Kling Beyond Outlaws Hackers and Pirates Do we
Kling: “Beyond Outlaws, Hackers, and Pirates. . . ” Do we romanticise outlaws? How do we perceive hackers? ●When should a software engineer be held responsible? When should he speak out? ●If no one listens, is there somewhere that he can go? ●Is it necessary to have some place to go? ●
Kling (cont. 1) ● Gale Cutler (director of R and D at whirlpool for 20 years): the following questions will help a software engineer with ethical questions: – Is it balanced? Is it fair to all parties? – Can I defend it? – How will it make me feel about myself?
Kling (cont. 2) ● ● Are there situations that cannot be solved by asking ourselves the previous questions? John Rawls (here is our fourth ethical philosopher): We have to make our ethical theories behind a “veil of ignorance. ” From this vantage point, are there any ways of restructuring our society that would be beneficial (Rawl's Theory of Justice)
Kling (cont. 3) ● Criticism of Rawl's Theory of Justice: – ● ● Race and gender are both morally valuable and psychology fundamental. How can we ignore them? The ACM is the closest thing that we have to a regulatory body. To date, no disciplinary action have been invoked on any party, although there are provisions.
Kling (cont 4) ● ● ACM focuses on individuals, not organizational responsibility. Most of the ACM code of conduct is universal, i. e. It can apply to virtually anyone.
Kling (cont 5) ● Collins, Miller, Spielman, Wherry (1994) took a Rawlsian approach to software engineering. They proposed that we should consider the following: – Least advantaged – Risking harm – Publicity test
Kling (cont 6) ● ● This analytical approach proved to by very expensive. Mc. Auley: “Macho management” - acting purely for the company, impersonal – Breeds a culture of arrogance, self-interest.
Kling (cont. 7) ● “What is the basis of ethical principles-what 'society says, ' the Christian Bible, the Koran, Confucian teaching, or one's intuitive sense of justice? Are ethical rules absolute? If not, what kinds of conditions justify murder, theft, or deception? ”
Parker, Swope, Baker, Weiss: “. . . Nine Provocative Examples. . . ” ● ● Software Developer relying on questionable inputs Computer Hacker accessing commercial computer services – Scanning phone numbers for computer tones – Using someone else's name
Parker (cont 1) ● ● Programmer producing new software built on an existing program Developing marketing profiles from public info – ● What of inaccuracies? Using students as subjects of experiments – Should students sacrifice themselves to “further knowledge”
Parker (cont 2) ● ● Marketing a s/w product known to have bugs – Who's responsible for injuries? – Are there lower standards for version 1. 0? – Does a disclaimer absolve companies of responsibility? Monitoring an employees computer usage.
Anderson, Johnson, Gotterbarn, Perolle: “Codes of Professional Ethics” ● Why has the ACM moved from enforced compliance towards educationally-oriented code?
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