Question

A discussion about whether US software engineers should form an organization similar to Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) has gone viral on Hacker News in the wake of a November 2016 essay by Bill Sourour, entitled, " The Code Im Still Ashamed Of". Sourour is haunted by an online questionnaire he programmed more than a decade earlier, which appeared to be an informative diagnostic tool, but was actually designed to promote the financial interests of a pharmaceutical company. Respondents received a recommendation that they should be taking his clients powerful antidepressant in response to almost any possible combination of answers to the questionnaire.

The covert goal was to boost sales of the anti-depressant drug even though it might have fatal side effects.

Read the article here: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/the-code-im-still-ashamed-of-e4c021dff55e/

Links to an external site.

Do you think technical training (for all IT professions) should include how to make ethical decisions and evaluate ethical issues? Why or why not?

Reflect on your work or school experience. Have you been faced with an ethical quandary? What did you do in that situation? What should you have done or do in that situation?

Answer 1

Yes, I think technical training for all IT professionals should include ethical decision making and ethical issue evaluation. This is important as technology and its applications have far-reaching impact and can have ethical consequences, including privacy concerns, bias, and even harm to individuals. It's important for IT professionals to understand their responsibilities and be equipped to make ethical decisions.

It's important to seek guidance, consider relevant ethical principles, and weigh the potential consequences of one's actions in ethical dilemmas. Open communication with peers, seeking advice from a superior or a designated ethics board, and following professional codes of conduct can also help in these situations.