V6M@PSUVM.BITNET (02/20/85)
ETHICS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT WE WILL ASSUME THAT THIS IS TRULY THE INFORMATION
AGE, I.E. THIS PERIOD IS GOVERNED PREDOMINANTLY BY THE USE, DISSEMINATION
AND CREATION OF INFORMATION. WE WILL NOT DEFINE INFORMATION RIGOROUSLY NOW
BUT WILL APPEAL TO THE VERNACULAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM UNTIL LATER.
WESTERN SOCIETY IS INFLUENCED AT ALL STRATA BY INFORMATION AND THE
TECHNOLOGY WHICH HANDLES THE INFORMATION FLOW. AT THIS TIME WE CONSIDER
THE DIGITAL COMPUTER TO BE THE MOST FLEXIBLE INFORMATION HANDLING DEVICE
EXTANT. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY OF THIS AGE, SINCE
BECAUSE OF THE PC, ANY HOME WHICH CAN AFFORD A NEW CAR CAN AFFORD
COMPUTATIONAL, RETRIEVAL AND TEXT MANIPULATION POWERS INACCESSIBLE TO
OTHER GENERATIONS. The Digital Computer holds the analagous position as the
printing press but not the book.
Effectively then, any discussions of the Info Age are entwined with
computers and discussions about computers necessarily involve
information, which is carried by data that stuff which computers
process. (at least those discussions of ethical importance)
Even though the problem involves two interwoven parts, there are still
two parts. Information need not be processed by computers. Computers
need not process all forms of information. Both aspects are rightly
studied seperatly, but their combination should be studied most
dilligently. This joining demands that those specialist who have studied
privately in their disciplines are now needed to join other specialists
to examine the extensive implications of how information technology can
affect us. The ethical aspect is how OUGHT the technology affect us.
Our list of specialists is long:
D/P MIS professionals
Information scientists
Computer scientists
Librarians and library scientists
philosophers
theologians
politicians
sociologists
In later postings we will discuss each specialist's role.
Marchionni V6M@PSUVM.BITNET