Domingo, Alyssa Robyn P.

July 1, 2019
CE 512 – CE Laws, Ethics, Codes, and Standards

CASE STUDY

2013 Milton F. Lunch Ethics Contest

Facts A marketing company establishes a Web portal and offers a service to customers whereby customers
type in questions on various topics (e.g., law, medicine, accounting, engineering, etc.) and, following the
receipt of the responses. Which are generally fairly detailed responses, the customer pays the marketing
company what the customer believes the service is worth, plus an access fee for the Web portal. Following
receipt of the payment, the marketing company passes along the customer payment to the service provider
(lawyer, physician, accountant, engineer, etc.). Engineer A, a structural engineer, wants to know if it would
be ethical for him to participate in this type of business.

Question Would it be ethical for Engineer A, a structural engineer, to participate in this type of business?

Answer
Studying a program requires money which is very hard to earn. Having this type of business can help
professionals enlighten themselves about topics that they are not familiar with. But there are circumstances
that needs to be checked, the professional who is going to give information must be registered and
trustworthy with the certain ideas that he or she will share. So, I think that yes, Engineer A can participate
because it does not harm anyone on this profession given that only topics related to his program can be
shared. All information must be double checked for the data to be valid and worth of paying. It is also stated
in the code of ethics that if the work is harmless and helpful, it can be done. It should just be ethical and just
if the certain amount that would be paid is worth the information that is provided by the Web portal.