Information Technology, Science and Society.

Social, ethical, moral and legal impacts of Information Technology

Introduction

The cartoon reminds me of all the times when IT makes things worse. Banks are culprits, but so are many other businesses where the computer makes it impossible to change, alter or add just because "it is on the computer" ..Just this side of idolatry..or maybe not this side!

Society, Cyberspace and the Future

How Can New Interactive Communication Technology Enhance Harmonious and Functional Communities at all Scales Worldwide? Report of an Exploratory Aspen Workshop Prepared by:Bruce Murray

Yes, well..Great ideas, if it was all so wonderful. There is a crying need for community, but I think most of the "net" communities are so informal, diffuse, and ephemeral they have limited use as real communities. They do embody loose organisation and less command type authority. For that reason my cynicism won't allow me to believe it will actually be allowed to really be "mainstream". I think there are too many people interested in power

Not Facing the Future: Computing Chaos in the New Century? By Ben Fairweather

The turn from 1999 to 2000 was less chaotic than we all thought it might be. The issues Fairweather discusses were of great concern just over 4 months ago, now largely water under the bridge.

Dependence on technology

We do depend on technology, but 2000 came and went without major disaster, largely because a lot of people worked very hard so it would not happen. Obviously we can do without the technology, but properly handled it can be of great benefit. It can be a big time saver.. It can be a big time waster. When the operator is ignorant or unskilled (as we all are at the beginning) pen and paper far outweighs the time producing a document.

Viruses and hacking are for the most part the computer equivalent of graffiti artists and vandals. Destructive individuals have always been around. We just do what we can to protect our property and provide safeguards to defend ourselves. The cost of owning property or keeping secrets is having unscrupulous people attack.

We are creating neither Utopia nor Armageddon. IT will neither cause nor solve the problems of the human condition.

Privacy vs. Freedom of Information

The diverse number of pin numbers and other numbers we have to remember is an attempt to guard secrets. The very fact we have so many different numbers is our society's way of trying to keep secrets. Unfortunately, it makes slaves of us. We become a number, a code to each organisation we deal with. Our name is not enough. The multitude of recording made about each individual by government and commercial interests again is uncomfortable, and more often than not mistaken and in error.

There is a great site about freedom of information that outlines what you can do to avoid this pigeon holing, much of which would mean not participating in modern life, and running foul of the law.

It is very unlikely that most organisations would deal as ethically with our personal information as you promise in your research.

The notion of freedom of speech vs privacy is a very real one and one that is not answered easily. See links on my Contemporary Issues site to Freedom of the Press and privacy issues.

See the page on privacy/freedom of information Privacy and Freedom of Information

In my opinion, this is not something that can be solved by waving a magic wand. On one hand, I do not think there is any problem with access to information for everyone, but public information, not private information. For example, government departments should provide information in an open manner. We should be able to get access to our own health records held by doctors, to any information organisations have about us.

We should be able to have access to all kinds of information without interference. It is parents and teachers responsibility to provide guidance and sanctions, not to prevent access to information for everyone else. In my opinion, more damage is caused by ignorance than knowledge

Access to Inappropriate Material / Censorship

on general Censorship issues;on Internet Censorship

Censorship in general is a question, I as a librarian feel strongly about. I value very highly the notion that information or knowledge is useful. I know from personal experience ignorance can harm. The censors are usually only a small group of people, too influenced by a vocal minority. History has shown us much censorship is to bolster up the status quo rather than protect from harm. The hysteria about the Internet fails to acknowledge almost all the information available there is also freely available in print. They tend to want to protect us from ourselves, a foolish and useless wish.

Protect young children from harm. Teach older children to make wise choices, to discriminate, to back away and reject themselves the idiot fringe and the salacious. There will come a time when neither parent nor teacher will be present. Teach them early to weigh what they see against their own values and reject what they find wanting.

Access and equity: promises and hype

The Paperless Office

Oh yeah. I worked in a public library where every transaction was printed at the end of every day: every accessioned book, every catalogue entry every loan record was printed to do two things. To check on staff accuracy (what price privacy!) and because "what if the backup failed" There was a whole room devoted to these records, going back years, a tree a day!!

The Web truly is marvellous

Yes, it can be. I wonder at the information I can find.

But curse when

Etc

Access is a real problem A geographic one where people can't get access because of poor connections and/or no local isps. An equity one when we consider that most people both here in Australia and overseas will never have access because of lack of money to buy and computer or afford an Internet connection. It's fine to talk about using IT in education and providing opportunities to use it at school. Unfortunately many students even in affluent Australia have no access at home now and are not likely to in the future. An even greater number in developing countries where food and water are scarce are never likely to tap into the "information explosion" As we overload, there are many who are already "information poor" and likely to remain so, likely in fact to be even further behind in this new race.

Information anxiety and how to deal with it.

Sensible and yet so strange. Does turn on it's ear the old Grade 4 "collect all you can find onƒ dinosaurs, or gold or catsƒ I will have to go back and read all of this again. It is very germane to the way I want to find a way through the maze for my students. Also echoes Jamie McKenzie's focus on questions as the way through.

Information anxiety An interesting concept. Maybe, it's part of all the part the computers create and spray at us as well.

Intellectual property and copyright

If we view intellectual property as any other kind of property, that is it belongs to someone and only lent for use, I think it keeps things clearer for users, especially of information in computers, where it is so very easy to borrow

This is complicated, but I've found if I tell students and staff fairly clearly they can't copy anything without acknowledgment (if it's a small piece) or permission (if it's large, this includes any sounds, pictures, videos that are seen publicly as in a web page or PowerPoint) See my page on copyright and plagiarism

See my Copyright and Intellectual Property

Recent Issues, Proposed Changes, and Lingering Problems

Very confusing, especially the issue of backup copies. As you've said, not easy to fathom. Libraries have often made back-up copies of tapes/videos sometimes with questionable legality.

When "providing it gratis" is deemed to be "selling"

The position that the sys admin is liable for pirate copies is like saying a library is responsible if a person borrows a book and then copies it. Obviously reasonable preventative measures must be taken, but there's no way admin could be liable, in my opinion.

Programs created by another program: who is the "author"?

This is taking the whole issues to ridiculous extremes. It's like saying Microsoft owns everything we create with Word (Horrors!)

Reverse Engineering

Interesting, when does "fixing bugs" move to creating something new?

"Look and feel" / screen display protection

I think you need to take it all back to the print world. We don't say something is copyright just because books are printed the same way, even if one is like another. "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" and when fantasy books all start to look alike it's merely because the reader likes it that way, or the publishers think they do.

Multimedia on a network

If I violate the copyright of the owner of the images, sounds, animations, etc. when I write this web page, who is guilty? Yes, undoubtedly and no-one else, although Curtin has to provide guidelines. Ascribing blame to others foolish and unproductive.

The issues of using copyright material on the web surely can be solved by the copyright holder granting permission, for a fe just the same as you would in text.

Conclusion

My copyright links. As a librarian this has always been a live issues with me. I always try to convey to my staff and students the necessity of acknowledging all sources and move away from the old saying "stal one idea it's plagiarism, steal 20 and its research"

Other ethical and moral issues

Should ethics be about "doing right" rather than "not doing wrong" (there IS a distinction)? As a Christian I believe it's both..causing no harm, and acting to prevent harm.

A lot of software is unfortunately like nothing else. The warranties are worth nothing and are void if existing once the shrink wrap is ripped. You can not usually see it in operation until after purchase. No wonder shareware is so popular, at least you can try before you buy!

I think the ethical scenarios would be very useful for staff and students. There are always staff who think if you have a book out of the library for 6 months then somehow it's theirs!

Ethics Exercise for Students

Very useful. I reckon all students should have a go at these with lots of discussion and explanation.

Further Readings and Additional Issues

The misuse and unbalanced use of resources is incredibly obvious, especially if you live for a while in Africa as I did (1981-82 and 1990- 1991 in Zimbabwe) The difference between the "haves" like us who lived in a house with electricity in a town, and the "have nots" like some of our Shona friends who lived in mud huts a kilometre from water and schools with no floors, windows and 2 books for 600 students was something that we will never forget. High tech for them was access to hand water pump. My husband taught multi-media at one time. One of his first demonstrations was how to construct relief maps for geography out of the red clay.

Genetic engineering

See my genetic engineering links.

It is always possible for people to work out how to do something. Whether they should continue to do so is the question. If scientists start to interfere with genetics to the extent that they actually change a lifeform's inherent nature rather than fix the mistakes then we raise questions of ethics because we don't know the consequences. The common sense in any situation should be to ask, "What will happen now?" If we doubt the answer then maybe, it's time to take a step back and wait a little until we do have a better idea of the consequences.

In the past people have interfered quite considerably with the balance of nature with the laudable aim of improved productivity or efficiency. Usually this has led to diaster and destruction. Maybe we need to consider a similar outcome with genetic engineering.

Testing a foetus for genetic defects

Yes, before all medical tests we need to ask "what change will it make if we know". The answer has to be more than professional curiosity. The emotional and psychological strain is too high.

The doctor asking to test babies destined for miscarriage obviously fails to consider the feelings of the parents involved.

Brain powers into brave new world.

On the other hand, this causes no harm and conceivably might be as useful as pacemakers.

Cloning

See cloning links

Why would we want to. What good would come? What are the consequences. Until these questions are answered let's home Dolly remains alone.

Cyborgs

Like all technology, we need to ask. Do the benefits outweigh the problems? And the benefits can not only be shareholders profits, and some capitalist propaganda that "what's good for business is good for everyone"

Medical extension of life - assisted suicide - euthanasia

See euthanasia sites

Not an easy question. The rights of the individual to make the choice should be weighed against the possibility of outside interference. On the other hand if we kept a dog alive in constant pain the RSPCA would prosecute us.

Cyber trade, romance, hate, terror and existence

The Internet is another method of doing what comes naturally. My daughter moved seamlessly from phone to chat sites (often she used both at once!) Romance will flourish in pubs, clubs, in letters, phone or e-mail and caht rooms. Some people will gamble at the race track or on the net. Some will advocate hatred in ratty newssheets, grotty halls or on the web

My daughter who took to computers like a drowning person to water sent me this poem. After you read it ask yourself how can we say the Internet is any less able to let people know each other than the phone or letters (or in sheer time spent sometimes face to face?)

The Poem

My mind reaches out to caress yours across these telephone lines.

We don't need bodies.

Everything about us that is important is right here.

In this space between us.

In the words we type.

The characters that scroll.

Spinning out of our reality,

As our lives share the precious moments that they hold.

Binary is energy.

The power of on and off.

That holds our world together.

We know about real life.

We talk about it.

About what we should eat for lunch

in our corner of the globe.

What laws should pass.

About war and refugees.

We just know that the connection.

In the space between us.

Is more important than the way we brush our hair.

My mind knows how to reach yours.

And I know that I touch you.

And my fingers blur the keys to do it.

Copyright Meryki Horton

More on ethics and ethical decision-making

These questions come down to personal values. What each of us sees as important. I always try to make sure my employer gets what my late Dad would say was " a fair crack of the whip" The school pays me a salary and for that I should give them their due.

Updated

March 7, 2006

Rosemary Horton

M.Sc; B.A. (Hons) Grad Dip Ed; Grad Dip Lib; Grad Dip Women's Studs

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