Ethics: IT Professionals

Ethics comes in different meaning varying upon the line of work of an individual or just his own principle. Though as an IT student and soon to be IT professionals our teacher discuss about the ethics in Information technology enable for us to gain knowledge about the codes of ethics, professional organizations, certification, and licensing affect the ethical behavior of IT professionals, the key characteristics, the approaches to make that can support the ethical practices of IT users and etc.,

PROFESSION

- is a calling that requires specialized knowledge and long and intensive academic preparation. “An occupation, such as law, medicine, or engineering that requires considerable training and specialized study.”- www.thefreedictionary.com

It is also according to google.com is “a paid occupation, one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.” Thus, profession is a line of occupation or a calling per say that requires skill, training and an academic preparation.

Information Technology 

-refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies.  is a course rampantly taken by individuals nowadays, but IT works is not recognized as professionals as it is not licensed, though IT professionals have many relationships with employers, clients, suppliers, other IT users, and professions and the society at large.

KIDS OF IT PROFESSIONALS

• IT consultant
• Cloud architect
• Computer forensic investigator
• Health IT specialist
• Web developer
• Software engineer
•  Information technology vendor manager

-http://www.experience.com/entry-level-jobs/news/top-10-jobs-in-information-technology/

Software piracy

- is an act of illegally making copies of software or enabling others access into software which they are not entitled to. It is the area which IT professionals are tempted to violate rules and policies as our teacher pointed out. Software piracy are done by not just IT professionals but also ordinary people, they think of it as ‘conveniently obtaining’ a software that supposed to cost a hefty amount of money, although it’s – in some circumstances –is practical in many ways it won’t change the fact that its illegal.

According to www.microsoft.com/en-us/piracy/default.aspx, “Software piracy is the mislicensing, unauthorized reproduction and illegal distribution of software, whether for business or personal use.”

They also point out the risks of software piracy; with the possibility of malware on pirated software as such they provided tips to identify such threat.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a trade group that represents the world’s largest software and hardware manufacturers, with a mission of stopping the unauthorized copying of software.

As the lesson progresses we came into the legal overview, this includes:

Fraud, the crime of obtaining goods, services, or property through deception or trickery, this crime is proven in court.

“Fraud is a deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain.  Defrauding people or organizations of money or valuables is the usual purpose of fraud, but it sometimes instead involves obtaining benefits without actually depriving anyone of money or valuables, such as obtaining a drivers license by way of false statements made in an application for the same.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraud

When you say Fraud, it is the act of obtaining information by trickery, or what some called scamming.

Breach of contract, this happens when a party fails to meet the terms of a contract.

According to dictionary.law.com “failing to perform any term of a contract, written or oral, without a legitimate legal excuse, this may include not completing a job, not paying in full or on time, failure to deliver all the goods, substituting inferior or significantly different goods, not providing a bond when required, being late without excuse, or any act which shows the party will not complete the work ("anticipatory breach")”

The failing of compiling or following the written or even just oral contract between –for instance—an employer and employee is considered a civil wrong such following legal actions by the court. Breach of contract is the common causes of law suits.

This also associated in IT professionals, between a customers or vendors, such legal term is important to keep.

In relationship of an IT professionals and suppliers, our teacher indicates a fair dealing with them (suppliers) and of not making unreasonable demands. One of the usual doing of wrong approach is Bribery, providing money, property, or favors to someone in business or government to obtain a business advantage. This is done by not just ordinary businessman, IT professionals but also in politics; for me, this is a desperate move to be successful and a dirty way at that.

IT professionals should also hold a relationship between IT users, the persons for whom a hardware or software product is designed. It is the professionals’ duty to understand the user’s needs, delivering the product and services that best meet those needs, and establishing an environment that supports ethical behavior by user are some of the responsibilities our teacher highlighted during the discussion.

This relationship is important to set up a good image in the mind of a client or in this case the user. Also being attentive to the demands of the user can be added up too.

IT professionals in relationship with society is mentioned too, in here it is stated by our teacher that actions of IT professionals can affect society.

Professional code of ethics states that the principles and core values that are important to the work of a particular occupational group. Having this type of code of ethics is a good method to enhance trusts and respect from the people around, having this ethical approach in dealing with a client, supplier or other employee or IT user.

Certification, which indicates a professional, possesses a particular set of skills, knowledge and/or abilities in the opinion of certifying organization. This helps in landing a job one after another, as this serves as proof of a professionals list of capabilities.

Our teacher also tackled the different kinds of certificates: Vendor certifications, for IT workers, that require passing a written exam and the Industry association certifications, requires certain level of experiences and a broader perspective than vendor certifications.

A few slides before the end of the lesson, our teacher talked about, the malpractices IT professionals commits. Malpractice or Negligence not doing something that a reasonable man would do, or doing something that a reasonable man would not do for instance neglecting a task.

IT users misconducts, employees’ ethical issues --at that-- are a growing area of concerns.

Software piracy is inserted in this, inappropriate use of computing resources and sharing of information such as private data and confidential information. IT users made improper doings some for money or some is for gathering this private information.

And as countermeasure policies are establish, that protect against this abuses, boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable is build, initiating punishment to those violators. Components of this include setting boundaries for the protection of private data and information, firewalls are used too, and also limitations for obtaining resources to lessen the advances of these violators.

  

If we continue to develop our technology 

without wisdom or prudence,

our servant may prove to be our executioner.  

  --Omar N. Bradley