Ethical behavior

[TillEulenspiegel]

I have two questions on my personal behavior.

Last night at a 7-11 ( Quicky mart ) I found a $10 bill. I picked it up and looked around for anyone looking like they lost something. Nothing. I went into the store and hung around for 10 mins. to see if anyone would come in looking for their lost money. Nothing. I made my purchase ( with my own $$ ) and after 20-25 minutes no-one came in looking for the bill. The place is kind of shady. so my question is should I have given the clerk the bill or kept it?. I kept it and I feel guilty, not rationalizing but the place is shady and I didn't trust the kid behind the counter at all. Comments?

The second question is..
I posted on another forum comments about Don Henley , who has taken a vehement stand about Kazza. I owned a CD copy of his "greatest hits" but the CD looks like someone roller skated on it. While writing this I am downloading a copy of one of his songs on the CD. I think in this instance I am ethically OK. Comments?

 

[pgwenthold]

I have two questions on my personal behavior.

Last night at a 7-11 ( Quicky mart ) I found a $10 bill. I picked it up and looked around for anyone looking like they lost something. Nothing. I went into the store and hung around for 10 mins. to see if anyone would come in looking for their lost money. Nothing. I made my purchase ( with my own $$ ) and after 20-25 minutes no-one came in looking for the bill. The place is kind of shady. so my question is should I have given the clerk the bill or kept it?. I kept it and I feel guilty, not rationalizing but the place is shady and I didn't trust the kid behind the counter at all. Comments?

It's mine. Thanks for holding it for me.

But seriously, you found it outside? Keep it. Who cares about the place being shady or trusting the kid? You found it, looked for the person who might have lost it (it wasn't the kid at the Quickie Mart, likely, if it was outside), and gave them the chance to come back for it. No one did, you aren't obligated to put out a want ad.

Buy something for yourself, and enjoy.

 

[Psydox]

How do you know that someone did not come back looking for the money?

What does someone look like that lost money?

ehhh forget it, I am giving myself the opinion that I am being an unreasonable ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ .... how ironic.

 

[Gestahl]

I have two questions on my personal behavior.

Last night at a 7-11 ( Quicky mart ) I found a $10 bill. I picked it up and looked around for anyone looking like they lost something. Nothing. I went into the store and hung around for 10 mins. to see if anyone would come in looking for their lost money. Nothing. I made my purchase ( with my own $$ ) and after 20-25 minutes no-one came in looking for the bill. The place is kind of shady. so my question is should I have given the clerk the bill or kept it?. I kept it and I feel guilty, not rationalizing but the place is shady and I didn't trust the kid behind the counter at all. Comments?

*You* are the one that must rationalize based upon your own ethics. Why do you feel guilty? Do you think you could have acted to a better purpose somehow? Looking to other people for approval of your actions is not too good, IMO. Best to think through yourself.

My ethics may differ from yours, but in the absence of any other evidence, "finders-keepers". If someone comes with convincing evidence it belonged to them, I would gladly give it back. In law, due diligence must be exercised to notify the public of the property that you have found, but is not necessary for petty amounts, realistically. If your ethics is based on legality, I am sure you are on solid footing.

The second question is..
I posted on another forum comments about Don Henley , who has taken a vehement stand about Kazza. I owned a CD copy of his "greatest hits" but the CD looks like someone roller skated on it. While writing this I am downloading a copy of one of his songs on the CD. I think in this instance I am ethically OK. Comments?

IMO, intellectual property is not a valid construct. It is your responsibility to hide your information/process/music if you don't want other people to use it/have it. However, there is no way to have some things be useful and not share it (books, music, etc.). In these cases, the patron/artist relationship is the better solution. I don't have the ethical problem with it, because you are not doing anything different logistically than going over to Bobby's house and listening to it there. IP enables people to be richer than justifiable.

 

[TillEulenspiegel]

I think Gestahl that is a fair judgment of both questions. Let me elaborate farther , in the $10 bill situation , I feel guilty because I have something that does not belong to me and may perchance be the last few penny's that someone has........... ( I've been there)
In the second instance I feel that because I purchased the CD with all royalty's paid I'm OK because I paid once and even tho Mr. Henley will not receive double royalties I am comfortable with receiving a copy of the song, which I am listening to now.

I'm not being a troll , I am genuinely interested in the opinions of folks on the board in the era where most collage students think cheating is OK. I'm an Agnostic so I have no "doctrine" other then my inner voice to guide me. I'm not looking for justification , just thoughts.

 

[Kopji]

so my question is should I have given the clerk the bill or kept it?. I kept it and I feel guilty, not rationalizing but the place is shady and I didn't trust the kid behind the counter at all. Comments?

Wow. I thought that I was the king of guilt. In this case I think you're being a bit hard on yourself, let it goooooo. Anyway, if you yelled out 'anyone lose a $10?' there'd probably be a big fight with some tattooed guy on a Harley.

There's a lame wishywashy part of me that says if you feel so guilty, put $5 in the little can at the register that supports reading material for the blind, and keep the other half. My dark side says this is a good chance for you to break out of this silly guilt trip: Go see a movie and splurge on yourself, it will do you good.

So ahhh yeah. I would lean on a philosophical foundation of "good luck". Think of it as a dash of chaos in your life, an opportunity to do something productive. As long as you understand that being unproductive can be productive.

On the music thing. You own a broken CD, that's part of the "bad luck". kazaaa - you're just stealing copyrighted music and rationalizing it away. This seems surprising for someone who feels guilt about the $10 but I dunno anything either.

If you are going to steal stuff, just admit it. That seems more honest. (I'm so much help).

 

[Denise]

Ten dollars? Lost outside? I would have kept it because it was a small sum and there is no way of tracking the person and there was no id with it like a wallet. Ethical, probably not. The cd thing is different for me. Although you had purchased it previously, you are supporting an industry that rips off the artists. There is a direct victim. Don Henley is not responsible for your cd being wrecked anymore than IBM is at fault if you throw your comp in the pool.

 

[Number Six]

I've come to the conclusion that so long as you don't take a approach that systematically benefits you regarding finding/losing money and so long as the amount of money involved isn't large, you shouldln't sweat keeping money that you find. What are you supposed to do, stand around at the place that you found the $10 for two hours in case someone comes back for it it? $10 isn't that much and most people that lose that aren't going to go make an extreme effort to go back and find it, including yourself.

The grocery store ripped me off of $4 the other night and I didn't realize it until I got out to my car. I started to become annoyed until I remembered those times when the grocery store made an error in the other direction and undercharged me a dollar or two. Life's too short to quibble over amounts that don't mean much, especially when it's the type of error that will likely even out in the long run. For that matter, life's too short, period.

 

[TillEulenspiegel]

Huh , I'm surprised at some peoples reaction to the Kazza question. Basically the two scenarios ( they did happen) are linked by a common thread of possessing what is not Your's. I feel bad about the first because it could effect someones meal plan for the next two days......Ok heres the sliding scale of morality. If that happened in the Hampton's or on Rodeo Dr , I don't think I would have a second thought.

In the second case I am seeing an equivalence of the 'ole software debate -- archival copies. I had the CD it was ruined do I have a right to download the track to enjoy? I have already paid for the product ( I think we must have a distinction between Physical property and Intellectual property here). I am not reproducing it for use anywhere else just on my private computer. The whole EULA was based on a software co being able to not have their copyrighted material distributed , with the stipulation that one could make archival copy's in case of crash or physical destruction of the HD or computer.

Does that sound like rationalization or is it a sound posture?

 

[Gastric ReFlux]

The second question is..
I posted on another forum comments about Don Henley , who has taken a vehement stand about Kazza. I owned a CD copy of his "greatest hits" but the CD looks like someone roller skated on it. While writing this I am downloading a copy of one of his songs on the CD. I think in this instance I am ethically OK. Comments?

 

[Gestahl]

Re: Re: Ethical behavior

(picture)

I haven't seen that in years! Thanks for reminding me of that great poster...