How to behave online

The use of Internet has determined that certain rules or conduct should be followed. Specifically the Internet Society has drafted their own code of conduct that must be complied with by its members. This code of conduct include ethics and other issues that have been of growing concern including privacy, encryption and spam issues. The code of conduct governs the practice of unfair business and competitive practices in dealing with electronic commerce issues as well.
The Internet is a global network of networks enabling computers of all kinds to directly and transparently communicate and share services throughout much of the world. Because the Internet is an enormously valuable, enabling capability for so many people and organizations, it also constitutes a shared global resource of information, knowledge, and means of collaboration, and cooperation among countless diverse communities.

The Internet SOCiety (ISOC) is a professional membership society with more than 150 organization and 11,000 individual members in over 182 countries. It provides leadership in addressing issues that confront the future of the Internet, and is the organization home for the groups responsible for Internet infrastructure standards, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).

Issues involving the Internet Code of Conduct include issues of access, censorship, copyright, digital divide, domain name systems, electronic commerce, encryption, privacy, public policy, security, societal issues and spam.

Internet connectivity has been viewed as a multi-faceted public policy issue. Internet connectivity has signified access in a purely physical sense - the availability of computers, modems, telephone lines and network hardware. The connectivity also has included making these physical devices useful to everyone, including persons with disabilities and for keeping any eye on costs.

The purpose of the Internet code of conduct are to dictate the standard of professional behavior to which all ISOC members should dedicate themselves to and to demonstrate an example to Internet professionals. This code will be used by measures to measure their own behavior, and as a reference when considering the behavior of others. The code serves to define a form of professional identity. Although many aspects also apply to every user of the Internet, the code of conduct is intended to give ISOC members a sense that they belong to a community with shared values and shared responsibilities.

What has been the code of conduct for the ISOC members?

There has been a code of conduct designated for members of the Internet Society when they are engaged in designing, implementing, operating and using Internet technology and services; formulating or influencing relevant policies, laws, and regulations; and in all professional and personal dealings. In these situations, an ISOC member will:

(1) Take all reasonable care to ensure that his or her work and the products of his or her work cause no avoidable danger or physical harm to any person.

(2) Take all reasonable steps to minimize waste of natural resources, damage to the environment, and damage to products of human skill and industry.

If his or her professional advice is not accepted, take all reasonable steps to ensure that all persons neglecting or over-ruling this advice are aware of the possible danger or damage which may result.

(3) Avoid deploying technologies that defeat generally accepted technical principles of the Internet, as documented primarily by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). In particular, avoid technologies that tend to subdivide access to the Internet rather than preserving its universal, unique, and international nature, except as required by security mechanisms mentioned in the next paragraph.

(4) Pay particular attention to the protection of Internet services against disaster and against a physical or electronic attack, and to the protection of the integrity and privacy of stored or transmitted information.

(5) Take all reasonable steps, including education and the wide spreading of knowledge, to ensure the Internet can be available, accessible, and useful to everyone.

Only offer or claim to offer opinions or services that lie within the member's actual knowledge or competence.

(6) In the case of financial or material conflict between personal and professional interests, or between two professional interests, declare this conflict to all interested parties and if appropriate in public.

(7) Respect the generally accepted norms of Internet etiquette for human communications, especially by avoiding communications that are false or are likely to be considered as discourteous, objectionable, malicious, unwanted, or causing unjustified loss of prestige. Avoid fraudulent or deceptive statements.

(8) Respect the rights of all Internet users to privacy of, and freedom of access to, information and communication; promote these rights within the limits of his or her power.

Treat all users and colleagues fairly and on equal terms.

(9) Respect legitimate intellectual property rights, do not plagiarize the work of others, and give credit to the originators of ideas.

(10) Encourage others to follow this code of conduct, and discourage breaches of this code. Offer and accept honest and constructive criticisms of opinions and work as they relate to this code.

(11) Not associate with, and not allow ISOC's name to be associated with, persons or organizations consistently in breach of this code.
http://www.isoc.org/members/codeconduct.shtml

Do examinations under the ISOC Code of Conduct require the examination of any subjective factors?
The items in the code are intended to be as close as possible to observable or measureable behaviors and should not require any subjective or judgment regarding ethics. Therefore only objective factors should be considered in determining whether or not there has been a violation of the ethics involved.