Ethical and Professional Issues

Where do you draw the line between  individual privacy  and  national security ? In a democracy, which one is paramount? In the past, I haven't given much thought to individual privacy if I am being totally honest. I've sort of had the mindset of "I have nothing to hide so why should I care?" I'm not involved in anything shady, and really believe that if literally my entire digital footprint was leaked to the world, the worst that would happen would me some mild embarrassment. After this week of discussion, though, my opinion has shifted rather drastically. Snowden's adage of "not caring about privacy because you have nothing to hide is like not caring about free speech because you have nothing to say" really stuck with me. What happens if the day comes where you DO have something to hide? By then, since you've been complacent in the privacy war thus far, it's too late. Even if that day never comes, I still see great value in internet p...

According to  Roger Boisjoly , "[whistleblowing] destroyed [his] career, [his] life, everything else." What good, then, is  whistleblowing ? In today's ever growing world of technology where systems become more and more complicated and more integrated into our everyday lives, the room for error, disaster, and misuse of power grows too. Whether it is technical failure or unethical behavior, whistleblowers have played in integral part in alerting the public to the wrongdoings of engineers and the leadership bodies that govern them. I think the less ambiguous, more clear-cut "acceptable whistleblowing" is when it relates to "engineering disasters." If an organization cuts corners in ways that lead to some sort of serious malfunction resulting in significant damage, I believe those involved have a moral obligation to come forward with any knowledge they have. This is important for two reasons: to hold those responsible accountable and to best ensure a ...