Book details of 'Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage'

Title	Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage
Author(s)	D. Micah Hester, Paul J. Ford
ISBN	0130829781
Language	English
Published	July 2000
Publisher	Prentice Hall

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The Virtual Bookcase Reviews of 'Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage':

Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
This volume is a collection of essays, arranged in a rather complex fashion. There are parts, subdivided into chapters, with each chapter containing about four papers. It isn't necessarily difficult to find the theme running through each set of papers, but neither does the conjunction of ideas support the individual discussions. The preface, interestingly, states that the book provides no general introduction to ethics. There are also lists of alternative orderings and selections of the papers included in the volume, suggested to address additional topics. Part one is an introduction to technology, computers, and values which last is rather in contradiction to the assertion that the work contains no such introduction. In any case, there is no introduction to values. The essays in chapter one look at how the machine affects personality (a poetic but unconvincing piece), a review of various (both positive and negative but primarily religious) views of technology, opinions on technology and moral responsibility, and the ethical problems presumed to be unique to computers. Chapter two views computer technology as value-laden. The first paper insists that computers should be improved by the addition of abilities for responding to simple requests in natural language, apparently implying that the search for the "user-friendly" chimera has an ethical driver. (A common desire, but one that flies in the face of user-interface research that indicates people are, in fact, unable to frame requests accurately even in natural language.) Others assert that computers fail to distinguish between numbers and data (and between information and reason), that work with Boolean algebra molds the thinking process, and that computers are fun because they are magic. Part two purports to review computers and quality of life. Chapter three looks at technology and relations with other people. One paper points out that the attitude of the Amish towards the telephone is supportive of community living, but admits that the example has almost no relation to other technology. Others discuss various things you can do online, how much Howard Rheingold likes the WELL service, and that John Perry Barlow doesn't know whether community actually exists (online or in real life). Computer and individuality is addressed, in chapter four, with an unsupported assertion that technology has some normative value, wild speculation on implantable brain chips, a fictional short story about artificial personality, and vague thoughts about the anthropomorphizing effect of the changing language with regard to computers. A look at computers in developing nations assumes that the purpose of computer use is control, asserts (but does not support) the idea that western (and therefore somehow "authoritative") computers are unsuited to Africa (the entire continent is assumed to have unreliable data), that information technology can help in Latin America but there are problems, presents random memories of email use in Jamaica, and asserts, in chapter five, that transferring technology to the third world can create problems. Part three concentrates on the uses, abuses (and maybe consequences) of technology. Chapter six looks at professionals and ethics, with various views of whether professions have special obligations (and a final decision that computing is not a profession), scenarios emphasizing conflicting loyalties, and some factors that might help reduce computer misuse. Freedom, privacy and control is the topic of chapter seven, discussing problems with direct democracy, reprinting a political speech nominally about privacy, and attempting to determine a definition and some characteristics of privacy. A review of intellectual property ownership and piracy has an interesting examination of the differences in attitudes to copyright between western (stressing ownership and roles) and Asian (emphasizing social benefits and outcomes) cultures, as well as a student survey, a statement that the arguments in favour of copyright are at best unproven, and an opinion promoting copy protection cracking and the distribution of "cracked" commercial programs (with the usual lack of logic and writing skills). (Despite this last essay, chapter eight is possibly the best in the book.) Chapter nine has some sensationalistic material on hacking (and a very poor introduction to viruses) with no real conclusions, a hacker "manifesto," a strong (but no perfect) analysis deciding that computer intrusions cannot be held to be "victimless," an interview with a self-styled "hacker" (as self- serving as most such), and a weak examination of the Morris Worm. Part four seems to assume that it is moving into more advanced or futuristic technologies, although the discussions don't change much. Chapter ten has another fictional short story implying that computers are false gods, a replay of "What Computers Can't Do," and a vague wondering about the definition of life. One essay, very much in contradiction to the thesis of Rosalind Picard's excellent "Affective Computing" (see reviews) maintains that a computer which is "superior in every way" (to us) must be a "monster," and assumes that artificial intelligence will be devoid of compassion. (Even if one does accept that intelligence must be emotionless, there is no mention of the fact that such a system would also lack cruelty.) The overview of virtual reality (VR) has an interesting examination of the health and safety effects (limited) and benefits of the technology, and two assertions of the need for a VR ethic, in chapter eleven. In chapter twelve, Al Gore sells the GII (Global Information Infrastructure), we are told that there is pornography on the Internet, Dibbell's classic "Rape in Cyberspace" is reprinted, and an article on cyberstalking seems to void its premise by repeatedly demonstrating that most of the activities take place in the real world, not the net. Many of the papers in this collection are lifted wholesale from their origin. Although ellipses seem to indicate that material has been cut in a number of places, there are still some very odd references to other papers or presentations no longer "present," and even comments directed at people who are no longer in the audience. Much of this material is quite seriously flawed by a lack, on the part of the authors, of a technical background. This is not to say that non-technical people cannot comment on the social aspects of technology, nor that discussions of technical ethics could not benefit from the input of philosophers, ethicists, sociologists, and the like. However, many of the speculations bear little relationship to technical reality, and therefore the arguments and decisions are invalid. Overall, there is a lack of direction to the work. In the end, it gives an impression of a vague complaint that computers aren't moral, and aren't taking the burden of ethical decisions away from mankind. Personally, I find this position not only unhelpful, but extremely odd. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2002
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