Overview

This chapter begins by stating that "An effective message (one that achieves its purpose) isn't necessarily an ethical message." The word ethical itself can be hard to pin down. It is often defined as conforming to the standards of conduct and values of a given group or profession. But what if everyone in your profession is a crook or a scoundrel? Does that mean by being a crook and a scoundrel, you are being ethical? Clearly not. Does ethical mean what is right or what is legal?

Victor Hugo's famous work Les Miserables deals with a poor man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family, and was then pursued relentlessly by the police for twenty years. Was he wrong to steal a loaf of bread to save his family? Was it right for the police to pursue him for twenty years? Where do we draw the line? Sometimes, as we will see, the lines are nearly impossible to draw.

Ethical technical communication has to make that judgment call, however. Specifications, building codes, materials standards, and regulations all exist to guide humans in their interactions with technology. And beyond those usually rigid rules set by governmental agencies, unions, and professional organizations, there are other codes for guidance. Most professions have a larger organization, an association that holds meetings and conferences, often publishes trade or scholarly journals, and usually also produces a Code of Ethics voted upon by all its group members. You will find several sample codes of ethics in the Hot Topics section of this Web site. These are guidelines for the gray areas. They are not binding and are rarely enforceable, but that the members of the association have developed power in getting out the word about companies that fire whistle-blowers or repeatedly cut costs at the expense of quality.

Perhaps the most common ethical breach in technical communication is plagiarism—using someone else's words or ideas as if they were your own. You'll need to learn how to recognize plagiarism in others' writing and avoid it in your own.

Ethics is not a struggle with impossible conundrums, nor is it entirely determined by the situation. As you advance in your career, you may even find yourself in a position to contribute to the standards and ethics of your profession.