copies of popular music from today and before the internet is available also. The question is, should you be able to download and have copies of music for free? What about the songwriters and performers: should they be paid for their work or not?

Software piracy definedWhen someone installs and uses commercial

software without paying for the program, it is called "pirating" the software. This name comes from the traditional meaning of the word "pirate," which is a sea-faring criminal that steals and loots belongings from others. But far from the stereotypical sea pirate, a software pirate can be anyone who owns a computer. Software piracy is committed by simply downloading or copying a program that a user has not paid for.

* When you rent or buy a videotape of a movie, in the beginning there is an FBI warning about copyright infringement. Only the owner of the video, has the right to make copies of it. You can copy a CD you own so that you have a tape to play in the car, but copying music or software for profit is illegal.

Intellectual Property

You have certainly heard the word property before: it is generally used to mean a possession, or more specifically, something to which the owner has legal rights. You might have also encountered the phrase intellectual property. This term has become more commonplace during the past few years, especially in the context of computer ethics. But what exactly does it refer to?

A common misperception: Vandalism is damage or destruction of the physical property

of others.

In other words, intellectual property, in the most general sense, encompasses creations of the human intellect (hence the term itself) and their protection, usually by copyright.

Intellectual property generally refers to rights relating to, among others, the following:1. literary, artistic, and scientific works2. performances of performing artists, phonograms, and broadcasts3. inventions in all fields of human endeavor4. scientific discoveries.

Resources:http://piotech.wsd.wednet.edu/techtwounit

s/02ComputerEthics/Task1/01ethicsnew/01ethicsnew.html

http://www.techterms.com/search.php?term=cid

http://www.techterms.com/definition/computerethics