Evaluating Information Technologies Against the Criteria of Autonomous Control and the Enhancement of Self Esteem as Integral Features of Collaborative Content Creation
Return to Politics and Culture
Lecture given at the University of East London for Ethical, Professional and Cultural Issues of ICTs - IC 327
Date: 23/03/2004
Venue: University of East London, London, UK
Preface
When we analyse technologies against a general criterion of fitness for purpose we tend to make assumptions about autonomy and collaboration; one drives a car autonomously but rows a boat collaboratively. Likewise, we are deeply conscious of safety issues such as the sharpness of edges on toys, the security of medicine bottles and the contents of food. Interactive information technology systems establish implicit requirements on manufacturers which differ from those for traditional information vehicles such as books or television programmes - autonomous customisation, over-ruling default settings, publishing intelligently - but these are not explicitly recognised by manufacturers. The result is that digital information technologies which are supposed to increase autonomy and promote self esteem do the opposite. This is particularly important for people with narrow skills bases who must collaborate to produce but whose collaboration is inhibited by a lack of self esteem. Interactive Information systems technology production requires a code of ethics which takes account of the possible negative effect of products on users.
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