No matter what laws are passed, and no matter how good security measures might become, they will not be enough for us to have completely secure systems. We also need to develop and act according to some shared ethical values. The members of society need to be educated so that they understand the importance of respecting the privacy and ownership of data. If locks and laws were all that kept people from robbing houses, there would be many more burglars than there are now; the shared mores about the sanctity of personal property are an important influence in the prevention of burglary. It is our duty as informed professionals to help extend those mores into the realm of computers.
Predictor: Spafford, Eugene
Prediction, in context:The 1997 book “Computers, Ethics, and Society,” edited by M. David Ermann, Mary B. Williams and Michele S. Shauf, carries the 1992 article “Are Computer Hacker Break-ins Ethical?” by Eugene H. Spafford. Spafford argues that the actions of hackers, not the rationalizations they offer, should be judged. He writes: ”We must decide these issues of ethics as a community of professionals and then present them to society as a whole. No matter what laws are passed, and no matter how good security measures might become, they will not be enough for us to have completely secure systems. We also need to develop and act according to some shared ethical values. The members of society need to be educated so that they understand the importance of respecting the privacy and ownership of data. If locks and laws were all that kept people from robbing houses, there would be many more burglars than there are now; the shared mores about the sanctity of personal property are an important influence in the prevention of burglary. It is our duty as informed professionals to help extend those mores into the realm of computers.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1992
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: Ethics/Values
Name of publication: Computers, Ethics, and Society (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Are Hacker Break-ins Ethical?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 87
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne