11


COMPUTING AND ETHICS 11.1 Vocabulary linking ideas A Look at the pictures on the opposite page.


1 Match each picture A–D to a label. What does each item do?


2 What benefits can it deliver? 3 How might it be harmful?


B Look at the words at the bottom of the spidergram on the opposite page. Put the words in the correct spaces.


C Study the linking words and phrases in box a.


1 Put them into two groups for: a discussing reasons and results b building an argument


2 Is each linking word used to join ideas: a within a sentence? b between sentences?


3 Can you think of similar linking words?


4 Put the linking words in 1b in a suitable order to list points in support of an argument.


D Study the words in box b. 1 Are the words nouns, verbs or adjectives?


2 What is the stress pattern of each word?


3 What other words or phrases have the same meaning?


E ≤Listen to a recording about computer ethics. Check what you have heard against the text on the


right.


1 Complete each space with a word or phrase from box a or box b. Change the form if necessary.


2 Can you think of other words or phrases with the same meaning as the underlined words?


3 Match the phrases below from the text on the right with a later phrase that refers back to them.


1 computer professionals n a death 2 loss of life n


3 environmental n contamination


4 negligence n


b employee c failure in


standards d destruction


5 conflict of opinion n e disagreement 6 computer professional n f IT contractors


F Do the general knowledge quiz on the opposite page.


86 b a


another point is as a result because finally firstly for example in addition moreover one result of this is secondly since so


beneficial censorship conflict ethical faulty harmful impact implication justify negligence obligation reputation responsible surveillance


Computer ethics Computers play an increasingly important role in our society.


professionals have an people.


clients’ demands with their obligations to society. to ethical reasons for this, there are also


practical reasons why this is necessary. , errors in the design or construction of IT


systems can have profound economic or human consequences.


, Bynum, 2004, refers to a


chemical company, Chemco, where faulty computer system design was


for an explosion which


resulted in significant loss of life and widespread environmental contamination. Because the system design was flawed, the designer’s professional risk.


was at


, if found responsible for the death and destruction because of negligence, he faced a large fine or imprisonment. This example of a failure in standards illustrates the importance of making decisions based on sound principles which can be justified.


, a conflict of opinion can arise between a computer professional and his or her employer. The employee may have a disagreement about whether his or her work is being put to beneficial or One


uses. of this could be the construction,


maintenance or operation of systems for surveillance or censorship.


it is important that professionals


understand the ethical issues before entering into contracts.


Source: Adapted from T. W. Bynum, Computer Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Blackwell, 2004, pp. 60–86.


is that decisions made by computer on a growing number of


, IT contractors need to balance their


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