Ethical Codes

the one thing the authors apparently assume their readers will know is the meaning of the acronym ACM, which is not explained in the text. In the first paragraph, the letters just appear as an indication of some organization that has sanctioned a code of ethics for computer professionals, but the words that these letters stand for are never indicated. ACM is apparently a professional association, since the opening paragraph begins with a statement about how professional associates have historically made use of a code of ethics as a means of establishing their status as a profession or to regulate their membership. The ACM has a code of ethics and is therefore probably a professional association as well. In the second paragraph ACM is referred to as a society, but again the meaning of those letters is not given.

The title contains the ACM designation and so assumes that readers who would be attracted to reading this would know its meaning. This is a saf

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d to the central issue of the use of a code of ethics to make decisions, with decisions here in the areas of intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, professional quality, fairness or discrimination, liability, software risks, conflicts of interest, and unauthorized access to computer systems. They are all topics that would be familiar to users of computers, and professionals would know the controversies involved and the specific issues related to decision-making under each of these headings. The point of view taken in this introductory section is third person, but always there is the sense that this is being written by a group rather than an individual and that the group is shaping the article so that each member contributes to the final product, probably by writing different ones of the case studies. The case studies are in a different style. In the first paragraph of each, the case is examined, showing the problem facing the individual computer professional, and then the Code is brought in as a means of explaining the ethical issues involved and to point to a solution. The third paragraph then examines how well the computer professional lived up to the Code in the way each has addressed the issue faced. Usually, t
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Professional Conduct, Code ACM, Decision Making--and, Communications ACM--this, , code ethics, acm code, acm code ethics, computer professional, ethical decision, property privacy confidentiality, Code Ethics, ACM Code, professional quality fairness, privacy confidentiality professional, professional quality, quality fairness, discrimination liability, decision authors, software risks, confidentiality professional quality, liability software,
Approximate Word count = 1362
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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