1. These Principles should influence software engineers to consider broadly who is affected by their work; to examine if they and their colleagues are treating other human beings with due respect; to consider how the public, if reasonably well informed, would view their decisions; to analyze how the least empowered will be affected by their decisions; and to consider whether their acts would be judged worthy of the ideal professional working as a software engineer.
2. Ensure that software engineers know the employer's policies and procedures for protecting passwords, files and information that is confidential to the employer or confidential to others.
3. Because of their roles in developing software systems, software engineers have significant opportunities to do good or cause harm, to enable others to do good or cause harm, or to influence others to do good or cause harm.
4. Refuse to participate, as members or advisors, in a private, governmental or professional body concerned with software related issues, in which they, their employers or their clients have undisclosed potential conflicts of interest.
5. Because of their roles in developing software systems, software engineers have significant opportunities to do good or cause harm, to enable others to do good or cause harm, or to influence others to do good or cause harm.
6. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
7. Cooperate in efforts to address matters of grave public concern caused by software, its installation, maintenance, support or documentation.
8. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and related documents on which they work.
9. However, even in this generality, the Code provides support for software engineers and managers of software engineers who need to take positive action in a specific case by documenting the ethical stance of the profession.
10. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that software.
1. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and related documents on which they work.
2. Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they work and of the environment in which they will be used.
3. Work to follow professional standards, when available, that are most appropriate for the task at hand, departing from these only when ethically or technically justified.
4. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
5. Assist colleagues in being fully aware of current standard work practices including policies and procedures for protecting passwords, files and other confidential information, and security measures in general.
6. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
7. Ensure that they are qualified for any project on which they work or propose to work by an appropriate combination of education and training, and experience.
8. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
9. These Principles should influence software engineers to consider broadly who is affected by their work; to examine if they and their colleagues are treating other human beings with due respect; to consider how the public, if reasonably well informed, would view their decisions; to analyze how the least empowered will be affected by their decisions; and to consider whether their acts would be judged worthy of the ideal professional working as a software engineer.
10. Accept no outside work detrimental to the work they perform for their primary employer.
1. As this Code expresses the consensus of the profession on ethical issues, it is a means to educate both the public and aspiring professionals about the ethical obligations of all software engineers.
2. To ensure, as much as possible, that their efforts will be used for good, software engineers must commit themselves to making software engineering a beneficial and respected profession.
3. Principle 8: SELFSoftware engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession.
4. Principle 3: PRODUCTSoftware engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
5. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Strive for high quality, acceptable cost and a reasonable schedule, ensuring significant tradeoffs are clear to and accepted by the employer and the client, and are available for consideration by the user and the public.
6. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
7. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
8. In particular, software engineers shall continually endeavor to:Further their knowledge of developments in the analysis, specification, design, development, maintenance and testing of software and related documents, together with the management of the development process.
9. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
10. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
1. Ensure that clients, employers, and supervisors know of the software engineer's commitment to this Code of ethics, and the subsequent ramifications of such commitment.
2. Avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this code.
3. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
4. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
5. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
6. Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
7. Report significant violations of this Code to appropriate authorities when it is clear that consultation with people involved in these significant violations is impossible, counter-productive or dangerous.
8. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
9. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
10. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
1. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.
2. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
3. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
4. However, even in this generality, the Code provides support for software engineers and managers of software engineers who need to take positive action in a specific case by documenting the ethical stance of the profession.
5. Work to follow professional standards, when available, that are most appropriate for the task at hand, departing from these only when ethically or technically justified.
6. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
7. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .
8. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.
9. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
10. As this Code expresses the consensus of the profession on ethical issues, it is a means to educate both the public and aspiring professionals about the ethical obligations of all software engineers.