List at least three standards listed in the ACM Code of Ethics. Why is it important to follow these standards? What would happen if the ACM Code of Ethics did not exist?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Students list at least three of the following:
The code lists several general moral imperatives for computer professionals:
·      Contribute to society and human well-being.
·      Avoid harm to others.
·      Be honest and trustworthy.
·      Be fair and take action not to discriminate.
·      Honor property rights, including copyrights and patents.
·      Give proper credit for intellectual property.
·      Respect the privacy of others.
·      Honor confidentiality.
The code also lists several more specific professional responsibilities:
·      Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness, and dignity in both the process and products of professional work.
·      Acquire and maintain professional competence.
·      Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work.
·      Accept and provide appropriate professional review.
·      Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks.
·      Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities.
·      Improve public understanding of computing and its consequences.
·      Access computing and communication resources only when authorized to do so.

Students should also answer the following questions:
1. Why is it important to follow these standards? The standards are written to provide a basis for ethical decision making among computer professionals, as well as to give guidelines for judging complaints about violations.
2. What would happen if the ACM Code of Ethics did not exist? The Code of Ethics is meant to be adaptable to new situations as technology develops. Although the standards are general, they are good guidelines for any industry. They are meant to protect the work of computing professionals by outlining copyright laws, and to remind people to be fair, honest, and to do no harm to others.