ABSTRACT
Computers have had a powerful impact on our world and are destined to shape our future. This observation, now commonplace, is the starting point for any discussion of professionalism and ethics in computing. The work of computer scientists and engineers is part of the social, political, economic, and cultural world in which we live, and it affects many aspects of that world. Professionals who work with computers have special knowledge. That knowledge, when combined with computers, has significant power to change people’s lives — by changing socio-technical systems; social, political and economic institutions; and social relationships.
