Professional Issues

Question 1

Trust and Responsibility in Software Development

Answer 1

• Implicit Trust in Software:
  
  • Users rely on software to function correctly without direct knowledge of the code.
  • Example Scenarios:
    
    • Online transactions: Trusting software to handle payments securely.
    • Travel bookings: Trusting systems to issue correct tickets.
• Developers bear responsibility for ensuring safety, ethics, and reliability.

Question 2

Ethics in the Software Development Lifecycle

Answer 2

1. Requirements:
   
   • Avoid implementing unethical features, e.g., discriminatory pricing.
2. Design:
   
   • Decisions like creating addictive features raise ethical concerns.
3. Development and Testing:
   
   • Cutting corners on testing compromises quality and ethics.
4. Maintenance:
   
   • Developers must address software misuse responsibly.

Question 3

Ethical Theories (Definition)

Answer 3

Ethics (moral philosophy) studies right/wrong, good/bad.

Question 4

Ethical Theories (Principles)

Answer 4

Principles:
* Universalizability: Actions should be consistent in all similar situations.
* Impartiality: Equal treatment for all individuals.

Question 5

Moral Theories

Answer 5

1. Consequentialist (Teleological):
   
   • Action’s morality depends on its outcomes.
   • Produces the greatest good.
2. Nonconsequentialist (Deontological):
   
   • Morality depends on the action itself, not outcomes.

Question 6

Professional Dilemmas

Answer 6

1. Claiming Experience:
   
   • Example: Fake programming frameworks like MOVA were created to detect fraudulent CV claims.
2. Safety Concerns:
   
   • Example: BART engineers were fired for raising valid safety issues.
3. Conflict of Interest:
   
   • Example: Frances Haugen exposed Facebook’s conflicts between public welfare and profit.
4. Copyright Infringement:
   
   • Sharing copyrighted materials violates ethical and legal norms.
5. Reporting Crime:
   
   • Whistleblowing requires balancing professional and ethical obligations.

Question 7

Professional Codes of Conduct (Purpose)

Answer 7

• Enforce ethical standards in computer science and IT practices.

Question 8

Professional Codes of Conduct (Key organizations)

Answer 8

1. British Computer Society (BCS):
   
   • Principles:
     * Public interest.
     * Professional competence and integrity.
     * Duty to relevant authority.
     * Duty to the profession.
2. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
3. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).