There is a point to be made about the ethics of the introduction, development and research surrounding new technology in existing communities. I'm not quite sure this article captures it, though it does illustrate a commonly held perspective. It makes two major points that lead to the ethical conundrum. First, it argues that all communities, whether online or offline, have their own norms that define the society. Second, it suggests that researchers may act oblivious to, or in contravention of, these norms. "There is the very real risk that educators and their institutions, and their funders will assume that they know best." And the aregument is that "outsiders probably cannot hope to operate sustainably and credibly unless they act in ways that are aligned and acceptable to these communities." Why don't I think this captures it? Well, first of all, the argument shifts the grounds of ethics, usually based around doing good or not doing harm, to a definition based on sustainability and credibility. And second, it presumes that ethical intervention means aligning with the existing set of norms in a society.
Today: 6 Total: 1105 [Direct link] [Share]
