ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines fundamental ethical considerations. Self-regulation depends on ways to deter unethical behavior of the members, and a code, combined with an ethics review board, was seen as the solution. Codes of ethics have tended to list possible violations and threaten sanctions for such violations. Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) first code, the Code of Professional Conduct, was adopted in 1972 and followed this model. A computer professional has a duty to be honest about his or her own qualifications, and about any circumstances that might lead to conflicts of interest. Membership in volunteer organizations such as ACM may at times place individuals in situations where their statements or actions could be interpreted as carrying the “weight” of a larger group of professionals. Computing professionals are obligated to protect the integrity of intellectual property. Computing and communication technology enables the collection and exchange of personal information on a scale unprecedented in the history of civilization.
