How would you classify the moral issues in computing enumerated below? Write your answers in the blank before each item and support your answers.

MG = morally good under all circumstances.
MB = morally bad under all circumstances.
MGB = morally good/bad under certain circumstances.

MGB 1. Software Piracy

Those who purchase pirated software in a country like the Philippines are justified in doing so, or at least are not as immoral as some might think. The income level of Filipinos in general is not so high, thus explaining why pirated or unlicensed copies of computer software are so demand in the Philippines and the rest of the Asian market. The huge disparity in price or cost between licensed software and pirated software compels computer users to utilize the latter. Although there are laws that govern patent and copyright, the use of pirated software is becoming very popular and ordinary. On the other hand, because piracy effectively cheats intellectual property , owners of income from the sale of their intellectual property of computer software, piracy is morally wrong.

MGB 2. Pornography on the Net

Nudity of the human body may be considered artistic. In some countries, the display of lewd and indecent materials is not considered immoral per se. In other countries, pornography is a violation of decency and morality and hence frowned upon.

MGB 3. Creation of worms and computer viruses

The creation of worms and computer viruses becomes morally bad if it is created with malicious intent like attacking the products of companies, destroying something like files, data, boot sector, script files of application program that contains macro scripts and documents of another person and damage systems. It becomes morally good if it was written as research projects, as a work, creative hobby, to spread improvements of the programs they infect, or delete other viruses.

MGB 4. Infringement of intellectual property rights (of computer programmer)

Intellectual property rights can be morally good in this case: It protects a computer programmer who has invested time, effort and significant funds in the development of his software. He could only get his investment back in the form of license fees or sales. The software industry today is a multimillion pesos and software companies claim to lose through illegal copying.

Intellectual property rights can be morally bad in this case: It collides with the fundamental basic rights, the actual property rights. Example: Melinda bought a CD containing the software. She now owns it and becomes her property because she paid for it. She should have now the freedom to do with whatever she pleases, including using it for its purpose, storing it, reselling it, giving it, throwing it away, destroying it, making copies of it, modifying it or opening to analyze its internal workings. With copyright protection, she is prevented from doing some of these things. She owns the object she bought but her freedom is restrained over her justly acquired property.

Another example is when intellectual programs have been patented by somebody else. Computer programmers think about the problem and develop a workable code on their own. It is only later, in retrospect, when they are sued, that they find out that somebody has already come up with the same solution as well. Same ideas will present themselves to different minds, sometimes even almost at the same time. That one of these persons can obtain a license to block all other programmers from using their own conclusions, just by virtue of having gone to the patent office one day earlier, contradicts the principle "freedom of thought" directly.

MB 5. Violation of privacy (in communications via Internet)

Violation of privacy (communication via Internet) is morally bad because it harms the preservation of human values such as security, mental health, self-fulfillment and peace of mind. It opens the ground for exploitation to facilitate unwanted and undesirable activities like money laundering, drug trading, terrorism or preying upon the vulnerable.

MGB 6. Plagiarism

It is morally bad because it violates copyright laws and is basically theft of written intellectual property. If one writes a paper and copies the opinions or thoughts of one person, then it is plagiarism. It is copying the work of another. But it can be morally good if one takes the opinions or ideas from different sources, gives credit and makes connections with the information, it is doing a research. As long as one gives due credit, nothing is stolen form any of these sources.

MB 7. Spamming

Although spamming is a form of marketing, it irritates users rather than brings benefits to them. Users may incur extra access costs while their mailbox downloads unwanted spam e-mail. Spamming is morally bad because it prejudices companies who do business on the Internet. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are hurt the most by spammers. ISPs networks get flooded with spams causing their lines and server to slow down. This has a bad effect because their customers tend to look elsewhere for other provider.

MB 8. Hacking

Hacking is morally bad because it causes financial damage, makes an individual or company looks really foolish and hurts their reputation.

MB 9. Computer Abuse

Computer Abuse is the unauthorized use of, or access to, a computer for purposes contrary to the wishes of the owner of the computer or the data held hereon. This description encompasses such actions as the unauthorized access to computer systems, the modification of programs, the manipulation or interception of data and even sabotage. (Reference: Vogon) This is morally bad because it can cause severe damages, lost of data and programs.

MB 10. Computer crimes in general

Computer crimes in general are morally bad. Computer crimes like embezzlement or planting of logic bombs, hacking and other crimes can cause damages or lost of data and programs. Even though some people will claim that they have good intentions or reasons in doing so, the computer's owner must run through a costly and time-consuming investigation of the compromised system.

Discuss how adherents of ethical egoism and altruism would analyze the following situations. Support your answers.

Case 1: Roger designed a computer program that would make detection of enemy codes easier.

Ethical Egoism.

a. Roger gets a feeling of satisfaction or fulfillment.
b. Roger feels pleased to receive expressions of gratitude and praise.
c. Roger wants to prove something; that he is brilliant and capable to design such a program.

Ethical Altruism.

Roger wanted to help through his program that will enable early detection of enemies to be able to maintain proper security, peace and order.

Case 2: Perla plans to buy licensed software in the U.S. using royalties from the sale of her book on computer ethics and donate the software to her alma mater.

Ethical Egoism.

a. Her plan to donate the software to her alma mater will earn her a good reputation.
b. Her plan to donate the software will enable more sales to her book on computer ethics that will bring her prestige and honor. More sales will reflect a major accomplishment on her part, i.e. people like her book as well and she is a very good writer.

Ethical Altruism.

Her plan to donate the software will help support the school in bringing innovative change in computing. The students will be given the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in computing through the use of licensed software that the school cannot give to them.

Case 3: Marjo wants to create a virus that would affect only laptop operations.

Ethical Egoism.

a. Marjo gets a feeling of satisfaction or fulfillment.
b. Marjo wants to prove something; that he is brilliant and capable to design such a program.

Ethical Altruism.

There is no desire to promote the good of others.

Case 4: Baba debugged a secret code of the NBI that allowed her to access all computer systems of the agency. She plans to sabotage the whole system as a form of revenge for what she considers to the NBI's violation of her human rights.

Ethical Egoism.

a. Baba gets a feeling of satisfaction or fulfillment.
b. Baba wants to prove that she can defeat the NBI; she is brilliant and superior among them.

Ethical Altruism.

There is no desire to promote the good of others.

Case 5: Tikya and John-John were contracted to design and develop a website for government agencies in the Philippines at the cost of P1 million. An added feature of the contract is that they would be contracted as computing consultants of the government.

Ethical Egoism.

a. It is an honor and prestige for Tikya and John-John to be selected. This shows that they are competent and capable for the job.
b. Tikya and John-John will become more proud because of this opportunity.
c. This will provide new and greater opportunities for them after the duration of the contract.

Ethical Altruism.

Their knowledge, talents, skills and expertise will help the government advance further in the field of computing. They can introduce innovate changes and promote efficiency and effectiveness in government operations.