[kuzehanka]

Anonymous yes, random no, at least not that I have ever heard of. You get a catalogue of various physical and socioeconomic traits from anonymous donors and pick the one that you want. Replacing that with any other is certainly fraud.

[taneq]

If that's the case then yeah, that's absolutely not alright. :S

[bscphil]

> You get a catalogue of various physical and socioeconomic traits from anonymous donors and pick the one that you want. Replacing that with any other is certainly fraud.

It's fraud, certainly, but the system you're describing (I'm not familiar with it) seems to be open to abuses that are almost as unethical. Surely genetic health is the only thing it really makes sense to take into account when choosing a donor. Some choices (race?) seem particularly icky.

[taneq]

You choose all of those things when choosing a partner for making a baby the old-fashioned way. Why is it Ok in that case but not this one?

[bscphil]

Choosing your partner with the intent of having particular genes for your child (other than, as I said, general physical health) seems unethical to me too. People do choose their partners on the basis of particular characteristics, but I would hope not for any reason so crass as manipulating the genes of their future children.

[matthewdgreen]

I assume married couples generally choose a donor who physically resembles the father.