You know your translation is bad when it ends up in the comedy section of YouTube with the caption, "They should pay for a better translator, if you ask me." And what's up with the pet store owner and that little dog?]]>
You know your translation is bad when it ends up in the comedy section of YouTube with the caption, "They should pay for a better translator, if you ask me." And what's up with the pet store owner and that little dog?
Even robots have to worry about ethics codes.
An ethical code to prevent humans abusing robots, and vice versa, is being drawn up by the government of South Korea, where millions of dollars are being devoted to robot research. South Korea is one of the world's most high-tech societies and authorities there say that robotics are a key economic driver. The Ministry of Information and Communication has predicted that every South Korean household will have a robot by between 2015 and 2020, according to BBC News.
The new guidelines could reflect the three laws of robotics put forward by author Isaac Asimov in his short story Runaround in 1942.
]]> Key considerations of the robot ethics code would include ensuring human control over robots, protecting data acquired by robots and preventing illegal use."Imagine if some people treat androids as if the machines were their wives," Park Hye-Young of the ministry's robot team told the AFP news agency. Ewwww!
"Others may get addicted to interacting with them just as many internet users get hooked to the cyberworld."
Gee, do you think robots will blog? Or that some already do?
]]>As I nervously double and triple-checked my efforts, she appeared. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Just testing a beta of a site on Windows. You were upstairs so I knew your computer was available."
She didn't have a clue (like usual). I nearly had a heart-attack and a pink slip to match.
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When the new Congress began its session in January, two familiar faces were not present: Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes and Rep. Michael G. Oxley, who are both retiring (after 30 and 26 years, respectively.) Many companies think their main legacy, The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, ought to be retired with them.
Sarbanes-Oxley has seriously harmed American corporations and financial markets without increasing investor confidence, say critics.
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via NoisyRoom.net
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via Rahoi.com
....What we need is more good, strong, moral outrage: the kind that gets politicians thrown out of office and forces dishonest business leaders to face spend some honest time reflecting on their lack of probity . . . in jail."
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Jeff Swartz, CEO of Timberland, says corporations need to take the lead rather than waiting for the government to legislate social responsibility.
“Jeff could have inherited an ice-making company or a coffee house and he’d still have wanted to see how it could be used for a broader social purpose,” said Dave Aznavorian, Timberland’s global brand manager.
Schwarz acknowledges that he also needs to deliver results to shareholders. He says that changes in fashion have led to a downturn in Timberland sales that could result in selling the company. He says he'd give up control for more power, but that he'd never sell and walk away like Ben & Jerry's owners did. They sold the company and went home,” said Swartz. Swartz would have to be carried out with his [Timberland] boots on.
]]>Hey, at least the New York Times credited Radar Online as its source. Now that's pretty ethical.
]]>I've always wondered what you would need to teach honest people about ethics, and whether any code could make dishonest people more honest.
Building codes, health codes, fire codes have teeth. Violating them results in legal penalties. But nothing at all seems to happen to those who violate corporate or association codes of ethics, not even a slap on the wrist. If corporate ethics codes are to hold any meaning, they'll need the force of law behind them. Otherwise. what's the point?
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One sign sure to go: a huge train station sign says "Question Authority," in a Communist state of all places. (The sign points to the help desk.)