Module 2: Ethics and the Law

SAQ 2-1

3. Case of Melinda

1. What relevance, if any, does the study of the concept of law, in general, have in computing and your study of computer ethics

- In the Natural Law, Melinda as human has the ethical norm that reproducing copies is a violation, nevertheless she pursued. Thus, one point for Natural Law violation. - Doing of reproduction of original copy without permission violates the right of owner intellectual property. Another point for Moral Laws violation. - 'Thou shall not steal' is the 7th commandment of Christianity. Melinda steals the intellectual property implied. Another one point of Divine Law violation.

In my perspective, these non-jural sense laws are relevant in computer ethics  (or in general ethics as a whole) in a sense that it covers the limitation of jural laws. In a case of Rona for instance, some of us argued either Rona is innocent or guilty based on the current jural laws. But as noticed, we agreed Rona doing UNETHICAL. In non-jural-sense laws, it explained that we as person agreed such verdict because we have ethical norms, (Natural Laws) that can be excused in jural laws.        As computing practitioner, Computer Ethics teach us doing ethical beyond the jural laws jurisdiction that makes non-jural sense laws relevant!

2. List down two laws governing computer use and explain what types of non-jural law seem to underpin these two laws

One very common example is the application security implementation using password validation. When the application asks the user to enter the user identification and the password, the user encodes the user ID and the corresponding password. If the application negates them, the user is either invalid intruder or the password and the ID is misspelled. In this case, the user cannot use the application. This is an example of Natural Law. Another good example of Natural Law is all about data that I used to elaborate my users. When they are doing the data manipulation in the application, they make sure to save them. Once saved, they know that they can retrieve the data later otherwise they will encode them again.

Animated Design of Razel Gil Patalinghug UP Open University Master in Information System IS201 Computer Ethics