Learning Oracle PL/SQL

What to Do

As time goes on, more and more database technology jobs invite some kind of reaction to these moral and ethical issues. You shouldn't ignore these questions just because somebody else in your organization prefers to answer them in a superficial, unprincipled way. Beware the force of drift: the accumulation, over time, of seemingly small and insignificant actions that combine eventually to drive you where you don't want to go and had no intention of going. You may wake up one day and wonder how in the world you got there.

If you do conclude that the fruits of your labor are ill-used, what then? I have found myself in this exact situation more than once. In fact, that's how I gathered some of the information I've shared with you. Personally, I can be slow to come around to conclusions that I don't like. Initially there may be a long, possibly subconscious, denial period: "I can't believe that grown adults would so cheerfully and blithely ignore the harm they are causing others." And of course there is the ensuing disappointment when I contemplate the lost "business opportunity" for my database consulting practice. But, eventually, I have made the decision not to continue to work in certain industries.

Thankfully, I've never looked back. Now I try to learn enough about prospective new projects to reject unacceptable work even before I start it. Yes, the necessary conversations can be difficult, but they are even more difficult if postponed. And while I may have to wait ...