Ethics And The Internet

The focus of ethics and the Internet (E&I) research is directed on peoples’ actions rather than mere technology itself. At great human and economic cost, resources drawn from governments, industry and the academic communities have been assembled into a collection of interconnected networks called the Internet. Begun as a vehicle for experimental network research in the mid-1970’s, the Internet has become an important national infrastructure supporting an increasingly widespread, multi-disciplinary community of researchers ranging from computer scientists and electrical engineers to mathematicians, medical researchers, astronomers and space scientists.

As is true of other common infrastructures (e.g., roads, water reservoirs and delivery systems, and the power generation and distribution network), there is widespread dependence on the Internet by its users for the support of day-to-day activities. The reliable operation of the Internet, and the responsible use of its resources, is of common interest and concern for its users, operators and sponsors. Network infrastructures underscore the need to reiterate the professional responsibility every Internet...