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Sharon C. BryantDr. James AinsleyCIS 300: Management Information Systems UseMay 15, 2013Ethics of Misdirected Information Use |

ABSTRACT: Our responsibility to some degree is to find some way to utilize this information without hurting the other parties involved. While this seems easy enough we must first learn to communicate as effectively as possible in order to develop a manner where misdirected information can be redirected to its rightful owner. Since communication is a vital means of expressing ideas and concerns it is of utmost importance that the messages conveyed are understood as intended. While each of us is responsible in some way or another with the way we handle the information we receive on a daily basis (whether intended for us or not); we ultimately have to be aware of the situation before we can become proactive. Being proactive is being ethical and owning the responsibility to handle the misdirected information in the best way possible. Being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one’s feelings.

Ethics of Misdirected Information Use
Everywhere, every day, every minute and definitely every second, information is misdirected in some form. Imagine this scenario: “You have access to the sales and customer information in a flower shop. You discover that the boyfriend of a woman you know is sending roses to three other women on a regular basis. The woman you know is on the flower list, but she believes that she’s the only woman in his romantic life. You really think that you should tell the woman. Your dilemma is that you have a professional responsibility to keep the company’s information private. However, you also believe that you have a responsibility to the woman. Do you tell her? (Floyd)” Let’s intensify the situation and add that the woman is your sister…Does that change how you approach the situation? The fact is information is misdirected in some form or fashion on a daily basis. Our responsibility to some degree is to find some way to utilize this information without hurting the other parties involved. While this seems easy enough we must first learn to communicate as effectively as possible in order to develop a manner where misdirected information can be redirected to its rightful owner. Since communication is a vital means of expressing ideas and concerns it is of utmost importance that the messages conveyed are understood as intended.
Rifts in communication are at the most basic level of misdirected information. Almost everyone has been in a situation where they thought they heard something that someone else said. This could in turn lead to a potentially dangerous situation depending on the attitudes of the parties involved. And, more importantly what they choose to do with the misdirected information. This basic scenario however, contributes to the fact that it is extremely important

that we have the necessary toolkit for communicating our thoughts and feelings. Obviously this causes a major problem since people don’t always speak the same language or come from the same social backgrounds. Assuming that the individuals are from the same social background and speak the same language still does not ensure that they will comprehend everything that the other person is saying. In most cases, whether or not people communicate well with each other they tend to begin as ethical beings who are engaged in some type of exchange.
Ethics is defined as “a system of moral principles governing the appropriate conduct for an individual or group (Ref: Microsoft Encarta “Floyd”).” Throughout our lives we are subjected to ethical principles which are engrained in us from the time we are born. These mantras include, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Golden Rule),” and are sometimes effective at helping to make decisions in regards to others. Not only are mantras like these influential to how we communicate and deal with others other factors such as consequences, society’s opinion and relatedness all play into how ethical we are in certain situations (Floyd). If there is little benefit or harm from a particular decision then there is no real consequence to keep the person from being unethical (Floyd). The same comes from the perception of what society really thinks of the intended action; as well as, how much the person identifies with the person or persons who will receive the benefit or suffer the harm (Floyd). Since ethics also plays a major role in how we communicate, how we receive the information, and ultimately what we do with it; it is important that we also understand that sometimes information is misdirected also due to

emotions. “Many people tend to equate ethics with their feelings. But being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one’s feelings. A person who follows his or her feelings may recoil from doing what is right (Velasquez & Andre, 2010).”
Being ethical and doing what one thinks is right are totally different ideas. Sometimes information is misdirected maliciously with the intent to destroy or defame the parties involved. Bork’s Law was created after Robert Bork was nominated to the Supreme Court and a reporter went to a video rental store and inquired about what movies Bork was renting (Floyd). The result was the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988 which it prevents disclosure of personally identifiable rental records of "prerecorded video cassette tapes or similar audio visual material. (EPIC). " In many instances quite like this, laws are created in order to protect how misdirected information can be used. More laws like this would undoubtedly deter individuals from creating such catastrophes; as well as punishments which fit the crime. For instance, if someone had paid more attention to what the reporter was watching and were about to expose him, would he still be so tenacious in finding out what Bork watched?
In my opinion, stopping misdirected information is a major problem because there are so many outlets for the information to be misdirected and in turn so many ways that it can be misused. While each of us is responsible in some way or another with the way we handle the information we receive on a daily basis (whether intended for us or not); we ultimately have to be aware of the situation before we can become proactive. Many people aren’t even aware that as

they surf on the internet every site they go on is tracked along with any personal information they disclose. While we like to think that these are secure websites that we are dealing with we can never be 100% sure. With this in mind, I believe that we always have to be watchdogs of our own information. That way, if we can safeguard what is important to us as individuals we can share as a group without the worry of information being misdirected and in turn misused.

Works Cited

Floyd, B. Ethics. Unpublished raw data, Orfalea College of Business, California, San Luis Obispo, USA. Retrieved from barry.cob.calpoly.edu/resources/ethics.ppt
Velasquez, M., & Andre, C. (2010). What is ethics?. Issues in Ethics IIE, I(1), Retrieved from www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethical.html
EPIC. (n.d.). Video privacy protection act. Retrieved from http://epic.org/privacy/vppa/