Ethics is an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior. Every profession has its own set of ethical guidelines to which most of its members adhere. And while the web design industry’'s code of ethics might not be as crucial as, say, the medical industry, there are still some important ethical considerations every design professional should think about.

Here are some of the most prominent rules of ethical behavior that web designers should follow:

• The website you design should add to the value of the Web. Do not allow unprofessional or unethical web pages to appear or be linked on a website that you create. This is not an easy task, but you can accomplish this goal by keeping your own values in mind.

• The website you design should be easy to navigate and easy to manage. Having a site that is easy to navigate keeps visitors coming back. Visitors will also recommend your site to others. You never want visitors to your website to become frustrated trying to find information on your website.

• The website you design should not offend people. You can easily find out if people are offended by something on your website by asking them. Have your site reviewed before it is published. Ask for opinions and then take the time to make the necessary and appropriate changes that were suggested.

• Each page in the website you design should have a purpose. Your purpose may be to create a site as a resource tool (as in this class), to sell something, or to share opinions/comments on a particular issue. Whatever the purpose of the website, make sure each page gets the main point across.

• The website you design should be correct. For example, make sure the content is accurate, make sure correct grammar and spelling are used, and finally check that all internal and external links are working.

• The website you design should not contain content and/or images from other websites, books, magazines, etc. without giving proper credit to the authors or creators.

• When using websites for research, you should always put information taken directly from the website in quotation marks. You may paraphrase information, but always give the author credit by providing a citation.

• Finally, the website you design should be creative, unique and innovative. In other words, you want people to say "This website is awesome! Check it out!"

The United State Copyright Office defines copyright as "a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works."

United States copyright law was first established in the Constitution in 1790. The original intent was to encourage the progress of "science and useful arts, by securing for a limited time to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." This original law was very broad. The intent was to protect individuals by allowing them to earn a profit on their work. The law was rewritten in 1976 but its intent remains the same.

The copyright symbol, a circled capital letter "C", is the symbol used in copyright notices for works other than sound recordings. The symbol is widely recognized, but under international law is no longer required to obtain a new copyright in most nations. The United States eliminated the copyright symbol requirement in 1989, but its presence or absence is legally significant on works published previously.

To learn more about copyright as it pertains to web design, visit the websites below.

1. Copyright Protection: What it Is, How it Works

2. Copyright and the Internet

3. Copyright Timeline

In any research, it is important to properly cite your resources. For this course, you will use the ACCESS MLA Documention Guide to cite your sources. You should download and save the guide because you will need it to complete a task later in the unit.

ACCESS MLA Documention Guide

Netiquette is a set of rules about the proper and polite way to communicate with people online. Netiquette is the social code of the Internet. In many cases, netiquette is enforced by fellow users who chastise those who break a rule of netiquette. To learn more about netiquette, visit these websites:

• Netiquette

• Examples of Good Netiquette

Professional netiquette is the social code of doing business on the internet. To learn more about professional netiquette, visit these websites:

• Business Netiquette

• E-mail Netiquette