On the Ethics of Manipulation

Semantically speaking, to manipulate merely means; to interact with, as in manipulating the rubic's cube. To the extent that one operates upon and controls something by manipulating it, there is no moral aspect to the action. It is mere fact that one manipulates the state of something they wish to change. The ethical line gets drawn when that which we wish to change has free will and a choice in the changing. It rather reminds me of the old joke, how many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but the lightbulb must be willing to change. If one manipulates the environment of another against that person's will and in the absence of a moral authority, then the manipulators ethics should be questioned.

Sliding Scale Ethics

When challenged with an "ends justifying the means" debate we often go to the extreme cases of survival, revenge, war, and life or death decisions. I suspect that we strain our capacity to think critically while our "fight or flight instinct" is in full gear. Certainly Pearl Harbor, The extermination camps, The bombing of Hiroshima and the World Trade Center are incidents that strain our ethical framework to the limit. The wealth generated by Blackwater in the wake of 9/11 certainly exemplifies this point. It makes me wonder if there is a scale upon which this question is judged? If I invade the Middle East in response to 9/11 is that Justified even if I would never cut in line at the supermarket in front of an old lady so I could get my cheese sandwich faster which, after all, will raise my blood sugar and allow me to be more effective at my church fund-raiser?

Ethics IS Marketing

I often mention that critical thinking is the "stock in trade" of being a systems analyst and a programming contractor. As such, conducting my business in an ethical manner is a form of marketing, not to mention the right thing to do.

Often, in order to provide a process model for a business, I must have access to a clients proprietary information. I am trusted with accounting data, passwords, personnel information and critical infrastructure upon which the client's business relies. Starting with what exists, I am then asked to help assess and form plans for the future growth of the company. Not only does this require critical thought, but also, an ethical responsibility. The health and longevity of the company and it's employees is, to a sometimes significant degree, dependent upon my performance. This statement is not intended to devalue nor indemnify other team members who share this responsibility as well.

When I bid on a job, I am promising the client that I will protect their confidentiality, use Best Practices and charge a fair but honest price. How I perform and deliver effects my reputation and that of programming contractors in general.