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Re: The Ethics of Webbots

by petdance (Parson)
on Sep 21, 2004 at 03:11 UTC ( [id://392552]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to The Ethics of Webbots

The bigger issue is your long-term employment. You need to evaluate your relationship with your boss, and with your company.

What if your girlfriend said "Hey, let's go shoplifting" (assuming you're not Perry Farrell). You think "Do I want to maintain a relationship with this person who wants me to engage in illegal, unethical activities?" That's the situation you're in with your boss.

Make no mistake, this issue is between you and your boss, not you and "management." Your boss should be protecting you from you having to do anything unethical or illegal. If he/she is not, then you have a shitty boss, and it may well be time to move on anyway.

My bottom line is: no, you should do anything in the name of the company that violates your own code of ethics. Let 'em fire you for insubordination. They won't be eager to fire you, in general, nor will they relish the thought of you going to the unemployment office explaining why you were canned. Does your company have a code of ethics? A higher-up corporate parent you can talk to? My company has a code of ethics I have to sign yearly.

I was in a situation like this before, at a different company, now out of business, when I was asked to write a program to create false sales reports to give to a supplier. I refused to do it, and was fully prepared to get canned. There were no repercussions, perhaps because my boss did the project instead of me.

xoxo,
Andy

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: The Ethics of Webbots
by prodevel (Scribe) on Sep 21, 2004 at 06:43 UTC
    Sorry, but KUDOS to the Perry Farrell ref, petdance!!!

    Excellent advice by all - many thanks as I've been asked this same stuff before and have been able to be in the position to give a very flat, 'No.'

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