Comments on: Web Industry – Lack of Ethics and Morals http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/ Gary Barber rants on user experience, and the controlled chaos of the Web Industry Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:37:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gary Barber http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/comment-page-1/#comment-12410 Gary Barber Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:23:12 +0000 http://manwithnoblog.com/?p=1094#comment-12410 Thanks for the comments people. They are very welcome. @ricky - I agree that you are always going to get the cowboy element of any industry. But at least a CoC would allow the general public to see that the members of various professional organisations have sometype of moral and ethical line in the sand. @neil - This is what I have found too, it you approach it the right way the do things professionally most clients can deal with. @ben - Yes I'm very interested to see how it would go as well. The execution and getting the members to accept it would be the hard part. As well as ensuring it didn't become too generic, otherwise it's just a pretty corporate document that says nothing. Thanks for the comments people. They are very welcome.

@ricky – I agree that you are always going to get the cowboy element of any industry. But at least a CoC would allow the general public to see that the members of various professional organisations have sometype of moral and ethical line in the sand.

@neil – This is what I have found too, it you approach it the right way the do things professionally most clients can deal with.

@ben – Yes I’m very interested to see how it would go as well. The execution and getting the members to accept it would be the hard part. As well as ensuring it didn’t become too generic, otherwise it’s just a pretty corporate document that says nothing.

]]> By: Ben May http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/comment-page-1/#comment-12409 Ben May Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:08:59 +0000 http://manwithnoblog.com/?p=1094#comment-12409 Very interesting article, Gary. I've always been intrigued and wonder how some sort of 'Code of Conduct' would ever go, and if any association would be able to execute it successfully. Very interesting article, Gary. I’ve always been intrigued and wonder how some sort of ‘Code of Conduct’ would ever go, and if any association would be able to execute it successfully.

]]> By: Neil Robertson http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/comment-page-1/#comment-12388 Neil Robertson Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:33:29 +0000 http://manwithnoblog.com/?p=1094#comment-12388 I am aiming (whenever possible) to develop long term mutually beneficial partnerships with clients. It is much easier to retain a client than find new clients, after all. Happy clients are often your best sales people too! After over 20 years in IT, I have found clients can cope with just about any calamity if you do your best, keep them informed and are totally honest. I suspect folks that can't be honest are only in it to make a quick buck! I am aiming (whenever possible) to develop long term mutually beneficial partnerships with clients. It is much easier to retain a client than find new clients, after all. Happy clients are often your best sales people too! After over 20 years in IT, I have found clients can cope with just about any calamity if you do your best, keep them informed and are totally honest. I suspect folks that can’t be honest are only in it to make a quick buck!

]]> By: Ricky Onsman http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/comment-page-1/#comment-12342 Ricky Onsman Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:48:00 +0000 http://manwithnoblog.com/?p=1094#comment-12342 A code of conduct would have to focus on industry-specific situations rather than broad moral questions. The principles of the situation you describe, Gary, could occur in many lines of work - it's about taking personal responsibility for a professional failing.That's not to say we shouldn't have a web industry code of conduct, just that it most likely wouldn't be useful in addressing that scenario. Someone who isn't comfortable with exposing a professional failing isn't going to be more so because their industry has a code of conduct.There's at least one situation I can think of where a commercial web services provider carries the imprimatur of a code of conduct - and the endorsement of a statutory authority with very specific, legislated conditions - and simply contravenes the terms of its own code of conduct at will.It's also important to take circumstances into account. Any questioning of someone else's conduct on moral or ethical grounds has to follow the highest principles, including giving them the right to explain under fair conditions.I think we probably will develop an industry-specific code of conduct. It may grow to be significant enough that all industry members commit to it as a matter of course. But we will still "have to make our own personal choices on these issues". A code of conduct would have to focus on industry-specific situations rather than broad moral questions. The principles of the situation you describe, Gary, could occur in many lines of work – it's about taking personal responsibility for a professional failing.That's not to say we shouldn't have a web industry code of conduct, just that it most likely wouldn't be useful in addressing that scenario. Someone who isn't comfortable with exposing a professional failing isn't going to be more so because their industry has a code of conduct.There's at least one situation I can think of where a commercial web services provider carries the imprimatur of a code of conduct – and the endorsement of a statutory authority with very specific, legislated conditions – and simply contravenes the terms of its own code of conduct at will.It's also important to take circumstances into account. Any questioning of someone else's conduct on moral or ethical grounds has to follow the highest principles, including giving them the right to explain under fair conditions.I think we probably will develop an industry-specific code of conduct. It may grow to be significant enough that all industry members commit to it as a matter of course. But we will still "have to make our own personal choices on these issues".

]]> By: Satima Flavell http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/comment-page-1/#comment-12341 Satima Flavell Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:01:00 +0000 http://manwithnoblog.com/?p=1094#comment-12341 A code of conduct would be a start, at least. A code of conduct would be a start, at least.

]]> By: Cindy Prosser http://manwithnoblog.com/2010/01/22/web-industry-lack-of-ethics-and-morals/comment-page-1/#comment-12330 Cindy Prosser Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:39:19 +0000 http://manwithnoblog.com/?p=1094#comment-12330 Too much to comment, had to have a <a href="http://inetdevguide.com/2010/01/22/ethics-and-morals-in-online-offline-culture/" rel="nofollow">little rant...</a> :-) Too much to comment, had to have a little rant…

:-)

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