171 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
171 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
Ethics of Computer Use
|
|
ETHICS RULES PASSWORD USERIDS SECURITY
|
|
|
|
Institution: University of Missouri - Columbia
|
|
Date: 01 Feb 1989
|
|
Contact: CSPKB@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU or CCGREG@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU
|
|
|
|
THE ETHICS OF COMPUTER USE
|
|
__________________________
|
|
|
|
Computing on the Columbia campus is available in much the same way as the re-
|
|
sources in the library. Thus, computing and computers should not be used just
|
|
to solve computing problems and assignments; they should be thought of as
|
|
tools and resources to be used to facilitate education.
|
|
|
|
In accordance with this "Library Model", computing is available to any faculty,
|
|
staff, or student on the Columbia campus. These facilities, however, are lim-
|
|
ited and should not be used frivolously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
GENERAL RULES FOR COMPUTER USE
|
|
|
|
o Try to conserve resources. This includes disk and tape storage, CPU time,
|
|
memory, paper, and plotter supplies, and other computing facilities.
|
|
|
|
o Never unnecessarily prevent others from using a terminal or other resource.
|
|
|
|
o Be careful to protect IDs, accounts, files, printouts, and other computer
|
|
resources from unauthorized use.
|
|
|
|
o Never use any ID, account, or file without proper authorization.
|
|
|
|
You must never:
|
|
|
|
o use a student user ID other than your own
|
|
|
|
o use or intentionally seek access to an ID other than yours
|
|
|
|
o copy data or software without proper authorization
|
|
|
|
o send messages to unwilling recipients
|
|
|
|
o frivolously use electronic mail or messaging
|
|
|
|
o spend excessive time playing games
|
|
|
|
o distribute a program that damages the user or system environment
|
|
|
|
o use computing facilities for harassment, plagiarism, or other illegal or
|
|
unethical activities
|
|
|
|
These rules are vigorously enforced. IDs of users who don't comply with these
|
|
rules are restricted from abused facilities or from all computer access. Severe
|
|
cases of abuse have resulted in prosecution, termination, or academic pro-
|
|
bation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE VICTIM OF COMPUTER ABUSE
|
|
|
|
Even the best of computer systems cannot protect the individual who fails to
|
|
conceal his or her password. Leaving a terminal without logging off is like
|
|
leaving the door of your home unlocked and open. Using an obvious password is
|
|
like hiding your door key under the doormat. So, physically protect your ses-
|
|
sion, pick a new password at random from some magazine, and never record a
|
|
password where it could be found (desk, terminal, text book, etc.).
|
|
|
|
If you suspect your user ID's password has been compromised, change it. On
|
|
UMCVMB, the command to do this is "VMSECURE USER", menu choice 1. If you sus-
|
|
pect someone else's password has been compromised, report it to them or the
|
|
Help Desk.
|
|
|
|
Never share a ID's password with anyone. Researchers needing to share data
|
|
should arrange this through individual IDs and linking to disks, rather than
|
|
sharing one user ID.
|
|
|
|
Under no circumstances are UMC students to share their user ID and password
|
|
with anyone. When detected, both parties involved lose their IDs. Any UMC
|
|
student can have a CMS user ID and sufficient space for academic work. Why,
|
|
then, would anyone want another ID--except for unethical, malicious, or covert
|
|
activity?
|
|
|
|
Never run a program sent to you unless you know what it does and completely
|
|
trust the source. Some "gifts" have been known to erase the recipient's files,
|
|
send obscene messages in the recipient's name, replicate themselves, and gener-
|
|
ally cause trouble for the ID on which they were run. This applies to both
|
|
mainframe and micro computers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME-PLAYING AND CHATTING
|
|
|
|
By far the most common abuse of computing that has been observed here is exces-
|
|
sive messaging and game playing. Communication and games are excellent ways to
|
|
introduce people to computing. UMC allows these activities for this purpose,
|
|
and most users move on to productive use of electronic mail and other computing
|
|
facilities.
|
|
|
|
A few people, however, become addicted to Bitnet, or Relay, or Zork games. The
|
|
worst public effect of this compulsion has been a lack of free terminals at
|
|
some sites. Anyone observing such unnecessary usage should not hesitate to ask
|
|
the user to desist or in reporting the problem to a User Consultant or the Help
|
|
Desk.
|
|
|
|
Rather than limit everyone, UMC Campus Computing has tried to identify and deal
|
|
with the worst abusers. The Help Desk will hear and verify specific com-
|
|
plaints. Moreover, UM systems log networking, inter-user communications, logon
|
|
attempts, printing, links, and other activities. These logs can reveal usage
|
|
trends and can be used to verify complaints. Tape backups of disk files pro-
|
|
tect users from accidents but also can be used to trace an abuse long after the
|
|
incident.
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLAGIARISM
|
|
|
|
Copying someone's computer assignment takes little effort; so does detecting
|
|
and proving such plagiarism. The standard academic penalties for this are se-
|
|
vere. Systems staff have cooperated with instructors in verifying plagiarism.
|
|
Guilty students have not only lost computing privileges, but have failed
|
|
courses and have been placed on academic probation. This has happened even to
|
|
students who completed a course and shared their old work with those in a sub-
|
|
sequent semester.
|
|
|
|
Carelessness can encourage plagiarism. Be sure to pick up all your output and
|
|
discard it carefully! Report individuals rummaging through new or discarded
|
|
output.
|
|
|
|
|
|
WASTEFULNESS
|
|
|
|
To minimize waiting for processing, printer, or other resources, wasteful users
|
|
are relegated to low CPU priority, not allowed to print, etc., until they can
|
|
be warned and informed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
TEMPORARY DISKS
|
|
|
|
Temporary disk space (such as obtained by the TEMPDISK command) is obtained
|
|
from a shared pool of space. UMCVMB does not at this time restrict how much
|
|
temporary disk space one may define, so long as it is available. Whatever space
|
|
one user ID takes is that much less for others. Therefore, we ask that users
|
|
voluntarily:
|
|
|
|
o define only as much temporary disk space as they need,
|
|
|
|
o release temporary space when it is no longer needed, and
|
|
|
|
o on the UMCVMB system restrict themselves to a total of at most 5 cylinders
|
|
for up to 8 hours of use, or 50 cylinders for 1 hour.
|
|
|
|
Anyone needing more than 50 cylinders should consider working with tape instead
|
|
of disk (see "HELP UMCTAPE") or should contact the Help Desk. Inactive sessions
|
|
that have large amounts of temporary disk may be forced off.
|
|
|
|
If voluntary conservation does not work, then Campus Computing may have to make
|
|
the system enforce temporary disk space limits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CONCLUSION
|
|
|
|
Campus Computing encourages you to explore the University's computer system,
|
|
and to use it for genuine educational pursuits. But if you have doubts about
|
|
any extra-curricular computing, consider whether it is consistent with the
|
|
above rules and responsible, polite conduct. Consult your advisor or the full-
|
|
time staff of Computing Services for counsel or to report suspicious activity.
|
|
|
|
__________
|
|
|
|
Reprinted from the _Campus_Computing_Newsletter_ of the University of Missouri-
|
|
Columbia, Vol 16 Number 2, October 1988, pages 5-6.
|
|
|
|
|