Computing Now | July 2009 | Theme | Software Engineering Ethics in a Digital World

GUEST EDITORS' INTRODUCTION Computer, June 2009, pp. 34–41 Software Engineering Ethics in a Digital World by Awais Rashid, John Weckert, and Richard Lucas The Internet has become pervasive in our day-to-day lives through the wide availability of broadband as well as its ubiquity due to the proliferation of mobile devices. This ubiquitous access to the Internet coupled with innovations such as social networking and Web 2.0 has given rise to the digital world phenomenon. Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; virtual worlds such as SecondLife; and massively multiplayer online games such as the World of Warcraft have blurred the boundary between the online world and the physical world. We live in an always-connected world, with an increasingly larger number of services accessible online. We conduct business, watch our favorite television programs, engage in interaction with friends and family, and make new social contacts online. Read more ► Share this article Computer magazine, the flagship publication of the IEEE Computer Society, covers all aspects of computer science, computer engineering, computing technology, and applications. Current issue: The Growing Impact of the CAP Theorem What else is new? Software Engineering: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and Gone? Extracting World Knowledge from the Web How Much Multimedia Does a Modern Family Need? Agent Mining: The Synergy of Agents and Data Mining Certification: Who Dares? Non-photorealistic Rendering: Unleashing the Artist's Imagination Trailblazing with Roadrunner This month's theme: PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Computing professionals deal with ethical challenges daily, and their responses to these challenges have ramifications that go beyond personal responsibility. Read more ► More articles on Professional Ethics: Software Engineering Ethics in a Digital World Ethics are increasingly important in the digital world. Ethics-aware software engineering takes ethics into account across the software development life cycle. Ensuring Trust, Privacy, and Etiquette in Web 2.0 Applications Learn about the most important ethics-related requirements in Web 2.0 applications and how to develop features that support these requirements. The Public is the Priority: Making Decisions Using the Software Engineering Code of Ethics The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice encourages software engineers to undertake positive actions and to resist pressures to act unethically. Professional and Ethical Dilemmas in Software Engineering Placing ethical dilemmas in the context of the IEEE code of conduct can increase awareness and decrease the frequency with which such dilemmas occur. Professional Essence The key to being accepted as a professional by the public is to consistently demonstrate your trustworthiness. The Ethical Software Engineer What is the value of ethical behavior to a practicing software engineer? What are the implications of complying with a professional society’s code of ethics? Related links ► Professional Ethics Poll ►

GUEST EDITORS' INTRODUCTION

Software Engineering Ethics in a Digital World