Sharing

“Ethics” is a complex and broad topic. This section specifically considers the ethics of sharing information. While written for NPR journalists, this “Ethics Handbook” highlights some of the ethical concerns related to the sharing of information. As you read, imagine similar scenarios you may encounter in your own life. How do the ethics of information sharing impact you? This article, published on the SLR Lounge site, discusses the ethics of sharing photographs. Please pay close attention to the ethical issues that the author discusses concerning sharing of his work and imagine you are the one doing the sharing. Think about the considerations you should be making as you share your or another’s work.

Scenario: You share a room with your best friend at college. On the wall of your side of the room, you have a calendar you purchased. This calendar has images of different moonscapes. One is particularly beautiful. You want to scan it into your computer, and share it with your Facebook friends. Can it be shared? Why or why not? What are the ethical implications? Can your roommate scan it and use it as a background on her computer?