Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has affected - in both good ways and bad ways - community life, family life, human relationships, education, careers, freedom, and democracy." (Terrell, 2011)
Ethics and Technology History:
Norbert Weiner - 1954 theory and book, Cybernetics- the structure of the machine or of the organism is an index of the performance that may be expected from it.
Walter Maner - 1970s, Computers generate wholly new ethical problems such as "privacy, computer crime, computer decisions, technological dependence and professional codes of ethics" (Terrell, 2011)
Deborah Johnson - 1985 book, Computer Ethics , computers pose new versions of standard moral problems, but force us to apply existing morals in new realms.This book set the tone for issues such as software ownership, intellectual property, fair distribution, and hacking.
James Moor - 1985 paper, "What is Computer Ethics?" - CE should provide a conceptual framework for a set of policies to guide our actions.
"Since 1985, computer ethics developments have proliferated exponentially with new conferences, (...), new organizations, new journals, textbooks, web conferences, university courses, university degree program, and distinguished professorships" (Terrell, 2011)
Ethics and Technology today:
Computers in the Workplace - Replacing human employment, or turning human workers into passive employees relying on technology, health and safety concerns
Computer Crime - Confidentiality, Data Integrity, Access Control, Security, Hackers
Privacy and Anonymity - Control over personal information, Use of anonymity for undesirable actions.
Intellectual Property - Ownership, Copyright, Patents, Open source movements
Professional Repsonsibility - Adhering to established codes of the industry and workplace.
Globalization - Developing global standards of conduct, Navigating regional laws, Conducting global businesses online, global education, Digital Divide.
Reference:
Bynum, Terrell, "Computer and Information Ethics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). Retrieved from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-computer/
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