Computer ethics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2011) Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.[1] Margaret Anne Pierce, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computers at Georgia Southern University has categorized the ethical decisions related to computer technology and usage into 3 primary influences:

1. The individual's own personal code. 2. Any informal code of ethical behavior that exists in the work place. 3. Exposure to formal codes of ethics.[2]

Contents
[hide]

1 Foundation 2 History 3 Internet Privacy 4 Internet Control 5 Computer Reliability 6 Identifying issues 7 Some questions in computer ethics 8 Ethical standards 9 See also 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External links

[edit] Foundation
To understand the foundation of computer ethics, it is important to look into the different schools of ethical theory. Each school of ethics influences a situation in a certain direction and pushes the final outcome of ethical theory.

Relativism is the belief that there are no universal moral norms of right and wrong. In the school of relativistic ethical belief, ethicists divide it into two connected but different structures, subject (Moral) and culture (Anthropological). Moral relativism is the idea that each person decides what is right and wrong for them. Anthropological relativism is the concept of right and wrong is decided by a societys actual moral belief structure. Kantianism is the belief that peoples actions are to be guided by moral laws, and that these moral laws are universal. Kantianism is the name given to the ethical theory of German philosopher Immanuel Kant. He believed that in order for any ethical school of thought to apply to all rational beings, they must have a foundation in reason. Kant split this school into two categorical imperatives. The first categorical imperative states to act only from moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal moral laws. The second categorical imperative states to act so that you always treat both yourself and other people as ends in themselves, and never only as a means to an end. Utilitarianism is the belief that if an action is good if it benefits someone and an action is bad if it harms someone. This ethical belief can be broken down into two different schools, Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism. Act Utilitarianism is the belief that an action is good if its overall affect is to produce more happiness than unhappiness. Rule Utilitarianism is the belief that we should adopt a moral rule and if followed by everybody, would lead to a greater level of overall happiness. Social contract is the concept that for a society to arise and maintain order, a morality based set of rules must be agreed upon. Social contract theory has influenced modern government and is heavily involved with societal law. Philosophers like John Rawls , Thomas Hobbes , John Locke , and Jean-Jacques Rousseau helped created the fuyayynction foundation of social contract . The conceptual foundations of computer ethics are investigated by information ethics, a branch of philosophical ethics established by Luciano Floridi. The term computer ethics was first coined by Dr. Walter Maner, a professor at Bowling Green State University. Since the 1990s the field has started being integrated into professional development programs in academic settings.

[edit] History
The concept of computer ethics originated in 1950 when Norbert Wiener, an MIT professor and inventor of an information feedback system called "cybernetics", published a book called "The Human Use of Human Beings" which laid out the basic foundations of computer ethics and made Norbert Wiener the father of computer ethics. Later on, in 1966 another MIT professor by the name of Joseph Weizenbaum published a simple program called ELIZA which performed natural language processing. In essence, the program functioned like a psychotherapist where the program only used open ended questions to encourage patients to respond. The program would apply pattern matching pattern rules to human statements to figure out its reply.

A bit later during the same year the world's first computer crime was committed. A programmer was able to use a bit of computer code to stop his banking account from being flagged as overdrawn.[citation needed] However, there were no laws in place at that time to stop him, and as a result he was not charged. To make sure another person did not follow suit, an ethics code for computers was needed. Sometime further into the 1960s Donn Parker , who was an author on computer crimes, led to the development of the first code of ethics in the field of computer technology.[citation needed] In 1970, a medical teacher and researcher, by the name of Walter Manner noticed that ethical decisions are much harder to make when computers are added. He noticed a need for a different branch of ethics for when it came to dealing with computers. The term "Computer ethics" was thus invented. During the same year, the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) decided to adopt a professional code of ethics due to which, by the middle of the 1970s new privacy and computer crime laws had been put in place in United States as well as Europe. In the year 1976 Joseph Weizenbaum made his second significant addition to the field of computer ethics. He published a book titled "Computer power and Human reason" which talked about how artificial intelligence is good for the world; however it should never be allowed to make the most important decisions as it does not have human qualities such as wisdom. By far the most important point he makes in the book is the distinction between choosing and deciding. He argued that deciding is a computational activity while making choices is not and thus the ability to make choices is what makes us humans. At a later time during the same year Abbe Mowshowitz ,a professor of Computer Science at the City College of New York, published an article titled "On approaches to the study of social issues in computing". This article identified and analyzed technical and non-technical biases in research on social issues present in computing. During 1978, the Right to Federal Privacy Act was adopted and this drastically limited the government's ability to search bank records. During the same year Terrell Ward Bynum, the professor of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University as well as Director of the Research Center on Computing and Society there, developed the first ever curriculum for a university course on computer ethics. To make sure he kept the interests of students alive in computer ethics, he launched an essay contest where the subject students had to write about was computer ethics. In 1985, he published a journal titled Entitled Computers and Ethics, which turned out to be his most famous publication to date. In 1984, the Small Business Computer Security and Education act was adopted and this act basically informed the congress on matters that were related to computer crimes against small businesses.

In 1985, James Moor , Professor of Philosophy at DartMouth College in New Hampshire, published an essay called "What is Computer Ethics". In this essay Moor states the computer ethics includes the following: "(1) identification of computer-generated policy vacuums, (2) clarification of conceptual muddles, (3) formulation of policies for the use of computer technology, and (4) ethical justification of such policies." During the same year, Deborah Johnson, Professor of Applied Ethics and Chair of the Department of Science, Technology, and Society in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of the University of Virginia, got the first major computer ethics textbook published. It didn't just become the standard setting textbook for computer ethics, but also set up the research agenda for the next 10 years. In 1988, a librarian at St. Cloud University by the name of Robert Hauptman, came up with "information ethics", a term that was used to describe the storage, production, access and dissemination of information. Near the same time, the Computer Matching and Privacy Act was adopted and this act restricted the government to programs and identifying debtors. The 1990s was the time when computers were reaching their pinnacle and the combination of computers witch telecommunication, the internet, and other media meant that many new ethical issues were raised. In the year 1992, ACM adopted a new set of ethical rules called "ACM code of Ethics and Professional Conduct" which consisted of 24 statements of personal responsibility. 3 years later in 1995, Gorniak Kocikowska, a Professor of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University, Coordinator of the Religious Studies Program, as well as a Senior Research Associate in the Research Center on Computing and Society, came up with the idea that computer ethics will eventually become a global ethical system and soon after, computer ethics would replace ethics altogether as it would become the standard ethics of the information age. In 1999, Deborah Johnson revealed her view, which was quite contrary to Kocikowska's belief, and stated that computer ethics will not evolve but rather be the our old ethics with a slight twist.

[edit] Internet Privacy

Internet Privacy is one of the key issues that has emerged since the evolution of the World Wide Web. Millions of internet users often expose personal information on the internet in order to sign up or register for thousands of different possible things. This act has exposed themselves on the internet in ways some may not realize. In other cases, individuals do not expose themselves, but rather the government or large corporations, companies, small businesses on the internet leave personal information of their clients, citizens, or just general people exposed on the internet. One prime example is the use of Google Streetview and its evolution of online photography mapping of urban areas including residences. Although this advanced global mapping is a wondrous technique to aid people find locations, it also exposes everyone on the internet to moderately restricted views of suburbs, military bases, accidents, and just inappropriate content in general.

This has raised major concerns all across the world. See Google Streetview Privacy Concerns for further details.[3][4] Another example of privacy issues with concern to Google is tracking searches. There is a feature within searching that allows Google to keep track of searches so that advertisements will match your search criteria, which in turn means using people as products. If you are not paying for a service online, chances are instead of being the consumer, you may very well be the product. See an article called What They Know for further details. There is an ongoing discussion about what privacy means and if it is still needed. With the increase in social networking sites, more and more people are allowing their private information to be shared publicly. On the surface, this may be seen as someone listing private information about them on a social networking site, but below the surface, it is the site that could be sharing the information (not the individual). This is the idea of an Opt-In versus Opt-Out situation. There are many privacy statements that state whether there is an Opt-In or an Opt-Out policy. Typically an Opt-In privacy policy means that the individual has to tell the company issuing the privacy policy if they want their information shared or not. Opt-Out means that their information will be shared unless the individual tells the company not to share it. [5] In reference to Computer Ethics, there is a lot to be said about Internet Privacy. For more discussion see also: Internet Privacy

[edit] Internet Control

With an explosion internet popularity, the power struggles of the world have easily transferred onto the internet. Independent users, businesses, search engines, any possible source of information is trying to control, manipulate, bias, censor their information on the internet whether they realize it or not. This gives public view to certain issues or events that may be modified or not modified at all, which could easily bend opinion in frightening ways. International news could easily spread across the globe in very little time. Moreover, internet could easily be controlled by companies trying to get the public to buy-in to certain things. This broad topic of internet control is still expanding and showing signs that information spam or censoring has gone from paper and TV to internet and computers.[6] [7]

[edit] Computer Reliability

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

[edit] Identifying issues

Identifying ethical issues as they arise, as well as defining how to deal with them, has traditionally been problematic. In solving problems relating to ethical issues, Michael Davis proposed a unique problem-solving method. In Davis's model, the ethical problem is stated, facts

are checked, and a list of options is generated by considering relevant factors relating to the problem. The actual action taken is influenced by specific ethical standards.

[edit] Some questions in computer ethics

This article's tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (April 2009) There are a number of computers based ethical dilemma that are frequently discussed. One set of issues deals with some of the new ethical dilemma that have emerged, or taken on new form, with the rise of the Internet and Social Networking. There are now many ways to gain information about others that were not available, or easily available, before the rise of computers. Thus ethical issues about storage of personal information are now becoming an ever increasing problem. With more storage of personal data for social networking arises the problem of selling that information for monetary gain. This gives rise to different ethical situations regarding access, security, and the use of hacking in positive and negative situations. Situations regarding the copyright infringement of software , music, movies, are widely becoming discussed, with the rise of file sharing programs such as Napster , Kazaa , and the BitTorrent (protocol) . The ethical questions that arise from software piracy are : is it immoral or wrong to copy software, music, or movies? A second set of questions pertaining to the Internet and the societal influence that are becoming more widely discussed are questions relating to the values that some may wish to promote via the Internet. Some have claimed that the Internet is a "democratic technology. Does the Internet foster democracy and freedom of speech? What are the ethical implications of this process on the world? Does the digital divide raise ethical issues that society is morally obligated to change and spread the ability to access different forms of electronic communication?

[edit] Ethical standards

Various national and international professional societies and organizations have produced code of ethics documents to give basic behavioral guidelines to computing professionals and users. They include:

Association for Computing Machinery: ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct British Computer Society: BCS Code of Conduct & Code of Good Practice IEEE: IEEE Code of Ethics Computer Ethics Institute: Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

[edit] See also

Cyberethics

Luciano Floridi. "Computer Ethics: Mapping the Foundationalist Debate", Ethics and Information Technology 2002 (4.1), 1-9. Donald Gotterbarn James H. Moor What is Computer Ethics? Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics social informatics Ethics Philosophy Morality Donn Parker Joseph Weizenbaum Abbe Mowshowitz Internet Privacy Copyright infringement Spam (electronic) Who Controls the Internet? Reliability (computer networking)

[edit] References
1. ^ Bynum, Terrell Ward. "A Very Shory History of Computer Ethics". Southern

2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Connecticut State University. Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 201101-05. ^ Margaret, A, & Henry, J. Journal of business ethics. Computer Ethics: The Role of Personal, Informal, and Formal Codes, 15(4), 425, Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/m3201253822641r0/ ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/0132133873 ^ Source: CSC300 Lecture Notes @ University of Toronto, 2011. For more information on this topic, please visit the Electronic Privacy Information Center website. ^ Source: PHIL241 Lecture Notes @ Guilford College, 2011 ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/0132133873 ^ Source: CSC300 Lecture Notes @ University of Toronto, 2011

[edit] Bibliography

Bynum, Terrell Ward. "The Foundation of Computer Ethics," Computers and Society, June 2000. Stephen Haag, Maeve Cummings and Donald J. McCubbrey. Management Information Systems: For the Information Age, 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Deborah G. Johnson, Computer Ethics, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. Per Arne Godejord, "Getting Involved: Perspectives on the Use of True Projects as Tools for Developing Ethical Thinking in Computer Science Students," International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction 4.2 (2008):22-34.

Luciano Floridi. "Information Ethics: On the Theoretical Foundations of Computer Ethics", Ethics and Information Technology 1.1 (1999):37-56. Martin, C. Dianne and Weltz, Elaine Yale, "From Awareness to Action: Integrating Ethics and Social Responsibility into the Computer Science Curriculum," Computers and Society, June 1999. Herman T. Tavani. Ethics & Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2004. Giannis Stamatellos, Computer Ethics: A Global Perspective, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2007. Michael J. Quinn. Ethics for the Information Age, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley, 2011. Barbara MacKinnon. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co, 2011. Short History of Computer Ethics - A condensed history of computer ethics

[edit] External links

Ethics in Computing - a list of links to ethical discussions in Computer Science IEG, the Information Ethics research Group at Oxford University Computer Ethics: Basic Concepts and Historical Overview entry by Terrell Bynum in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Computing and Moral Responsibility entry by Kari Gwen Coleman in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy The Research Center on Computing & Society The International Journal of Cyber Ethics in Education (IJCEE) www.igiglobal.com/ijcee [1] - external link to Donn Parker [2] - Abbe Mowshowitz's essay [3] - Information about Joseph Weizenbaum [4] - An ELIZA emulator

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Topic 5 Computers and the Law Information Systems Malpractice and Crime
The term computer abuse refers to practices that are unethical but not illegal. Ethics in general is concerned with making the choice between doing right and wrong. A code of ethics has been produced by the Association of Computing Machinery (an American professional body). Its main points are: 1. Contribute to society and human well being, by sharing expert knowledge freely to help colleagues and others. Avoid harm to others. Be careful in what is passed on and follow company procedures. Be honest and trustworthy. Honour property rights, copyrights, and patents. Give proper credit to the intellectual property of others. Do not pass other peoples work as your own. Respect the privacy of others. Do not gossip about confidential information. Do not read other peoples e-mail.

2. 3. 4. 5.

6.

Unethical behaviour has, at its roots, selfishness. It is as unethical to browse through someones computer files as it is to snoop at their diary. It is as unethical to send a rude message via e-mail as it is on paper. What difference is there in using unlicensed software to travelling on a train without paying the fare? Unethical behaviour can be regarded as a disciplinary matter in some companies.
Sometimes you may come across conflicting demands. You can apply the following guidelines to help you:

Do to others what you would have them do to you. Think your actions through. How would they affect others? Consider what is the greatest good or the least harm. If the action is not right for everyone to take, then its not right for anyone to take. What would happen if everyone did what you propose to do?

The Slippery Slope Rule: actions that produce acceptable changes can produce unacceptable changes in the long run. Therefore, they shouldnt be done in the first place. Unethical behaviour can be mostly traced back to individual selfishness.

Question 1. Write down two examples of unethical behaviour and suggest a reason for each one why a company regards the unethical behaviour as a disciplinary matter. ANSWER Computer Crime
Computer crime has often been considered as a victimless crime. It is not. It affects individuals, companies and their customers, and society as a whole. The young man milking a computer and making his fortune has a romantic air. However he has committed no less a crime than if he had walked into a bank with a sawn-off shotgun. It is one way that computers can be used for theft. People have also accessed bank databases to get credit card details, which they have used to make fraudulent purchases. Fraudulent trading on the Internet is a widespread problem.

Question 2. Describe three ways in which criminals can use the internet. ANSWER
Hacking is the unauthorised access to data. Employees of a company can acquire knowledge of user identities and passwords. On other occasions complete outsiders have managed to penetrate military, university, or corporate computers. Often there is no malicious intent; its a mischievous prank by intelligent but rather socially inept young men. Data can be stolen by unauthorised access to data. This can be by copying and taking away the copy for criminal use. Such theft is hard to detect because the data is still there. An example may be the copying of account details of several customers in a bank computer. Alternatively the whole computer can be stolen. Laptops are particularly easy to steal, although some thieves have brazenly walked off with a file server through a busy office. Data can also be lifted by use of equipment that can detect the electronic radiation from a VDU screen.

Question 3 Why is data worth stealing? ANSWER

Software Vandalism
Some young men have gone beyond seeking their thrills through hacking, to writing malicious coding that is intended to harm computer programs. Such programs tend to be written by

misguided and pathetically inadequate young men who get their kicks from this kind of vandalism. They feel big and heroic in the knowledge of the disruption and distress they cause to others. Viruses are malicious programs designed to disrupt the work of a computer. rarely damage the hardware, but they can:

Viruses very

Destroy data. Disrupt the operating system Block up memory Make the computer do irritating things. Cause serious system errors. Reproduce themselves and pass on to other computers. Sometimes they can lie dormant until a particular event or sequence of events.

Viruses generally:

Are small fragments of code, only a few kilobytes; Are well written, showing evidence of high quality programming skills. Copy themselves and spread to other computers. Are most commonly spread by e-mail, or on the internet. Sometimes they use pirated software.

A logic bomb is similar to a virus, but does not reproduce, nor does it activate until triggered. It can do immense damage to a computer system. It is often planted by an extortionist, or a disgruntled (ex-) employee. The latter might be facing dismissal after a disciplinary inquiry, and would set off the program on his dismissal. A worm is designed to go into a system and send information back to its author, like a spy. Some worms can act like viruses, replicating themselves and doing damage

Trojan Horses are containers that have a virus hiding inside. The virus is concealed within something that looks legitimate. This might be a document that has an attachment which contains the virus. Some documents might have the malicious code within the document itself, especially those written in html (hypertext mark-up language).

Viruses can travel in floppy disks and other removable storage media. A virus scanner can detect them, and render them harmless. Since new viruses are being written all the time, it is important to update the virus scanner from time to time. Some people use this kind of software to check all floppy disks before material is loaded from them. Other ways of protection include: Making sure that all purchased software comes in sealed packaging. Ensuring that nobody loads unauthorised software onto a network. Not permitting floppy disks of software or data to be removed or brought in to the office. (This can result in dismissal.)

Question 4 Explain three reasons why it is important to have good security on a college network. ANSWER
The risk of malicious damage can also be minimised by the use of the following precautions: Careful vetting of new staff. Immediate denial of access to staff who have been sacked or have handed in their resignation.

Separation of duties so that two people are required to enable critical functions to be changed. High security measures in the inner sanctum of the network. Even the computer manager can be monitored. Education of staff to ensure they are aware of security issues.

Hardware Threats
Threats to Hardware are obvious and unsubtle. You can smash up the computer equipment with a hammer, but hard drives are remarkably robust, and the data can be lifted off them by experts who charge a fortune to do so. Voltage spikes through the power supply can destroy the central processing unit and the RAM. This is why it is not advisable to use a computer during a thunderstorm. Magnetic fields from an ordinary magnet can destroy or corrupt data held magnetic storage media. A monitor placed near to hifi speakers can produce a distorted image and the damage can be permanent. Criminals can also use equipment that can damage the hardware such as high powered electromagnetic pulse generators. Deliberate destruction of computer equipment is covered by laws on Criminal Damage. As with any valuable item, reasonable precautions should be taken to prevent theft or other damage including:

locking important items in a secure room Having restricted access to the servers locking laptops to desks with wire loops and padlocks.

Question 5 "A virus got in and destroyed the hardware" Explain why this statement is not correct. ANSWER. Presentation Computer Ethics Now go on to Legal Framework

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Computer Ethics - Computer Ethics In The Workplace, Privacy, Computer Ethics As Education
ethical information technology data
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Computer ethics refers to the ways in which ethical traditions and norms are tested, applied, stretched, negotiated, and broken in the realm of computer technology. As computers brought about dramatically enhanced power of communication and data manipulation, new ethical questions and controversies were forced to the forefront of contemporary ethics debates. While ethics is concerned with codes of behavior, the arena of computer technology has created many uncertainties that make the establishment of such clear codes an often daunting task.

The more dramatic abuses of computer technology, such as major Internet hackings of company Web sites and online theft of credit card numbers, achieve a high profile. While there are few uncertainties about such cases, these are only the most visible examples of far more prevalent phenomena. Most cases are more subtle, frequent, and tied to the everyday workings of ordinary, law-abiding citizens. There are few clear rules to govern ethical computer behavior, and novel situations arise with great frequency, which can prove dangerous when these fields and practices are mixed with business and sensitive information. The sheer scope of computer usage, spanning nearly every part of daily life and work, from medical records and communications to payment schedules and national defense systems, makes the untangling of ethical considerations all the more important, as unchecked ethical violations in one area can have severe repercussions throughout a wider system. On the personal level, individuals may run into ethical difficulties in considering what other activities they are facilitating by performing their particular functions via computer. Unfortunately, the speed of computer innovation has usually far outpaced the development of ethical norms to guide the application of new technologies. The sheer volume of data available to individuals and organizations heightens the concern over computer ethics. No firm, for instance, can forego the opportunity to take advantage of the wealth of data and data manipulation afforded by modern information technology and telecommunications. The competitive nature of the economy provides an incentive to beat competitors to certain advantageous practices so as to capitalize on those advantages. The trick, then, is for organizations to devise ethical principles that allow for the greatest level of innovation and competitive strategy while remaining within the bounds of acceptable societal ethics, thereby maintaining the stability of the system from which they hope to benefit. Likewise, businesses need to coordinate codes of ethics to avoid having their own information systems compromised and putting themselves at a disadvantage.
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Regarding the Internet itself, the ethical conundrum centers on several basic questions. Will this medium have negative effects on society? What preventive measures can and should be taken to protect against these negative effects? In what ways will these preventive measures give rise to even more ethical considerations? Ultimately, how does society balance potential benefits with potentially damaging effects? E-commerce, in particular, creates a host of new ethical considerations, particularly in the area of marketing. The level of personal information and detail that can be accumulated about an individualthanks to the conversion of integrated databases, polling and purchasing data, and other computer-based dataposes rather serious questions about an individual's rights to personal information in the digital spectrum. The easy collection and exchange of personal consumption patterns and interests over the Internet, while highly desirable to many firms, makes civil libertarians queasy. More broadly, those concerned with computer ethics ask to what extent information perceived as a public good ought to be transformed into a marketable commodity. Of course, computer activity that is legal isn't necessarily ethical. For example, the invasion of employee privacy via the monitoring of computer-based communications and other computer activity, while generally held to be legal, nonetheless poses serious ethical dilemmas. In addition, computers and related technology greatly depersonalize information and communication and allow for enhanced anonymity, which in turn can lead to diminished barriers to unethical behavior. Information technology and computer professionals began seriously considering the long-term effects of computer ethics in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They recognized the need to organize professionally through such bodies as the Association for Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to devise professional codes of conduct. However, the increasing proliferation of powerful computers in the hands of nonprofessionals widens the scope of potential problems. Public interest groups such as the Computer Ethics Institute have made attempts to draw out basic guidelines for ethical computer behavior applicable throughout society. In that spirit, the institute formulated the "Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics," a list of basic dos and don'ts for computer use. Several professional associations have attempted to devise computer ethics codes. The code devised by the Association for Computing Machinery, for instance, included specific instructions that it is "the responsibility of professionals to maintain the privacy and integrity of data describing individuals," and that clear definitions for the retention and storage of such information and the enforcement thereof must be implemented for the protection of individual privacy.
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Additional Topics Computer Ethics - Computer Ethics In The Workplace

The bulk of the scholarly literature on computer ethics focuses on ethical issues in the workplace. Companies and organizations are continually confronted with ethical challenges and violations that require resolution either through clarifying internal policy, internal disciplining and enforcement, or litigation, depending on the nature and severity of the violation. But in addition to the obvious

Computer Ethics - Privacy

Aside from obvious criminal activities, subtler forms of computer activity can pose ethical problems. For instance, the use of company computer equipment by employees for personal activities has been vigorously debated, but no clear answers have been formulated that can apply in all organizations. Most employees that use computers maintain an e-mail account and regularly check their mail at work.

Computer Ethics - Computer Ethics As Education

In addition to representing a pressing business and social concern, computer ethics increasingly was seen as an important area of study. Many universities have added computer ethics to their curricula, a measure that is now required for a computer science department to earn certification

by the Computer Accreditation Board. Even elementary and secondary school students were exposed to computer-eth
Computer Ethics Institute [next] [back] Computer Crime - Definitions, Types Of Computer Crimes, Anti-cyber-crime Legislation, Enforcement Agencies, International Computer Crime

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almost 5 years ago Noor Fine explanation of the topic. Very consistent and useful. Thanks

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10 months ago britney i think this can be a lot more detailed.

6 months ago jepoy Over the past few years, computers have become a vastly popular household item. The luxury of emailing messages as opposed to charging up the phone bill is more appealing. Checking news, weather, and sports via the Internet is a convenience that many are taking advantage of. Our children's lives are already getting influenced by technology - and this is just the beginning. Computers and Internet are here to stay and software titles targeting young children continue to increase. Computer science is has become a compulsory subject in Indian schools. Today, We find computers in use everywhere, whether we go to reserve a train ticket or to a Bank. This is because it is faster and helps us complete our work without mistakes/errors. So Parents too have realized the need to help their children develop strong computer skills. Children are learning to read and write with computer games instead of homemade flash cards. They are reading their bedtime stories online instead of in bed with their parents. Slowly traditions are being broken and the computer is becoming a child's learning tool. Many parents are buying computer learning games instead of board games and pop-up books. Parents are leaving the learning up to the computers and spending less quality time with their children. The most important learning step for children is interaction with others. If they are sitting in front of the screen all day, they do not learn to share, wait their turn, or even something as simples as manners. Children need to be in contact with other children, adults, and animals. They need to experience things first hand not off a computer screen. When children log on to the computer their innocence is noticeable. Children are an easy target for adults who pose to be other children with similar interests. Sexual offenders often chat online with children and then make plans to meet them or slowly filter information about them.

Children are innocents and honesty on the computer can pose some huge problems. They do not know any better and usually it will only harm them in the end. One benefit of the computer age is that children are becoming smarter. They are growing up computer literate and will have that as a huge advantage. Computer literacy is becoming a huge job qualification and feeling comfortable with one will put them a step ahead. Children will also be able to complete homework on line. In some places, if you miss school you can find out the assignments that you miss and catch up. This is very helpful if your child comes down with the flu, but do you want them to feel like it is okay to miss school because they can catch up with their computer? Overall, children can benefit from computers if they are used wisely. Parents that supervise their children when they are on the computer can ensure that everything is happening safely. Computers are the wave of the future, but old fashioned learning techniques should not be forgotten. A child needs to interact physically with other people and not learn everything from computers. What are the advantages of computers for young children? Computers help children to be in control of their experience, to set their own pace, and to select the level of challenge with which they feel comfortable. Computers help children to use all of their senses to extract information. Computers fascinate kids and can draw their full attention, which often results in a deeper focus and concentration. Computers enable children to learn through creating, just as they gain hands-on knowledge and understanding when they build forts, make up stories, and paint, increase their skills As they master computers, children build positive attitudes toward technology that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives. Computers benefit the development of fundamental skills... Good educational software enables children to develop and practice a broad range skills. It can help them learn, for example, about letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and rhythm. Good software can also help children develop their understanding of cause and effect, higher order problem solving, procedural thinking, and creative expression. Today, the wide range of multimedia available for kids in India is really amazing. Emotional skills: By using a computer children develop self-confidence and self-esteem as they master computer skills and use the computer to make things happen. This also gives them a reason to smile! Social skills: In the classroom setting or in the home when their friends or parents are available, children often prefer working with one or two partners over working alone, which leads to the

development of social skills. Computers benefit children with special needs... Computers have proven extremely beneficial to kids with certain speech, audio, and motor limitations. Kids with special needs can use alternative input and output devices (assistive technologies) to interact with computers and do things that they normally could not accomplish independently. They benefit especially from having access to an on-demand, patient tutor that allows them to work at their own pace. What they achieve through using a computer enhances their self-esteem and provides them with a greater sense of control and engagement with the world. The internet provides them with the best of knowledge for their treatments and they can be in touch with doctors or friends through the internet, in India or Abroad. Also, the internet can later help them earn their means of livelihood. What are the disadvantages of computers for young children? Computers are very engaging and can exercise a strong "holding power" on children as well as adults. They really seem to mesmerize children. Since we do not yet understand the impact of this power, we need to monitor the amount of time a child spends before a computer. If the software is not age-appropriate, children are likely to become frustrated and associate a computer with failure. Kids with access to software that is not age appropriate may be exposed to such negative influences as violence, strong language, and over-stimulation from fast-action graphics. Frequent and prolonged computer sessions may pose physical health risks for children. The most frequently cited are visual strain, harmful effects of radiation, and posture and skeletal problems. In the case of normal usage and normal operating conditions, however, research has shown that computer monitors are safe and do not compromise the health of our eyes and that computer monitors emit little or no harmful radiation. What does seem to pose a hazard is the strain placed on a child's posture and skeletal structure if she consistently uses a computer set-up designed for an adult. For Surfing the Internet, parental involvement & control is a must.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_using_computers_i n_education#ixzz2jLaBnTW9

7 months ago capt Mathew

Is there any threat when some friends offer remote assistance by way of the advanced technology?

8 months ago joyce i think this ethic is not detailed better.....

9 months ago zzzzzzzzzzzz bull

Read more: Computer Ethics - Computer Ethics In The Workplace, Privacy, Computer Ethics As Education - Ethical, Information, Technology, and Data http://ecommerce.hostip.info/pages/246/Computer-Ethics.html#ixzz1l86JbmkZ