Computer and Information Ethics. John Weckert and Doug-reader seek further material on any perspective), and the text occasionally reads like an endlessly extended list of logical las Adeney. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press; 19XX: 175 pp. Price: $59.95. (ISBN 0-313-29362-7.) points for and against any position. While such a style serves an obvious pedagogical function, there are times when the reader aches for resolution. The authors might rightly feel that The topics of censorship, access, and free-exchange are it is not their job to provide it, but resolution, at least partial, never far from the surface when people discuss the Internet could have been provided by pointing to the current position in and its implications for our society, but the discussions, while the literature. After all, ELIZA is an old example, and the use of welcome, often appear limited, more opinionated than informed, expert systems in medical situations has moved along somewhat and based on reaction to an imagined oppressive government from Weizenbaum's secretary telling her problems to ELIZA. clampdown, or fear of minors accessing uncensored sexual ma-
In their defense, the authors do manage to relate the AI discusterial. The recent Supreme Court decision on the proposed Comsion to the use of expert systems in libraries, in a manner that munications Decency Act reveals a hugely significant practical shows how linked are the concerns of philosophers with those and political agenda that demands analysis, so it is in this conof everyday professionals, and it is to their credit that even the text that the present volume finds itself published and consumed, most abstract ethical issue is always related back to everyday and one which the authors seem happy to embrace. concerns of information professionals. This is a slim volume, consisting of 11 short chapters, that
The treatment of issues, however, is not exhaustive, and for grounds itself at the outset in the philosophical analysis of ethia book titled as this one, it is not unreasonable for a reader cal behavior before jumping straight into the nuts and bolts of interested in human-computer interaction to expect treatment freedom of expression, censorship on the net, the processing of of the ethical concerns of system design, e.g., the role of ethics images (and particularly the issue of where to draw the line on in designing technology for others to use in their work. Even manipulating an image to alter its fidelity), and the thorny in user-centered design, effectiveness and efficiency of user concept of privacy. Chapters covering ethical issues in the realm performance with interfaces are frequently emphasized at the of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and human work round expense of user satisfaction, and the very meaning of human off the book. But while the chapter titles reflect the content in usability can be distorted to reflect task completion rate at the part, pornography is the issue that surfaces everywhere, from expense of other human factors. Ethics are important here in virtual rape in LambdaMOO to prostitution in VR, proving once determining how we define and evaluate usability, and in how again that when ethics are discussed in the context of computers, we conceptualize acceptability. If software designed to be maxiyou can be sure sex is never far from our minds.
mally efficient places a user under stress, then surely something The book is curious in that it seems to take no position on is wrong here, but where do we start to unwrangle the responsimany of these issues, manifesting instead a wonderfully balbilities of the various stakeholders in this scenario? The authors anced perspective that seeks to lay bare the ramifications and perhaps missed a great opportunity to explore a central issue, logical implications of taking one stance over another. This is but they may justifiably counter that they explore many others. made clear in the opening chapter, where the authors outline Certainly, there is wide coverage, and it is perhaps too wide, the range of ethical positions to be found in the philosophical in places, since the book ends up on the debate surrounding literature. Objectivism is contrasted with relativism as the priartificial life and robot rights that perhaps veers too far from mary division, before each in turn is dissected to reveal the many readers' major concerns in information ethics, trading schools of thought within each of these (objectivism being didepth for breadth in a manner that left this reviewer sometimes vided into naturalism, intuitionism, divine command, and ratiodissatisfied. nalism; relativism being dichotomized into subjectivism and However, this is a short introductory text, not a definitive cultural relativism). While such a textbook approach runs the work. While it is intended as a reader for a university level risk of wearing the reader out, this chapter is actually a joy to class (probably senior undergraduate or graduate level), it will read. The authors avoid the stock dismissal of any position, but serve this purpose best where it is supplemented with further for each one offer both the case for and the case against in a readings in an environment designed for discussions. Pointers to manner that is a model of balance, perhaps aided by the fact this literature are provided throughout (as are frequent biblical that the authors themselves, at times, sit on opposite sides of quotations), so the interested reader will find this a very useful any divide. launchpad to further explorations of ethics. The style is informa-This balanced outlook drives their analysis of every topic tive and practical, and the authors make clear their views on in the book. An issue is raised for discussion, to be followed what is important (e.g., ensuring freedom of speech) and what by a thoughtful consideration of the ethical dimensions that is not (e.g., is librarianship or computer science a profession?), are invoked. For example, on the issue of artificial intellisetting forth an agenda for inquiry and further study that avoids gence ( AI ) , the authors take the reader on a potted history pretentiousness and is frequently humorous. As such, this book of the philosophical arguments for and against considering serves its intended purpose admirably, and is a welcome addiintelligence a property capable of being abstracted and protion to the literature. grammed into a machine. For this, they invoke the old example of ELIZA, and discuss Weizenbaum's famous objection to computerized psychotherapists as dehumanizing. In so do-Andrew Dillon ing, they do not take any side in the debate, but more usefully School of Library and Information Science consider all possible sides, suggesting the seemingly endless Indiana University possible counterarguments that can exist to any published Bloomington, IN 47405 position. The reader is left to take their own stand here, and