of interest, as stated in imperative 1. 3.
As noted in the discussion of imperative 1. 2 on avoiding harm, any signs of
danger from systems must be reported
to those who have opportunity and/or
responsibility to resolve them. See the
guidelines for imperative 1. 2 for more
details concerning harm, including the
reporting of professional violations.
2. 6 Accept only those responsibilities
for which you are qualified, and honor
those commitments.
A computing professional has a responsibility to evaluate every work assignment. Should the evaluation identify
reasons that the project should not be attempted, the professional must disclose
those reasons to the employer or client.
The assignment should not be accepted
unless those reasons are mitigated by
changes to the nature of the project.
Should the evaluation identify reasons that the professional does not
have the expertise to complete the project, the professional must disclose this
shortcoming to the employer or client,
and request that the project be under-taken by someone with the appropriate
qualifications.
Should the evaluation identify that
the project is theoretically impossible
to complete by anyone, the professional must disclose this impossibility to
the employer or client and request that
the project be dropped or modified in
order to make the project theoretically
possible.
On some occasions, other ethical
principles may take greater priority, and
a judgment that a specific assignment
should not be performed may not be
accepted. Only after serious consideration and with full disclosure of risks
and concerns to the employer or client,
and having clearly identified one’s concerns and reasons for that judgment
that failed to result in a change to the
nature of the project, should one accept
the assignment if one is obligated, by
contract or by law. The major underlying principle here is the obligation to
accept personal accountability for professional work. The computing professional’s ethical judgment should be the
final guide in deciding whether to proceed. Regardless of the decision, one
must accept the responsibility for the
consequences.
Computing professionals should en-
sure that system elements perform as
intended. When an ACM member con-
tracts for work with another party, the
member has an obligation to keep that
party properly informed about progress
toward completing that work.
2. 7 Improve public understanding of
computing, related technologies, and
their consequences.
Computing professionals have a responsibility to share technical knowledge with the public by creating awareness and encouraging understanding
of computing, including the impacts
of computer systems, their limitations,
their vulnerabilities, and opportunities
they present. This imperative implies
an obligation to counter any false views
related to computing.
2. 8 Access computing and communica-
tion resources only when authorized to
do so.
Theft or unauthorized destruction of
tangible and electronic property is prohibited by imperative 1. 2— “Avoid harm
to others.” Trespassing and unauthorized use of a computer or communication system is addressed by this imperative. Trespassing includes accessing
communication networks and computer systems, or accounts and/or files
within those systems, without authorization to do so. Individuals and organizations have the right to restrict access
to their systems so long as they do not
violate the discrimination principle (see
imperative 1. 4). No one should access
or use another’s computer system, software, or data files without permission.
One should have appropriate approval
before using system resources unless
there is an overriding concern for the
public good. To support this clause, a
computing professional should take
appropriate action to secure resources
against unauthorized use.
3. ORGANIZATIONAL
LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVES.
In this section, “leader” means any
member of an organization who has
leadership or educational responsibilities. These imperatives generally apply
to organizations as well as their leaders.
“Organizations” are corporations, government agencies, and other “
employers,” as well as volunteer professional
organizations.
New technologies
arise so quickly
that they may
be in widespread
use before
practitioners
can see
the social
and ethical
consequences.