Cybernauts Awake!

Actually entitled Cybernauts Awake!: Ethical and Spiritual Implications of Computers, Information Technology and the Internet, the book was written by the Church of England's Board for Social Responsibility. If you're interested in the social ramifications of information technology, click below to learn more. Cybernauts Awake!: Ethical and Spiritual Implications of Comput author Church of England Board for Social Responsibility pages 94 publisher Church House Publishing, 1999 rating 9/10 reviewer Ben Ostrowsky ISBN 0-7151-6586-0 summary Anglican geeks consider the relationships among technology, culture and spirituality "But that trick never works!"

It's easy to write an encyclical about morality and cyberspace -- just read Usenet and you'll see what I mean. The hard part is writing about spiritual and ethical questions so as to invite a broad readership to think about it for themselves. The people of the Church of England's Board for Social Responsibility are not the first to consider these questions. In fact, their thoughtful discussion of the issues has almost certainly benefited from observing where other such efforts have gone wrong. While some references are made to a generic Christian perspective, for example, the authors avoid preaching. Rather than condemning piracy, for example, they simply note that "the fact that the copy does not appear to cost the original owner anything, nor to deprive the owner of anything, shifts many people's moral balance."

"This time for sure!"

Perhaps more than in other treatments, geeks and our responsibilities are addressed specifically. Coders are asked to 'love your user as yourself', to consider good design a moral issue, and to reflect on the general implications of the work being done. Similar encouragement is given to IT directors: listen to the geeks and try to understand them! General suggestions for users are also offered: "remember systems are dust", as one heading puts it. Some may be dustier than others, of course, but I found it a refreshing way of saying 'garbage in, garbage out'.

When not framing the broader picture, Cybernauts Awake! also touches on specific issues of interest to Slashdot readers. Shrinkwrap licenses, for example, prompt a discussion of the balance of power between the manufacturer and the consumer. Although many inexpert users are likely to blame themselves for the effects of bugs, the authors note, the market generally rewards new features but not added stability. Similar attention is given to the human-computer boundary (with an explanation of the Turing test), communities (defined by geography or common interests), globalization and cryptography.

"Whoops -- don't know my own strength!"

I appreciate that the authors have kept the perspective broad enough that very few toes are stepped on. Having said that, I must note a subtle but cheap shot. "There is a huge free-speech culture" online, the authors write, "and in the US provided you are not an anti-abortionist, it seems that you can post anything you like." The site they allude to certainly bears mentioning, but without knowing the details (people's names were put on a list and were then crossed off after they had been killed by opponents of abortion), many readers may simply conclude that US laws do not permit speech on one side of the issue. Fortunately, this is a rare exception to a well-balanced discussion.

Recommended Audience

Cybernauts Awake! will be enjoyed by most readers interested in the subject of cyberethics (e-thics?), and can serve as a thoughtful tour of technological issues for readers with more knowledge of Christianity than of the Internet.

Availability

Unfortunately, the major booksellers have yet to add this title to their catalogs. I had to order directly from Church House Publishing (the official Anglican publishing house). Happily, my copy arrived in Florida within a few days of my order; the £8.67 total was translated without a hitch by my bank as a $14.14 charge.

Table of Contents

1. Dream Machines
   So what's new?
   Good dreams, bad dreams
   Choosing our dreams
   What this book is for
2. What Is Cyberspace?
   Digital communications
   Virtual worlds
   On being digital
   Beyond physical limits
   Cyberspace: what lies ahead?
3. Into Cyberspace
   What is true?
   What are real relationships?
   Who has the power?
   What is a person?
   Concluding remarks
4. Space Probing
   Introduction
   The Christian story
   Christian response
   The continuing story
   Concluding remarks
5. Relationships in Cyberspace
   Friendship
   Neighbourliness
   Community
   Church fellowship
   Physicality as reality
   Summary
6. Living with Cyberspace
   Business and people in cyberspace
   Property
   Justice and accountability
   Exclusion
   Privacy
   Secrets and lies
   Implants: bringing cyberspace inside
   Deciding what we want
7. Cybernauts Awake!
   Implications for information technologists
   Implications for directors
   Implications for users
   Implications for parents and guardians
   Implications for Christians
8. Appendix: Annotated Bibliography