Ethical Issues

Ethical Decision Evaluation Note:
The following vignettes can be used in an open and frank discussion of computer
ethics. Review each scenario carefully and respond to each question using the
following statement, choosing the description you feel most appropriate: I feel the
actions of this individual were (very ethical / ethical / neither ethical nor unethical /
unethical / very unethical). Then, justify your response
These scenarios are based on published works by Professor Whitman and Professor
Paradice.
1. A scientist developed a theory that required proof through the construction of a
computer model. He hired a computer programmer to build the model, and the theory
was shown to be correct. The scientist won several awards for the development of the
theory, but he never acknowledged the contribution of the computer programmer.
The scientist’s failure to acknowledge the computer programmer was:
2. The owner of a small business needed a computer-based accounting system. One

day, he identified the various inputs and outputs he felt were required to satisfy his
needs. Then he showed his design to a computer programmer and asked the
programmer if she could implement such a system. The programmer knew she could
implement the system because she had developed much more sophisticated systems
in the past. In fact, she thought this design was rather crude and would soon need
several major revisions. But she didn’t say anything about her thoughts, because the
business owner didn’t ask, and she hoped she might be hired to implement the needed
revisions.
The programmer’s decision not to point out the design flaws was:
3. A student found a loophole in the university computer’s security system that allowed
him access to other students’ records. He told the system administrator about the
loophole, but continued to access others’ records until the problem was corrected two
weeks later.
The student’s action in searching for the loophole was:
The student’s action in continuing to access others’ records for two weeks was:
The system administrator’s failure to correct the problem sooner was:
4. A computer user called a mail-order software company to order a particular

accounting system. When he received his order, he found that the store had
accidentally sent him a very expensive word-processing program as well as the
accounting package that he had ordered. The invoice listed only the accounting
package. The user decided to keep the word-processing package.
The user’s decision to keep the word-processing package was:
5. A programmer at a bank realized that he had accidentally overdrawn his checking

account. He made a small adjustment in the bank’s accounting system so that his
account would not have the additional service charge assessed. As soon as he
deposited funds that made his balance positive again, he corrected the bank’s
accounting system.
The programmer’s modification of the accounting system was:
6. A computer programmer enjoyed building small computer applications (programs)

to give his friends. He would frequently go to his office on Saturday when no one was
working and use his employer’s computer to develop applications. He did not hide the
fact that he was going into the building; he had to sign a register at a security desk
each time he entered.
The programmer’s use of the company computer was:
7. A computer programmer built small computer applications (programs) in order to

sell them. This was not his main source of income. He worked for a moderately sized
computer vendor. He would frequently go to his office on Saturday when no one was
working and use his employer’s computer to develop applications. He did not hide the
fact that he was going into the building; he had to sign a register at a security desk
each time he entered.
The programmer’s use of the company computer was:
8. A student enrolled in a computer class was also employed at a local business part-
time. Frequently her homework in the class involved using popular word-processing
and spreadsheet packages. Occasionally she worked on her homework on the office
computer at her part-time job, on her coffee or meal breaks.
The student’s use of the company computer was:
If the student had worked on her homework during “company time” (not during a
break), the student’s use of the company computer would have been:
9. A student at a university learned to use an expensive spreadsheet program in her
accounting class. The student would go to the university microcomputer lab and use
the software to complete her assignment. Signs were posted in the lab indicating that
copying software was forbidden. One day, she decided to copy the software anyway
to complete her work assignments at home.
If the student destroyed her copy of the software at the end of the term, her action
in copying the software was:
If the student forgot to destroy her copy of the software at the end of the term, her
action in copying the software was:
If the student never intended to destroy her copy of the software at the end of the
term, her action in copying the software was:
10. A student at a university found out that one of the local computer bulletin boards
contained a “pirate” section (a section containing a collection of illegally copied
software programs). He subscribed to the board, and proceeded to download several
games and professional programs, which he then distributed to several of his friends.
The student’s actions in downloading the games were:
The student’s actions in downloading the programs were:
The student’s actions in sharing the programs and games with his friends were:
11. State College charges its departments for computer time usage on the campus
mainframe. A student had access to the university computer system because a class
she was taking required extensive computer usage. The student enjoyed playing
games on the computer, and frequently had to request extra computer funds from her
professor in order to complete her assignments.
The student’s use of the computer to play games was:
12. An engineer needed a program to perform a series of complicated calculations. He

found a computer programmer capable of writing the program, but would only hire
the programmer if he agreed to share any liability that may result from an error in the
engineer’s calculations. The programmer said he would be willing to assume any
liability due to a malfunction of the program, but was unwilling to share any liability
due to an error in the engineer’s calculations.
The programmer’s position in this situation is:
The engineer’s position in this situation is:
13. A manager of a company that sells computer-processing services bought similar

services from a competitor. She used her access to the competitor’s computer to try
to break the security system, identify other customers, and cause the system to
“crash” (cause loss of service to others). She used the service for over a year and
always paid her bills promptly
The manager’s actions were:
14. One day, a student programmer decided to write a virus program. Virus programs
usually make copies of themselves on other disks automatically, so the virus can
spread to unsuspecting users. The student wrote a program that caused the
microcomputer to ignore every fifth command entered by a user. The student took his
program to the university computing lab and installed it on one of the microcomputers.
Before long, the virus spread to hundreds of users.
The student’s action of infecting hundreds of users’ disks was:
If the virus program output the message “Have a nice day,” then the student’s action
of infecting hundreds of users’ disks would have been:
If the virus erased files, then the student’s action of infecting hundreds of users’ files
would have been:

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Ethical Decision Evaluation Note:

2. The owner of a small business needed a computer-based accounting system. One

4. A computer user called a mail-order software company to order a particular

5. A programmer at a bank realized that he had accidentally overdrawn his checking

6. A computer programmer enjoyed building small computer applications (programs)

7. A computer programmer built small computer applications (programs) in order to

The student’s actions in downloading the programs were:

12. An engineer needed a program to perform a series of complicated calculations. He

The engineer’s position in this situation is:

13. A manager of a company that sells computer-processing services bought similar

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