Ethics in software development

Presented @ TIAD.io

In Silicon Valley (and increasingly outside of it), there's a sort of mantra virtually every CEO will tell you: "We're making the world a better place". It's an easy thing to say and to believe in. It's tempting, because it sounds so simple, yet so beautiful; endearing, but vague enough to hold no meaning. As coworkers and managers, we should ask ourselves: are we treating our team members well? When in leadership positions, are we paying a fair wage? As software creators: are we honest towards our users? Can the product/service we develop be used to exploit others, be it intentionally or by accident? If so, what can we do about that, if anything at all? What about copyrights? Privacy? I am hoping that we can explore that together with the audience. Let's think about where our work fits in the (un-)ethical spectrum, and get inspired to introduce changes in what we do.

Transcript

1. Ethics in software development
   TIAD, 04.10.2016
   

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2. “We’re making the world a better place...”
   

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3. “We’re making the world a better place...
   ...through Paxos
   algorithms for
   consensus protocols.”
   ...through canonical
   data models to
   communicate between
   endpoints.”
   

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4. A code of ethics
   for engineers?
   

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5. “Engineering is an important and learned profession. As
   members of this profession, engineers are expected to exhibit
   the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Engineering
   has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all
   people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers
   require honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must
   be dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety,
   and welfare. Engineers must perform under a standard of
   professional behavior that requires adherence to the highest
   principles of ethical conduct.”
   https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics/history-code-ethics-engineers
   

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6. Engineers: people who “hold
   paramount the safety, health and
   welfare of the public”
   https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics/history-code-ethics-engineers
   

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7. A code of ethics
   for software engineers!
   https://www.computer.org/cms/Publications/code-of-ethics.pdf
   

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8. “1.03. Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that
   it is safe, meets specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does
   not diminish quality of life, diminish privacy, or harm the
   environment. The ultimate effect of the work should be to the
   public good.”
   https://www.computer.org/cms/Publications/code-of-ethics.pdf
   

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9. “3.15. Treat all forms of software maintenance with the same
   professionalism as new development.”
   https://www.computer.org/cms/Publications/code-of-ethics.pdf
   

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10. Ethical behavior?
    According to
    businessdictionary.com:
    “Acting in ways consistent with what
    society and individuals typically think
    are good values. Ethical behavior
    tends to be good for business and
    involves demonstrating respect for
    key moral principles that include
    honesty, fairness, equality, dignity,
    diversity and individual rights.”
    

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11. Ethical?
    According to dictionary.com:
    “in accordance with the rules or
    standards for right conduct or
    practice, especially the standards of a
    profession”
    

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12. Marta Paciorkowska
    English Literature dropout
    Likes weird stuff
    DevOps Heroine @ Acrolinx GmbH
    Senior Twitter ranter (@a_meba)
    https://thatmarta.wordpress.com
    

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13. Ethical issues I
    will not talk about
    ❖
    Using open-source code in their
    [company] code without
    properly crediting the source
    ❖
    Using illegal software to perform
    their [company] tasks
    ❖
    Reverse engineering code to find
    out how a process works (...)
    ❖
    Taking talent from the
    competition
    https://www.scribd.com/doc/10880744/Ethical-Issues-in-Softwar
    e-Development
    

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14. What we build
    

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15. Girls Around Me
    Using the Foursquare API to stalk people
    “A violation of our API policy”
    Is dating supposed to be risky?
    

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16. “Users will always do things
    with technology that we didn’t
    anticipate”
    Shannon Vallor, associate professor of philosophy at Santa Clara,
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/09/09/software_engineers_need_a_crash_course_in_ethics.html
    

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17. Technology moves fast, but not all
    of this movement is for the better.
    

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18. How we build
    things
    ❖
    We work in different settings.
    ❖
    Our teams will differ.
    ❖
    Sometimes our software provides
    work for others.
    

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19. We’re quite privileged
    

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20. Think about your company
    Workers’ unions?
    Salaries?
    Child-friendly?
    Underrepresented groups?
    What would you like to change?
    

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21. The sharing economy
    

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22. Freelancers or employees?
    

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23. The people who pay for the
    cheap price are the people who
    provide the services.
    

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24. Homejoy advertised itself as “a movement
    to make cleaning services available to a
    broad audience, rather than a luxury for the
    rich”
    http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/03/startup-workers-sue-to-be-recognized-as-employees-not-mere-contractors/
    

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25. The safety and well-being of our end users
    

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26. "Do you risk if you announce early that you terrify
    people and actually the breach has been minimal,
    or do you do the forensics first, dig down through
    the systems, work out what has gone and then
    announce things once you're more sure?”
    - Tom Cheesewright, security expert,
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/597188/Carphone-Warehouse-data-breach-customers-fury
    

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27. People don’t
    understand software.
    

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28. https://www.helloclue.com/privacy.html
    

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29. “3.12. Work to develop software and related documents that
    respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that
    software.”
    https://www.computer.org/cms/Publications/code-of-ethics.pdf
    

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30. Conclusion
    ❖
    You don’t have to agree with me!
    ❖
    Technology doesn’t exist in a
    vacuum.
    ❖
    Please, ask questions.
    ♥
    

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31. Thank you!
    https://thatmarta.wordpress.com | @a_meba
    

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