7.1 Ethics&Ownership.legal_moral_ethical_cultural_implications

Question 1

What does “Legal” mean?

Answer 1

Relating to, or permissible by, law.

Question 2

What is “Morality”?

Answer 2

An understanding of the difference between right and wrong, often based on personal beliefs.

Question 3

What are “Ethics”?

Answer 3

Moral principles governing an individual’s or organisation’s behaviour, such as a code of conduct.

Question 4

What is “Culture” in the context of ethics?

Answer 4

The attitudes, values, and practices shared by a group of people or society.

Question 5

What are “Intellectual Property Rights”?

Answer 5

Rules governing an individual’s ownership of their own creations or ideas, prohibiting copying without permission.

Question 6

What is “Privacy” in digital and ethical contexts?

Answer 6

The right to keep personal information secret and protected from unauthorised access.

Question 7

What is “Plagiarism”?

Answer 7

The act of taking another person’s work and claiming it as one’s own.

Question 8

What does “BCS” stand for?

Answer 8

British Computer Society

Question 9

What does “IEEE” stand for?

Answer 9

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Question 10

What does “ACM” stand for?

Answer 10

Association for Computing Machinery

Question 11

What is the difference between “Legal” and “Illegal”?

Answer 11

Legal covers the law, while illegal refers to anything that breaks the law.

Question 12

How does “Morality” differ from “Ethics”?

Answer 12

Morality concerns personal beliefs of right and wrong, whereas ethics are often used in a professional context.

Question 13

What is an example of an illegal but not necessarily immoral act?

Answer 13

Copying software and selling it without permission.

Question 14

Can an act be immoral but not illegal?

Answer 14

Yes, such as creating a fake news website that causes distress but does not break any laws.

Question 15

When does hacking become illegal?

Answer 15

When it compromises national security, results in financial gain, or reveals personal information.

Question 16

What is “Unethical Behaviour”?

Answer 16

Breaking a code of conduct, such as sharing company secrets with a rival.

Question 17

When does unethical behaviour become illegal?

Answer 17

If it involves copyrighted material, national security risks, or financial theft.

Question 18

Why is culture important in computing?

Answer 18

Culture influences content in computer programs, such as games, to avoid offensive material. Some cultural boundaries may make certain content illegal.

Question 19

What are “Computer Ethics”?

Answer 19

A set of principles regulating computer use, focusing on intellectual property rights, privacy, and societal effects.

Question 20

What are three key factors in computer ethics?

Answer 20

• Intellectual property rights (e.g., copying software without permission)
• Privacy issues (e.g., hacking or illegal access to personal data)
• Effects of computers on society (e.g., job losses, social impacts)

Question 21

What is plagiarism in computing?

Answer 21

Taking another person’s work or ideas and claiming them as one’s own without proper attribution.

Question 22

How can plagiarism be detected?

Answer 22

Using software that scans text and searches the internet for similarities.

Question 23

What is the British Computer Society (BCS)?

Answer 23

A professional body representing IT and computing professionals, ensuring ethical practices.

Question 24

What are the four areas covered in the BCS Code of Conduct?

Answer 24

1. The Public Interest
2. Professional Competence and Integrity
3. Duty to Relevant Authority
4. Duty to the Profession

Question 25

What is the IEEE?

Answer 25

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a US-based organisation promoting ethical behaviour in the electronics industry.

Question 26

What are the aims of the IEEE?

Answer 26

- Raising awareness of ethical issues - Promoting ethical behaviour among professionals - Ensuring engineers and scientists respect ethical standards

Question 27

What is the first principle of the IEEE Code of Ethics?

Answer 27

To prioritise public safety, health, and welfare, ensuring ethical design and sustainable development.

Question 28

What does the IEEE Code of Ethics say about conflicts of interest?

Answer 28

Conflicts of interest should be avoided where possible and disclosed when they exist.

Question 29

How does the IEEE Code of Ethics address honesty?

Answer 29

Members must be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data.

Question 30

What stance does the IEEE Code of Ethics take on bribery?

Answer 30

It rejects bribery in all its forms.

Question 31

How does the IEEE promote technological understanding?

Answer 31

By improving public awareness of the capabilities and societal impacts of emerging technologies.

Question 32

What does the IEEE Code of Ethics say about professional competence?

Answer 32

Members should only undertake tasks they are qualified for and disclose any limitations.

Question 33

How does the IEEE Code of Ethics encourage professional integrity?

Answer 33

By promoting honest criticism of technical work, correcting errors, and crediting contributions properly.

Question 34

What is the IEEE's stance on discrimination?

Answer 34

Members must treat all people fairly and avoid discrimination based on race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Question 35

What does the IEEE Code of Ethics say about harming others?

Answer 35

Members should avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment through false or malicious actions.

Question 36

How does the IEEE Code of Ethics promote professional development?

Answer 36

Members should assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional growth and support adherence to the ethical code.

Question 37

What is the purpose of the Software Engineering Code of Ethics?

Answer 37

To ensure all software engineers follow a consistent and acceptable ethical standard, developed by IEEE and ACM.

Question 38

How many principles does the Software Engineering Code of Ethics contain?

Answer 38

8

Question 39

What are some main principles of the Software Engineering Code of Ethics?

Answer 39

1. PUBLIC – Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest. 2. CLIENT AND EMPLOYER – Software engineers shall act in the best interests of their client and employer while maintaining public interest. 3. PRODUCT – Software engineers must ensure their products and modifications meet the highest professional standards. 4. JUDGEMENT – Software engineers must maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgement. 5. MANAGEMENT – Software engineering managers and leaders should promote ethical approaches to software development and maintenance. 6. PROFESSION – Software engineers should uphold the integrity and reputation of the profession in line with public interest. 7. COLLEAGUES – Software engineers should treat their colleagues fairly and support them. 8. SELF – Software engineers should engage in lifelong learning and promote ethical practices.

Question 40

Why is it important to consider public impact when developing software or hardware?

Answer 40

To ensure public well-being, address health and safety concerns, act in the public interest, and consider benefits and concerns of the public.

Question 41

What happened at LA airport in 2007 due to a software issue?

Answer 41

A faulty network card sent incorrect data, causing a shutdown of the USA Customs and Borders Agency, grounding flights for eight hours and resulting in financial losses and public frustration.

Question 42

What was the cause of the exploding Dell laptops in 2008? How did the exploding laptops impact the public and manufacturers?

Answer 42

Faulty batteries that overheated and eventually burst into flames during a trade show in Japan. 100 million devices were recalled, costing over 300 million US dollars; public safety was at risk, but the issue was caught before widespread sales.

Question 43

What was the Airbus A380 software compatibility issue in 2006?

Answer 43

Factories in Germany and France used different versions of CATIA design software, leading to mismatched wiring that required costly redesign and remanufacturing. It was discovered before assembly, but if left undetected, a different design incompatibility could have led to catastrophic consequences.

Question 44

What are some other software-related issues that affect the public?

Answer 44

- Selling software with inadequate security - Covering up security breaches (e.g., XEN security threat) - Release of private data (e.g., celebrity photo leaks) - Failure of social media to police cyberbullying and hate speech - Search engines ranking results based on donations rather than relevance.

Question 45

What is the XEN security threat an example of?

Answer 45

A covered-up security issue that compromised several cloud servers before the operators were forced to disclose it.

Question 46

How can search engines manipulate public access to information?

Answer 46

By prioritising search results based on donations rather than relevance, potentially misleading users.

Question 47

How does inadequate security in software systems affect businesses and individuals?

Answer 47

It increases vulnerability to hacking, spyware, and data breaches, compromising sensitive information.