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> We really need mandatory ethics courses in CS. We need a bit more than that. People do things they've been taught are wrong all the time. They do them somewh
by justin66 7y ago
> We really need mandatory ethics courses in CS.
We need a bit more than that. People do things they've been taught are wrong all the time. They do them somewhat less often when there's a structure in place to hold them accountable.
- coldpie 7y agoDoctors and structural engineers have standards bodies and certification processes to ensure their members are behaving ethically and using sound practices. Perhaps we should have similar for software developers.
- ls612 7y agoDoctors and structural/civil engineers kill or maim people when they screw up. Software engineers (at least those working on these sorts of projects) um, leak peoples data when they screw up? It seems entirely appropriate that the standard for the former is different than the standard for the latter.
- coldpie 7y agoI don't think users need to die or be physically maimed for us to reach a threshold requiring intervention. I also didn't mean to imply we need the same standards as doctors or engineers. But I do think we've reached the point where we should have this conversation.
- criddell 7y agoEthics should be a mandatory part of any STEM program.
- cheeseomlit 7y agoEthics isn't something you can learn in a classroom, a college professor can't teach you the difference between right and wrong or good and evil.
- walterbell 7y agoCase studies based on tech industry history can be presented.
- criddell 7y agoIt's not about telling you what's right and wrong, it's about giving you the tools to make those kinds of decisions. It's already part of an engineering curriculum.
- justin66 7y agoEthical theory is a tough subject for high school-age kids, and even a Jesuit high school isn't going to get too deep into it. There's more to reasoning about this stuff than you think. In this case we're talking about a professional engineering ethics class that will be somewhat lighter on the theory and heavier on the case studies, I would suspect.