BKCMETCB.RVW   20020606

"Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage", D. Micah Hester/Paul J. Ford,
2001, 0-13-082978-1, U$41.00
%A   D. Micah Hester
%A   Paul J. Ford
%C   Scarborough, Ontario
%D   2001
%G   0-13-082978-1
%I   Prentice Hall
%O   U$41.00 800-576-3800 416-293-3621 fax: 201-236-7131
%P   498 p.
%T   "Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage"

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" (cf. BKAFFCMP.RVW) 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   BKCMETCB.RVW   20020606