The Social Responsibility of a Software Engineer
Abstraction: The social responsibility is one of important responsibilities defined by ACM in its ethic codes for software engineer. Compare to other responsibilities, social responsibility is more remote and ambiguous. When a software engineer obtained the privilege to practice his/her right from the society, he/she is required to take corresponding responsibilities. But the definition of the responsibilities is not unified in computing professional community but heavily depended on the software engineer's personal life experience and the social environment around him/her. Meanwhile, the final social effect of software is not always straightforward. In many cases, that effect is not decided by software itself but decided by who use it and where it is used. In this article, we will discuss a case that some so-called "Hacktivists" who are trying to break down the "Great Fair Wall" in China. By analyze the arguments around this case and some concerns we may have about these arguments, we are trying to describe the difficulty a software engineer may have to face when he/she assume his/her social responsibility.
Introduction: What Are The Social Responsibility For A Software Engineer
In accordance with ACM code of ethics and professional conduct, software engineer has the social responsibility "to protect fundamental human rights and to respect the diversity of all cultures" and "computing professional must attempt to ensure that the products of their efforts will be used in socially responsible ways"[2]. A software engineer also "must be alert to, and make others aware of, any potential damage"[2] about his/her products. The responsibilities are thought as a contract signe...
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