Computer Ethics Computer Ethics Introduction What are Ethics?

Derived from the Greek word ethos, which means custom, habit, and way of living It is concerned with human conduct, i.e., behaviour of individuals in society Ethics is a system of morals of a particular person, religion or a group Moral: means dealing with, or capable of, distinguishing between right and wrong, and between just and unjust Ethical Theory: a system of ethics guides towards actions good for all Introduction Introduction In the industrialized world computers are changing everything: from education to health, from voting to making friends or making war. Developing countries can also fully participate in cyberspace and make use of opportunities offered by global networks. We are living a technological and informational revolution. It is therefore important for policy makers, leaders, teachers, computer professionals and all social thinkers to get involved in the social and ethical impacts of this communication technology. Computer Ethics It is defined as the application of classical ethical principles to the use of computer technology Ethical problems related to computers are not unique but they tend to occur on a much larger scale and scope Scope: communications networks bring the world

together Anonymity: beneficial but creates problems of integrity Reproducibility Aspects of computer ethics: Analysis of the nature of problems related to the social impact of computers Formulation and justification of policies needed to manage computer technology

Cyberethics and Cybertechnology Cyberethics is the field of applied ethics that examines moral, legal, and social issues in the development and use of cybertechnology. Cybertechnology refers to a broad range of technologies from stand-alone computers to the cluster of networked computing, information and communication technologies. . Internet ethics and information ethics. Examples: Employee monitoring. Downloading music using Napster software at no charge. Robert Hansen, FBI agent, convicted for providing information to Russia. Double Click sued for planning to reveal Web users identities. Plagiarism. Hackers defaced Web sites. The world is changing Computer Ethics: definition Same as cyberethics, or The study of ethical issues that are associated primarily with computing machines and the computing profession. The field of applied professional ethics dealing with ethical problems aggravated, transformed, or created by computer technology (1970, Maner) Computer Ethics: Some Historical Milestones 1940-1950: Founded by MIT prof Norbert Wiener: cybernetics-science of information feedback systems.

 1960s: Donn Parker from California examined unethical and illegal uses of computers by professionals. 1st code of professional conduct for the ACM. 1970: Joseph Weizenbaum, prof at MIT, created Eliza. Mid 1970: Walter Maner taught 1st course and starter kit in computer ethics.

Computer Ethics History (cont.) 1980: Issues like computer-enabled crime, disasters, invasion of privacy via databases, law suits about software ownership became public. Mid 80s: James Moore of Darmouth, Deborah Johnson of Rensselaer, Sherry Turkle of MIT, and Judith Perrole published article and books.

Computer Ethics History (cont. 2) 1990: Interest in computer ethics as a field of research had spread to Europe and Australia. Simon Rogerson of De Montfort University (UK) Terrell Bynum, editor of Metaphilosophy (USA), initiated international conferences. Mid 90s: Beginning of a 2nd generation of computer ethics with more practical action. 2004: Interest spreads to Cotonou, Benin

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics Commandment: an instruction; a requirement 1.) You shall not use a computer to harm other people. Intentionally interfering with other peoples work Invading the privacy of individuals 2.) You shall not interfere with other people's computer work. Degrading or disrupting equipment, software, or system performance. Using resources to interfere with the proper operation of any computer, or destroy data. Intentionally interfering with other peoples work Invading the privacy of individuals 3.) You shall not snoop around in other people's computer files. Using an account owned by another user, or allowing another user to access your account. (Any problems which arise from the misuse of a users password will be that users responsibility.) Invading the privacy of individuals 4.) You shall not use a computer to steal. Using resources in any manner that violates Board policy, federal, state, or local law including unauthorized copying or transmission of software. 5.) You shall not use a computer to bear false witness. Initiating or forwarding chain letters. Downloading, storing printing, or distributing files or messages that are profane, obscene,

threatening, or that use language that offends or tends to degrade others. Urban Legends (e.g. kidney transplants) Unproven rumors (e.g. free coca cola) 6.) You shall not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid. Using resources in any manner that violates Board policy, federal, state, or local law including unauthorized copying or transmission of software. 7.) You shall not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. Using information obtained through network and computer resources without giving proper credit to the source (plagiarism). Posting personal communication without the original authors consent. 8.) You shall not appropriate other people's intellectual output. Posting personal communication without the original authors consent. Using information obtained through network and computer resources without giving proper credit to the source (plagiarism). 9.) You shall think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing. Initiating or forwarding chain letters. Downloading, storing, printing, or distributing files or messages that are profane, obscene, threatening, or that use language that offends or tends to degrade others. 10. You shall always use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect for your fellow humans. Downloading, storing, printing, or disturbing files or messages that contain information considered dangerous to the public at large Categories of Computer Ethics Issues Privacy

 Computers create a false sense of security People do not realize how vulnerable information stored on computers are Property Physical property Intellectual property (in both copyright and patent) Data as property Access Access to computing technology Access to data Accuracy Accuracy of information stored Moral and Ethical Problems Hacking, cracking and virus creation Serious crimes that cannot be justified Attempts at justifying such actions Electrons are free-they do not belong to anybody Companies have weak protection Point out flaws and vulnerabilities in information systems Hacking or virus creation is right in a particular country or culture Software piracy Unauthorized copying of software is stealing It is morally wrong as it constitutes a violation of someone elses rights Problems with Codes of Ethics A legal system is not a complete and correct guide to moral behavior Codes of ethics are mostly voluntary May encounter situations for which the code makes no explicit recommendations Goodness cannot be defined through a list of Dos and Don'ts You must use your internal sense of ethics Computer Ethics Awareness and Educational Issues How to raise the moral consciousness and ethical level Possibilities of developing global computer ethics Codes

 Computer ethics education should include: Explanation of disruptive potential of even a single user Understanding of importance of ethics and lack of laws in computer/information technology Explanation of information security & related problems Making people aware of ethical impact of their actions Training and education by professionals Computing Ethics and Guidelines Example Respect privacy of other users and do not share your account with others Respect appropriate laws and copyrights Obey established guidelines for any network or system used Do not use computer resources for unauthorized purposes Do not use computer resources for commercial Endeavours Do not use computer resources in ways detrimental to normal operation Computer Ethics -Case Studies Administrator Dilemma The problem here is that every file on the system is accessible by the administrator and they have no tracks when they change a file If administrator is always believed, he is given the ability to take advantage of anybody at any time If user is always believed, he is given the ability to get away with anything he does Anything on the system can be faked without evidence

Computer Ethics -Case Studies Software Licensing: Stuck in the Middle You are contracted to install Netscape Navigator software on all the PCs of company X After doing half the work, you found that company X is not paying Netscape for the copies you are installing You notified company Xs contact that they are out of compliance with Netscape licensing requirement, but got no response What will do you do? Computer Ethics -Case Studies You are asked to write a program to print tags for a sale. Your boss asks you to put tags that have a price 10% higher, with a 10% discount marking it back to original price. Do you do this? You wrote a software that matches the requirement your company was given. But, requirements are so bad that you know the software will not match the actual needs -Should you say anything? -Should your company say anything? Even if it would mean loss of future contracts? Conclusion Must understand cultural, social, legal and ethical issues related to computing Expect to face variety of ethically difficult situations Hold to highest possible ethical standards Use your internal sense of ethics Making the wrong ethical choice begins with focusing

on short-term self-interest Ethical behaviour is a way of life, best learned through experience Living ethically requires strong and sincere motivation Netiquette "Netiquette" is network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace. Introduction What is Netiquette? Simply stated, it's network etiquette -that is, the etiquette of cyberspace. Etiquette means the forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in social or official life. In other words, Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. Rule 1: Remember the Human The golden rule: Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. Electronic communication lacks the facial expression, gestures and tone of voice to convey your meaning. Its easy to misinterpret meaning of words. Remember, when you communicate through cyberspace your words are written. Chances are they're stored somewhere. They can come back and haunt you. You don't have to be engaged in criminal activity to want to be careful. Any message you send could be saved or forwarded by its recipient. You have no control over where it goes.

Rule 2: Adhere to real-life standards of behavior Be ethical. If you encounter an ethical dilemma in cyberspace, consult the code you follow in real life. If you use shareware, pay for it. Paying for shareware encourages more people to write shareware. The few peso probably won't mean much to you, but they benefit all of cyberspace in the long run. Breaking the law is bad Netiquette. If you're tempted to do something that's illegal, chances are it's also bad Netiquette. Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace Netiquette varies from domain to domain. What's perfectly acceptable in one area may be dreadfully rude in another. Netiquette is different in different places, so it's important to know where you are. When you enter a domain of cyberspace that's new to you, take a look around. Spend a while listening to the chat or reading the archives. Get a sense of how the people who are already there act. Then go ahead and participate. Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth Bandwidth is the information-carrying capacity of the wires and channels that connect everyone in cyberspace. It also refers to the storage capacity of a host system. If you accidentally post the same note to the same newsgroup five times, you are wasting both time (of the people who check each copy) and bandwidth (by sending repetitive information over the wires and requiring it to be stored somewhere). You are not the center of cyberspace. Dont expect instant responses to all your

questions, and don't assume that all readers will agree with --or care about -your passionate arguments. Ensure your message is worth the time it takes to open it. Before you copy people on your messages, ask yourself whether they really need to know. If the answer is no, don't waste their time. If the answer is maybe, think twice before you hit the send key. Rule 5: Make yourself look good online Take advantage of your anonymity. You won't be judged by color, weight, age or dress sense. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing. So spelling and grammar do count. Know what you're talking about and make sense. Pay attention to the content of your writing. Ensure your notes are clear and logical. Be pleasant and polite. Avoid offensive language, and don't be confrontational for the sake of confrontation. If you must swear, think up creative alternatives. Rule 6: Share expert knowledge The strength of cyberspace is in its numbers. The Internet itself was founded and grew because academics wanted to share information. Don't be afraid to share what you know. If you ask a question and anticipate a lot of answers, its customary to request replies by email instead of to the group. Share the results of your questions with others, so everyone benefits from the experts who took the time to write to you. If youre an expert, or you've researched a topic that you think would be of interest to others, write it up and post it. Sharing your knowledge is fun. And it makes the world a better place.

Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control "Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion. Netiquette does not forbid flaming. Flaming is a longstanding network tradition (and Netiquette never messes with tradition). Netiquette does forbid the perpetuation of flame wars that can dominate the tone and destroy the camaraderie of a discussion group. While flame wars can initially be amusing, theyre an unfair monopolization of bandwidth. Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy Youd never snoop through your colleagues' desk drawers, so naturally you wouldn't read their email either. Failing to respect other people's privacy is not just bad Netiquette. It could also cost you your job. Rule 9: Don't abuse your power Some people in cyberspace have more power than others. There are wizards in MUDs (multi-user dungeons), experts in every office, and system administrators in every system. Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them. Rule 10: Be forgiving of other peoples mistakes Everyone was a newbie once. When someone makes a mistake --be kind about it. If it's a minor error, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else.

 If you inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Why is netiquette so important? Because it establishes good behavior while on the Net. Remember that there is a real person on the receiving end of your message. Follow the golden rule while on the Net. Some tips to remember When responding to people you disagree with or that you are challenged by .Cite or summarize the points that you find troubling .Clarify your position and respond with control Netiquette: The Basics Avoid writing e-mails using all CAPITAL LETTERS Add personality to your messages by using smileys or emoticons :-) (happy) Keep your communication to the point Anything you post to a newsgroup or forum and type during a public chat session is a public comment Netiquette: The Basics Continued When sending an e-mail, clearly identify it in the subject line. Keep messages short by using some common abbreviations. .<LOL> Laughing Out Loud .<BRB> Be Right Back

Netiquette for Kids Avoid hurting someones feelings with e-mail. Respect other peoples online rights. Avoid insulting someone unless you want to start a flame war. If someone insults you, be calm. Avoid crashing discussion groups or forums. Netiquette for Kids Continued Respect the privacy of other people. Be responsible online. Help other people learn more about the Net. Dont Spam This means no: Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (UCE) Off-Topic Messages on Bulletin Boards Chain Letters Forwarding of E-mail Hoaxes Use the subject line if you have one. Send & receive e-mail attachments Send & receive e-mail attachments with care. Ask before sending really large attachments. Consider using a zip/unzip program. Watch out for viruses!

Before taking part in a chat room or bulletin board discussion, learn the rules.

No Trolls! This means no: Abusive, insulting behavior Impersonation of others Revealing real-life info Creating websites to bully classmates Cyberstalking Quote only the part of a message youre responding to. Keep those signature files short, too. Be nice to the newbies. Remember when you were one? Dont flirt in the chat rooms. You may think youre talking When youre really talking with this . . . with this!

Dont flood the chat rooms. ADKLQW00R23UJ59-AGFNF;RT3-Q3VMAFJA; OORTU5-1-85ZVNM\ZJKC[AIT=Q 59BN03402IURUIVB-0WS936N700ZX?/?/!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dfOHIEN5902860NAT8 8W77*A*774Z\4G4W74YQ++7TYA=S9S==9HX BMMait=1969=sj\[fiqQ=59WORIEITYUABUTT HEADBUTTHEADBUTTHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!

Respect intellectual property rights. Never, ever, do these on company time! Pornography Online games Consider using a spellchecker. If all this is too much to remember, go by the golden rule.