Is it ethical to fake conversation in your own blog's comments section? I don't mean stirring up controversy for the sake of it or setting up straw-man arguments. I mean chucking some "model" comments on to the end of a batch of posts to let readers know the comments are there and easy to use. As a codicil: Has anyone done this and found that it effectively enticed discussion? [more inside]
posted on Apr 19, 2008 - 31 answers

Help with potentially unethical situation in volunteer termination [more inside]
posted on Apr 17, 2008 - 21 answers

I have an ethical or logical quandary that I'm trying to puzzle out. [more inside]
posted on Apr 17, 2008 - 33 answers

Catfilter: be my conscience, be my muse... [more inside]
posted on Mar 9, 2008 - 18 answers

What's an easy-to-read introduction to ethics? [more inside]
posted on Mar 4, 2008 - 10 answers

What, if anything, should I do about the possibly unethical and definitely scummy behavior of my boss? [more inside]
posted on Mar 3, 2008 - 14 answers

Recently I flew to visit a good friend. I went to help with the baby while her husband was away. When I got there, her husband gave me a check for the amount of my airfare (about $250), stating that they wanted to pay for my fare because "you won't really be having a vacation." [more inside]
posted on Feb 16, 2008 - 20 answers

Prosecuting someone for a crime that someone has already been convicted of? [more inside]
posted on Feb 14, 2008 - 13 answers

Are there ethical objections to open relationships/polyamory? (If so, list below) [more inside]
posted on Feb 5, 2008 - 33 answers

Help me settle a debate on the ethics of catnip. [more inside]
posted on Jan 31, 2008 - 47 answers

Please help me find writings about the relationship between men's and women's reproductive rights. [more inside]
posted on Jan 26, 2008 - 11 answers

Posting this ethics question on behalf for a friend: Friend has been offered two different fellowships and has to choose one. A is worth twice much as B. A good buddy is runner-up for A and does not have any other fellowship options. The buddy has offered to by my friend the difference if the friend takes B so the buddy can get A. So the end result is the friend would officially have fellowship B but cash from his buddy to give him the same as he would have gotten from A while buddy officially gets fellowship A with the net funding equal to B. Does this sound reasonable? ethical?
posted on Jan 20, 2008 - 31 answers

Is soda water free at fast food restaurants? [more inside]
posted on Jan 19, 2008 - 24 answers

Inspire me, punk-rock style. [more inside]
posted on Dec 7, 2007 - 19 answers

Today at work, a closet was being cleaned out, many items were being tossed in a trash cart. I noticed that a few of these items were unopened, brand new (though out-of-date) items, and out of curiousity, checked to see if they were worth anything. I noticed that a few of them were going for not-insignificant amounts of money on ye olde eBay, and "rescued" them from the trash, thinking about creating a D-I-Y Christmas Bonus out of them by putting them up on eBay. Other co-workers have done similar things, selling a fair amount of old equipment at garage sales, etc, and none of my immediate peers seemed to think anything of it. Mrs. [anonymous], however, seems to feel that it's ethically wrong to do so, and more importantly potentially legally wrong. Does the hivemind have any knowledge of the legal (and/or ethical) implications of this D-I-Y Christmas Bonus? (For reference, we're probably talking $300 total, here.)
posted on Nov 28, 2007 - 31 answers

Bassist buys the tour van then quits the band in the middle of the tour. What's a fair way to distribute the money now that it's over? [more inside]
posted on Nov 13, 2007 - 15 answers

Someone hit my parked car on Friday night and I know who it is... [more inside]
posted on Nov 5, 2007 - 11 answers

My roommate moved hundreds of miles away. Am I obligated to help find someone to sublease from him? [more inside]
posted on Oct 31, 2007 - 27 answers

I’ve ratted out my company to a prospective client. [more inside]
posted on Oct 28, 2007 - 24 answers

I have a girlfriend, and we've been seeing each other for about 6 months now. The other day, I ran into an old flame I haven't seen, nor had the opportunity to significantly persue something with her (i.e. no sex, foreplay only in the past) because we stopped communication at some point and just lost touch. I'm feeling torn for some reason; I mean, my g/f now is hot, loves me to death, and extremely good to me treatment-wise. Am I just experiencing a classic case of "More-ism?" [more inside]
posted on Oct 8, 2007 - 27 answers

I am looking for a business book that reflects the way business is really done. [more inside]
posted on Oct 8, 2007 - 20 answers

Video clips that demonstrate the difference between rules and morals/ethics? [more inside]
posted on Sep 22, 2007 - 10 answers

Someone wants to buy a domain name I own that I'm not using. The domain is my last name .com, it's also his last name too. [more inside]
posted on Sep 21, 2007 - 39 answers

I would like to know everyone's thoughts on uploading photos to the web. I never thought anything of it myself, but now that I'm on facebook, my worlds are colliding. [more inside]
posted on Sep 17, 2007 - 14 answers

A customer just placed an order at my website. It's looking like this is a friend I went to school with in the early 90's but lost touch over 10 years ago. I would like to reconnect with him. How do I do that without violating his privacy and/or being creepy? [more inside]
posted on Sep 12, 2007 - 22 answers

DoublethinkFilter: Suppose someone had unauthorized access to thousands of random computers around the world. Without doing anything illegal or unethical (besides controlling these computers of course), is there some way they could use these computers for profit without hindering the true owner's ability to operate the computer?
posted on Sep 6, 2007 - 33 answers

Can anyone suggest websites/producers/organizations that will allow me to make buy things (food, gift, etc) in an ethical way? [more inside]
posted on Aug 26, 2007 - 3 answers

My sister works for a big entertainment company. Occasionally they give her free stuff from one of their projects...posters, mugs, etc. She wants to sell some of it. One of her coworkers thought that this might be unethical. We weren't sure why that would be. Is it ethically ok for her to sell some of her swag or not? Why?
posted on Aug 21, 2007 - 18 answers

I saw a terrible accident and did not stop to help. Was this wrong? [more inside]
posted on Jun 3, 2007 - 74 answers

Help me make sure that my money gets to Handsome Dick Manitoba: downloading vs buying music, and how to find out if an artist actually gets money from their own album sales? [more inside]
posted on May 22, 2007 - 32 answers

How ethical are Ethical Funds? After meeting with an SRI adviser and perusing the literature, I'm not so sure. [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2007 - 19 answers

Business ethics filter: Should I pass my personal contact info on to selected clients of the company I'm leaving? [more inside]
posted on May 16, 2007 - 17 answers

Tell me about the oil industry. It's one of the places I could possibly work upon graduation. Is it as evil as it is sometimes made to look? [more inside]
posted on May 8, 2007 - 16 answers

So I wrecked my friend's car... [more inside]
posted on Apr 30, 2007 - 64 answers

When grocery shopping is it kosher to split up large bunches of produce when you only need a smaller amount? [more inside]
posted on Apr 26, 2007 - 14 answers

Job application ethics question. A job I started last month isn't working out, so I recently interviewed for a job at another firm. The prospective employer wants me to submit an application form in which I list my current employer (including my current supervisor's name and contact info). It would save me a lot of angst if I could leave my 2-month-old current job off this form entirely. Is it OK if I do that? [more inside]
posted on Apr 22, 2007 - 8 answers

WorkEthicsFilter: So I abruptly quit my job, after realizing that I was being taken advantage of in a completely unfair way, that I spent most of my days crying, and that work was all I talked about in therapy sessions. My boss at my previous job has been calling me, offering me my old position back with the promise of a promotion in a few months. [more inside]
posted on Apr 12, 2007 - 20 answers

How do you handle situations when friends or family ask you to do something that you do not think is quite ethical, and yet it really isn't that big a deal? [more inside]
posted on Apr 11, 2007 - 53 answers

Is it ethical for a women who is in sales to remove her wedding ring so that prospective clients will be more interested in hearing her pitch? [more inside]
posted on Apr 6, 2007 - 63 answers

Weird interview scenario - am I being a little paranoid about this? [more inside]
posted on Apr 5, 2007 - 16 answers

What do you feel is the biggest case, or group of cases, concerning online censorship and a breach of first ammendment rights to happen in the past five years? [more inside]
posted on Feb 26, 2007 - 11 answers

Looking for *your* real-life example of an ethical situation, problem, or dilemma at work. [more inside]
posted on Feb 20, 2007 - 36 answers

I hear that sometimes businesses and other institutions hire "ethics consultants". Does anyone know anything about getting into ethics consulting or the actual day-to-day activities in ethics consulting? If not, has anyone seen an ethics consultant in action at a company? [more inside]
posted on Feb 12, 2007 - 4 answers

Writers and journalists please respond: I'm concerned about the anonymity of a subject in my writing. The obvious idea is to change names, however... [more inside]
posted on Jan 30, 2007 - 16 answers

I have several films assigned for a Business Ethics class that I teach including Thank You for Smoking, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Wall Street. They make for good discussion and a change of pace from lots of tough reading. This semester for the first time I have a student who does not watch rated-R movies. I want to accomodate the student. So I'm looking for movies with themes equivalent or similar to these three movies that are rated below R, and preferably PG or G. Any ideas?
posted on Jan 22, 2007 - 48 answers

can someone form an LLC specifically and solely based on another individual's work/product -- without telling/consulting them? A *LOT*-- [more inside]
posted on Jan 18, 2007 - 27 answers

FamilyEthicsFilter: What duty do I have to my grandfather (or, more generally, to my extended family)? [more inside]
posted on Nov 21, 2006 - 17 answers

How should I handle an unethical former employer who is contacting my employment references for his own purposes? [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2006 - 3 answers

I know of a local business that is operating illegally in my town, and has screwed over 3 friends of mine in the last 6-8 months on taxes, pay, and wages. I would like to know the most effective way of reporting them to authorities. (long explanation) [more inside]
posted on Nov 15, 2006 - 20 answers

Gun ownership/manufacture in a philosophical sense? [more inside]
posted on Nov 2, 2006 - 27 answers