Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Computing

by Duquenoy, Penny; Jones, Simon; Blundell, Barry G.

• ISBN13: 9781844807499
• ISBN10: 1844807495
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-30
• Publisher: Cengage Learning EMEA

Summary

Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Computing provides a comprehensive treatment of the issues facing computer professionals in today's modern, working environment. It features ethical material and codes of practice, using them throughout the book to highlight issues. Written in an accessible style and aided by numerous activities, it brings the subject matter to life and provides essential coverage for undergraduates or anyone interested in the issues facing computer professionals in an ever-changing world.

Author Biography

Penny Duquenoy, Simon Jones and Barry G Blundell of Middlesex University, developed with support from Global Campus and Middlesex University Press

Table of Contents

Series preface	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
About the website	p. xiii
A general introduction	p. 1
Computer ethics: an overview	p. 2
Identifying an ethical issue	p. 4
Ethics and the law	p. 6
Ethical theories	p. 7
Professional codes of conduct	p. 11
An ethical dilemma	p. 11
A framework for ethical decision making	p. 12
Summary	p. 13
Review questions	p. 14
Feedback on activities	p. 14
Computer hacking	p. 17
Introduction	p. 18
Definitions of hacking	p. 18
Destructive programs	p. 20
Hacker ethics	p. 23
Legal constraints: the Computer Misuse Act, 1990	p. 24
Professional constraints: BCS Code of Conduct	p. 25
To hack or not to hack? Ethical positions on hacking	p. 26
An ethical dilemma	p. 27
Summary	p. 28
Review questions	p. 29
Feedback on activities	p. 30
Aspects of computer crime	p. 35
Introduction	p. 36
What is computer crime?	p. 36
Computer security measures	p. 43
The Computer Misuse Act, 1990	p. 48
Professional duties and obligations	p. 50
An ethical dilemma	p. 50
Summary	p. 52
Review questions	p. 53
Feedback on activities	p. 54
Intellectual property rights	p. 57
Introduction	p. 58
The nature of intellectual property	p. 58
Intellectual property legislation	p. 59
The extent and nature of software piracy	p. 64
Ethical and professional issues	p. 68
Free software and open source code	p. 71
An ethical dilemma	p. 72
Summary	p. 73
Review questions	p. 74
Feedback on activities	p. 75
Regulating Internet content	p. 79
Introduction	p. 80
In defence of freedom of expression	p. 80
Censorship	p. 81
Laws upholding free speech	p. 84
Free speech and the Internet	p. 86
Ethical and professional issues	p. 91
An ethical dilemma	p. 93
Summary	p. 94
Review questions	p. 94
Feedback on activities	p. 95
Personal privacy and computer technologies	p. 99
Introduction	p. 100
Valuing privacy	p. 100
Internet technologies and privacy	p. 102
Privacy legislation	p. 107
The Data Protection Act, 1998	p. 111
Professional and ethical issues	p. 116
An ethical dilemma	p. 119
Summary	p. 119
Review questions	p. 120
Feedback on activities	p. 121
Computer technologies: accessibility issues	p. 127
Introduction	p. 128
Principle of equal access	p. 128
Obstacles to access for individuals	p. 129
Legislation	p. 130
Enabling the disabled	p. 131
Professional responsibility	p. 134
An ethical dilemma	p. 135
Summary	p. 135
Review questions	p. 136
Feedback on activities	p. 136
Empowering computers in the workplace	p. 139
Introduction	p. 140
Computers and employment	p. 140
Computers and the quality of work	p. 141
Computerised monitoring in the workplace	p. 143
Telecommuting	p. 147
An ethical dilemma	p. 149
Summary	p. 150
Review questions	p. 151
Feedback on activities	p. 151
The use of artificial intelligence and expert systems	p. 157
Introduction	p. 158
Origins of Al and expert systems	p. 158
The debate on computer intelligence	p. 159
Applying intelligence	p. 161
Implications on agent-based decision making	p. 163
Social, legal and professional issues	p. 165
An ethical dilemma	p. 168
Summary	p. 169
Review questions	p. 169
Feedback on activities	p. 170
The failure of IT projects	p. 175
Introduction	p. 176
The problems of producing successful IT projects	p. 179
How the profession is addressing the problem of IT failure	p. 180
The relationship between professional codes of conduct and IT projects	p. 183
An overview of national legislation	p. 185
Summary	p. 187
Review questions	p. 188
Feedback on activities	p. 189
Codes of conduct	p. 193
Introduction	p. 194
Professional bodies and the British Computer Society	p. 194
The role of codes of conduct	p. 197
Key aspects of the BCS Code of Conduct	p. 198
An ethical dilemma	p. 199
Summary	p. 200
Review questions	p. 200
Feedback on activities	p. 201
Towards the future: some ethical and social questions	p. 205
Introduction	p. 206
The database society	p. 206
Restricting choice: digital rights management	p. 213
Review of the ethical dilemmas	p. 215
The pace of change	p. 219
Summary	p. 222
Feedback on activities	p. 223
Answers to review questions	p. 225
Index	p. 249
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