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Not a good sign when the very first item is entirely subjective.
by jimmaswell 9y ago
Not a good sign when the very first item is entirely subjective.
- zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC 9y agoSo, you think it is entirely subjective that programming has an ethical impact, and objectively it doesn't?
- jimmaswell 9y agoA classic way it's phrased is "is a gun manufacturer responsible for murder?" It's an age old debate with a lot of people arguing either side.
- zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC 9y ago... which is just an idiotic question to ask. The answer is ultimately uninteresting because it is essentially nothing more than a reflection of the definitions used in evaluating the question. The interesting question is whether the decisions and actions of a gun manufacturer can influence the well-being of humans, and even more importantly, how they do so, as it is just obvious that they can, and in the consequence how gun manufacturers should behave if they are to maximize their positive impact on humanity.
- tempodox 9y agoHowever you define your ethics, programming covers such a large spectrum that you can't objectively assert those areas never intersect.
- walshemj 9y agoAnd if we accept that developers are "engineers" (no arguments about chartered or PE status) then the IEEE is quite clear that engineers do have do behave in an ethical way.
- jimmaswell 9y agoIEEE might say that but they're not the definitive authority on age old ethics debates. If you know you're programming ransomware, that's one thing, but it's not always so black and white.
- walshemj 9y agoThey are for engineering just as the BMA or AMA are for doctors - just because you ain't a CE /PE doesn't mean you should not follow the same precepts.