Doctors, lawyers and engineers are required by their professions to receive certifications and follow certain ethical guidelines. These rules exist to protect those who rely on their services. These professions often have access to sensitive information, or could wreck lives if they are remiss in their responsibilities. Business schools teach ethics, and despite the lapses in those ethics throughout the private sector, there still seems to be an emphasis placed on professional conduct in the business world.
Software development is a skill, and an increasingly important one, but one that is not governed by any licensing or ethical rules. It’s a Wild West of ethical and legal conduct. Sure, organizations like the Association of Computing Machinery have put together their list of ethical standards, but these are voluntary and not binding.
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 @ 5:00 pm |
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Categories: Best Practices, Community
Tags: ethics, computer ethics