June 26 & July 3, 2000
Computer Ethics
Tidbit Archive
| Chapter 22 of my book, Technology
and the Future, by Tom
Forester and Perry
Morrison, is devoted to the topic of computer ethics. As Jon
Katz says in his Slashdot
commentary on this article, "Computers may have ushered in a social
and economic revolution, but they don't necessarily signify an advance
in the world's ethical life."
Indeed, as Forester and Morrison point out, computers and the Internet have created a great many new ethical dilemmas, ranging from the issue of online copying and trading of copyrighted music to the question of responsibility for bugs and viruses and the consequences of defective software. As computer users, scholars, policymakers, and the computer, software, and Internet industries have come to recognize the potential seriousness of the problems, numerous organizations, academic courses, books, articles, and ethical codes have emerged to address it. Although it is easy to find examples of unethical behavior in the computer world and in cyberspace, the wealth of information on computer ethics that can be found online suggests that a great many people are tackling the dilemmas and that, in itself, is reason for optimism. Readers of Technology and the Future and others concerned with these issues can explore the topic in depth through the selection of links below. |
Links:"Code of Ethics for Programmers?" A review and commentary on the Forester and Morrison chapter in Technology and the Future by media critic Jon Katz, on Slashdot, September 3, 1999. A lengthy, heated discussion among readers follows the article.
The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics (from the Computer Ethics Institute).
Commentary by N. Ben Fairweather, The Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility,
United Kingdom.
Interpretation by Cem Say of Bogaziçi University, Turkey.Computer and Information Ethics Resources on the World Wide Web, links and a few recommendations of print resources from the Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia, Canada.
"Hacking Ethics," an interesting article by Jim Williams on About.com (Nov. 30, 1998).
"Computer Ethics." Educational materials and a fairly lengthy set of links from Thinkquest.
Joseph Herkert's Web Clearinghouse for Engineering and Computer Ethics, from the Division of Multidisciplinary Studies at North Carolina State University. An extensive and very useful set of links, including course syllabi; online articles, books, and reports; conferences; cases; and more.
David Vance's Cyberethics site, from the College of Business and Industry, Mississippi State University. Similar to Herkert's clearinghouse.
Computer Ethics Policy of the California Institute of Technology, by Caltech president David Baltimore. A good example of a university computer ethics policy from one of the top technological institutions in the U.S.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. One of the oldest (probably the oldest) public interest groups in this field, founded at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 1982, CPSR promotes socially responsible use of computers.
The Interactive Computer Ethics Explorer. Read a case study, answer ethics questions, and compare your responses to tabulations of others who have answered the questions. By Walter Maner of the Computer Science Department at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. (There might be a glitch in the program, however, because some of the tabulations look very strange.)
"How to Create an Acceptable Use Policy" for your network -- a short do-it-yourself manual by Bradley Mitchell on About.com.
The Australian Institute of Computer Ethics at Swinburne University of Technology's Hawthorn Campus near Melbourne.
