What I expect to learn:

Know what Information Ethics is all about

Learn to apply Information Ethics

Learn the different approaches of Information Ethics
Quote:
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons close to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is capable of achieving this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and
a foundation for inner security” (Einstein, 1954)

Review:
There are several foundations (the way one understands it) of Information
Ethics(IE).The first is IE as an ethics of informational resources and in this stage of Information Ethics, it is discusses how information is being used as a resource should be given to anyone. Someone would do anything to gather the most accurate and valuable information and this information is available in what we may call “the infosphere”. It was mentioned at the 1 st stage that whether information-as-a-resource is present or not, it is reasonable that IE may be described as the study of the moral issues that arises from the triple A factor of informational resources which is Availability, Accessibility and Accuracy.
The second stage views IE as an Ethics of informational products wherein IE evaluates the morality of the usage of producing gathered information into a new one based on its legitimacy.
The third stage of IE is IE as an ethics of the informational environment. The third view or stage of IE evaluates how one should act around its informational environment through morality. It questions the means on how one would get or provide information to the infosphere.
On the other hand, the limits of macro ethical approach to IE criticizes the RPT approach by looking not only at one view but on also on the 3 rd person’s perspective but the RPT approach also helped the analysis of the limits of macro ethical approach into forming a newly developed interpretation of IE. It discusses how to analyze further by 1 st combining the three arrows (1 st -3 rd stage), evaluate how the whole information cycle was or is to be processed, and analyze all those involved in the process on how they are affected and how they interact.
Through this view, it can change the means of communication of not only living systems but also informational systems. By understanding the nature of IE ontologically it will overcome the limits of other microethical approaches and will be able to claim a role for macroethics that concerns the whole realm of reality; this approach is the fourth stage of IE which is IE as a macroethics.
It concerns how information could affect everything that exists entirely, It also identifies the Moral agents and their responsibilities. “Homo poieticus” was discussed in this stage and it is the one whom should take care of reality
(infosphere) to make it flourish. There are four moral laws that guide the Homo poieticus that was mentioned in the book which is basically the “do’s” and
“don’ts” of the Homo poieticus
.

What I have learned:
I learned that human beings possess the greatest ability that any creature on earth is not capable of and that is to process the means of transfer of information or to further process it so that life would be easier for us. This gives me an understanding that I am a capable of doing something good for my infosphere or otherwise. With this, I learned that I must further study on how I could become a good source of information and how to think moral in doing things that involve the infosphere.
Integrative Questions:
1.
How can I affect my infosphere?
2.
If I consider myself as a Homo Poieticus, where am I standing or how am I going to satisfy what is expected of me from my infosphere?
3.
What are my three arrows of IE?

What I expect to learn:

Who are/is involved in the formulation of Computer Ethics?.

What is the real meaning of Computer Ethics?

How is Computer Ethics applied?
Quote:
“Just as important to the birth and growth of a discipline is cooperation among a
‘critical mass’ of scholars, as well as the creation of courses to teach, conferences to attend, research centers for planning and conducting research projects, and journals and other places to publish the results of the research.
This concluding section of the present essay describes some milestones in that important aspect of the history of computer ethics.”
Review:
This next chapter discusses about Weiner’s foundation of the combination of information and computer ethics including the milestones of the newly formed ethical branch.
Weiner’s book, “The human use of Human Beings”, is being used nowadays as a basis for Computer Ethics because of the concepts that were identified behind it.
Because of this, Weiner (unknowingly) introduced Computer Ethics which is a sub unit of Information Ethics that he had founded. The problems that he has analyzed years ago are still being used even now. This new found branch of information ethics is based on a cybernetic view of human nature and society which leads to the purpose of human life.
That said, he was able to identify the “great principles of justice” that can be applied universally and strategies for the resolutions of information ethics issues that may occur. It was also mentioned in this part of the book that IE accidentally emerged from the remarks in the research o f Weiner’s book, “cybernetics”.
Norbert Weiner’s account for the cybernetics of human nature gave an emphasis about the physical structure and its potential in learning and creativity that is possible through human physiology.

Norbert Weiner based the said potential of humans by comparing it to other inferior beings and thus he concluded that the purpose of human life is to grow as an information-processing organism because according to him, that is our nature. (How’s that for religion?)
He also said that compared to other inferior beings, humanity has an inherent capability of vast learning and study while others don’t and that is why, according to him, this is the most noble flight of the human purpose. He views the human race and all other organisms as patterns of information that persist through an ongoing exchange if matter energy. Translated, he thinks that we are information objects whom are dependent on information and information-processing in the body.
What I have learned:
Besides the fact that Computer ethics was just an accident, I learned that this maybe our solution to singularity among technologies. If one were to have an influence of
Computer Ethics and if that person could apply what his knowledge in the development of new technologies, then, in a way, one would be able to control singularity.
Integrative Questions:
1.
Based on what I know, what does Computer Ethics mean to me?
2.
How can one apply the concepts of Computer Ethics?
3.
What issues can Computer Ethics resolve or prevent?

What I expect to learn:

How can moral methodology be applied or how is it integrated with information technology?

What is moral methodology?

How did moral methodology start as a practice?

What are the practices of moral methodology?
Quote:
“since 1995 computer and information ethics developments have exponentially proliferated with new conferences and conference series, new organizations, new research centers, new journals, textbooks, Web sites, university courses, university degree programs, and distinguished professorships. Additional “subfields” and topics in computer ethics continually emerge as information technology itself grows and proliferates.”
Review:
The next chapter of the book focuses on how computer ethics is a form of applied ethics. It was said that computer ethics questions the morals of the use of computers and the likes.
To support the statement above, Jeroen Van Den Hoven discussed about applied ethics. He said that moral ethics began when moral philosophers started to focus on the problems and practices of professions, policies and even debates. As applied ethics started to grow, so did the community of individuals who started to practice it and it even introduced new types of ethics.
To further support the form of computer ethics as an applied ethics, another view was discussed which is Generalism. This view thinks that there are fairly accurate general moral rules or principles that may be captured and codified, for example, in codes of conduct, which can be applied to particular cases. For me, to become a generalist is like gathering other good moral principles and putting them into your own code and in turn you can formulate new principles.
The next form of applied ethics that is being discussed in the book is about
Particularism. This view contrasts the view of Generalism because Particularism considers universally valid principles as an intellectual mirage. There are two important points that particularism shows to us. First is that it is natural to search

for and apply afterwards some moral values. The 2 nd argument is that it is difficult to justify what is moral to others.
After the two contrasting views, Hoven discussed about the design turn in ethics.
In here, he said that if we were to analyze computer ethical problems, we should base it on real moral problems. If we were to do so, he said that we would be able to think forward thus preventing certain moral issues to happen beforehand.
What I have learned:
In my opinion, I think that by simply applying ethics in different fields, it would definitely give birth to a new type of applied ethics. Let’s say if I were to gather different applicable morals from different ethical applications and apply it on retailing, I would be able to create Retailing Ethics.
My point is that humanity searches for the dos and don’ts on how things should be done. Our “quest” for doing what should be done in the right and moral manner has given us so many answers.
I learned that we could base our ethics on real life situations and applications of morality. This would enable us to know and differentiate what is moral from what is not and thus it will prevent us from creating or doing something wrong.
Integrative Questions:
1. Based on the different types of applied ethics, how did my view on computer ethics change?
2. Is computer ethics a credible criterion for evaluating moral development in its field or scope?
3. Based on the foundation of Computer Ethics, how can I say that it is a liable source of judgment and questioning?
4. How can I practice Computer Ethics?

What I expect to learn:

Know what Value sensitive design is and how does it apply morality and ethics.

Learn how to apply value sensitive design upon the examples given by this section of the book( The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics)
Quote:
“Value Sensitive Design is a theoretically grounded approach to the design of technology that accounts for human values in a principled and comprehensive manner throughout the design process.”
–The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics CH4.2 page 105
Review:
The fourth chapter of the book which is by BATYA FRIEDMAN, PETER H. KAHN
JR., and ALAN BORNING, focuses on the approach on the design of technology that considers human values in a principled and comprehensive manner throughout the process of designing.
We could be able to do so by conducting the three case studies that are mentioned. The 1 st case is concerned in controlling the web browser cookies that implicates the value of informed consent. The 2 nd focuses on the usage of HDplasma displays in an office environment which implicates the values of physical and psychological well-being and privacy in public spaces. Lastly, the 3 rd study concerns the way one interacts and uses its environment and this in turn values fairness, accountability and support for many factors in its scope.
Value sensitive design has a rubric for conceptual Investigations which are question type:

1. Who are the direct and indirect stakeholders affected by the design at hand?
2. What values are implicated?
3. How should we engage in trade-offs among competing values in the design, implementation and use of IE?
4. Should moral values have greater weight than, or even trump, non-moral values?
Value sensitive design adopts the view that technologies (generally) and information and computer technologies (particularly) provides value appropriateness that follow from properties of technologies. This means that a certain technology is more suitable if it renders other activities and values that are difficult for it to solve. Also, value sensitive design adopts many interests and techniques from related approaches to values and system design.
What I have learned:
I was able to define what value sensitive design is about and also, I understood how the case studies are applied based on the examples that were given by the book. The question now is where can I apply VSD?
Integrative Questions:
1.
What is value sensitive design?
2.
What are the important issues that the case studies and the rubric of value sensitive design focus on?
3.
How can these focuses resolve issues in the world of technology nowadays?
4.
Where can I apply value sensitive design?