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Developer's Corner / Ethics in Technology
« Last post by wraith808 on September 21, 2015, 06:43 PM »So, I've never personally been confronted with this, and I'm glad, because the reality of it is I sadly don't think I know what I'd do if I was.
From the AVG bit, to the Microsoft Privacy concerns, to Volkswagon's dodge around emissions, it's the developers and engineers that are the first (or is that last) line of defense against companies using technology for purposes that are against the public good.
In particular, on Volkswagon's dodge, it appears that the implementation had to be spot on in order to get away with it for this long:
I never took an ethics class for software engineers- it wasn't required when I was in school. I don't know if it is, and if they cover this now. And are there other ramifications, in particular this doesn't sound good for anyone involved:
I thought this would make good food for discussion from a higher level (no politics in this, please to keep it above ground).
Personally, I'm not sure that I could do what I would want to- i.e. tell them to stuff it and just walk out. I support a pretty substantial family, and I'm the only one really working. I would hope that what I would do is bide my time until I found something else and jump ship. I would hope that I couldn't continue to work for such a company. But hope is the truthful word, if I look at it honestly.
Thoughts?
From the AVG bit, to the Microsoft Privacy concerns, to Volkswagon's dodge around emissions, it's the developers and engineers that are the first (or is that last) line of defense against companies using technology for purposes that are against the public good.
In particular, on Volkswagon's dodge, it appears that the implementation had to be spot on in order to get away with it for this long:
Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton reports for our Newscast unit:
"The German automaker will have to recall about 482,000 Audi and Volkswagen cars with 4-cylinder turbo diesel engines. The issue affects 2009 through 2015 model years.
"The cars have devices that turn emissions controls on during tests and off during normal driving.
"The deception is a serious violation of the Clean Air Act, for which CEO Martin Winterkorn says he is personally deeply sorry, and he promises the company will do whatever is necessary to reverse the damage this has caused. The company faces potentially billions in fines and other costs."
On Friday, the EPA and the California Air Resources Board said that a "defeat device" had allowed diesel Jettas, Beetles and other cars to "emit up to 40 times more pollution" than allowed under U.S. standards.
Saying that Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation of the software exploit that skirted U.S. emissions tests, Winterkorn stated, "We do not and will not tolerate violations of any kind of our internal rules or of the law."
I never took an ethics class for software engineers- it wasn't required when I was in school. I don't know if it is, and if they cover this now. And are there other ramifications, in particular this doesn't sound good for anyone involved:
"Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
I thought this would make good food for discussion from a higher level (no politics in this, please to keep it above ground).
Personally, I'm not sure that I could do what I would want to- i.e. tell them to stuff it and just walk out. I support a pretty substantial family, and I'm the only one really working. I would hope that what I would do is bide my time until I found something else and jump ship. I would hope that I couldn't continue to work for such a company. But hope is the truthful word, if I look at it honestly.
Thoughts?
Source is available though (at least partly Python?).
Amazing what 1st ed black lotus and other cards were going for at the time. Opportunistic? Who... me? Nah... just a poor college student. 
