Computer Ethics Institute, February 1, 1991
Ramon C. Barquin , Washington Consulting Group and Computer Ethics Institute
“As we read about sensational computer crimes, make a copy of a friend’s latest PC utility, shudder at the thought of computer viruses, or ponder the impact of complex systems going awry, knowingly or not we have entered the realm of computer ethics. It has not been a priority item in the development of the technology, but as is often the case, computer ethics—or more broadly, cyberethics—has acquired increasing importance as the potential for doing harm through the use of computers has become clear. . . . computers have brought with them, as many technologies before, the potential for their misuse. And this has generated a need to understand better the issues involved, and to determine what actions we should take to address these undesirable effects of the technology.”