Review each scenario below carefully. Choose three and respond to them using the following statement, choosing the description you feel most appropriate: I feel the actions of this individual were (very ethical / ethical / neither ethical nor unethical / unethical / very unethical). Then, justify your response.
Scenario 1:
A programmer at a bank realized that he had accidentally overdrawn his checking account. He made a small adjustment in the bank's accounting system so that his account would not have the additional service charge assessed. As soon as he deposited funds that made his balance positive again, he corrected the bank's accounting system.
The programmer's modification of the accounting system was:
Scenario 2:
A student at a university found out that one of the local computer bulletin boards contained a "pirate" section (a section containing a collection of illegally copied software programs). He subscribed to the board, and proceeded to download several games and professional programs, which he then distributed to several of his friends.
The student's actions in downloading the games were:
The student's actions in downloading the programs were:
The student's actions in sharing the programs and games with his friends were:
Scenario 3:
An engineer needed a program to perform a series of complicated calculations. He found a computer programmer capable of writing the program, but would only hire the programmer if he agreed to share any liability that may result from an error in the engineer's calculations. The programmer said he would be willing to assume any liability due to a malfunction of the program, but was unwilling to share any liability due to an error in the engineer's calculations.
The programmer's position in this situation is:
The engineer's position in this situation is: