Ethics, Morality and the Internet

<cite>"Information" is at best a superficial generic term for a broad range of categories whose forms can be described in terms of genres but whose nature can ultimately only be understood within a larger system of structural relationships and ideologies. The stuff that flows through a given institutional circuitry, then, is not information. The artifacts and media that convey this stuff through the circuitry will change as the institutions change or as technological innovations supply new options for strategic communication.</cite> (Agre)

The "Information Superhighway", or internet, is a powerful medium for today's information driven society. From it's humble beginnings as a series of networks established to help the military and government share resources, it has become a place for people to engage in commerce and also for people to interact socially in both business and personal faculties. Along with the excellent opportunities for meaningful communication in this new atmosphere, <cite>the Internet has evolved as an open, democratic cybersociety marked by free speech and volunteerism. It is a community gathering place for people to share ideas, concerns, stories and opinions, and to give help and assistance to one another.</cite> (Mills-Scofield) There has also arisen a series of problems. Whenever any major development in society is conceived, such as when telephones were introduced, problems ensue. The Internet, because of it's modern nature is not really well dealt with when it comes to existing ethical and moral issues. Being that the Internet has fostered a new class of community that requires a unique category of moral values and ethical considerations. Things are always going to be dealt with differently when it comes to any revolutionary type of medium. For instance how can interstate trade be regulated by the federal government when it is electronically transmitted information? It is a whole new category, How could the constitution have predicted? Although there are many differences, <cite>The Internet mirrors today's society to a large degree, with its blend of good and bad. Many of the issues facing the U.S. and the world, such as those related to race or gender, for example, are also issues on the Internet. And various subcultures, such as militias, GenX and philosophical movements, are represented.</cite> (Mills- Scofield) They go on further to say, <cite>Like all societies, the Internet has its unwritten rules--its"netiquette.