He who smelt it, dealt it

The UC system has run into its fair share of shame and scandal, so apparently we're all going to suffer for it via the Online Ethics Briefing I just completed (and passed!). Now, putting aside the question of whether it's ethical to snarkily blog about ethics briefings, I found the following item a little weird:

The Smell Test and the Self-Test

Some activities may be legal, but they may not pass the "smell" test. Avoiding the appearance of a conflict of interest or commitment can be a bit tricky. The easiest way to stay out of a trouble spot is to ask yourself, "Would I want to read about this in the newspaper or online?"

Asking yourself any (or all!) of the following questions can also be helpful when a situation or opportunity "smells" bad but doesn't violate a rule or law in an obvious way:

How would I explain what I'm doing to my family? How would my supervisor feel about this? Would talking about this at a non-University social event make me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable? Am I uneasy when I hear about colleagues doing this?

Well, I seem to have already violated the first litmus test with the snarky blogging, so what the hell. I'd never really considered the odoriforousness of a situation to be that great an indicator of ethical dilemmas, but I have to say that I love these questions. Imagine applying them to the non-bureaucratic situations that crop up in everyday life: Well, if Jimmy's buying, I think I'll order a scotch instead of the rubbing alcohol I ususally get -- but wait: how would my supervisor feel about this? Or: this FedEx package arrived on my doorstep six months ago, and no one's come to claim it. Maybe I'll open it... but... Would talking about this at a non-University social event make me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable? Or even: something in the fridge is making me feel uneasy and seems to be compromising my innate sense of all that is right and good -- I think last night's leftover asparagus wouldn't pass the ethical "smell" test. Maybe I'll toss 'em... but... how would I explain what I'm doing to my family??

I think I may have too much time on my hands...