Ethical Dilema

[chequita guevara]

So I've been offered the opportunity to send a proposal in to work in a website. I can easily do the work, and it pays about $1000US. Bascially a slam dunk kinda job if I can get it.

The thing is, do I want to? It's a site for a practitioner of "healing touch." Healing touch is bunk, New Agey mumbo jumbo that has flunked all the double-blind tests (AFAIK). Some people belive this crap and others are probably knowingly fraudulent. Do I want to help this person committ a fraud, even if it's a legal one? I feel uncomfortable about this.

Possible rationalizations:
1. I need the money.
2. If I don't do it, someone else will.
3. I'd do work for a church or commonly accepted religion even though I know religion is bunk. This is an accepted practice in Asia. Is this really that different?
4. Other people have helped me out. Don't I owe it to them to do what I can to get myself back on my feet?

[Provost Harrison]

I can understand the dilemma, on one hand you are knowingly fraudulent, and on the other hand fools and their money are easily parted. Remember, come the revolution, it will all be redistributed anyway I'd respect you if you didn't do it, I'd understand if you did...

[Japher]

Possible rationalizations:
1. I need the money.

If you need it, you need it, but what will you stop at to get it?

2. If I don't do it, someone else will.

but what kind of person?

3. I'd do work for a church or commonly accepted religion even though I know religion is bunk. This is an accepted practice in Asia. Is this really that different?

True. Seems to be exactly the same to me.

4. Other people have helped me out. Don't I owe it to them to do what I can to get myself back on my feet?

You don't owe anything to anyone. If they helped you they did it out of the goodness of their heart, they didn't violate any ethical boundaries to do so. Thus, you shouldn't feel required to do so because of them.

My personal thoughts on the matter:

Working on website doesn't really help them commit the fraud. You are not responsible for what they do, and you are not accountable for what they may claim on the web page. Your job, if you chose to except it, is to write a web page for a client, nothing else. I could understand if the web site advocated violence or harm, yet if they don't have a web page would their buisness really hurt a whole lot? I would do it, not because of a moral position, but because it is my job to. I would even do a web page for the KKK, even if my philosophy got in the way, because it is my job, and chosen profession.

I do, however, feel that if my job asked me to directly impose harm on another I could not. Yet, if I was in such a field I would think about a career change.

[monkspider]

As-a-matter-of-pragmatism-i-say-do-it.-at-leat-it-is-ot-capitalism.com.

[Garth Vader]

In the words of Dan Fielding, "I don't have principles. I can't afford them."

[Monk]

Chegitz,

Take the money and run. If you'll only do websites for dudes whose policies and products you support, you'll end up a poor man. Doctors don't consider the moral code of the patients they treat, or they would be downright unprofessional.

[Wernazuma III]

Re: Ethical Dilema

I'd say, go for it. It's not you, who tells people that kind of junk. Especially as you'd do it for any "commonly accepted" religion, then do it, I can't sense any difference. Hey, the catholic church will tell you that holy people can really do wonders, including healing hands
You need the money. Get in the position so you can choose NOT to work for such guys if you feel like it, but at first you have to get out of the financial mud. Absolutely acting according to ones ethic requires being financially secure, although some of us would see being financially secure to be immoral. Uh, I better stop it.
Do it (or someone else will)!

Come on, those people aren't really tricked. They need to believe in stuff like that, they're demanding such gurus. I hope, it's not like that person adivises people absolutely not to go to the doctor, but rather ONLY to him. In that case, don't do it, of course.

[PLATO]

If the product is legal, you should procede. It is up to the consumer to do their research before buying the product.

[General Ludd]

I say stick to your principles. That's generally a good thing to do regardless of the situation.

[Jon Miller]

yes

stivk with your princimples

but I am not sure why oyurprinciples are n a bind on this

it is just marketing, and while it is marketing a questionalbe product, so are most produccts

Jon Miller

[SpencerH]

Just dont add any subliminal messages

[Jon Miller]

I guess if it would depend on the what the site said

like if it said millions swear by it, I would have no problem

fi I was suppose to put that the surgeon general reccomends it, than I woul dhave a problem

Jon Miller

[DaShi]

You need money. Ideals aren't worth starving over.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Take the money.

[JohnT]

You should do the work, and do the best job you can.

At the very least you can put the site on your resume as an example of your willingness to design sites for all people and practices, even those you don't necessarily "believe" in.

I don't believe in ESP or all that pseudo-crap either, but if some goof-assed Pyramidologist was willing to pay me $1,000 to throw a website together explaining his theory that the Pyramids were built by greys, well, I'd do it.