Computer Ethics

As the Internet has become more and more a fundamental part of the average individual's life, the ethics involved have also become an increasingly problematic matter. It seems that no matter what it is, people will find some way to take advantage of a good thing, and the Internet is no exception. There are many areas of concern for Internet users that they should be aware of and prepared to encounter/prevent.

Computer ethics are a problem that many don't consider often. Most people like to pretend that nothing bad will happen to them, which is never a good train of thought travel on. One of the more obvious areas of concern is software theft, also commonly known as piracy. Piracy is the unauthorized distribution (or copying) of software. An example of piracy would be downloading media using programs like utorrent or bittorrent to illegally obtain copies of songs, albums, or movies. This is one of the most popular versions of software theft, although it is not the only one. There are also those who market professional counterfeits: software that looks the same as the authentic product, but is really stolen software being redistributed. Some people purposely take part in piracy, but others are a victim of the system; to learn how to avoid becoming a victim, click here, and to learn more about software theft click here.


Another area of concern regarding computer ethics (or lack thereof) are hackers, crackers, and script kiddies. All three of these invade a user's privacy and can gain access to/obtain  personal and/or financial information. Hackers enter into your system and can access your information, although crackers are the ones known to wreak havoc. These two categories of online criminals usually have a fair amount of knowledge as they can write the codes and programs to break into your computer. Script kiddies on the other hand, are not near as knowledgeable and use pre-written codes or programs to hack a system; however, this does not refrain them from causing serious damage to a computer or indivudual. This is an obvious lack of computer ethics and can generally be prevented through ardent security preventions such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and strong, secure passwords. You can learn more about these invaders of Internet privacy here.

Computer ethics spread beyond the legally invasive properties, such as piracy and hackers, and into the area of mere offensive behavior, such as cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is becoming more and more of a problem, especially in more recent generations. Cyber bullying is where an individual (usually a teen in junior high or high school, though not always) is, just as the name suggests, persecuted and tormented via the Internet. Common pathways for cyber bullying are popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. The results of cyber bullying can be self inflicted harm, depression, a decline in grades, and even suicide. Become more informed about cyber bullying at the Cyberbullying Research Center.

Yet another topic of computer ethics is computers in the work place. Believe it nor not, this is quite a large ethical issue. Consider it: computers don't get tired, they don't need Christmas bonuses (or a steady wage at all), and they don't require vacations and time off for their children's soccer games. They are much more convenient in many ways than a human employee. Many people are worried about their jobs and the decreasing probability for future employment in many areas where computers can take over. Hence, an ethical problem arises: is it okay for corporations to replace employees with computers, or is it an economic responsibility to maintain jobs for people? You can read more about this, and other issues, at Computer and Information Ethics.


More resources:
Ethics in Computing
Introduction to Computer Ethics
Computer Security Ethics and Privacy
What is Computer Ethics?