Editing 1390: Research Ethics
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
| Latest revision | Your text | ||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
Here, [[Megan]] is commenting on the fact that, while the media is calling this control over what content the user sees "{{w|unethical}}," Facebook, and other companies like {{w|Google}}, must, one way or another, control what content the user sees, whether to present users with a limited selection of all postings, or to tailor ads to particular users; even if the regular algorithms are not set up for psychological experiments, they are still "manipulating" what posts users see or don't see. As Megan points out, no one really knows what the "normal" constraints are of the algorithm which chooses which posts are shown on news feeds. This comic is parodying the strong reaction to what is basically already a common practice. | Here, [[Megan]] is commenting on the fact that, while the media is calling this control over what content the user sees "{{w|unethical}}," Facebook, and other companies like {{w|Google}}, must, one way or another, control what content the user sees, whether to present users with a limited selection of all postings, or to tailor ads to particular users; even if the regular algorithms are not set up for psychological experiments, they are still "manipulating" what posts users see or don't see. As Megan points out, no one really knows what the "normal" constraints are of the algorithm which chooses which posts are shown on news feeds. This comic is parodying the strong reaction to what is basically already a common practice. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, this comic does overlook the role that intent plays in ethics. Behavior that is intentionally aiming to tamper with a person's psyche is much more morally questionable than behavior that unintentionally produces the same result. For instance, in most legal situations, intentional killings are punished with more severe murder laws, whereas unintentional deaths are punished with less severe manslaughter laws. | ||
Accumulation, control and analysis of user-generated information can be a part of the {{w|terms of service}}/{{w|end-user license agreement}} of a Website or software. In such a scenario, the user has effectively signed his/her consent to being part of such research. Unfortunately, most users don't read the terms before clicking the "I agree" option, so it can come as a shock when the service uses the data in a way the user hadn't anticipated. | Accumulation, control and analysis of user-generated information can be a part of the {{w|terms of service}}/{{w|end-user license agreement}} of a Website or software. In such a scenario, the user has effectively signed his/her consent to being part of such research. Unfortunately, most users don't read the terms before clicking the "I agree" option, so it can come as a shock when the service uses the data in a way the user hadn't anticipated. | ||
