Professional Issues in Computing: Analysis and Discussion

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of professional issues in computing based on a scenario involving a web developer named Jimmy and his experiences at Hullabaloo.com and an e-commerce company. The analysis covers legal factors (international laws, information theft), professional factors (integrity, confidentiality), employment and social factors (work experience, deception), personal factors (leadership, code of ethics), and intrinsic factors (IT degree, self-consciousness). The report prioritizes these factors, discusses the ethical dilemmas, and concludes with a reflection on the importance of ethical conduct in the computing field. The case study highlights issues such as the spread of fake news, data privacy violations, and conflicts of interest, providing a detailed examination of the ethical considerations that professionals in the computing industry must navigate. The report also includes a table for the prioritization of professional issues from the scenario.

Student Name
Student No.
Course code
Semester n, 201n
Professional Issues Assignment Part 1
Due Date: time, dd/mm/yy
Lecturer: David Tuffley
Campus (NA, LG, GC):

Professional Issues Assignment
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................2
Analysis 2
1.1. Legal factors...............................................................................3
1.2. Professional factors....................................................................3
1.3. Employment and Social factors...................................................3
1.4. Personal factors..........................................................................4
1.5. Intrinsic factors..........................................................................4
1.6. Prioritisation..............................................................................4
1.7. Decision......................................................................................6
Discussion 7
Conclusion 8
References 9
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Professional Issues Assignment
Introduction
Professional issues are ethical guidelines or code of conducts that governs how
individuals discharge their duties in their different professions or areas of expertise
(Babcock, 2008). This document entails a thorough analysis of professional issues in
computing based on a given scenario carried out by our team. Having studied the
scenario which includes all the activities carried out in various computing
environment given as well as how different employees reacts or behave in different
situations (Bott, 2010). This therefore will provide guidance in deducing some of the
issues such as legal issues, employment and social issues, personal issues,
professional issues and intrinsic issues related to Hullaballoo.com and Jimmy’s
experience on different work environment (Drevin, 2009). A thorough prioritization
factors is also provided, how they made their decision as well as a thorough
discussion and a conclusion on the professional issues based on the findings (Artinian,
2010). .
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Professional Issues Assignment
1. Analysis
The professional issues are analyzed below as per the Jimmy’s scenario.
1.1. Legal factors
Ignorance of international laws – Hullabaloo.com where Jimmy secures his first job
has its website registered and hosted in the country that do not recognise
(SVANTESSON, 2017).
Information Theft – Jimmy’s CEO want him to steal his former employer’s IT project
pricing strategy. This is unlawful and unethical since it breaches Jimmy’s former
employer information confidentiality and ownership.
Below standard services – Jimmy realises after sometime that the journalist at
Hullabaloo have low standards. That is, they publish stories without verifying the
facts and they go to extent of publishing fake news as bait to attract more readers.
This is a breach of code of ethics and laws that govern business quality (Amarakoon,
2016).
1.2. Professional factors
Integrity – The integrity of the news provided by hullabaloo is compromised since
they propagate false and fake news in favour of their clients. They are paid to post
positive news about their clients and negative about their client’s competitors
(liverpool, 2014).
Confidentiality –.People’s demographic details stored in the “Reaper” database is not
treated as confidential and the information is distributed to other parties without the
owner’s consent.
Misuse of people’s information – Subscriber’s information is used over and over and
even sold to other third parties contrary to what the information was initially intended
for (Feretic, 2011).
1.3. Employment and Social factors
Work Experience – Jimmy finds another job with an ecommerce company based on
his home city. He is given the job on the basis of his experience with hullabaloo’s
reaper data collection project.
Above average pay – Jimmy was pay was above average for a 25 hours commitment
by working virtually at hullabaloo.
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Professional Issues Assignment
Deception – Hullabaloo asked for more information from people for newsletter
subscription and then went ahead to trick them to accept a 2000 words legal
document to give hullabaloo right to sell their information to third parties. This is
unethical.
1.4. Personal factors
Leader’s position – After getting another job at Ecommerce Company, jimmy sees an
opportunity to become a team leader after his boss Alec Smith quits.
Firm in his decision – Even after Alec held a closed meeting with jimmy to cancel
Dev A performance review, Jimmy refuses the requests.
Vengeance – Alec provided a bad report about Jimmy which led to his interview
being cancelled.
1.5. Intrinsic factors
Degree in IT – Jimmy is a graduate of Griffith University IT as a web developer and
this helped hi secure a job at hullabaloo.
Team Leader – Jimmy was confirmed team leader by the directors at Ecommerce
Company after his boss Alec Smith left suddenly.
Responsible – Jimmy replaces Dev A after realizing he was incompetent and was
performing poorly..
Self-conscious – Jimmy raises concerns with his boss at hullabaloo about the
demographic information stored in the reaper database and then sold to third parties
without the owner’s consent.
1.6. Prioritisation
Prioritization of professional issues as obtained from the scenario is depicted in the
table below.
Factor Related Issue
1 Lack of international laws
(Legal)
The country where
hullabaloo website is
registered and hosted does
not recognise international
laws.
2 Information Theft
(Legal)
The suggestion by Jimmy’s
CEO to steal his former
boss pricing strategy for IT
systems.
3 Bribery for published information Clients pay Hullabaloo to
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Professional Issues Assignment
(Legal and Professional)
post information that
favour them and demean
their competitors.
4 Below Standard Services
(Legal and Professional)
Journalistic at hullabaloo
are of low standards and
non-factual.
5 Information Integrity
(Professional, Employment and social)
Publishing of fake news by
hullabaloo in favour of
clients.
6 Confidentiality
(Professional)
Demographic information
are sold to third parties
without their consent.
7 Deception
(Employment and Social)
More information for a
simple newsletter which is
the used for sale to third
parties by hullabaloo.
8 Work Experience
(employment and social)
Jimmy is employed on the
basis of his experience with
the Reaper data collection
project.
9 Above average pay
(Employment and social)
Jimmy’s pay is above
average for 25 hours every
week.
10 Code of Ethics
(Personal and Legal)
Jimmy developed a website
to deliver fake news.
11 Leader’s position
(Personal and Intrinsic)
Jimmy saw an opportunity
to become a team leader
after Alec Smith left.
12 Vengeance
(Personal)
Alec Gives a bad report
about Jimmy and Jimmy’s
interview is cancelled.
13 Self-conscious
(Intrinsic)
Jimmy raises concerns with
his boss at hullabaloo about
the demographic
information stored in the
reaper database and then
sold to third parties without
owners consent
14 Responsible
(Intrinsic)
Replaces Incompetent Dev
A and orders for his
performance review.
15 Degree in IT Jimmy is a graduate of
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Professional Issues Assignment
(Intrinsic)
Griffith University IT
Table 1: Priority List
1.7. Decision
Decision to prioritize the issues as shown above based on the importance and weight
that each factor carries as depicted in the scenario. From the scenario, Hullabaloo
where Jimmy secures his first job has its business registered and operating on a
country that does not observe international laws that govern such business. This
lawlessness lead to other professional issues encounter by jimmy such as misuse of
information, deception, bribery, low standards, lack of integrity among others
(Computing, 2015). Therefore, legal factors are more important since they dictate
how people will conduct their businesses professionally and also observe employment
and social factors, personal and intrinsic factors respectively. Professional factors
depends on the international laws, Employment and Social factors on the other hand
relies on the professional factors and then the employment and social factors defines
how personal and intrinsic factors would be.
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Professional Issues Assignment
Discussion
Legal Factors
Under this lack of international law is given the first priority (Law, 2017). Hullabaloo
has their website registered and hosted in a country which does not recognise
international laws governing matter such as privacy protection and censorship. This is
the ignorance of high order since these laws are there and are being implemented by
other countries. The fact that hullabaloo has gone ahead to have their business
registered with this country, shows that the company does not care on the integrity
and privacy of peoples information. Secondly information theft is a concern. When
the CEO asks Jimmy to provide them with the pricing strategy of his former boss
violates the ownership right or intellectual property of the information. Another thing
is the fact that Hullabaloo clients pay so that the company can publish news that
favour them but demean their competitors. This is a form of bribery which is illegal
and unethical in nature.
Professional Factors
First there is an integrity issue where hullabaloo publishes fake news that are not
supported by any facts. This compromises the professional integrity of the
information provided by hullabaloo since there are reliable sources or supporting
content to validate the news. Another thing is about the confidentiality of the
information provide by those subscribing for newsletter. Hullabaloo goes ahead to
share and even sell these information third parties without the consent of the
subscribers. This is unethical behavior and violates professional confidentiality
(essays, 2016).
Employment and social
Deception is one issue that is highly witnessed. Hullabaloo asks for more information
than it is required for newsletter subscription and then goes ahead to trick subscribers
to accept 2000 words legal document which gives hullabaloo right to sell the
information. Though this might be legal, it is unethical since it does not give the
subscribers an option to subscribe for newsletter without accepting the terms and
condition laid. This is a deception of a high order and violates the freedom of the
subscribers. Work experience is another issue. Jimmy is employed at Ecommerce
Company out of his experience with the reaper data collection project despite the
project having built on fake news and deception. Also Jimmy was paid above average
in 25 hours of working in a week since the project he was working on was so valuable
to hullabaloo as it was to be used to deliver fake news (Gulbahar, 2008).
Personal Factors
Code of Ethics is an issue observed under personal factors in the scenario (Babcock,
2008). Despite the fact that Jimmy realized that the information published by
Hullabaloo was fake and non-factual, Jimmy went ahead to develop the website for
the company. This compromised Jimmy’s integrity as a person. Thus, making him
engage in unethical behavior contrary to his profession. Another personal issue is
leadership position. Jimmy was able to see a leadership opportunity immediately after
Alec Smith left. He stepped up and carried out his former boss duties and later was
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Professional Issues Assignment
given the team leader role. Another issue involves vengeance, as portrayed by Alec
towards Jimmy is unethical.
Intrinsic Factors
Jimmy was a graduate of Griffith University with a degree in IT. He had skills in
Web development and this made him secure his first job with hullabaloo. He was also
a self-conscious person. He portrayed this when he realized that subscriber’s
information being misused by misleading them to accept terms and condition that
gave hullabaloo right to sell their details without their consent. This prompted him
raising concerns about it to his boss. He later get another job at Ecommerce Company
where he sees an opportunity to become a team leader and goes for it. Being a
responsible and competent person he replaces Dev A in his team who was
incompetent with another person. Then later carries a performance review on Dev A
despite being asked to cancel by Ale, his former boss.
Conclusion
In conclusion it is evident that there are so many ethical factors that come to play in
the whole scenario involving Jimmy experience after graduating and securing his first
job at hullabaloo. These ethical issues range from legal issues, professional issues,
employment and social issues, personal and intrinsic issues (Chen, 2012). These
professional issues affect individuals as well as society at large.
.
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Professional Issues Assignment
Reference
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Artinian, C. J. (2010). CODE OF ETHICS. Chicago,: MORTON'S RESTAURANT
GROUP, INC.
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York University of pennyslavania .
Bott, F. (2010, May 20). Professional Issues in Information Technology. Retrieved
August 8, 2017, from IT Governance:
https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/shop/product/professional-issues-in-
information-technology
Chen, W. (2012). "Extrinsic and intrinsic barriers in the use of ICT in teaching".
Wellington: Ascilite.
Computing, A. o. (2015, May 4). Academic accreditation. Retrieved August 16,
2017, from Academy of Computing: http://academy.bcs.org/content/legal-
social-ethical-professional-issues-lsepi
Drevin, L. (2009). Social, Legal and Professional Issues of Computing. In L. Drevin,
contents and ethical awareness (pp. 3-5). London: North-West University.
essays, U. (2016, June 19). Essays. Retrieved August 16, 2017, from UKEssays:
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/nursing/legal-ethical-professional.php
Feretic, E. (2011). Business Intelligence. The Use and Misuse of Information , 1-5.
Gulbahar, Y. (2008). Educational Technology and society. In Y. Gulbahar, Survey
on ICT Usage and the Perceptions of Social Studies Teachers in Turkey (pp.
37-51).
Law, W. C. (2017). Online Certificate in International Communication Regulation
and Policy . Washington: Washington College of Law.
liverpool, U. o. (2014, November 5). techtarget. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from
What is: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Confidentiality-integrity-and-
availability-CIA
SVANTESSON, D. J. (2017). THE DIVERSITY OF INTERNATIONAL LAWS.
Stockholm: The Masaryk University.
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