1 REM Ins{nd av Bo Kullmar SYSOP <1789> 1989-07-18 17.24.18 (KERMIT) From comp.misc Mon Jul 17 23:35:42 1989 Path: kullmar!sunic!kth!mcvax!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!well!gail From: gail@well.UUCP (Gail Gurman) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Ten Commandments of Personal Computing Keywords: PC Computer Ethics Humor Message-ID: <12702@well.UUCP> Date: 15 Jul 89 06:36:12 GMT Distribution: comp Lines: 169 From San Jose Mercury News, Sunday morning, July 2, 1989 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF PERSONAL COMPUTING by Paul Andrews From congressional hallways to corporate board rooms nation- wide, ethics are under scrutiny as never before. The choice between right and wrong today has become increasingly complex and agonizing where large sums of cash are involved--especially for politicians and brokers. How about personal computer users? Is our honor code as bug-free as our program code? When we talk about the need for standards, should we be addressing the ethical kind as well as buses and operating systems? The issues is worth rasing because the personal computer world, still misunderstood by many, has generated its set of ethical issues without formulating a clear set of rules to live by. More quandaries seem to be emerging all the time, from computer viruses to non-disclosure violations to "look and feel" disputes. The camaraderie and idea-swapping that marked much of the personal computer's early evolution seems in the wake of secre- cy, lawsuits and patent claims, relegated to rosy nostalgia. Because there's so much money involved, and humans have a tenden- cy to be greedy, the ethical stakes keep getting nudged higher even as courtrooms overflow with high-tech cases. But not all human endeavor can be legislated. So perhaps it is time to adopt a computer code of honor blending ethics and etiquette. In that spirit, here are 10 Commandments of Personal Comput- ing "Ethiquette" Version 1.0, issued from a word processor rather than a mountaintop and inscribed on a magnetic disk rather than tablets of stone. And be warned: Moses wasn't around for this. I. THOU SHALT NOT USE A PROGRAM THOU HAST NOT PAID FOR. Most of us use our computers for some sort of personal gain, e.g., saving time or making money. We ought to be willing to pay for that benefit in the same way we would a lawn mower, VCR or even shiatsu massage. The difference is that we know we can get away with "borrowed" software. Ultimately, though, it's like skimming from your child's trust fund--perhaps no one else may know, but eventually the bad karma will get you. II. THOU SHALT NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT BORROWING SOFTWARE TO TRY IT OUT. Software still costs plenty and doesn't always match its glowing promises. If you pay $495 for Softhead Plus Version 5.0 and it doesn't automatically recalculate your fantasy league batting averages while listing every known sighting of Elvis, you feel cheated. But try asking for your money back. I may get in trouble with software purveyors for saying this, and perhaps I'm naive, but I feel it's OK to test drive a program borrowed from a friend, under the assumption that if you like it and wind up using it, you'll buy it. The key here is _using_ it. Few people mind paying for a really good program. III. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS ON BULLETIN BOARDS. This includes using phony names. In years of logging onto electronic bulletin boards nationwide, I've never used a false "handle" or someone else's identity. Often while researching articles, I've left my phone number or address. And as a result I haven't had to suffer any system crashes, junk mail or midnight visits from the IRS. If you've got something to hide, you don't belong on public-address boards in the first place. IV. THOU SHALT NOT BE STINGY OR ARROGANT WITH THY ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE. The more people who compute, the better off the world will be. But many novice users are soured on computers by the unre- sponsiveness and outright rudeness of many an experienced user. If someone asks "What does 'Abort, Retry or Ignore' mean?" don't tell them to do a system reboot. Find out what the problem is, and walk them through the steps required to fix it. We've all gotten calls in the middle of dinner with some unimaginable problem. My favorite (or worst) was the one from a co-worker who had inserted a floppy disk in the slot _between_ two half-height drives (not a pleasant thing to undo). Be a good Samaritan--ask them for a convenient time to call back, and you'll save two souls from computer hell, your friend's and your own. V. THOU SHALT NOT INJECT VIRUSES INTO THY NEIGHBOR'S EQUIPMENT. Thou knowest who thou art. We all pray thou shalt grow up someday to be an honest, contributing, happy citizen of the world. VI. THOU SHALT NOT TREAT WOMEN AS COMPUTER INFERIORS. Women feel excluded from computerdom today--partly because boys hog computers in schools and partly because computer termi- nology is macho and intimidating ("fatal error," "illegal device name," "invalid device parameters," for example). But woman are shortchanged of the benefits of computers mostly because males tend to treat computers as their private domain. I'm as guilty as the next guy--even when helping my wife I find my voice gaining a testy edge. Guys, we need to lighten up. Think of it this way: If your boss wanted a hand setting up dBASE IV (and your boss is male), would you ask _him_ if it was to keep recipes on? [Note: I have a problem with this one. For one thing, the author is apparently writing to a male audience. Also, while I agree that he is essentially right about why many women are excluded from "computerdom", I think he disregards the number of women who ARE full card-carrying citizens of computerdom. End of speech. -- G.G.] VII. THOU SHALT SUPPORT THY FAVORITE BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM. Bulletin boards are among the most altruistic things person- al computing has given to society. Uploading software, partici- pating in message forums and even sending in a little cash now and then seem small things to ask in return. VIII. THOU SHALT MIND THY P'S AND Q'S AND TLA'S. Computer culture is suffering from a severe case of initial- itis. At first the shorthand was manageable: CP/M, ROM and RAM, CPU and CRT had easily identifiable (albeit not readily explain- able) concept attached to them. Today, it's alphabet soup gone wild: DTP, TSR, EMS, DVI, CAD and CAM, FAX and VAX, CGA, EGA, VGA, OS/2, PS/2, MCA--are you still with me? OK, then how about: EGD, GUI, QBE, SQL, DSP, AIX, LAN, RSI ... YGU? (You give up?) We're starting to sound like small-town bureaucrats. Do your part to fight TLA proliferation. (TLA, of course, stands for Three-Letter Abbreviations.) IX. THOU SHALT NOT SNOOP IN THY NEIGHBOR'S FILES With the growing use of electronic mail and computers connected in office networks, the issue of personal file integri- ty is gaining attention. The policy here is good citizenship. Would you open a letter addressed to someone else? Why should it be any different with a personal computer file? X. THOU SHALT LOVE THY COMPUTER AS THYSELF. The way we use our computers speaks volumes about the way we view ourselves. If you feel good about yourself, you will use the computer to further your ideals and enhance humankind. If, on the other hand, you are using your computer toward deceitful ends, your conscience will eventually resemble a toxic-waste dump site. Information is neutral--only people can decide its morali- ty. Follow these commandments, and even though you walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Silicon, you will fear no evil. For thy PC will be with thee, thy fax board and modem shall comfort thee, and thou shalt dwell in the land of I/O forever.