Ask HN: Should there be a Hippocratic oath for Programmers?

In the light of Prism, would it be useful for programmers to be able to publically swear an ethical oath? For instance, that they would blow the whistle on, or refuse to create, anything that they have reason to think will be used for a massive infringement on individual liberty.

Well, true, but many other professions have an oath of their own. Often times the language covered in that oath is supervised by a committee.

Obviously, there are problems with this. But the point that Martin makes is a really good one. Technology is going to dictate a vast majority of our lives going forward, and programmers are the ones that literally make that technology. A lot like a surgeon operating on a person, a programmer can be neglectful or overly intrusive.

I think an oath is a great idea, actually.

So logically we have a function:

  f(oath)-->Binding

Such that

  f(privacyOath)-->privacyOathBinding

And

  f(loyaltyOath)-->loyaltyOathBinding

Maybe I am just not sold on the whole oath thing. Doctors are regulated not by oaths but through licensure. Licensing of computer programmers is a possible future state of affairs with more likelihood than might currently be obvious without looking at historical precedent - e.g. local governments often license all businesses, other professions become licensed as they mature, and as PRISM shows, governments have an interest in the products of programming. The future may inherit more from North Korea than we wish to consider.

you don't need an oath for that, being a decent human being already covers it.