Introduction Michael J. Quinn, Ethics for the Information Age,
Addison Wesley Chapter 9 – Professional Ethics
Deborah Johnson, Computer Ethics (4th Edition), Pearson Chapter 7 –
Professional Ethics in Computing
Donald Gotterbarn, Computer Practitioners: Professionals or Hired
Guns ? http://csciwww.etsu.edu/gotterbarn/artlp1.htm
CPD Certification Service, What is CPD ?
http://www.cpduk.co.uk/index.php/what-is-cpd
Hong Kong Computer Society http://www.hkcs.org.hk/
Australian Computer Society https://www.acs.org.au/
British Computer Society http://www.bcs.org/
Professions Australia defines a profession as:
A profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to
ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are accepted
by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a
widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education
and training at a high level, and who are prepared to apply this
knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others. It
is inherent in the definition of a profession that a code of ethics
governs the activities of each profession. Such codes require
behaviour and practice beyond the personal moral obligations of an
individual. They define and demand high standards of behaviour in
respect to the services provided to the public and in dealing with
professional colleagues. Further, these codes are enforced by the
profession and are acknowledged and accepted by the
community.
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Professions Australia defines a profession as:
A profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to
ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are accepted
by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a
widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education
and training at a high level, and who are prepared to apply this
knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others. It
is inherent in the definition of a profession that a code of ethics
governs the activities of each profession. Such codes require
behaviour and practice beyond the personal moral obligations of an
individual. They define and demand high standards of behaviour in
respect to the services provided to the public and in dealing with
professional colleagues. Further, these codes are enforced by the
profession and are acknowledged and accepted by the
community.
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Profession (informal) High level of education and high social
status Practical experience Decisions have impact Being a person of
above average income
The concept of organization of occupations into professions is a
social mechanism for managing expertise and deploying it in ways
that benefit society
We have expectations about how “a profession” will behave We expect
professionals to act for public good A different approach to time
commitments and to their personal lives
Often carry with them special rights and privileges as well as
special responsibilities
Some are even so special that they are exceptions to ordinary
morality – the phrase “strongly differentiated” was coined to refer
these special classes
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Professions are typically associated with a set of distinct
characteristics: Mastery of an esoteric body of knowledge, usually
acquired through higher education
Members of professions typically have a good deal of autonomy in
their work
Monopolistic practices by the profession, i.e., there is some
control in entry to the profession
Served an important social function
Professional societies or formal organizations Promoting welfare of
the profession Controls admission to the profession and sets
standards Accreditation of educational institutions Licensing
procedures (recognized by govt.)
Having a code of ethics and/or professional conduct and/or
professional practice
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The range of those who are called computer professionals is
extremely broad In terms of the six characteristics
Computer professionals have mastered an esoteric body of knowledge
Do we have a distinct body of knowledge?
Do computer professional have high degrees of autonomy? Computing
is not a strongly differentiated profession
No single organization governing the profession of computing No
single code of ethics binding all computer professionals Computing
is an activity which supports social institutions which in turn are
aimed at
fulfilling a variety of social functions
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If we think of differentiating professions and non-professions on a
continuum, computing seems to be somewhere in the middle
Computing does not appear to be a 'profession' in the strictest
sense, the way law and medicine are professions
The vast majority of people who hold computer-related jobs do not
belong to either of computing’s professional societies
There is no registration/licensing process that links to the
ability to practice in the industry
Majority of computer practitioners do not consider themselves as
being a part of a profession, or recognize computing as a
profession
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Carl Babbage – an experienced systems designer Acme – develops and
sells hardware and software, general purpose or custom-made For two
years, he worked on general purpose software. A year ago, he was
reassigned to work on a military project
design a system that monitor radar signals and launch missiles in
response to these signals
A challenging project but Carl initially had some reluctance He
knew that if he did not take it, someone else would
11 Source: Computer Ethics 4th Edition by Deborah G. Johnson
Now, close to completion, but Carl feels uncomfortable about the
adequacy of the system
Can the system differentiate between a small aircraft and a missile
??
Carl documents his concerns carefully Pinpoints to the design
weakness and locates specific modules that could be revised
Estimates that it needs extra 6 months for the improvement
Carl reports his worries to project director, but the director
dismissed these concerns quickly
Already behind schedule and has exceeded the budget Proposes as
“Future Enhancement” in a year later (on the condition that Acme
get the
bid for 2nd phase development)
Carl feels that he ought to do something. What should Carl do
??
12
Leikessa Jones has her own consulting business is a CS graduate
with extensive working experience
She is designing a DB for the personnel office of a medium-sized
company that manufactures toys In the design process, the client is
actively involved – CEO, Director of IT, Director of Personnel She
has presented several options to the client about the security
design
All of Leikessa’s options included several security features, all
of which she thinks are necessary in a system that includes
sensitive personal information.
The client has decided to opt for the least secure method as the
system is already cost more than was planned
13 Source: Computer Ethics 4th Edition by Deborah G. Johnson
Leikessa feels that with weak security, those sensitive data could
be compromised She has tried to explain that to her client but they
are willing to accept little security because the system will cost
more than the client expected Leikessa objects and explains to the
client that the information that will be stored in the system is
extremely sensitive However, the company does not accept her
objection and are willing to accept little security What should
Leikessa do??
14
Regent is a private consultant Regent is currently working for a
small private hospital
upgrading the patient records and accounting systems
Regent is responsible for screening all proposals, makes
recommendation on picking a system Regent examined all proposals
carefully and concluded that Tri-Star Systems was the best
alternative and explained his reasons What Regent failed to mention
was that he is a major stockholder in Tri-Star Systems, but he has
placed his stock into a trust when he started his consulting
firm.
15 Source: Computer Ethics 4th Edition by Deborah G. Johnson
Although he does not have control over the buying and selling of
the stocks in the trust, he does know that a considerable portion
of his trust consists of Tri-Star stock. Was Regent's behavior
unethical?
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You should find that usually computer professionals function in a
highly complex context
Conflicting Loyalties: Carl – the employer-to-employee relationship
If a computer professional feels that a project they are working on
is unsafe, do they have a
moral responsibility to speak out against it, even if it may
jeopardize their employment? System Security:
Leikessa – the client-to-professional relationship If a computer
professional contracted to build a low-security system, should they
do so even if
they feel the security level is not adequate? Conflict Of
Interest:
Regent – the client-to-professional relationship Should a
consultant make it clear to clients if they have ties to any
software companies they
recommend?
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When doing ethical analysis, we should take the social context in
consideration
Take into the account the context in which each person is acting We
must consider what it means to act in a professional or
occupational role
Professional ethics The professionals unique understanding of
professional situations and how to deal with
them places a set of ethical obligations on them. These obligations
are sometimes referred to as professional ethics.
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For being a profession the fact that a group has its own code of
ethics suggests that the group views itself as
constituting a profession and that it wishes to be viewed in this
way before the public
A statement from the profession to the public as to what to expect
from its members
Embodying the collective wisdom of members of the profession The
code expresses both the experience of many members and the
consensus of many
members
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Codes of ethics are primarily aspirational giving the vision,
objectives, and mission of the profession
Codes of conduct describe professional attitudes and some
professional behavior
Codes of practice Are very specific and tied closely to the best
current practice of the profession e.g., Guides to Good Nursing
Practice – End-of-life Care, Infection Control, Physical
Restraint, . . .
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At the simplest level a code of ethics is a statement of the
obligations of individual professional in the conduct of their
profession
Deterrence and Discipline Members must adhere to the code no matter
what their employment context
Contributing To The Profession's Public Image – shows moral
commitment Promote public trust
Support, Inspiration and Guidance A professional who finds herself
in a tight spot might look to the code to help figure out
what
to do
Education and Mutual Understanding Establishes and expresses moral
values of the profession and establishes standards for the
non-
professional
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Australian Computer Society – Code of Professional Conduct The Code
identifies six core ethical values and the associated requirements
for
professional conduct. The six core ethical values are:
1. The Primacy of the Public Interest
2. The Enhancement of Quality of Life
3. Honesty
4. Competence
6. Professionalism
In a situation of conflict between the values, The Primacy of the
Public Interest takes precedence over the other values.
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The Primacy of the Public Interest The public interest takes
precedence over personal, private and sectional
interests, and any conflicts should be resolved in favor of the
public interest. The public interest is taken to include matters of
public health, safety and the environment.
The Enhancement of Quality of Life ICT has had a significant impact
(both beneficial and negative effects) on our
society and way of life. An ethical approach to your work will help
to recognise and minimise these adverse effects. You should promote
equal access to the benefits of ICT by all members of
society.
Honesty Do not breach public trust in the profession or the
specific trust of your
stakeholders. Observance of utmost honesty and integrity must
underlie all your professional decisions and actions.
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Competence Accept only such work as you believe you are competent
to perform, and do not
hesitate to obtain additional expertise from appropriately
qualified individuals where advisable. You should always be aware
of your own limitations and not knowingly imply that you have
competence you do not possess.
Professional Development Keep yourself informed of such new
technologies, practices and standards as
are relevant to your work. You should encourage your staff and
colleagues to do the same. Others will expect you to provide
special skills and advice; and in order to do so, you must keep
your knowledge up-to-date.
Professionalism It is imperative that members of the Society
maintain professional standards that
improve and enhance the industry's image, especially in the
workplace.
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Usually, codes are restricted to general and vague wording as one
cannot foresee the full range of moral problems
Different entries in the code may be interpreted as
conflicting
Codes cannot serve as the final moral authority for professional
conduct
The proliferation of codes can lead to a feeling amongst the
engineering community that none of the codes is particularly
"right" and that ethical conduct is really "relative"
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Global competition has never been more intense, clients are more
demanding, and technology offers new ways of working
Professionalism relies increasingly on an ability to respond
quickly to changes
Such as technological advancement and changing in market
conditions, client requirements and government policies
Demand new knowledge, new skills and commitment to lifelong
professional learning
Embrace the concept of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
What is your view about CPD? Ask yourself what do you mean by
CPD
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Continuing Professional Development “The systematic maintenance,
improvement and broadening of knowledge and skill,
and the development of personal qualities necessary for the
education of professional and technical duties throughout the
practitioner's working life.”
CPD covers matters of direct technical relevance as well as broader
studies also of importance to the professionals in the furtherance
of their careers
CPD is of value to the profession, to the organization, to industry
and to society
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In essence CPD is simply part of good professional practice It
ensures practitioners continue to be competent in a
profession
Having well-planned CPD is important to a profession as it
safeguards the public, the employer, the professional and the
professional’s career
It provides reasonable assurance to the society that the service
has been carried out professionally – Quality management
Competitiveness – for the employers and companies, this is
important for the organization survival
It ensures that you and your knowledge stay relevant and up to
date, and be more aware of the changing trends and directions in
your profession
Standards – Be aware of the latest developments and best practices
Enables you to plan and achieve your career goals as well as to
enhance your employability
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Usually requires a minimum amount of CPD hours per year Example:
Australian Computer Society (ACS)
Certified Professionals (CP) must complete 30 CPD hours per year;
Certified Technologists (CT) must complete and report 20 CPD hours
each year.
CPD hours would be recognized or endorsed by the professional
association Example: ACS
Certified ACS members must be able to demonstrate their commitment
to professional development through written evidence of their CPD
activities.
Failure of achieving the minimum amount of CPD hours might be
resulted with a downgrade or suspend of the membership, that
depends on the professional association’s rules and
regulations
Example: ACS Certificants who fail to comply with the ACS
Professional Development requirements will have
their CT or CP credential revoked and will no longer be allowed to
present themselves as a CT or CP
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CPD Activities might be organized by the professional association
itself or programmes of other associations they recognized
Examples: Formal study – (E-learning) Courses with a formal
qualification awarded Learning activities – Undertaking structured
trainings / workshops, attending
conferences / seminars Self-directed learning – Reading journals /
books/ blogs, reviewing online resources Authorship of technical /
research papers Mentoring to school students Service contribution
to the community and/or ICT profession
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