IFIP’s Working Group on Social Accountability and Computing (WG9.2) met in Milan last month to explore the challenges of developing and reviving codes of conduct.
The meeting took place at Politeia, a Milan State University centre on corporate social responsibility and values, hosted by Professor Emilio D’Orazio, who founded and operates the centre.
Attendees made a series of presentations around corporate and social responsibility, along with issues relating to codes of conduct. Examples were offered by Professor Don Gotterbarn from ACM and members of diverse computing groups in addition to other challenging applied and practical use cases such as big data, decision-making, standardisation, virtuous gaming and Slow Tech.
Participants and commentators took part both in person and remotely from as far afield as Australia and India.
The most applied part of the day was a brainstorming exercise facilitated by Viola Schiaffonati of Milan Polytechnic and Norberto Patrignani of the Politecnico of Torino. Together with many Italian colleagues, they are investigating the future for an Italian computing code of conduct and the need for a focus on professionalism in information systems/computer science teaching.
These issues will be covered in more detail at the upcoming ETHICOMP conference.
Author: Diane Whitehouse is Chair of IFIP WG9.2 (Social Accountability and Computing)
Image: Professor Don Gotterbarn of the ACM presents the association’s work on revising its Code of Conduct
