CSCE390ProfessionalIssuesinComputerScienceand.pptVIP

CSCE 390Professional Issues in Computer Science and EngineeringThree Simple Cases by Robert Barger: Absolutist and Relativist Positions Spring 2010 Marco Valtorta mgv@ The Piracy Dilemma Here is the piracy dilemma (i.e., a dilemma concerning wrongful appropriation of computing resources). Suppose I use my account on one of my universitys mainframe computers for something that has no direct relation to University business. This use could be anything from sending an e-mail message to a friend, to conducting a full-blown private business on the computer (billing, payroll, inventory, etc.). The absolutist [idealist or realist] solution to this dilemma would probably be that the above-described activities are unethical -- whether only the e-mail message is involved, or the larger-scale business activities (although the absolutist would recognize a difference between the two in the amount of wrong being done). On the other hand, a relativist [pragmatist or existentialist] might say that the latter activities were wrong because they tied up too much memory and slowed down the machines operation, but the e-mail message wasnt wrong because it had no significant effect on operations. Student Privacy Dilemma Next consider a dilemma having to do with privacy. I use my account to acquire the cumulative grade point average of a student who is in a class which I instruct. I obtained the password for this restricted information from someone in the Records Office who erroneously thought that I was the students advisor. The absolutist [idealist] solution to this dilemma would probably be that I acted wrongly, since the only person who is entitled to this information is the student and his or her advisor. The relativist [pragmatist] would probably ask why I wanted the information. If I said that I wanted it to be sure that my grading of the student was consistent with the students overall academic performance record, the relativist might agree that such use was acceptable. [Not