"an ethical oath"??? I don't think there is such a thing. What may appear unethical to you may seem ethical to another.
Everybody will find justification for their actions as unethical as they may seem to you.
Everybody will find justification for their actions as unethical as they may seem to you.
Obviously, there are problems with this. But the point that Martin makes is a really good one. Technology is going to dictate a vast majority of our lives going forward, and programmers are the ones that literally make that technology. A lot like a surgeon operating on a person, a programmer can be neglectful or overly intrusive.
I think an oath is a great idea, actually.