Portfolio Item 5: Technology and Ethics California State University Monterey Bay Lucero Villegas

Instructor Eric Y. Tao CST 430 March 5, 2013

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS Ethical Issue Topic: A friend gets up from her computer briefly; she is logged on to First Class and you have the opportunity to send a funny message from her to one of her professors. Would you take

advantage of this opportunity? Why or why not? What are some of the underlying ethical issues involved in this set of circumstances? An ethical issue is defined by BusinessDictionary.com (2013) as A problem or situation that requires a person or organization to choose between alternatives that must be evaluated as right (ethical) or wrong (unethical). In the case presented above, I believe that it is completely unethical to send any message to any person from a friends First Class account. The underlying ethical issues involved in this set of circumstances would be that this would not only break the bonding trust between my friend and I, put her in a difficult situation when the professor confronts her, and would also degrade my person as a future professional in the social work field. Ops.org (2013) presents the e-mailing program First Class as [enhancing] collaborationstudents and staff are able to share information easily within a class. First Class is secure, reliableand is less susceptible to the spread of email viruses. My female friend uses this method to communicate with her professors and classmates about any of her questions or concerns, in regards to schoolwork. Being a friend to someone entails being honest and trustworthy, while always wanting for each other to live a healthy and good life. I would not take advantage of the prospect of sending a funny message to her professors because it would be unethical and unfriendly. The Freedictionary.com (2013) defines the word friend as A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts. Being her friend myself, I am liked and known by her; I do not believe that she would like me to even snoop around her First Class account. I

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS would not only be invading her privacy, but could also lose a friend because of a stupid and intolerable action.

My friends professors would think that the funny message or e-mail that I actually sent to them was from my friend. She would be oblivious to this fact and could face dire consequences from her professors. Im positive that each campus has regulations to what inappropriate communication with professors is, and what punishments can be brought up if this line is crossed. The underlying ethical issue would engulf not only myself, but also my personal friend. She would have to explain to her instructors that she did not send the messages, and she also has to face the fact that they may not believe her. This implicit issue would have my friends entire professors question what type of person she is and if she takes her education seriously. I would have to not face punishments or consequences if she does not reveal that I sent the messages. Relating to my second paragraph, my friend can reveal my name since I have taken advantage of her trust. Since the friendship may be over, she can then reasonably point the finger at me. I would then have to face even harsher punishment and also have my person questions by all the individuals that I sent the funny message to. My friend would have every right to state who sent the messages and I would have to be a good person and own up to my actions. Taking the so-called opportunity to send messages from my friends account would make a large number of people question my future as a professional. As a future social worker, which involves Organized work intended to advance the social conditions of a community, and especially of the disadvantaged, by providing psychological counseling, guidance, and assistance, especially in the form of social services (Freedictionary.com, 2013). As a future social worker, I am supposed to guide and assist other; sending any type of message from

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS anyones account and impersonating them is harmful. I am not assisting my friend to send a professional message, but I am instead brining her down with her studies and private communication with professors. A professional would not take advantage of anyone, but would

try to be that person helps anyone succeed and become better in his or her educational journey. I would be contradicting myself by sending messages using her account, while studying to receive my degree in the social work field. The person that would not agree with me, that it is unethical, would not be thinking clearly about future penalties. They would label this act simply as a prank or something funny that will not hurt or affect anyone. However, this immoral act of sending the funny message would not be hysterical to the receiver nor the imposter sender when the truth is revealed. My friend could possibly be removed from her studies depending on what exactly is in the message, and she herself would then face the ethical issue of voicing the fact that I sent the message and not her. The action of pretending to be a friend and using her account to send a funny message to anyone in her contacts list, especially her professor/s, would disgrace my standing as a friend, professional, and person. I can possibly lose a close friend because of this unethical act, and those who received the messages would also not trust me. We are all faced with decisions in life that pertain to the use of advanced technology, and we have to ethically use these powerful tools to successfully help and not hurt others.

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS References Firstclass. (n.d.). Omaha public schools. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from

http://www.ops.org/district/CENTRALOFFICES/GeneralAdministrativeServices/Inform ationManagementServices/FirstClass/tabid/722/Default.aspx. Free online dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia. (n.d.). In dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus - The free dictionary. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com. What is ethical issue? definition and meaning. (n.d.). In Businessdictionary.com - Online business dictionary. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ethical-issue.html.