Ethical Use of Computers

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Transcript Ethical Use of Computers

Computers in a
Changing
Society
By John Preston, Robert Ferrett,
and Sally Preston
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
1
Computers in a
Changing Society
Chapter 5
Ethical Use of Computers
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
2
Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
Learning Objectives
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
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II.
Distinguish between laws, codes of conduct, and ethical principles
Define copyright
Identify the conditions of fair use
Identify the copyright symbol and the three elements required of a copyright notice
Distinguish between public domain, freeware, and shareware
Describe how cybersquatting affects trademarks
Identify an example of a business method patent in computer software
Organization Codes of Ethics
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III.
Identify the important ethical considerations at colleges and companies, and those made by
computer professionals
Define plagiarism
Personal Ethics
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Identify principles used to make ethical decisions
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
Learning Objectives
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
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Name reasons that plagiarism and cheating are unethical and unwise
Describe ethical considerations at school when using software, computer labs, course packs,
or making presentations
Describe ethical considerations at work when using company resources, intellectual property,
and software
Describe ethical considerations when the company is acting illegally or unethically
Describe ethical considerations when consuming entertainment products, interacting
socially, guiding and protecting children, shopping, and installing software
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Introduction/Terminology
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Philosophy
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Critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs
Moral Behavior
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Making judgments about conforming to standards of right and wrong
Moral Dilemma
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Conflicting moral behaviors
Ethical Principles
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Used for resolving moral dilemma
Code of Ethics
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Describes a group’s ethical behavior
Laws
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Formalized codes of behavior and associated penalties
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws
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Legal System
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Evolved to settle disputes and
protect group and individual rights
Four categories of law related to
ethical use of computers
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Intellectual property rights
Decency
Taxation
Criminal behavior
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws—Intellectual Property Rights
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Introduction / Terminology
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Intellectual Property Laws—Protect individual rights to ownership of
creative work (e.g., writing, musical creation, development of an idea,
inventions, etc.)
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Copyright—Legal right of the artist, author, composer, or playwright to
exclusive publication and sale of artistic, literary, musical, or dramatic work
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Work for hire—May belong to an employer if the work was done as part of a
person’s job or if a person is hired to create the work
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws—Intellectual Property Rights
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Copyright
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End User License Agreement (EULA)—A legal agreement between the
manufacturer of the software and purchaser that explains rights and limitations
Site License—Software installation agreements that are purchased with the
understanding that the organizations are able to install a fixed number of
software copies on any computers within the organization
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws—Intellectual Property Rights
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Copyright
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Intended to protect work during the creator’s lifetime
Rules governed by U.S. Copyright Office
Expires after 95 years
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Public Domain
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Not copyrighted
May be duplicated and freely distributed
Works created by federal government
Copyright expired
Freeware
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Copyrighted with no charge for use
Can be copied, but not revised
LINUX—Open-source freeware similar to UNIX
Open-source initiative—Sharing resources and collaborating on projects worldwide
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws—Intellectual Property Rights
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Copyright
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Fair Use
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No part of copyrighted work could be reproduced without owner permission
Parts of a copyrighted work may be reproduced for purpose of criticism, comment,
news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research without violating copyright
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Considerations for determining exceptions to copyright protection
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Purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial
nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
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Nature of the copyrighted work
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Amount of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
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Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws—Intellectual Property Rights
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Trademark
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Name or symbol used to identify a product
TM abbreviation—Indicates claim to trademark
®—Indicates trademark officially recognized by
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Domain Names—Internet importance
Cybersquatting—Attempting to profit from someone else’s trademark
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Practice outlawed by Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act of 1999
Patents
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Granted to protect the rights of the inventor of a physical device
1998—U.S. courts and business method-related software
1999—Amazon 1-Click Ordering method patent
U.S. Patent Office—Improved the review process
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
I.
Laws, Codes of Ethical Conduct, and Personal Ethics
Laws—Computer Crime
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Introduction/Terminology
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Vulnerability with apparent anonymity
Illegal behavior—Areas of increasing activity
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Cyberstalking
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Use of Internet, e-mail, and chat to harass
Cybersmearing
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Campaign of false information used to ruin reputation
Identity Theft
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Obtaining important pieces of information to
impersonate someone, gain access to secure
personal information, and commit fraud or theft
Piracy
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Obtaining copyrighted material by violating
copyright laws or license agreements
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
II.
Organizational Codes of Ethics
Introduction
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Behavior expected of a given group
Members should be aware of policy
Colleges
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Student code of ethics
Wrongdoing—Made easier with computers
Academic dishonesty
Plagiarism—Representing someone else’s research, analysis, or writing as
your own
Cheating—Achieving higher grades using unfair practices
Ownership claims
Companies
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Codes of conduct to reflect priorities
Prevention of potential illegal activity and lawsuits
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
II.
Organizational Codes of Ethics
Computer Professionals
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Ethical Responsibility
ACM Code of Ethics
Chat Groups
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Many different chat sites
Subject-specific chat groups
Group code of ethics
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
III.
Personal Ethics
Ethical Decisions
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Ethical Principles—Basic rules that may be applied to specific situations
Three principles to help determine if an act is ethical
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If everyone acted the same way,
society as a whole would benefit
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Usefulness: Software piracy issues
Do not treat people as a means to an end
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Usefulness: Choosing behavior in
chat room and interaction
An impartial observer would judge that
you have been fair to all parties concerned
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Usefulness: Unbiased perspective
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
III.
Personal Ethics
Ethical Decisions
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Principles of Respect
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Respect Yourself
Respect Others
Respect Your School
Respect Your Company
Respect Your Profession
Questions to Ask
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Would you be proud to share your decision?
Would your place of employment agree?
Would those involved feel the decision was fair?
Was a high level of skill and knowledge provided?
Was the customer’s privacy protected?
Were reasonable steps taken to safeguard computer integrity and customer privacy?
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
School
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College education culminates in a degree
Represents degree holder has mastery of required facts and writing skills
Represents capability of critical thinking, analysis, and cogent argument
College Papers
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Academic writing—Source citation and original work
Time and practice—Lifetime skill
Online access—Plagiarism and cheating
Honor Codes
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Self-policing—Students pledge to adhere to student code of conduct
Vetting
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Investigation for character clues when running for public office, requesting a
security clearance, attaining fame, etc.
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
School
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Software
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Contracts with schools for rate reduction
Violation of end user license agreement
Computer Labs
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Code of conduct
Uniform configuration
Consistent policy
Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials
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Applying Policy of Fair Use
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Limited reproduction of copyrighted materials
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Instructor-distributed course packs and student presentations
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Lawsuits
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1991—Kinko’s; 1996—Michigan Document Services
Royalties collection
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
Work
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Corporate Goals
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Avoiding costly lawsuits
Competitive pressures
Company Resources for Private Purpose
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Company policies—Company equipment and resources
Blur—Blended nature of home and work environment
Intellectual Property
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Fair Use Policy—Applies to schools, not to companies
Software
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Business Software Alliance (BSA)
Legal software installations
Activity monitoring and invasion of privacy
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
Work
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Companies—Unethical and Illegal Behavior
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Dealing with coercion—unethical acts, illegal actions, moral dilemma, company policy
violation
Digital manipulation—False impressions, repercussions, and liability
Databases—Use and misuse of private and public information
E-mail storage—Communication vulnerability
Significant consequences of action or inaction
Whistleblowing—Calling attention to illegal activities
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
Socially and at Home
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Entertainment
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Profits—Selling tickets, selling recordings, selling advertising
Adapting economic model to new technologies
Copying music and videos
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1982—Jack Valenti, Motion Picture Association of America—Congressional Testimony
Piracy—Internet, High-Speed Access, P2P sites, and MP3
2000—Napster lawsuit; 2003—Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Adapting—new technology for nominal fee with mixing options
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
Socially and at Home
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Entertainment
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Television Industry
Profit—Relies on advertising, intermixed with shows
Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
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Radio Industry
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Dedicated computer to digitize television signals and save them on a large hard disk
Connected via telephone or broadband connection to Internet
Download and record
Advertisement avoidance
File sharing via Internet—Currently too slow via broadband
MP4 Solution—File compression for video
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1 hour to 350 megabytes (MB) = only 6 times larger than 1 hour of MP3 music
Streaming audio technology—Removes geographic limitations
Internet radio portals—Yahoo
Future—Consumers’ ethical practices will have an impact on changes
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
Socially and at Home
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Social Interaction
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Methods of communication
Removing geographic and time constraints
Identity changes
Children
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Guiding and protecting youth—moral obligation
Positive and negative
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Internet window to the world
Learning tool
Dangerous activity
Monitoring activity—Tools
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Web cameras—Cautious informed use
Restricting access
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
IV.
Ethical Use of Computers
Socially and at Home
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Shopping
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E-Commerce—Shopping on the Internet
Ethical problems
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Self-reporting sales tax
Product detail inaccuracy (e.g. color)
Software
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Licensing agreements
Use of freeware—Free software
Use of shareware—Nominal cost software after free trial period
Challenge—Multi-computer households
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
Chapter Summary
Outline
Objectives
Laws, Codes of
Ethical Conduct, and
Personal Ethics
 Distinguish between laws, codes of conduct, and ethical principles: Laws are passed by the government and enforced by the
police and courts, codes of conduct are provided by organizations, and ethical principles are guidelines for choosing between morals
when they conflict
 Define copyright: Ownership of intellectual property
 Identify the conditions of fair use: the purpose of the work, the nature of the work, the amount copied, and the effect on the
market value of the work
 Identify the copyright symbol and the three elements required of a copyright notice: © symbol, name, year
 Distinguish between public domain, freeware, and shareware: no restriction on copying, copyrighted but no charge for use,
copyrighted but may be used for a limited time for free
 Describe how cybersquatting affects trademarks: compromises value of the trademark by using another's trademark as a domain
name for purposes of profit
 Identify an example of a business method patent in computer software: 1-click ordering by Amazon
Organizational Codes
of Ethics
 Identify the important ethical considerations at colleges and companies and those that are important to computer professionals:
colleges care about plagiarism, cheating, and reputation; companies care about profits and lawsuits; computer professionals care
about reputation
 Define plagiarism: using someone else’s work without informing the reader or viewer that the work is not original work of the
purported author
Personal Ethics
 Identify principles used to make ethical decisions: Identify elements from the five different groups of ethical principles
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Computers in a Changing Society
Chapter 5
Chapter Summary
Ethical Use of
Computers
 Name reasons that plagiarism and cheating are unethical and unwise: plagiarism treats people as a means to an end, and cheating
does not respect one’s self or others
 Describe ethical considerations at school when using software, computer labs, course packs, or making presentations: for
software, consider what would happen if everyone bought discount software for friends; in labs, respect others; when using course
packs and presentations, be fair to all concerned parties
 Describe ethical considerations at work when using company resources, intellectual property, and software: in thinking about
resources, consider judgment by an impartial observer; when thinking about intellectual property and software, respect others
 Describe ethical considerations when the company is acting illegally or unethically: what would the community think?; respect
yourself
 Describe ethical considerations when consuming entertainment products, interacting socially, guiding and protecting children,
shopping, and installing software: Fairness to all parties, respect others
© 2005 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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