(^302) | Object-Oriented Software Design and Implementation
Computing professionals have an ethical obligation to not engage in software piracy and
to try to stop it from occurring. You never should copy software without permission. If
someone asks you for a copy of a piece of software, you should refuse to supply it. If some-
one says that he or she just wants to “borrow” the software to “try it out,” tell the person that
he or she is welcome to try it out on your machine (or at a retailer’s shop) but not to make
a copy.
This rule isn’t restricted to duplicating copyrighted software; it includes plagiarism of
all or part of code that belongs to anyone else. If someone gives you permission to copy some
of his or her code, then, just like any responsible writer, you should acknowledge that per-
son with a citation in the code.
Privacy of Data
The computer enables the compilation of databases containing useful information about peo-
ple, companies, geographic regions, and so on. These databases allow employers to issue pay-
roll checks, banks to cash a customer’s check at any branch, the government to collect taxes,
and mass merchandisers to send out junk mail. Even though we may not care for every use of
databases, they generally have positive benefits. However, they can also be used in negative ways.
For example, a car thief who gains access to the state motor vehicle registry could print
out a “shopping list” of valuable car models together with their owners’ addresses. An in-
dustrial spy might steal customer data from a company database and sell it to a competitor.
Although these are obviously illegal acts, computer professionals face other situations that
are not so obviously unethical.
Suppose your job includes managing the company payroll database, which includes the
names and salaries of the firm’s employees. You might be tempted to poke around in the data-
base and see how your salary compares to your associates—but this act is unethical and an
invasion of your associates’ right to privacy. The information is confidential. Any informa-
tion about a person that is not clearly public should be considered confidential. An exam-
ple of public information is a phone number listed in a telephone directory. Private
information includes any data that has been provided with an understanding that it will be
used only for a specific purpose (such as the data on a credit card application).
A computing professional has a responsibility to avoid taking advantage of special ac-
cess that he or she may have to confidential data. The professional also has a responsibility
to guard that data from unauthorized access. Guarding data can involve such simple things
as shredding old printouts, keeping backup copies in a locked cabinet, not using passwords
that are easy to guess (such as a name or word), and more complex measures such as en-
cryption(keeping data stored in a secret coded form).Use of Computer Resources
If you’ve ever bought a computer, you know that it costs money. A personal computer can
be relatively inexpensive, but it is still a major purchase. Larger computers can cost millions