Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with ethics

Is there any pointing backing up DVDs if you can download them?

snarfois — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:36:54 -0800

Is there any point backing up my DVD collection if I could just download replacements? This is partially practical and partially ethical. Now that I have a toddler about the place (and an unpredictable computer), I've started backing up my DVDs, using Mark Pilgrim's method. At the rate I'm going, it'll take me months, it's tedious, and I'm filling up my hard disk with .img files which I'm too anal to delete.

Part of me is wondering, what's the point? BecauseI reckon I'd be able to find torrents of pretty near everything I own on DVD. Since I've already bought the DVDs in question, I wouldn't feel like I'm doing anything wrong.

What's the balance of opinion around here? Is it more wrong than I suppose? Am I over-optimistic about being able to find most things for download? (Now and in the future?) Am I even running a legal risk?

Would it be wrong to paint my own version of a painting I like?

catatethebird — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:06:24 -0800

I stumbled upon a print of a painting selling online (sold by the artist thru a third party site) which I really love. I’m creative, so rather than buy the small and expensive print, I thought it would be fun for me to paint my own version of it. What are the ethics/copyright issues of this?... I would not be selling the painting or trying to pass it off as my original idea, just making it to keep for myself.

I don’t think it would be a big legal issue, but I am also interested in how original artists might feel about something like this.
Artists: Would this bother you? Would you feel like you were losing a sale? Any other thoughts?

Is it really illegal for a company to act ethically?

divabat — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:20:30 -0800

"[Companies] have a legal responsibility to make their shareholders lots of money, which means they *MUST* rip you off for as much as they can get away with." Really? I've heard that sentiment many times (the above is a direct quotation) and it doesn't make sense to me. According to Carrotmob, "It's illegal for a corporation to behave in a socially responsible way -- unless that socially responsible behavior happens to be identical to the behavior that maximizes profit."

Proponents of the above argue that if a company shows "record profits", that's a sign that they've been ripping off customers. According to them, companies only think about their shareholders and the Board, and therefore must make as much money as possible regardless of ethics.

Is this true? Is it really illegal for companies to act ethically unless it makes money?

To me, it seems that if the above sentiments were true, social enterprises would not be able to exist. Also, it would make Corporate Social Responsibility illegal.

When shares are bought in a company, they are traded away very quickly, and aren't share prices usually determined in large part by the public perception of the company? Surely shareholders and Boards would notice if the customers are being ripped off or if the companies are acting unethically, and respond negatively to unethical corporate behaviour?

It seems to me that these notions come from the idea that "for-profit" = "evil bad conglomerate", but I can't seem to find any actual legal or economic basis for saying that companies must be unethical to profit.

Is there actually any basis to those points? Is it really illegal for a company to act ethically?

The Ethics of Jumping Ship

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:48:04 -0800

Do I tell my boss about a possible job change before or after my 2-week vacation? Career etiquette question: I have been approached by a company I would love to work for. It's not a done deal, but I have another meeting with them the day before I leave for a two-week overseas vacation, and won't have face time with my boss between that meeting and my return. My direct boss is awesome and deserves a heads up, but I'm not sure if I should mention it before it's a done deal.

If I did tell him before I left for vacation, that would obviously give him more time to search for my replacement, but since it's not a "done deal", I'm reticent. I don't want to look like I took vacation and then came back only to leave him high and dry either. Any ideas? My throwaway is tvg82np9kz879vi@jetable.com . Thanks!

job offer ethical dilemma

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:46:39 -0800

I'm in a job offer dilemma. I've verbally accepted an offer that i'm excited about. BUT, a job that I don't hesitate to say would be a dream company for me just had me interview again for one of two positions they are considering me for. Sounds like it is a slam dunk that i would get an offer from DreamCompany but it's the end of their quarter and they are wrangling a few details around, shifting head count, etc and won't have anything firm for a few more days but SortaExcitingCompany needs papers signed TODAY. Ugh - dilemma..... SortaExcitingCompany does not know anything is up yet. I'm tempted to see about getting a few days extension on the offer but worried about just retracting it all together. I know everything in the US is "at will" work anyway - but ethics still come into it for me at least.

Do I alert a store to their over-refund?

jesirose — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:53:28 -0800

I returned two items to a store and was refunded $37 extra. The refund did go back to my credit card and is on my statement. Will the company notice and take it back? Should I tell them? Or will they notice and correct the mistake themselves?

The reason I think they will notice is that I returned 4 items to two different stores. One was without receipt. Two were from online. One was with receipt that I bought when I returned the two from online. When I returned those two the manager did not account for the online discount of 10% and gave me about $37 extra, which has already gone onto my credit card.

On all of these they recorded my name and phone number because the items were all over $150 or so. I'm worried I'm now going to be on some list in their shrink department and they'll come after me for the $37! Or do something like cancel my store credit for the first refund.

Am I being irrational to worry about it? Wouldn't most people just keep the extra money?

I should go tell them, right?

Is it ethical to make money from subleasing an apartment?

Anonymous — Sat, 24 May 2008 07:14:46 -0800

Is it ethical to make money subleasing an apartment to others while not living there myself? Does the landlord need to know? Specifically, I have a long-term lease on a two-bedroom apartment, and I am pretty sure if I move out into a cheaper apartment that I just found, I can sublease my two-bedroom for more than the monthly amount I am paying to the landlord. In other words, each month until the end of the lease I would be earning money from the sublet.

Is this ethical? I have had people say "that's not fair," but I am having trouble identifying what makes this any different than the "buy low sell high" mentality of stock trading, or, really, from any other kind of real estate transaction.

I sort of think if any landlord were to hear that he could be making more money off his apartment, he would wish he were doing so. So I'm inclined not to tell him how much money the subletters would be paying me.

The lease requires the landlord's "advance agreement" for sublets (it doesn't specify oral or written agreement). I currently sublet one of the rooms of the apartment, which the landlord has approved (orally). So can I simply tell the landlord that I will be doing another sublet, as I have done in the past? In the past, in subletting discussions, there was never any talk about the financial details...the landlord was always getting his rent in full, as agreed in our lease. Am I under any obligation, legal or ethical, to tell him how much money I am subletting for?

horse:water::visitors:comments section?

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:32:54 -0800

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? My target audience isn't necessarily the most web-savvy (OK, they're old). Though I have more visitors than on any of my past blogs where community interaction was a good in both quantity and quality, now I get none. I just want to prime the pump here, nothing more nefarious than that. I know you can lead a horse to water and all that, but sometimes don't you have to get down and show them how it's done?

Termination of volunteer position

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:17:21 -0800

Help with potentially unethical situation in volunteer termination I frequently attend a local conference as an audience member. This year, I signed up to volunteer. Before I was able to go through with orientation, I got canned.

When I attended the conference last year, I had suffered from food poisoning and had been violently physically ill in front of a few hundred people at an event with capacity attendance. I felt weak and was horrendously embarrassed, and made a quick exit.

This evening, I showed up for a new volunteer orientation. One of the directors of the event grabbed me before the start of the orientation and showed me the door, explaining that because (a) I was sick; (b) I hadn't stayed to clean up after myself, and (c) I hadn't "fessed up" to the fact that I'd been sick in front of 300-odd people, they didn't want me working for them. Making matters worse, she fired me in front of a woman who's in an important position in the community, for whom I have a great deal of respect. I'm caught between wanting to ask for my position back and explain my side of the story, and giving up, knowing that this woman would make my life miserable if I dug my heels in and battled for my shifts.

The conference has to do with subject matter in which I am greatly interested, and I would like to make a better impression with this woman's supervisors.

My questions are: was this legal and/or ethical, and what recourse, if any, do I have? Would it be better (make me look attractive to the woman's superiors) to fight or walk away?

Trying to think out the ethics involved here ...

WCityMike — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:34:07 -0800

I have an ethical or logical quandary that I'm trying to puzzle out. I became an Eagle Scout in 1993. Recently, my membership in the National Eagle Scout Association came up for renewal; I declined to renew my membership due to the Scouts' stance on homosexuality, agnostics, and atheists. I feel that their positions are unethical in that they advocate discrimination and intrude into areas of people's private lives which have no relevance to Scouting.

However, unlike some Eagle Scouts, I declined to send in my Eagle Scout Award to national headquarters as a protest. I declined to do so because I feel that I earned that award by virtue of a lot of hard work over the course of my childhood and adolescence, and I won't deny myself an award I rightfully earned. (Furthermore, I did this work over years of service in which Scouting as a whole was nowhere near as neoconservative as they are nowadays.)

At the risk of sounding like a nerd, for shorthand, let's say that my feelings about Scouts are "principle x". And the caveat — that I won't deny myself the benefits of being an Eagle Scout — is "caveat y".

Now, I'm wondering whether or not to take "action z". Do you know how your college's alumni department got in touch with you a few years after you graduated, offering you the chance to list yourself in, and buy, a national directory of alumni, ostensibly one you could use to get back in touch with people, and for business networking purposes?

Scouting is now doing that with Eagle Scouts, and given the number of Eagle Scouts alive, that's going to be one huge directory — presumably a very useful one, given the number of Eagle Scouts alive.

I am trying to decide whether listing myself in the directory, and ordering a copy, is ethically consistent. On one hand, it breaks x because I'm giving money to them by virtue of purchasing the directory. I'm uneased by that.

On the other hand, the use of this directory for general networking could be invaluable, and thus, that caveat y comes into effect: this directory would definitely be a very useful tool for networking, and thus could easily be considered a benefit of having reached Eagle.

Given principle x, and given caveat y to principle x, is action z morally consistent with x and y? Or is it more moral to not participate in the directory?

(I know that speaking solely in a practical sense, whether or not NESA gets a few bucks from me as a trickledown makes little practical difference to them. I'm trying to consider the underlying principles involved, though.)

If you feel differently than I do about either Scouting, their positions, or how I reacted to those positions, I respect your right to feel differently, but that's not my question, and I prefer this thread not run aground on that.

If you hate cats, just move on, pard.

dawson — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:10:39 -0800

Catfilter: be my conscience, be my muse... So about a month ago a lovely Bombay (female) shows up, quite literally, at my door. I did gently shoo her away once, but her unusual beauty captivated me, she was friendly (very) and hungry (obviously) so I began feeding her. Before long she had moved in, obviously she used a litter box I bought, and besides the dry food has a fondness for quality brand wet food. It was when my mother noted that the cat had been barbarically de-clawed that I decided to temporally adopt her.So I named her Bichu and fixed her a bed.
Problems: I already own a wonderful dog, Gaberillie, the sexy black lab/greyhound mix that my brother keeps for me. My lifestyle (traveling ESL teacher) prohibits my pet keeping. And as I feel badly about Gabby every day, I vowed to not have another pet.
Bichu is unique. She walks on hind legs, she knocks on the door to go on and out. She has been in some fights (no claws!) and her voice is ruined, but she is just a cool damn cat.
I have tried almost everything to find an owner (though an owner who has a cats claws ripped out is probably unworthy of having a cat) and so far no luck.
The cat loves the outdoors but must be supervised.
I have a dear friend who has 30 cats already, I suppose I could offer her to the friend.
Bottom line, I'm not a big cat person but this one won my heart. I want to do the right thing.
What is the right thing?

Ethics for the Selfish?

agentofselection — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:13:10 -0800

What's an easy-to-read introduction to ethics? My friend wants to learn about ethics. I've taken a course on it in undergrad, but I'm by no means qualified to give him a solid basis in it. Do you know of a book (preferably not a full-sized textbook) which will give an introduction to the theory of ethics and some major schools of thought (i.e. Kant, Hume, Aristotle, whomever else you think is important?)
The friend in question is a businessman, and is into self-interest and capitalism. He is also, however, familiar enough with evolutionary theory to understand inclusive fitness. What he's probably going to be attempting to construct is a personal ethical framework that will tell him how selfish he ought to be (like utilitarianism, but with bigger coefficients for himself and the people he cares about.)
Nonetheless, He'd like to start off with a good solid across-the-board introduction. Ideas?

What, if anything, should I do about the possibly unethical and definitely scummy behavior of my boss?

Mimzy — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:16:05 -0800

What, if anything, should I do about the possibly unethical and definitely scummy behavior of my boss? I work in a small-ish office that has gone through several staff changes recently. Most recently, someone was hired and then quit after a month, mostly due to frustration with our boss (she had to deal with him a LOT more than I did).

She and I became friends, despite a pretty big generation gap, and I was really sorry to see her do, but I knew we'd continue to hang out, etc.

On a side note, after praising her skills to my husband (she was an excellent choice for her job even though she and the boss did not get on, very competent, self-starter, etc. I'm not exaggerating because we're friends), hubby gave her a call and hired her the very next week. Boss got very miffed at this and has sulked about it ever since.

(I'm finally getting to the unethical behavior, i promise). I found out today that, after she quit, boss told her that she could not have any contact with members of our office. I can understand not gabbing with her on the phone or writing emails back and forth all day, but he can't actually DO this, right? He can't tell me who I can and cannot talk to out of work hours.

This is the sixth or seventh time I've caught him in a lie to the staff, discrimination of some sort towards a staff member, or general unethical behavior. I don't know what to do. Please don't suggest I quit my job--just can't.

I've started keeping a journal of things that have happened, just to protect myself, but is there something else I should be doing? I work for a state agency, is there some recourse that will allow me to bring these things up without either getting fired or having to, from that point on, work in a hostile environment?

What do I do with this money?

Shoggoth — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:05:48 -0800

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." I refused to take the check, told him it was unnecessary because I was happy to help out. He insisted. I tried to leave the check when it was time to go, but my friend put it in my suitcase. So, my question is, what should I do with this check? Keep in mind: None of us are hurting for money or independently wealthy; and she and I have been friends for over 20 years. One thought I had was to cash it and donate an equivalent amount to a charity I know she supports. What should I do?

Inconsistent Prosecution

yesno — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:42:32 -0800

Prosecuting someone for a crime that someone has already been convicted of? I read last year about a prosector who sought to convict someone of a crime, when he had already convicted someone else of the same crime. Logically, only one person could be guilty. I can't find anything on Google. Does anyone remember this incident I am referring to?

Ethical objections to open relationships/polyamory?

beerbajay — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:35:17 -0800

Are there ethical objections to open relationships/polyamory? (If so, list below) I am explicitly not interested in the practical complications of open/poly relationships.

To 'nip or not?

hermitosis — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:28:30 -0800

Help me settle a debate on the ethics of catnip. Last night I got into an argument with a fellow mefite about the ethics of my catnip deployment.

In the past, whenever I have wanted to get my kitties spun out on catnip, I've taken a toy full of it and rubbed it gently all over their face and body, so that they get pretty coated in the scent of it right away. They usually then go after the toy in a big way, but even if they ditch it, they've still got a heady snootful of the nip. A good time for all ensues.

I did this last night when company was over, and was informed that this is not good pet-parenting; that I should just introduce the toy and let the cat decide whether he wanted any catnip, and how much; and that my way was the equivalent of slipping someone a drug against their will, however pleasurable I was sure the experience would be for both.

Frankly this really surprised me, as I'd never really thought about it. This is just the way we always did things in my family. But then again, considering my family, this may just be one of those things I should have selectively disinherited long ago.

So what is the deal with catnip? Does it have to be consensual? Does no always mean no? Or can I rub their little faces in it with a clean conscience?

Philosophy please!

ssg — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:17:05 -0800

Please help me find writings about the relationship between men's and women's reproductive rights. This recent post reminded me that I'd been meaning to do some reading on the relationship between the reproductive rights of women, specifically the right for a woman to control her body and thus to choose to abort or not abort a fetus, and the rights of men and women to choose whether to reproduce and their responsibilities to their offspring. I accept the primacy of the rights of women to control their own bodies, but I don't feel that the argument that I follow to reach that conclusion is very strong and edge cases (such as the one in the FPP) tend to weaken my argument, so I'd like to do some reading.

Can you suggest books, articles, etc. that deal with this subject? I'm particularly interested in feminist or ethical perspectives; I'm not interested in religious perspectives.

Maximizing fellowship $ ethical?

metahawk — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:14:11 -0800

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?

Is soda water soda or water?

hypocritical ross — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:48:53 -0800

Is soda water free at fast food restaurants? When you say you just want water at a fast food restaurant, is it okay to take soda water?

I know that people say "just water" at fast food restaurants all the time and then just take whatever soda they want, and while I assume that nobody has EVER been thrown out of a fast food restaurant for filling up their "just water" cup with a soft drink, that's still stealing. Is it stealing if you take soda water?

The problem is a lot of places give you a clear plastic cup when you say "just water" (to discourage you from stealing soda?) and when you fill it up with soda water it looks like you're stealing Sprite or 7-Up or whatever.

Where does water end and where does soda begin? I think that's the essential question here. Does soda begin at carbonation or at the addition of syrup?

P.S. I have tried asking cashiers about this and they have met the question with blank stares.

DIY or...

2or3whiskeysodas — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:14:39 -0800

Inspire me, punk-rock style. I've been kicking around ways that I could more directly apply my talents and energy to my adopted hometown's pleasantly/frustratingly insular indie-punk scene. For example, I'm inspired by the history of Dischord Records, a label that started mostly to document the scene in Washington, DC at that time, but grew to be an important force in popular music, all the while maintaining their punk/DIY ethics. Or, like, I'm greatly impressed with The Smell, a decidedly positive performance and art space that has become a lynchpin of LA's latest punk wave.

So then: I'm looking for other examples of grassroots, locally-focused artists/labels/spaces/organizations that have managed to make truly rad stuff happen without straying too far from their DIY principles. I should emphasize that I'm not necessarily asking about stuff directly linked to punk music, but rather stuff that has roots in that culture and mindset.

D-I-Y Christmas Bonus?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:25:29 -0800

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.)

Who gets what in a band breakup?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:05:24 -0800

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? The agreement at the beginning was that the bassist would be financially responsible for the van and that he would keep it when the tour was over. The bassist has 3 months to find a vehicle but doesn't look for one until a week before the tour, and buys one for $2400 the day before the tour begins.

Less than 1/4 of the way into the tour the bassist has a falling out with the rest of the band (to put things charitably) and abruptly takes off, leaving the van and all documents behind. He asks the band to pay him $2400 immediately, telling them to sell the van for more than that when the tour ends and to keep the extra money. Band feels they have no obligation to pay upfront, but plans to try and sell the van at the end and send the bassist his money at that point.

Over the rest of the tour it becomes clear that the van was not purchased in good condition as the bassist had said. The van breaks down multiple times. All the tires, the alternator, and the tensioner have to be replaced to keep the van running. The repairs run $850, which the band pays for. Two shows are canceled as a result of the van breaking down, representing ~$175 in lost revenue. The band still plans to sell the van for a profit, recoup their costs, and send the bassist what he paid.

Just before the end of the tour the transmission fails. The repair is estimated at $2k. The band finishes the tour and spends many hours trying to sell the van, but the best they are able to get for it in its condition is $1500.

How much money should each party get?

Does the band have a right to keep any of the money they spent on repairs? The bassist screwed the band by taking off in the middle of the tour. He did keep to his agreement to provide the tour vehicle, but the band incurred significant costs because he was not diligent in getting the vehicle checked out. The remaining band members must also take on the bassist's share of band expenses which existed before the tour. What's fair?

It must have jumped right out in front of them.

517 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:08:17 -0800

Someone hit my parked car on Friday night and I know who it is... Sometime Friday evening someone hit my parked car, leaving several square inches of white paint and some pretty deep scratches in the bumper. I was pretty sure I knew who it was because there was a white car parked behind my car that evening (when I say parked behind I mean about 30 feet back). There was no note left.

On Sunday night I happened to find the car I suspected and there was a nice big dent on the right hand side with dark paint (my car is a dark green and it was too dark for me to see the exact color of the paint left on the white car) at about the same level as the damage on the left hand side my car.

I left a polite note on the white car stating that I believed they hit my car and to please call me, I also got their plate number.

Factors I am considering:

The person who hit my car is the friend of a neighbor, I have really never spoken to the neighbor.

The damage to the white car is probably going to be more expensive to repair than the damage to my car.

They didn't leave a note.

The general incompetence required to hit my parked car when it was in front of them and thirty feet away while they were at a complete stop.

Due to my work load I won't have any spare time on my hands for the next several weeks.

I plan on selling my car within the year.

So...
I haven't heard back from them yet and am wondering if I should just call the police tomorrow if I don't hear back from them?

I am also wondering what would be a reasonable response to this if I do hear back from them?

Am I obligated to help my now-distant roommate find a sublessee?

John Singer Sandwich — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:30:47 -0800

My roommate moved hundreds of miles away. Am I obligated to help find someone to sublease from him? About a day or two before my roommate moved out of the apartment, he did some work trying to find someone to take over his half of the rent. He found a couple of people on Craigslist, and made a good-faith effort to meet them before he left town, but he had to go without securing a deal with anyone since his flight was already booked.

Now he's indicated that he wants me to facilitate a sublease for him, and has passed it all onto me. He gave my phone number to the prospective Craigslist people and instructed them to call me to set up times that they can come by and look at the apartment.

But hey, I'd like to live alone. And my roommate has said that he would be able to pay the rent for the place he moved into and continue to pay the rent for the apartment here, if need be.

One of the prospective people called me today. Am I obligated to call him back? To arrange a showing? To invite this stranger to live with me, on my far-off roommate's behalf?