IST Chapter 3

 Answer three questions and two opinions.

In-Class Discussion

Chapter 3: IT Ethics and Privacy

1. Describe the fundamental tenets of ethics.

2. Do you feel that the functionality offered by Google Glass out-weighs the potential loss of privacy that the technology could create? Why or why not? Support your answer. Would you use Google Glasses? Why or why not? Support your answer.

3. Is monitoring of Web surfing by managers ethical (It is legal.) Support your answer.

Reply to the point of view

Julian Lao

Ethics refers to the principles of right and wrong that individuals use to make choices that guide their behavior. Fundamental tenets of ethics include responsibility, accountability, and liability. Responsibility means that you accept the consequences of your decisions and actions. Accountability refers to determining who is responsible for actions that were taken. Liability is a legal concept that gives individuals the right to recover the damages done to them by other individuals, organizations, or systems. 

Raymond Moorehead 

In my opinion, monitoring of web surfing by managers is ethical for the most part. It truly depends on the intention of the manager. I think it is ethical because the managers or who is in charge have the right and power to monitor what is being done on the company’s computers. Most importantly, the company can be held responsible for something that an employee with foul intent may do. For example conducting in illegal activity on the company computers, since the company can be responsible for it; it is important to monitor what the employees are doing. Also, I think it is important for managers to web monitor their employees to see who is really working or not. You don’t want employees surfing the web, on social media, shopping, or playing games when they are supposed to be productive at work. This gives the company the advantage to keep productive workers and fire the ones who are non productive and distracted. 

The question of if it is ethical or not truly depends on the intention of the manager. I feel like if the manager’s only reason for monitoring the employee’s computer activity is just to be nosy/snooping, and is not related to work should be considered unethical. Also, if the managers want to use their monitoring privelage for their own power, control or blackmailing; it is also highly unethical. 

In conclusion, since it is legal and a part of company policies; I do believe that monitoring of employee computer activity is ethical and imortant to keep the workers at top performance and to protect the company. If the managers are monitoring the web activity for reasons other than work, then it should be deemed as unethical.

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