Computer Ethics

Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to Computer Ethics

Think about this for a moment. You're walking in town and you find a wallet full of cash and an ID. What do you do? Most of us would try to return it, right? It’s the right thing to do. Now, what if you find a USB stick left behind in the college computer lab? Or you see your friend’s Facebook account open and unattended? The digital world has its own "lost wallets" and dilemmas. Computer Ethics is our guide to making the right choices online and with technology. Your ICT skills are a superpower – let's learn how to use them for good!

Image Suggestion: An illustration of a young, modern Kenyan student standing at a digital crossroads. One path, glowing green, is labeled 'Ethical Use' and shows icons of collaboration, learning, and secure transactions. The other path, glowing red, is labeled 'Unethical Use' and shows icons of hacking, piracy, and cyberbullying. The student looks thoughtful, choosing their path. The style is vibrant and slightly cartoonish.

So, What Exactly are Computer Ethics?

Simply put, computer ethics are the moral rules and principles we follow when using computers and the internet. It's about understanding the difference between right and wrong in the digital space. Think of them as the "digital rules of the road." Without rules, driving would be chaos! Similarly, without ethics, the digital world can become a harmful and chaotic place.

These principles help us answer questions like:

• Is it okay to read someone else's WhatsApp messages without permission?
• Is it fair to download a movie or software without paying for it?
• What are my responsibilities when I post something online?

Key Ethical Issues You'll Face

As an ICT professional in Kenya, you will encounter many ethical challenges. Here are the big ones:

• Privacy: This is your right to keep your personal information safe. In Kenya, this includes your M-Pesa transaction history, your personal photos, and data collected by various apps. Unethically accessing or sharing this information is a serious breach.
• Copyright & Piracy: You know those movie shops that sell the latest films for 100 bob? That's piracy! Copyright is the law that protects creators (musicians, filmmakers, software developers). Using their work without permission or payment is like stealing their hard work.
• Cybercrime: This involves committing crimes using a computer. This is a huge issue in Kenya, from the classic "Tuma kwa hii namba" M-Pesa scams to sophisticated bank fraud.
• Plagiarism: This is a very important one for you as a student! Plagiarism is taking someone else's work (from a book, website, or another student) and presenting it as your own. It is academic theft!

Real-World Scenario: The M-Pesa Scam

You receive an SMS: "Congratulations! You have won KES 50,000 in a promotion. To claim your prize, please send the KES 2,500 unlocking fee to 07xxxxxxxx. REF: PRZ45." The person who sent this is using technology unethically to try and steal from people. An ethical ICT user would recognize this as a scam, delete it, and warn their friends and family.

The High Cost of Bad Ethics: A Calculation

Sometimes, being unethical seems like an easy way to save money, but it almost always costs more in the long run. Let's look at a cyber cafe that decides to use pirated (cracked) software instead of buying genuine licenses.

--- The Cyber Cafe's Unethical "Savings" vs. The Real Cost ---

SCENARIO: A cyber cafe in Eldoret has 10 computers.
They choose pirated Windows and Office to save money.

INITIAL "SAVING" (Cost of 10 Genuine Licenses)
- Cost per license: KES 8,000
- Total "Saved": 10 x 8,000 = KES 80,000

THE HIDDEN COST OF PIRACY (A virus infects their systems)
1. Cost to hire a technician to format and fix all PCs:
   10 PCs x KES 2,500/PC      = KES 25,000

2. Cost of lost business while closed for 2 days:
   Avg. daily profit: KES 5,000
   2 days x 5,000             = KES 10,000

3. Cost to finally buy genuine software to be safe:
   10 Licenses x KES 8,000    = KES 80,000

4. Loss of customer trust (cannot be calculated, but it's huge!)

--- FINAL CALCULATION ---
Total Cost of the Incident  = 25,000 + 10,000 + 80,000 = KES 115,000
Initial "Saving"            = KES 80,000
------------------------------------------------------------------
NET LOSS                    = KES 35,000
==================================================================

As you can see, the unethical shortcut ended up costing the business KES 35,000 more, not to mention a damaged reputation!

A Simple Framework for Making Ethical Choices

When you're not sure what to do, you can use a simple decision-making process. Think of it as a small program you run in your mind.

          +-------------------------+
          |   An Ethical Dilemma    |
          | (e.g., Should I copy    |
          |  this assignment?)      |
          +-----------+-------------+
                      |
                      v
+---------------------v-----------------------+
|  1. IDENTIFY: What is the core issue?       |
|  (It's about honesty and plagiarism)        |
+---------------------+-----------------------+
                      |
                      v
+---------------------v-----------------------+
|  2. ANALYZE: Who will be affected?          |
|  (Me, my teacher, the original author,     |
|   the college's reputation)                 |
+---------------------+-----------------------+
                      |
                      v
+---------------------v-----------------------+
|  3. EVALUATE (The "Mama Yako" Test):        |
|  - Is it legal? (No)                        |
|  - Is it against the rules? (Yes)           |
|  - Would my family be proud of this? (No)   |
+---------------------+-----------------------+
                      |
                      v
          +-----------+-------------+
          |    MAKE YOUR CHOICE     |
          |    (Do the right thing) |
          +-------------------------+

Your Digital Footprint Matters

Everything you do online leaves a trace, like footprints in the sand. This is your digital footprint. A positive footprint, built on ethical behaviour, can open doors to jobs and opportunities. A negative one can cause problems for years to come.

As you begin your journey in ICT, build your foundation on strong ethics. Be the kind of professional who creates, protects, and empowers. Be a digital citizen that Kenya can be proud of. You have the power to shape the future of technology in our country – use it wisely!