Summary — What This Chapter Covers
- Ethics is a set of moral principles that guide behaviour; professional codes set out what is expected of computing professionals.
- Joining a professional body such as the BCS or IEEE commits a member to a code of conduct and brings recognition, training and support.
- Acting ethically or unethically has consequences for users, employers, the public and the professional.
- Copyright legislation protects the creators of software and other digital works.
- Licences: free software (Free Software Foundation), open source (Open Source Initiative), shareware and commercial software.
- AI has social, economic and environmental impacts and a wide range of applications.
1. Ethics and Professional Bodies
Ethics and ownership
Why professionals sign up to a code
Ethics are moral principles about what is right and wrong. In computing, ethical questions include honesty about what a system can do, protecting users’ data, avoiding harm to the public, not plagiarising code and only working within one’s competence.
A professional ethical body such as the BCS (British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute for IT) or the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) publishes a code of conduct. The BCS code, for example, asks members to act in the public interest (health, safety, privacy, environment), to act with professional competence and integrity, to show duty to their employer or client, and duty to the profession.
| Benefits of joining a professional body |
|---|
| Shows employers and clients that the member has agreed to a code of conduct and has recognised standards, which builds trust |
| Access to training, continuing professional development and up-to-date information |
| Networking with other professionals; career support; professional qualifications such as Chartered status |
| A clear set of rules to follow, and support, when facing an ethical dilemma at work |
2. Acting Ethically
Ethics and ownership
Impact in a given situation
In an exam scenario, identify who is affected (users, the public, the employer, colleagues, the professional) and what happens if the professional acts ethically or not. Unethical actions can lead to harm to the public, loss of trust and reputation, legal action, dismissal and expulsion from a professional body.
Worked Example
A programmer is told by a manager to release software on time even though tests show it sometimes loses customer data. Discuss the ethical issues.
3. Copyright and Software Licences
Ethics and ownership
Who may use, copy and change software
Copyright legislation gives the creator of an original work (code, music, images, text) the legal right to control how it is copied, distributed and adapted. It is needed so that creators can earn from their work and are encouraged to produce more, and so that copying, piracy and plagiarism can be prosecuted. Protection is automatic; it does not have to be registered.
| Licence | Key features | Suits |
|---|
| Shareware |
| Commercial |
Memorise