DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ETHICS AND LAWS
ETHICS
GUIDELINE - As a guideline to computer users.
MORAL STANDARDS - Ethical behavior is judged by moral standards.
FREE TO FOLLOW - Computer users are free to follow or ignore the code of ethics.
NO PUNISHMENTS - No punishment for anyone who violates ethics.
UNIVERSALS - Universal, can be applied anywhere, all over the world.
PRODUCE ETHICAL COMPUTER USERS - To produce ethical computer users.
IMMORAL - Not honoring computer ethics means ignoring the moral elements (immoral).
LAW
CONTROL - As a rule to control computer users.
JUDICIAL STANDARDS - Law is judged by judicial standards.
MUST FOLLOW - Computer users must follow the regulations and law.
PENALTIES, IMPRISONMENTS AND OTHER PUNISHMENTS - Penalties, imprisonments and other punishments for those who break the law.
DEPENDS ON COUNTRY - Depends on country and state where the crime is committed.
PREVENT MISUSING OF COMPUTERS - To prevent misuse of computers.
CRIME - Not honoring the law means committing a crime.
UNETHICAL VS. LAW BREAKING CONDUCTS
Unethical:
• using the office computer to do personal things
• reading your friend’s e-mail without his or her permission
• plagiarising and using materials from the Internet for your class assignment without giving credit to the original author.
Law breaking:
• sending a computer virus via e-mail
• hacking into your school’s database to change your examination results.
• selling pirated software in a night market
