Ethics In Information Technology Information Technology Essay

Before starting to the main part of the assignment, it will be best to give introduction to the ethics and information technology separately.

Ethics, according to the Dictionary.com says “that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.” In other word philosophical meaning of right or wrong to determine the correct application of moral notices such as good and bad or right or wrong. While there are many things to talk about ethics topics but simply contract to specific topics “ethics in information technology”.

In different section Information Technology define by Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) as “the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.” In today world it has huge effect in the human life; everything that is done has been done electronically such as making notes, report making, record of daily transaction etc. Not only in business sector but in day-to-day life it has an adverse affect. Even in the government sector almost all the thing is done by using technology. Even in the transportation, factory it is being used.

Since it has developed so fast and drastically it is difficult to say that what and when changes will happen in next technology is difficult to say. Even in terms of computer and machineries things like mobile has gone smaller in size, has gone much faster, and in top of it internet has make huge changes in IT.

Ethics in Information Technology

In the era of the Information Technology, IT has become one the life changing matter in medicine, transportation, banking sector, government sector, security, research sector and so on. Similarly it has affected both direction in right and wrong in aspect of community life, education, freedom, relationship, age, law and so on.

As a part of IT, Internet has made big impact in revolution of global communication. Internet has opened the door for people to share lots of things such as find and share views in internet, find much information in web. It has given the facility for online shopping, online grocery where everything can be found, all we have to do is add in basket and pay after finishing shopping. Now a day’s most of the bank has given online facilities so that one can manage their daily transaction by sitting in a room. Due to this reason it has gone so far that it has created conflict in different cultural. From last couples of year’s e-dating has emerged so drastically in western country, people with fake name and address are dating online. So many of the Muslim country has banded the e-dating side. Pornography in the western and some of the eastern country has become the business means but some the eastern country still don’t allow any pornography websites in their country. So in Western country there is no violation done by the e-dating and pornography as long as it in law but in the Eastern country it is unacceptable and unethical.

As a responsibility of the social network, it is our duty to act ethical towards the workplace and everyone knows that what right from wrong. There may be many people (users) to act unethically and there is no one to stop these acts from them. There are many companies who kept track the employees report, personal mail or work mail, or the uses of internet as its policy or to secure any important files that may not be leak outside or to stop doing and side job or personal business using company computer system. This is done by the company to shirk any employees from any legal charge that may not be legal of their company, though there may be big issue against the privacy. So to overcome such issue all company have their own law and policies against the unethical behaviour in the workplace. So each company having any electronic tracing have to formed staff so that there may be balance in company ethical and privacy issue.

As on the privacy, some people collect some private information such as the name of person address, contact address, email address, card details and so on sell this information to other company or some people. As increasing use of social networking such as facebook, hi5, twitter this personal information have become handy to anyone. So the identity theft and credit card theft have been happening using these social networking. So to overcome such things this company are giving the some option to increases the privacy.

Obviously someone’s creation or invention is legally protected or copyright or may have trademark to sell that brand only by that company or person. Making duplicate CD or sharing of music, videos, software of copyright protected is illegal. P2P has become commonly used unethical software. It has abuse of right and made every one guilty against the ethics. P2P is not against the law. But the way it is being use is illegal. Uploading and downloading of trademark or copyright software, files, document, music, videos is said to be illegal. As doing P2P and making duplicate CD affected the Copyright Protected Company. They may lose their income. Which means government is also loosing the money. Yet e law against copying or sharing the copyright protected thing, but it was unsuccessful. So to overcome these copying and sharing the copyright protected thing, company use P2P as to promote their sales. They started to give some trial software for free. Even Music Company gives some sample song to listen and persuade to buy the song. Still there Videos or movies company has not came to promote videos and stop pirating or sharing except promoting tailors in the internet such as YouTube, Dailymotions and so on. So far so as it has created some relief to company and some publisher but still it is believe as unethical.

In the other case Plagiarism play significant role in doing work by itself or copying from other. In internet everything and any information can be found. So the user copy and put the information for own used. And some argue as their own creation. Especially journal, students of universities, colleges, schools and even some writers are most likely to be guilty. Copying is not a plagiarism or unethical if he gives proper footnote and references.

In addition, “Being ethical is doing what the law requires.” Each country has its own law for their public. Till now there is no such thing which bound all the international country in one law. Any information or thing posted may be legal to one country man be legal to other country. For example Voice over Internet Protocol is legal to most to country UK US but the country like Nepal, Bhutan and so on it is illegal. In some countries like China, UK, Arabian countries regularly filtering website with illegal content or may be against law of country. Thought there may be unethical acts that are not covered by the law of country. Hiding or lying the private things it is not supposed to be guilty against law. But trustworthy to the law is completely measured as ethical.

Conclusion

Information Technology is one of the diverse field than imagine and is related to the ethics in various ways. Most of the people are unknown how they have abuse of Ethical benchmark in information technology. So rather than taking about the ethics, people should get aware to do something ethical.