A few years ago, as part of an IT consulting mandate within a Quebec firm, I had to review the work of several people in charge of system administration, make recommendations, oversee certain departures, participate in the hiring of new profiles, and define the responsibilities related to the position.

In my final report, as well as during discussions with various managers and colleagues, I proposed the adoption of a code of ethics or guidelines to better structure and guide the work of system administrators, as is done in other fields. One of the resources I shared as an example is the System Administrators’ Code of Ethics, a document proposed by LOPSA, USENIX, and LISA.

I had drafted a French translation (SageCofeOfEthics-fr.odt, SageCofeOfEthics-fr.pdf) to facilitate exchanges (and display). I also proposed this version as an official document to its authors, without receiving a response. I share it here for study and reflection purposes. It should be noted that it has no official status, is not approved, and I am not the author of the original document.

Even though the text deserves an update, I still find it relevant, particularly in a context where the monitoring of computer networks is raising increasing concerns. Do you trust your Internet service provider? Does the person responsible for your systems always act professionally and in your best interest? And if you work independently, have you established principles or benchmarks to guide your decisions?

My mandates have not always been free of imperfections—far from it—but I value questioning my own practice. Regularly rereading this document reminds me why I chose this profession, and whether I want to continue practicing it.

Among other codes of ethics or conduct that I have chosen to adopt, translate, or that inspire my reflection, here are a few:

On my professional site, I also mention several foundational texts in free software (which also address network services and wireless connectivity, among others), and I have dedicated a section to technological sustainability.

When joining a professional order, or formally contributing to a project, one complies with specific rules of ethics and practice. However, in Quebec, not all people working in IT are engineers, and vice versa 🙂

From a global (and connected) perspective, it becomes essential to also rely on broader benchmarks than local standards or strict technical norms. I am thinking in particular of the ISO 26000 standard. This standard (published in 2010) is an international guideline that helps organizations integrate social responsibility into their practices.

And you, what are your principles or your code of conduct?

This article was originally published on my personal site in March 2015.

The USENIX System Administrators’ Code of Ethics in French
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