Technological Ethics, Cyber Ethics - Article Example

Name: Institution: Date: Ethics: Question one Philosophical ethics is a philosophy branch aimed at exploring moral virtues while evaluating the actions of human. It differs from ethical approaches that are either legal, cultural or personal. This is through organizing what is right through outlooks aimed at satisfying human happiness and that which is rationale. Issues that characterize moral views of someone such as religion, law, irrationality, subjectivity and arbitrariness are avoided (Tavani 2011, pp.21) Analyzing the case of AEC’s case implementing the new computer information technology would do well to the company. It is a threat to the employees that a number of its employees will be replaced by the new technology. However according to the tradition of modern philosophy called teleological ethics, actions moral character depends on whether it actually helps people or not. If the advantages of the actions are more than the disadvantage, then the action is right. In AEC’s case it’s evident that the new information technology computer will bring more benefit to the company as opposed to having many human employees. With the new computer, the rates of production will be high; there will be a reduction in lead time and fewer hours of work, qualitative products and materials being used efficiently. Having human employees on the other hand is advantageous too because automated systems do not perform systems of manufacturing as human beings would perform. For humans more variability is put resulting consistency in the quality of the product and great control. However, the advantages of having a new computer overweigh human employees. Therefore the action to replace the employees with the computer is right despite the consequences. However there is another critic with this case based on deontological approach of philosophical ethics. It argues that teleological thinkers refuse to agree that every action has a basic moral value. Actions like respecting others rights, telling the truth and keeping promises are considered be right. Actions like theft, manipulation and dishonesty are bad. Deontological thinkers argue that no matter how good an effect comes from what they call bad, it will never be good. Therefore the implementation by EAC to replace human workforce with the new information technology has a positive effect, however it is not good according to this approach since some employees will lose their work. It would only be good if it was the right thing to do. In this case it is not because it is inclined to do some deeds or because there are some positive effects attached to it. Question 2 Just consequentialism theory as described by James Moor emphasized on the effects of rules within the restriction of justice. It therefore becomes a practical approach to the problems concerning information ethics and computer. The ethical terms used for computer ethics is cyber ethics. Cyber ethics is the ethical issues that both computer professionals and machines face. It is wide compared to internet ethics that is constrained to issues affecting computer network only. Today, as opposed to traditional days, there has been an introduction of unique ethical issues that did not exist before. For example years ago in case there was a case of someone being shot outside his or her car. This occurred from the killer taking ones license plate and place of employment from the internet. Immediately after work people would be ambushed and followed to kill. Because of these there was need for new criminal laws following cases of cyber stalking. Traditionally crime was crime and nothing could be done, however cyber technology introduced unique proponents. Cyber technology enabled cyber stalkers to stalk a number of victims at the same time and it is even easier for them since they can operate from home. Therefore consequentialism theory comes up with two unique ethical issues to solve this problem (pg45). They include controversial computer systems being designed and coded by professionals and software piracy. Since computers are logically malleable, James Moore argued that there was need for actions by human beings through policy vacuums that often rose from conceptual muddles. The vacuum cleared out muddles by defining what software is. Often it has been futile to correct issues that attempt to control technology. However it has been effective to control technology with other technology. For instance it is hard to enforce laws that suppress pornography however; there has been a success to software’s that filter out pornography. Cyber ethics analyze issues that ethically affect computer professionals. For instance, in a case where a programmer discovers that a software product that he or she has been working on is to be released to the public for sale despite buggy software’s that make it unreliable he is not supposed to blow the whistle. Technology is assumed to be neutral and biased in a number of directions. It is only biased in directions that are considered wrong and unbiased to right directions. Therefore it is right to conclude that cyber ethics is biased is there are a number of practices that have moral allegations. Question three The Australian computer code of ethics outlines its strategy to decion making by the board members who have a foundation that base the stakeholders decion. Front line employee’s asides from the company owners are able to make the day to day decisions of the company. This is possible with the competence value which allows them to accept the responsibilities attached to their work. It also allows them to advise their stakeholders in projects they feel is not in the best interest of the company yet it has been proposed. Having ethical conducts makes it a requirement to do business. This is because they are in a company’s name. For instance if there is a defraud done by a supplier to a purchaser, the code of ethics can be used to convince the court that such behaviors are not endorsed in your company. This is because honesty is a value in the society ethics and bribery or inducement offers are not condoned. This is all true however; there are some issues with this code of ethics. For instance the standards do not address principle business activities among the range of activities that have been outlines by the Australian computer society code of ethics. The only thing outlined are values that the employees are supposed to act as written by the law in becoming good citizens. The values include honesty, professionalism and competence among others. Therefore, it becomes hard for employees to understand their actions across the board and its integrity. Next is that the ethical codes do not link to and align with the overall objectives and culture of the company. This leads the employee to question whether it is important to abide by the ethics of the company in relation to the objectives of the company. The ethics do not represent a right tone to the company. They present a tone that management does not propose. The right tone reign forces intentions of management for ethics to create a welcoming atmosphere for employees and better connect the company’s standards. With this tone the company misses these benefits. Lastly since it focuses on various human nature, divisions are created because of different opinions. Different opinions in their code of ethics know what is wrong and what is right. These may create societal rifts within the society causing the laws made by legislators and other governments to progress in a slow rate. Question 4 With the current use of ordinary online tools and search facilities, ordinary users can easily acquire people’s information that is private. In the end the use of these tools has threatened the privacy of ordinary people .Tracking is one of the ways used to erode privacy by using internet. Most companies with GPS use it to track mobiles and organize how employees are to travel, use this software. Text messages can be captured by this system and the worst is that the user cannot block or remove this software. According to Tavani (2011, pp.74) mails and voice communications has eroded privacy in the use of internet. For instance, when a subscriber signs in to Gmail, Google takes contact extraction on incoming and outgoing emails. This is through key words being monitored with the aim of advertising their services to the user. The rights of nonsubscribers are violated since they are not warned about the monitoring before they subscribe to get their consent. What is surprising is that users using online sites like Google can easily find information about another person when actually it’s hard for that individual to find her own personal information online (pg.76) Social connectivity has also eroded on-line privacy. There were concerns about face book privacy settings that were raised in 2009 by consumers. User’s personal information was more available to the public and the face book management. Later on there were amendments done to this site upon complaints by users, this was done without the users affirmative authorization. Today face book users enjoy privacy settings to their pages that they alone can control. Some of the ways suggested to protect on-line privacy include transit encryption used by Google to protect email transmission. Transit encryption makes it hard for people to open up email and read letters other people’s emails. While guarding information on who to read your information and access it is important to boost ones computer security, create strong passwords that cannot easily be guessed by people. Strong emails that are complicated buy remembered are advised to avoid cases of people hacking into the accounts of others and using their information to extort some things from them. One should also think before they share information and lastly protect themselves from fraud. This is through spotting fraud signs, using caution before clicking to links or opening attachment. Lastly is to look for evidence of a webpage that is legal and secure ReferenceTop of Form Tavani, H. T. (2011). Ethics and technology: Controversies, questions, and strategies for ethical computing. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Bottom of Form Read More

It is wide compared to internet ethics that is constrained to issues affecting computer network only. Today, as opposed to traditional days, there has been an introduction of unique ethical issues that did not exist before. For example years ago in case there was a case of someone being shot outside his or her car. This occurred from the killer taking ones license plate and place of employment from the internet. Immediately after work people would be ambushed and followed to kill. Because of these there was need for new criminal laws following cases of cyber stalking.

Traditionally crime was crime and nothing could be done, however cyber technology introduced unique proponents. Cyber technology enabled cyber stalkers to stalk a number of victims at the same time and it is even easier for them since they can operate from home. Therefore consequentialism theory comes up with two unique ethical issues to solve this problem (pg45). They include controversial computer systems being designed and coded by professionals and software piracy. Since computers are logically malleable, James Moore argued that there was need for actions by human beings through policy vacuums that often rose from conceptual muddles.

The vacuum cleared out muddles by defining what software is. Often it has been futile to correct issues that attempt to control technology. However it has been effective to control technology with other technology. For instance it is hard to enforce laws that suppress pornography however; there has been a success to software’s that filter out pornography. Cyber ethics analyze issues that ethically affect computer professionals. For instance, in a case where a programmer discovers that a software product that he or she has been working on is to be released to the public for sale despite buggy software’s that make it unreliable he is not supposed to blow the whistle.

Technology is assumed to be neutral and biased in a number of directions. It is only biased in directions that are considered wrong and unbiased to right directions. Therefore it is right to conclude that cyber ethics is biased is there are a number of practices that have moral allegations. Question three The Australian computer code of ethics outlines its strategy to decion making by the board members who have a foundation that base the stakeholders decion. Front line employee’s asides from the company owners are able to make the day to day decisions of the company.

This is possible with the competence value which allows them to accept the responsibilities attached to their work. It also allows them to advise their stakeholders in projects they feel is not in the best interest of the company yet it has been proposed. Having ethical conducts makes it a requirement to do business. This is because they are in a company’s name. For instance if there is a defraud done by a supplier to a purchaser, the code of ethics can be used to convince the court that such behaviors are not endorsed in your company.

This is because honesty is a value in the society ethics and bribery or inducement offers are not condoned. This is all true however; there are some issues with this code of ethics. For instance the standards do not address principle business activities among the range of activities that have been outlines by the Australian computer society code of ethics. The only thing outlined are values that the employees are supposed to act as written by the law in becoming good citizens. The values include honesty, professionalism and competence among others.

Therefore, it becomes hard for employees to understand their actions across the board and its integrity. Next is that the ethical codes do not link to and align with the overall objectives and culture of the company. This leads the employee to question whether it is important to abide by the ethics of the company in relation to the objectives of the company. The ethics do not represent a right tone to the company. They present a tone that management does not propose.

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