Is it ethical or legal to copy the
design of software, but not the code?
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posted by idb
on Jan 26, 2010 -
22 answers
How large a referral fee is appropriate to offer another business for sending me clients?
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posted by vegsister
on Jan 15, 2010 -
11 answers
If the paint brush manufacturers are only taking a certain bit of hair from an animal, what happens to the rest of the animal?
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posted by blackunicorn
on Jan 13, 2010 -
9 answers
What is a good argument for the immorality of
terribly sadistic but ultimately consensual sex, from a secular perspective?
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posted by limon
on Jan 2, 2010 -
61 answers
Please help me remember the name (and proponents and critics) of a specific ethical principle.
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posted by Anything
on Dec 27, 2009 -
5 answers
After five months of being out of work, and seven months of looking, I have recently been offered a job. Great, right? Of course it is, but it's presenting an ethical dilemma for me.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 12, 2009 -
44 answers
Are certificates of origin for sapphires a scam? Is my jeweler going to overcharge me for a sapphire, and should I get one online instead of through him?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 6, 2009 -
11 answers
I've had a plantar wart on the ball of my foot for years. I have not taken steps to keep from spreading it. Is this something I should do?
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posted by serathen
on Dec 4, 2009 -
26 answers
What are some ethics considerations around a PhD dissertation? And should I do anything about a former colleague who I think violated them?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 30, 2009 -
17 answers
I have some information which may be critical to my friend's future/safety, but I obtained it in a somewhat dubious way. I'd just like to hear your thoughts on the position I'm in.
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 4, 2009 -
21 answers
What are some movies featuring moral beauty? I recently showed "Les Miserables" (the movie with Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman) to my boyfriend. I love the movie (as well as the book, of course) because it has moral beauty, and he absolutely loved that aspect, and asked me to show him any more morally beautiful movies. So what are some others? (He is also a fan of conflicting moral systems and honor - also present in "Les Miserables" of course - but that's just a bonus.)
posted by tamaraster
on Sep 22, 2009 -
66 answers
Philosophy Filter: What are some fresh and interesting questions or topics in philosophy?
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posted by k.
on Sep 6, 2009 -
21 answers
What are the ethical limitations for a therapist who provides treatment to two members of the same family?
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posted by No1UKnow
on Aug 27, 2009 -
16 answers
For better or worse, I am regarded as somewhat of an authority in a particular field (yes I have a blog about it). For this reason, I am getting requests for information about the subject matter from mainstream media journalists and writers. This is a new situation for me and I don't know how best to handle it.
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 26, 2009 -
32 answers
An organization which I have belonged to for many years has taken a position which I find abhorrent. Should I withdraw my membership outright or, should I first try to get the organization to reconsider its position?
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posted by DevilsAdvocate
on Aug 16, 2009 -
14 answers
Is it better to use email to break up with a partner who is traveling, or wait until they get back in a week?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 15, 2009 -
45 answers
RelationshipFilter: I finally realize that I have to break up with my boyfriend. However, the next three months are a terrible, terrible time for him, since he has 3 major exams coming up during that time period, which will have major consequences for his career. I think I can handle waiting until he is in a better position to handle to the shock, but is it the right thing to do?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 14, 2009 -
50 answers
We just bought a television from a reputable online retailer. It was delivered today via a freight carrier, but it was the wrong one and had another customer's name on it. However, it is MUCH nicer. Ours was $1000, this is $3500. We called and now they will come back and give us our crappy one and take this beautiful one back, and now we are overcome with remorse. The kicker is the swap won't happen for a week so we need to stare at this big ass box for 7 days. Should we have just kept the nicer one? Ethical issues aside, would we have had a legal right (we are in the US) to keep it? Do we now?
posted by jules1651
on Aug 4, 2009 -
44 answers
Is it legal to accept $500 from a car insurance company, reimbursing me for a repair I'm not going to make? If it's legal, should I?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 30, 2009 -
18 answers
As a [high school] teacher, I'm being encouraged to include a little bit of ethics into my courses. Can anyone recommend a book about ethics that's not boring or difficult to understand, and can that can help me with this?
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posted by CrazyLemonade
on Jun 24, 2009 -
18 answers
Querying the hive mind: In your opinion, is it more ethical to eat humanely raised and killed animals? Does the way an animal is treated and killed change the ethical question of whether it's ethical to eat meat in the first place? I'm doing some research on this and wanted some opinions or relevant links that might help. Thanks in advance!
posted by Raichle
on Jun 20, 2009 -
40 answers
Should I take this job if I'm not sure I will actually be able to do it? I could commit or not commit for sure in 2-3 weeks, but they are requiring a decision NOW.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 11, 2009 -
7 answers
Is it ethical to submit an extra 15 minutes of work per day because I got a blackberry?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 11, 2009 -
45 answers
Is it legal and ethical for a company to require salaried employees to work "as many hours as it takes" to complete their work so that the employees are off (paid or unpaid) for one or more weeks per month?
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posted by anonymous
on May 8, 2009 -
14 answers
How can I find out what restaurants (or other stores) treat their employees well?
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posted by Lady Li
on Apr 29, 2009 -
3 answers
I'm trying to build the best argument for why a company that committed in writing to licensing some IP of mine but are two years tardy in furnishing a contract owes me
something.
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posted by blueshammer
on Apr 28, 2009 -
6 answers
Can anyone point me towards detailed comparisons or information about the management fees and/or costs at hospitals in other countries?
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posted by johannahdeschanel
on Apr 27, 2009 -
2 answers
I was recently issued a minor traffic infringement by a Melbourne police officer. I told him that I believed the charge was unfair and that I intended to contest it in court. He told me that if I did, he'd then present me with an additional, more serious charge. Was this just bluster to dissuade me from contesting the charge, or could he in fact do that?
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posted by chmmr
on Apr 16, 2009 -
12 answers
Looking for articles/writings based around the premise that ethics are an extension of a larger sense of aesthetics.
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posted by Burhanistan
on Apr 14, 2009 -
13 answers
Should I notify an acquaintance about a (non-obvious) faked, sexually-explicit photo of her I saw on the web? Without going into graphic detail, it doesn't render her in the nude in any way, but does depict her, well, with something on her face. I know it's faked because I've seen the original, undoctored photo. Should I leave well-enough alone, or tell her?
posted by anonymous
on Apr 12, 2009 -
27 answers
Software license filter: Using a GPL-licensed library with a questionably-licensed JNI binding layer. What implications does this have for Java code that links to the JNI layer?
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posted by Alterscape
on Mar 16, 2009 -
3 answers
How can I morally justify spending money on luxuries while others lack necessities? Many reputable charities offer ways to save or vastly improve the lives of people in extreme poverty for small donations. What type of person am I if I spend $10 on a movie ticket, for example, that could be spent on mosquito netting to protect a poor child from malaria or to vaccinate dozens of children against measles? I don't see how giving a fixed percentage of my income, such as tithing, absolves me of further moral responsibility.
posted by espertus
on Feb 22, 2009 -
66 answers
The company I work for is behaving very strangely. Am I being paranoid, or should I start looking for a new job? (Posted anonymously for job security reasons.)
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 18, 2009 -
18 answers
As a Type I diabetic, the two risks of 1) passing the genes for diabetes through the population and to your child at a 100% greater risk than in the general population and 2) pregnancy-induced retinopathy (which could eventually lead to blindness) make me seriously doubt whether pregnancy is a viable option. How did other people think about these issues, and what made the difference in making this choice?
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posted by mccn
on Jan 30, 2009 -
17 answers
What's the ethical concept which measures one's ability to apply one's ethical standards universally?
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posted by AngerBoy
on Jan 21, 2009 -
11 answers
Is advising a client to write a bad check be considered unethical behavior for a financial advisor? What should our next steps be and who monitors financial advisors' professional actions? As usual, there's more inside...
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posted by northernlightgardener
on Jan 20, 2009 -
8 answers
Ethical eBay dilemma for items damaged in shipping. What's your thought?
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posted by k8t
on Jan 14, 2009 -
28 answers
Where can I find a reliable, up to date list of major corporations, their subsidies and any ethical / legal / political actions (both domestic and otherwise) that they have been involved in?
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posted by youcancallmeal
on Jan 10, 2009 -
2 answers
I recently received a counterfeit laptop battery from a marketplace seller on Amazon. Now the seller has requested that I remove my negative feedback, claiming that he was the victim of a dodgy supplier. Should I?
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posted by adamsc
on Dec 29, 2008 -
17 answers
An ethics question: Should I give only to the most serious causes, or is it OK to make room in my charity budget for groups that benefit society in less tangible ways?
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posted by phantroll
on Dec 4, 2008 -
28 answers
Which companies and organisations are big on innovation, creativity, doing good, and support flexible work styles and ethics?
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posted by divabat
on Nov 29, 2008 -
13 answers
