A discussion of ethics in the computer science profession

1. In determining for an information system to be used in an employment agency, the client explains that, when displaying applicants whose qualifications appear to match those required for a particular job, the names of white applicants are to be displayed ahead of those of non-white applicants, and names of male applicants are to be displayed ahead of those of female applicants.

 2. Prospective employees of a software development department have to take a written test. The department manager ranks the applicants by their score, but adds bonus points to minority and women applicants.

 3. For your CS499 project you need Internet skills that a woman classmate has. You agree to include her on your project. That evening you go out with your buddies, one of whom is in the class. He does not have the skills of the woman, but asks to be on the project. You drop the woman and include your buddy.

 4. You are a CS major. Because of family contacts you obtain summer employment (that will look good on your resume) with prestigious IT firms. Another CS major does not have these family contacts and works at fast food restaurants each summer.

  5. You apply for a technical position in a city where you want to live. The manager informs you that you are the best applicant and wants to hire you. However his branch does not have sufficient minority hires, and he is going to search for a qualified minority applicant. He does offer you a job in another city that is not your preferred location.  

  6. You have found the perfect job:

•         Excellent pay

•         Excellent benefits

•         Excellent location

And all you have to do is work for a spammer.

 7. Long before system testing is complete, scheduled time and money for such testing has run out. The engineer responsible for testing is advised that the company will "let the users do the rest of the testing."

 8. Knowing that the firm developing a large piece of software for a government agency is unlikely to be awarded the contract to maintain the system after delivery, the company decides to spend less effort on both internal and external documentation. The money saved by this decision is used to pay for additional coders and testers, so that the system can be delivered on time.

 9. A small firm lands a contract to produce software that has a significant database component. None of the employees is familiar with current database technology, but the contract, the largest ever obtained by the firm, is viewed as a make-or-break opportunity.

 10. While his company is negotiating a contract to build a software system for a client, the head designer learns about a new design method and its associated tool set. Because the proposed system is similar to others the company has recently built, it is clear that the firm's "Standard" methods can be applied reliably and economically. The company's business plan, however calls for it to move into the more lucrative market of more complex systems, for which the new design methodology may be required for competitiveness. The designer recommends the cost of the new tools be built into the contract being negotiated and the client be told that the tools are necessary to produce a system of sufficiently high quality.

11. In a design review, one of the problems identified turns out to be easy to fix. In exploring the problem, however, the designer discovers a related difficulty that can only be addressed adequately by a major redesign. Realizing that the special situations at the root of the problem will seldom arise and will certainly not arise in the first year or so of operation, the designer reports his fix to the original problem, but neither reports nor resolves the more serious problem.

12. A large computer firm has been hired by a fast-food chain to integrate use of its cash registers into its accounting system. As the client explains his requirements, it becomes clear that his needs can be served more than adequately be an off-the-shelf package sold by a competing software firm.

 13.In a library automation system, the client has asked that a log be kept of materials checked out, so that data on patron needs can be used to make more informed decisions about future book purchases. The simplest way to construct such a log is to copy the full circulation record-including patron name-into a log file at the time the circulation record is generated that can be read by anyone with access to the system. Software to secure and analyze this file is to be written at a later time, when funds are available to implement this function.

14.The CS department runs the campus email system. The system programmer has a monitor that reads email looking for mention of CS instructors or courses. The program produces a report on what students write in their emails about CS instructors or courses.

15. For your senior design project, you are working on code produced by a proprietary commercial software product. The company offers one month free trials for the software. You use the software for a month, and when the month is up, set your computer's clock backwards so that you can continue to use it.

16. Your firm has hired an employee who has significant experience with your chief competitor. The new employee is willing to supply information on the internals of your competitor’s products. Can you use this information?