Date: Thu, 08 Oct 90 12:02:51 CDT
From: Gordon Meyer (CuD Co-moderator)
Subject: Summary of COMPUTER ETHICS (book)
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*** CuD #2.07: File 7 of 8: Summary of "Computer Ethics" (book) ***
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Here's a recently published book that will be of interest to CuD readers.
This summary has been taken, verbatim, from the flaps of the dust jacket.
_Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing_
Forester, Tom and Perry Morrison
1990. The MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
ISBN 0-262-06131-7 (hardcover)
Price paid: $19.95 193 pages, with index
_Computer Ethics_ exposes the dangers of letting society rely too heavily
on computers.. Written by two insiders, it provides balanced and
authoritative coverage of such topics as software unreliability, computer
crime, software theft, hacking, viruses, unmanageable complexity, invasions
of privacy, "artificial intelligence," and degraded work.
The authors describe these problem areas with fascinating, often dramatic
examples of computer abuse and misuse, augmented by extensive notes and
references, role-playing exercises, and hypothetical situations. There
are suggestions for further discussion at the end of each chapter.
Forester and Morrison argue that it is the nature of computer systems to
be unreliable, insecure, and unpredictable, and that society must face
the consequences. _Computer Ethics_ is an outgrowth of the authors' work
with computer science student, focusing on the ethical dilemmas these
students will confront as professionals.
About the authors:
Tom Forester teaches in the School of Computing and Information Technology
at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, and is author or editor
of six books on technology and society. Perry Morrison is Lecturer in
Computing at the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia.
Table of Contents:
Preface and Acknowledgements
1 Introduction: Our Computerized Society
Some problems created for Society by Computers - Ethical Dilemmas
for computer professionals and users
2 Computer Crime
The rise of the high-tech heist - Is reported crime the tip of an
iceberg? - Targets of the computer criminal - Who are the computer
Criminals? - Improving computer security - Suggestions for further
discussion
3 Software Theft
The growth of software piracy - Revenge of the nerds? - Intellectual
property rights and the law - Software piracy and industry progress
- Busting the pirates - Suggestions for further discussion
4 Hacking and Viruses
What is hacking? - Why do hackers 'hack'? - Hackers: criminals or
modern-day robin hoods? - Some 'great' hacks - Worms, trojan horses
and time bombs - The virus invasion - Ethical issues - Suggestions
for further discussion
5 Unreliable Computers
Most information systems are failures - Some great software disasters
- Warranties and disclaimers - Why are complex systems so
unreliable? - What are computer scientists doing about it? -
Suggestions for further discussion
6 The Invasion of Privacy
Database disasters - Privacy legislation - Big brother is watching
you - The surveillance society - Just when you thought no one was
listening - Computers and elections - Suggestions for further
discussion
7 AI and Expert Systems
What is AI? - What is intelligence? - Expert systems - Legal problems
- Newer developments - Ethical issues: is AI a proper goal? -
Conclusion: the limits of hype - Suggestions for further discussion
8 Computerizing the workplace
Computers and employment - Computers and the quality of worklife:
'De-skilling' - Productivity and People: stress, monitoring, de-
personalization, fatigue and boredom - Health and safety issues:
VDT's and the RSI debate - Suggestions for further discussion
Appendix Autonomous Systems: the case of 'Star Wars'
Index
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CuD would welcome a review and/or summary of this book. If any CuD-ites
are interested, please send one in!
Terra Primum!
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