March 2007

Posted March 14, 2007

Ethical Integrity in Computing

For Immediate Release

Kansas City, Missouri, March 13, 2006 - Is it possible for ethical integrity to be maintained in the fast-paced and high-pressure world of computing? Find out when Dr. Chuck Huff%2, Professor of Psychology at St. Olaf College, Northfield%, Minnesota, presents �Good Computing: Ethical Integrity in the Fast-Paced World of Computing,� Thursday, March 22, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. in the Main Reading Room of the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology.

The pressure to quickly develop new, more intuitive, and flexible software is a constant for software developers. As a result, the push to work faster and produce more can lead developers down unethical pathways. However, there are many software developers who continue to produce and develop cutting edge software while maintaining their personal ethical integrity. Dr. Huff suggests that some �life stories of moral exemplars in the computing profession suggest they can [maintain their ethical integrity]%, given some luck, commitment, and skill.�

Dr. Huff conducted a study of 24 British and Scandinavians who kept their commitment to ethical principles. The group ranged from free-lance software developers to academics and governmental officials �whose careers have changed the political landscape of privacy policy or safety engineering. From this study, Dr. Huff created a �realistic model of virtue for the software engineering profession. The principal insight is that in software engineering, technical and organizational skills and moral excellence are inextricably intertwined.�

Don�t miss this thought provoking lecture on Thursday, March 22, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. in the Main Reading Room of the Linda Hall Library
The library is the world�s largest privately funded library of science, engineering and technology open to the public. It is located at 5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Library hours are Monday, 9:00 a.m. � 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. �5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. %E� 4:00 p.m.

For more information about the library or the Linda Hall Lecture Series see the library's web page at www.lindahall.org or contact Kathy Alshouse at 816-926-8727.