ICS 131: Social Analysis of Computerization

Lecture 6:

Ethics and Reliability

Quiz

• Books and notes away…

• Blank sheet of paper…

Quiz

• Question 1: The statement below is similar to a sentence we discussed in class on Tuesday as being imprecisely worded. Please write a more accurate version of it.– “In the last two decades, computers have moved from

being self-contained to being networked.”

• Question 2: What is ethics?

Announcements

• There will be section next week.– Review for midterm

• I will not be holding office hours next week.– Special office hours - Tues, May 2, 9-10:30

Two Main Topic Areas

• Ethics & Responsibility

• Reliability & Safety

Two Main Topic Areas

• Ethics & Responsibility

• Reliability & Safety

Key Ideas

• Ethical factors influence the development of technology.

• Professionals are held to a different standard of ethics in their area.

Ethics

• How to do the right thing.

• Normative (what people should do) vs. descriptive (how people in a given group behave)

Deontological Ethics

• Duty, absolute rules

• E.g., it is wrong to lie.

• Kant - universality - “does it scale well?”

Utilitarianism

• John Stuart Mill

• Greatest good for the greatest number

• Act utility vs. Rule utility - difference?

Natural Rights

• Given by nature.

• E.g., right not to be killed.

Discontinuous Mind

• Baase divides acts into obligatory, prohibited and neither.

• In “Gaps in the Mind,” Richard Dawkins proposes that people regularly thrust discontinuous categories onto continuous phenomena. Are ethical considerations continuous in nature?

Professional Ethics

• Expert in a field

• Potentially affects large numbers of people.

• Special responsibilities to customers and general public.

Example: Going Public

• Process– 1) Start keeping records.– 2) Make sure you’re right.– 3) Go to manager.– 4) Make sure you’re right.– 5) Go to “higher-up”.– 6) Make sure you’re right.– 7) Go public.– Important not to skip steps, to avoid unnecessary harm

to self and others.

ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

• 24 imperatives– Fundamental ethical considerations– Specific considerations– Considerations that pertain to individuals in a

leadership role

As an ACM Member I Will…

• 1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being.• 1.2 Avoid harm to others.• 1.3 Be honest and trustworthy.• 1.4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate.• 1.5 Honor property rights including copyrights and patent.• 1.6 Give proper credit for intellectual property.• 1.7 Respect the privacy of others.• 1.8 Honor confidentiality.

As an ACM Computing Professional I Will…

• 2.1 Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness and dignity in both the process and products of professional work.

• 2.2 Acquire and maintain professional competence.

• 2.3 Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work.

• 2.4 Accept and provide appropriate professional review.

As an ACM Computing Professional I Will…

• 2.5 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks.

• 2.6 Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities.

• 2.7 Improve public understanding of computing and it’s consequences.

• 2.8 Access computing and communication resources only when authorized to do so.

As an ACM Member and an Organizational Leader, I Will…

• 3.1 Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unity and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities.

• 3.2 Manage personnel and resources to design and build information systems that enhance the quality of working life.

• 3.3 Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an organization’s computing and communication resources.

As an ACM Member and an Organizational Leader, I Will…

• 3.4 Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of requirements; later the system must be validated to meet requirements.

• 3.5 Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and others affected by a computing system.

• 3.6 Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems.

As an ACM Member I Will…

• 4.1 Uphold and promote the principles of this Code.

• 4.2 Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM.

Join?

• Given this code, how many of you would be comfortable joining the ACM?

• If not, why not…

Two Main Topic Areas

• Ethics & Responsibility

• Reliability & Safety

Two Main Topic Areas

• Ethics & Responsibility

• Reliability & Safety

Key Ideas

• Technical errors can produce unreliable and unsafe systems.

• Malicious code can produce unreliable and unsafe systems.

Java License: JDK 5.0

• “You acknowledge that Licensed Software is not designed or intended for use in the design, construction, operation or maintenance of any nuclear facility.”

MS Windows 2000

• “Note on Java Support. The OS Components may contain support for programs written in Java. Java technology is not fault tolerant and is not designed, manufactured, or intended for use or resale as on-line control equipment in hazardous environments requiring fail-safe performance, such as in the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communication systems, air traffic control, direct life support machines, or weapons systems, in which the failure of Java technology could lead directly to death, personal injury, or severe physical or environmental damage. Sun Microsystems, Inc. has contractually obligated Microsoft to make this disclaimer.”

When is it legally actionable to be unreliable?

When is it bad to be unreliable?

• Are the times when it is bad to be unreliable a superset, a subset or a partially overlapping but distinct set of the times when it is legally problematic?

Is it ever okay to be unreliable?

• Can you think of any cases?

Link to Security

• Since malicious code can be worse than an error, safety and reliability are closely linked to security.

Topic for Discussion

• You are a manager at a software company about to begin a large software project. You will need to hire dozens of new programmers. Using the Internet for communication and software delivery, you can hire programmers in another country at lower salary than programmers in your country. Should you do this?

• Question:– Decide what you believe, and produce one reason that contradicts

your belief.

• Discuss with neighbors - 5 minutes.

And our ethicists are...

Arthur AsuncionNatalie ClaseRoss HooperRonald PhanRohith RaviBrandon ShaferRose RobertsDavid GoenawanKevin HowardAllen KongGeoffrey Lee…come on down front!

Next class

• Guest Lecture -Peter Krapp

• For– Save money x 2, more efficient, increase shareholder value,

single country monopoly bad for global competition, improve standard of living, greater social impact, faster turnaround because of time zones

• Wider dynamic range• Against

– Drain of resources, more costly in the long term, unpatriotic, insecure, less commitment, communication barriers, logistical challenges, quality over quantity, encourages exploitation, time critical is hard with time zone, largely unsuccessful (experience)