Case: Summary of case
A software development company has just produced a new software package that incorporates the new tax laws and figures taxes for both individuals and small businesses. The president of the company knows that the program has a number of bugs. He also believes the first firm to put this kind of software on the market is likely to capture the largest market share. The company widely advertises the program. When the company actually ships a CD, it includes a disclaimer of responsibility for errors resulting from the use of the program. The company expects it will receive a number of complaints, queries, and suggestions for modification. The company plans to use these to make changes and eventually issue updated, improved, and debugged versions. The president argues that this is general industry policy and that anyone who buys version 1.0 of a program knows this and will take proper precautions. Because of bugs, a number of users filed incorrect tax returns and were penalised by the ATO.
1.2.1 Public Interest
a) identify those potentially impacted by your work and explicitly consider their interests;
b) raise with stakeholders any potential conflicts between your professional activity and legal or other accepted public requirements;
c) advise your stakeholders as soon as possible of any conflicts of interest or conscientious objections that you have;
d) take into consideration the fact that your profession traverses many other professions, and has implications for other social systems and organisations;
e) endeavour to preserve the integrity, security, continuity and utility of ICT;
1.2.2 Quality of Life
e) endeavour to preserve the integrity, security, continuity and utility of ICT;
1.2.3 Honesty
b) not knowingly mislead a client or potential client as to the suitability of a product or service;
1.2.4 Competence
f) accept responsibility for your work;
1.2.6 Professionalism
f) refrain from any conduct or action in your professional role which may tarnish the image of the profession or detract from the good name of the ACS;