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First, Do No Harm - A Hippocratic Oath for Coders?
rhysweatherley asks: "With the increase in spyware, spam, etc, is it time for a Hippocratic Oath for Programmers? Should programmers be able to refuse to write code that harms the public more than it helps? Should they code defensively to prevent software and information being misused for unintended purposes? And how do we protect such programmers from being dismissed unfairly for standing on principle?"
To all companies:
If any of you programmers turns down work on principle, please send it to me. Since I'm a whor^H^H^H^Hconsultant, I'm in business to make money. And I'm willing to write whatever you ask for without giving a single thought to youthful idealism.
Sincerely,
infinite9
Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
To that end, I volunteer to put together the first annual Who's Who in Computer Programming. This book will chronicle the most important, ethical people in the industry and will be invaluable to prospective employers who are looking for the creme de la creme of morally introspective code artisans.
If you feel you should be in this book, please send me your name, e-mail address, and the most complicated typedef or template instantiation you have ever written or even tried to read. Only the top programmers will be selected for publication but for $35 I can see to it that you are given priority consideration, your own half-page, a leather-bound edition of the 2003 Who's Who as well as a certificate (suitable for framing) with your name in large-point gothic letters.