Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage

This anthology of essays, contributed and compiled by experts in a variety of fields, addresses both perspectives in the debate regarding the proliferation of computers in our lives. Topics ranges from privacy copyright and computer crime issues to the global impact of computers, online communities and virtual reality. For anyone interested in a broad-based interdisciplinary view of the ethical issues facing society in light of the computer's proliferation in our personal and professional lives.

This new anthology in the burgeoning field of computer and information technology ethics offers a broad-based approach. The text is accessible enough for first-year students, while the selections are rich enough for use in specialized upper-division courses.

The readings address subjects including the global impact of computers, on-line communities, and virtual reality. Selections analyze topics ranging from privacy, copyright and professionalism to computer crime.

The texts included in this book are by women and men of many nations and diverse perspectives. The writers include ethicists, lawyers and engineers, as well as sociologists, anthropologists, social scientists, and literary figures.

• a multi-national flavor, appropriate to the global nature of computer technologies.
• student-centered introductions to each section and article.
• article-based introductions to the philosophy of technology in general, with particular attention to computer ethics.
• samples of practical guidelines and codes of conduct from different types of private, professional, and government institutions.
• a large selection of further resources listed both in section bibliographies and in the appendices.