ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

acm.org

2 points·forgottenpass··2 comments

I don't disagree with the impetus for neveragain.tech. What gets under my skin is that it takes a political scare to make developers talk about taking ethics seriously.

There already exists a code of ethics developers can choose to follow. There is no need to join the ACM or start writing a code from scratch. If it has inadequacies, blind spots or overreaches, we have a starting point for discussing the broad principals as well as finer details.

I want the idea of ethics in development to actually take hold. And while backlash to the idea of a Muslim registry is great, nobody that signed the never again statement is currently employed as a cog in a system used to deport muslims. A person I respect has a saying that your "principles only count when they're uncomfortable to uphold." There are some names on that list that have Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Buzzfeed or IBM next to them. I wonder how much they critically examine and stand up to their own practices and business goals.

I find it hard to swallow that tech firms actively engaged in spying and censorship really care beyond their perceived brand value about such things. It comes down to the fact that you cannot enforce ethics, and tech is largely indifferent to how it is applied.

The neveragain movement seems reactionary and self-ignorant ramblings of a party that lost. Be good for goodness sake. Not because you think the devil is waiting in the wings.

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