Ethical Computing Information Wall by Arianna E Fottis

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

fottisar — 2024-09-29 01:13:42 UTC

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics was created by the Computer Ethics Institute. It says;

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.
Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

Q1. Which of the Ten Ethical Computing Guidelines do you think students violate most often?

fottisar — 2024-09-29 03:10:47 UTC

I think the guideline that students violate most often is guideline 7, which says that "Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation." I think plagiarism is a big thing that college students do, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally. I have even seen cases of people plagiarizing themselves. A lot of students truly don't intend to plagiarize when citing things, but I have seen a lot of times where people cite something wrong.

Q2. Why do you think these violations occur?

fottisar — 2024-09-29 18:55:07 UTC

I think these violations occur because people when using a computer believe that they have the right to do these things, or that they believe that they could get away with doing them. Many of them, such as harming people, stealing, bearing false witness, etc., are things that are so easily accessible by people online, so it makes sense in a way why these violations would be occurring so often.

Q3. What do you think could be done to reduce or eliminate such unethical behavior?

fottisar — 2024-09-29 19:23:51 UTC

I do not know if it would be able to completely eliminate this behavior, however, for reducing it at the very least, I think possibly websites having more rules and monitoring things (such as people's comments or posts) more could help, or if websites that are made to promote stealing, plagiarism, etc., could be taken down. A lot of these commandments are so broad that it would be hard to completely eliminate them, but I think it is possible for them to be reduced.