1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

• Follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have other do unto you.”
• Do not be offensive. Post or send messages that you can say directly to the
recipient’s face. Follow the moral standards that guide your everyday life.

2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people’s computer work.

• Do not tamper with other people’s computer settings, folders, and files, just as you
would not want other people to fiddle with yours.
• Generating and consciously spreading computer viruses is unethical.

3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people’s files.

• Respect other people’s privacy. Ask for the person’s permission.
• Hacking, spyware
• Obtaining other people’s non-public files (e.g. letters, documents)

4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.

• Using a computer to break into the accounts = robbery.
• Passwords are meant to protect your computer, your files, and personal information.
• Cyber crimes, e.g. identity theft and illegal use of personal accounts (i.e. Internet
access, email account, financial accounts)

5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

• Do not use the computer to malign or spread untruths about other people.
• Always check the reliability of your information and sources before publishing or
forwarding messages about other people.

6. Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid.
• Observe Copyright Laws. Anti-Piracy.
• Cracking registration codes
• Shareware vs. Freeware

7. Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization.
• common courtesy to ask the owner’s permission
• do not try to bypass this authorization system for multi-user systems

8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.

• Respect the Intellectual Property Rights of authors and publishers – always
acknowledge your sources. If permission to use the content is not obvious in the
source material, ask for it and wait for the author’s or publisher’s response before
using the content.
• copy-and-paste practice as alternative to paraphrasing or summarizing = plagiarism
and does not enhance your higher order thinking skills
• Modern Language Association (MLA):
Author’s Last Name, First Name. (Date of publication or last update notice.) “Title of
Work.” Title of the Complete Work. [URL/Address] (Date Accessed) 1

Examples:

1
www.lib.mud.edu/UES/citing.html
  Harnack, A. and Kleppinger, E. (2003) “Using Other Styles to Cite and Document
Sources.” Online! A Reference Guide To Using Internet Sources.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citeappxa.html (Accessed: July 1, 2005)
 Lottor, Mark. (February 18, 1996) “Internet Domain Survey.”
ftp.nw.com/zone/report.doc (Accessed: June 16, 1996)

9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program and messages you
write.
• Malicious programs in the form of error-ridden codes, spyware, viruses, Trojans,
worms, and logic bombs just waste people’s time, effort, and resources.
• Spam, hoaxes and unreliable messages, flame

10. Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect.
• respect queuing
• be generally nice to other people in the environment
• Be sure not to change the settings of other users.
• Observe Laboratory Rules and Regulations.
• Respect other people’s time and resources.
• Be considerate and patient with neophyte computer users.