Internet Ethics

The internet is a global network of networks using universal standards to connect millions of different networks (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). With millions of people trafficking the networks everyday it is virtually impossible to monitor all unethical behaviors. Throughout the internet there are people who are publishing false information, using fake identification, hacking accounts for financial benefits, or countless other criminal acts and there is no way of stopping all of them. The internet is open to everyone and a lot of these modern businesses can’t function without it. A lot of the problems dealt in the internet aren't solely on business users but anyone who has access to internet, so whatever affects the casual user defiantly affects the business user.

While searching for ethicis in Information Technology I came across an article titled “The Internet and the death of ethics” written by Dennis O'Reilly in which he writes about his point of view and his personal experience dealing with this subject. In the article he reference The Computer Ethics Institute's Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics.They created this list in order to “entreat computer users to treat each other with consideration and respect." Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics are as follows:

1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.

3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.

4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.

5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or

proper compensation.

8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing