1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
Is it just people that we should not harm? What about the environment and
animals (the environment is clearly harmed by the production and use of
computers, and by the disposal of waste computers)?
2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files.
What if the 'other people' are using the computer to do harm? Should we
still refrain from interfering? Should computer files be private even if
they are being used as part of a criminal conspiracy?
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
What if stealing or bearing false witness is the only way to prevent
someone from doing a much greater harm?
6. Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid.
This is too simplistic. Many of us use software on University or business
computer systems where somebody else has paid for us to use the software.
Beyond this, though, what if the software house that produced the software
has used immoral methods to gain an excessively large share of the
software market, which thus prevents competition, and enables it to
over-charge for software? Under these circumstances is it wrong to use or
copy software without paying the software house?
7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without
authorization.
What if it is an emergency, and the only way to stop a great harm is to
use computer resources without authorization?
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
Even here, it is possible that somebody has a brilliant idea that can
produce great social benefit, but which will not be taken seriously if the
true author is known. By appropriating their intellectual output, society
as a whole will gain substantially.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you
write.
Thought, unaccompanied by action, is pointless. They must act upon those
thoughts. Further, it is not just in writing of software that thought of
social consequences and action should follow: although both are necessary
in the writing of software.
10. Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect.
There may be situations in the world where more good can be done by not
showing respect for all, and the possibility of doing such good should not
be dismissed out of hand.