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Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

simpsoca — 2025-09-29 01:57:11 UTC

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 (without permission).
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 other humans.

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

simpsoca — 2025-09-29 01:58:26 UTC

I think the commandment students have the most trouble complying with is the eighth, which is essentially plagiarism. There's been a noticeable increase in this especially in recent years with artificial intelligence, but ever since the internet became a widespread resource people have been using it to cheat on exams or other classwork and assignments in pursuit of a good grade without putting in the appropriate work. Not to say that there weren't cheaters before the internet, but with the near-universal communication technology provides plagiarism has become significantly more accessible, and thus a much bigger issue.

Q2. Why do you think these violations occur?

simpsoca — 2025-09-29 01:58:36 UTC

As mentioned previously, these violations are becoming more common because of developing technology, most recently AI. All advancements in society have been joined by ways to misuse those advancements, and the most common and universal ways for the internet and technology to be misused in 2025 is through having ChatGPT simply complete your assignments for you. In fact, while searching for an image to accompany this block of text, I was offered the option of simply generating one entirely.

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

simpsoca — 2025-09-29 01:58:45 UTC

In part, certain measures being taken by instructors already do a lot in dissuading this kind of plagiarism: AI designed to find this kind of dishonesty. But these systems have faults, and plenty of people around social media have pointed out them misidentifying certain writing choices as "tells," such as using the oxford comma or an em dash—both of which I happen to use quite frequently in my writing, and I'm fairly certain that I'm not an android. Still, these systems are currently the best we have for identifying these kinds of plagiarism; and as for preventing it outright, I think that would be impossible. As I said earlier, all human advancement is accompanied by people looking to misuse those advancements. It's a symptom of progress, one I think we'll just have to live with and work around. We could, however, take steps to make these AI resources less immediately accessible, but that kind of regulation will come with time.