Re: Ethical Companies (no flame wars, please)

Subject: Re: Ethical Companies (no flame wars, please)
From: Sandy Harris <pashley -at- storm -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 12:23:12 -0500


Nora von Gerichten wrote:

Methinks this demonstrates how personal such judgements are. I'll
contrast
hers with mine to illustrate.

> I draw the line on guns,

Just a tool. No problem. They don't much interest me, and I've little
knowledge of them, so probably I would neither be eager to work on gun
docs nor a particularly good candidate for such a job, but I see no
ethical problem. Maybe I could improve safety with good docs.

> drugs, and dirty money.

Yes, I'd be reluctant to write for a cocaine cartel. On the other hand,
I'd be at least as reluctant to do any work that helps the "War on
Drugs". As I see it, the biggest problem with illegal drugs is bad
laws. A flame war on that topic would be wildly off-topic here, and
likely we've all heard most of the arguments already anyway. Let's not
go there.

The on-topic point is that perceptions on ethical issues differ greatly.

> (also bounced cheques and no cheques.)

Aha! Something we definitely agree on.

> Guns, even for peace keeping are a health hazard.

Rubbish. Automobiles kill far more people. Factory equipment,
prescription
drugs, planes, power tools, ... Any of those is just as deadly as a gun
if misused.

> I do write for some of the technology surrounding guns, such as
> surveillance robotics, ...

I'd have serious ethical concerns there. Working for Big Brother?

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References:
RE: Ethical Companies (no flame wars, please): From: Nora von Gerichten

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