The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics

Book Review Chapter 14:

Responsibilities for Information on the Internet: ANTON VEDDER

Library Reference: N/A

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232853902&sr=8-1

Quote:  “the search for instruments for maintaining or improving reliability has just started”

    This means that there can no one specific be responsible and accountable yet if anything goes wrong. It is best if we contribute in the development of the Internet since we are all responsible as of the moment.

Learning Expectation:

    I want to learn how much of a responsibility it is in the Internet world. There are many good things that we hear about the Internet, but have you actually realized that there is little discussed on accidents happening in the Internet. That’s because there really is not much of accidents. So basically, I would like to learn how responsibility plays.

Review:

    If something goes wrong sometime and somewhere, obviously the one to blame is the person who was responsible and is accountable for what went wrong. This is the same with the Internet. Although there are only little things that goes wrong or accidents happening in the Internet, there is always the person or persons responsible and accountable for. It is also interesting to note in this chapter as they discuss how responsibility is an equivalent of accountability. Responsibility can be distinguished as retrospective sense and prospective sense. Retrospective meaning the possibility of rightfully ascribing or attributing actions or consequences of actions to agents and prospective refers to duties and obligations that can be imposed upon agents. To add to that, the two cannot be dealt with separately.

At the end of the chapter, we arrive with a conclusion that since the Internet maintenance and improving reliability has just started, the safest way to answer the question on who’s responsible would be all people involved. And I think that includes us.

What I’ve learned:

    I have learned that we are all responsible for the moment.  The Internet maintenance and development has just started and so it is also the users responsibility to help improve the maintenance of the Internet. Although, it is not an obligation or a requirement to so, it will surely help make the Internet perfect in a way that there is nothing wrong.

Questions:

1.    What if no one takes responsibility?

2.    Can the Internet actually get worse?

3.    Are we really all included in the parties involved?

4.    Will there be a law for the Internet?

5.    How can we improve the Internet?

Citation: (Kenneth Einar E. Himma & Herman T. Tavani, 2008)