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Computer Ethics

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Computer Ethics

Jason Hall

CIS 324

Professor Pride

December 4, 2010

Abstract As advancements in technology become more widespread, so do the ethical issues that come with these advancements. Computer ethics boils down to a “what is right and what is wrong” mentality. While one person’s view on computer ethics may differ from another person’s view, one basic idea should always be kept in mind when making ethical decisions, “Do unto others as you would have done to you.” If everyone obeyed this “golden rule” we would not have nearly as many issues with computer ethics. To better understand some of the computer ethics issues surrounding us today, I will explore the ethical issues dealing with software and social networking sites that have plagued the cyber world in recent years.

Software Issues Ethical use of software is overlooked by many. Purchasing software does not mean that one owns the software and can use it anyway they want. You do not own the software. The only thing purchased in this case is a license to use the software. Upon using the purchased software, the purchaser accepts the terms and conditions that apply. By accepting the terms of the copyrighted material, one is agreeing not to use the software for anything other then the intended use and not to make and distribute copies to others who have not paid for the license. The only exception for making copies of software is for backup purposes. This type of exception is known as a “fair use” provision (Hames, 2010). Under this provision one can make a backup copy for their personal use only and cannot loan or give the disk to a friend or colleague (Hames, 2010). A lot of people view software as just computer programs, but software can also be CDs and DVDs. It was estimated in 1999 that one in every four CDs sold was an unauthorized copy, and in 2001 estimated that there were as many of these unauthorized copies in circulation as there were CDs sold (Duke, 2002). Many of the burnt copies of CDs today are created through file sharing. The most notorious of these file sharing sites is Napster. Although Napster operates under the letter of the law today and is under different ownership, a decade ago Napster felt the heat of the music industry when it was sued for copyright infringement and order to remove all copyrighted files from its file sharing site (Vance, 2000). DVD copying, as well, has faced scrutiny in recent times. In 2008, RealNetworks of Seattle released their RealMedia DVD copying software. This software was short lived. Later that year U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel, who was the judge in the Napster case, ordered that the software be taken off the market (Brownlee, 2009). Some do not get off as easy as Napster or RealNetworks. In the spring of 2009 four Swedes were tried for running the file sharing site “The Pirate Bay.” The Pirate Bay is used for illegally trading music. The four involved were sentenced to pay more than $3 million in fines and serve a year in jail for their crimes (Juskalian, 2009). In another case in June of 2009, a Minnesota woman was ordered to pay close to $2 million in fines for her part in illegal file sharing. These types of crimes can carry heavy fine and even prison in some cases. Opponents of software piracy are fighting an uphill battle. In 2007 large software vendors, such as Apple and Microsoft, funded a survey focused on revenue lost due to software piracy. The survey was performed by the International Data Corporation, or IDC, and the results of the survey were staggering. An estimated $40 billion in revenue worldwide was lost in 2006 from software piracy (Blau, 2007). The IDC also forecasted that in 2010 that businesses and consumers would spend $350 billion worldwide on software, while more than $180 billion will be pirated at the same time (Blau, 2007). As long as we see new software, so shall we see unauthorized copies of this software being pirated around the world.

Social Network Sites Social Networking site have become overwhelmingly popular in recent years. Some of the more popular social networking sites are: Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Facebook alone has more than 550 million members worldwide and growing. No other site is even close in terms of members. With so many people using these sites it is no wonder that ethical issues would become apparent. One of the ethical issues with these sites lies with potential employers. Some believe that it is unethical for an employer to disqualify an applicant because of their social networking site. Is it illegal? If a jobseeker posts personal or embarrassing information about themselves on Facebook, then the information is made public and therefore available for anyone, including potential employers, to view (Potter, 2008). No law is broken if the employer uses information off of your Facebook page in making hiring decisions, that is, as long as there are no violations of state of federal discrimination laws (Potter, 2008). Another issue arising from these sites is the ability of third party applications to acquire personal information from the users of these social networking sites. Facebook is rumored to have over 55,000 of these applications (Ferro, 2010). When these applications get your personal information then you are most definitely prone to spam attacks. An estimated 57% of social networking site users have received spam (Ferro, 2010). Making careful decisions before clicking on these applications on social or networking sites and not clicking on links in e-mails can save a lot of spam attacks in the future. Cyber bullying is the latest issue to hit these sites. Cyber bullying can have a profound effect on the recipient, sometimes even resulting in suicide. On October 7, 2003 Ryan Patrick Halligan, a 13 year old boy, took his own life due, in part, to cyber bullying (Halligan, 2010). Although Ryan wasn’t bullied on Facebook or MySpace, there are many who are. More recently, the suicide of Tyler Clementi has gotten the attention of the whole country. On September 22 of this year Tyler Clementi posted his final farewell on his Facebook page (Friedman, 2010). Two fellow students, one being his dorm mate, were charged with 2 counts each of invasion of privacy after they allegedly hid a camera in Clementi’s dorm room and aired the livestream online exposing Clementi’s closet homosexuality (Friedman, 2010). These types of instances tend to give social networking sites a bad rap, but we need to realize that it is not the site that commits these heinous acts. It is the people using these sites.

Conclusion Computer ethics is continually evolving with every “new” trend, whether it is with software or social networking sites. New issues are popping up everyday. According to the Computer Ethics Institute, or CEI, there are Ten Commandments of computer ethics. They are: 1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people (CEI, 2008). 2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work (CEI, 2008). 3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files. 4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal (CEI, 2008). 5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness (CEI, 2008). 6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid (CEI, 2008). 7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation (CEI, 2008). 8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output (CEI, 2008). 9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing (CEI, 2008). 10. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans (CEI, 2008).
These rules are great guidelines to use when faced with an ethical decision. Another thing to remember is “just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t make it right.” Some computer crimes that deal with ethics are committed because the offender never thinks they will get caught, and they know others doing the same thing without getting caught. Computers require a level of responsibility to make the right decisions when trying out new software or just checking your social networking site.

References
Blau, J. (2007). Software piracy hits $40b worldwide, says study. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://pcworld.about.com/od/software/Software-piracy-hits-40B-worl.htm
Brownlee, J. (2009). DVD copying is illegal under dmca, says judge. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://www.geek.com/articles/news/dvd-copying-software-is-illegal-under-dmca-says-judge-20090812/
C.E.I. (2008). The ten commandments of computer ethics. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://cpsr.org/issues/ethics/cei/
Duke L. & Tech. (2002). The promulgation of music piracy. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2002dltr0023.html
Ferro, M. (2010). The dangers of social networking sites such as facebook. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:+/2010/04/18/the-dangers-of-social-networking-sites-such-as-facebook/
Friedman, E. (2010). Victim of secret dorm sex tape posts facebook goodbye, jumps to his death. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://abcnews.go.com/US/victim-secret-dorm-sex-tape-commits-suicide/story?id=11758716
Halligan, J. (2010). Ryan’s story. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/index.htm
Hames, R. (2010). Computer ethics? right vs. wrong. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://www.ollnet.com/school/faculty/DonRoque/article3.htm
Juskalian, R. (2009). 10 years after napster, online pirates alive and well. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7913205&page=1
Potter, L. (2008). Legal and ethical issues when employers check applicants’ social networking sites. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://lespotter001.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/legal-and-ethical-issues-with-employers-checking-social-networking-sites/
Vance, A. (2000). Judge in napster case finds in favor of music companies. Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://www.pcworld.com/article/17839/judge_in_napster_case_finds_in_favor_of_music_companies.html

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