Chapter 36: The meaning of anonymity in an information age By Helen Nissenbaun
April 14, 2009
Chapter 36: The meaning of anonymity in an information age
By Helen Nissenbaun
Book: Cyberethics
Library Reference: Not Applicable
Quote:
The value of anonymity lies not in the capacity to be unnamed, but in the possibility of acting or participating while remaining out of reach.
This only means that even though a person is anonymous, still he is capable to reach the internet. That is the advantage of having anonymous because the treatment is the same with other people who give their real name.
Learning Expectation:
I really want to know if the issue about anonymity is ethical or not ethical. I also want to know if it would be a good thing or not. In addition to that, I want to learn many things from this chapter in order for me to be ethical.
Review:
This chapter first asked “should anonymity be protected in information age?” If I would answer that question, I would say that anonymity should remaien in the internet. I think the person who is anonymous is already matured enough of what he is doing. He has the right reason why he chose to be anonymous. Also, I think with the information technology, it is better for us to used its advantage such as being anonymous.
Anonymity refers to being nameless. He does not give his real name. The advantage of being anonymous is that you could see what your friends are doing without them knowing that you are monitoring them. With information technology, it helps us to be anonymous and go to different websites that has malicious content.
But this chapter says that being anonymous in information age can be ethical and can be unethical. For example, a person who wants to buy perfume in the web, I don’t think that it would be ethical for him if he would remain to be anonymous especially if he is purchasing an item in the internet. I think he is not in the right mind to be anonymous.
The question of the author is that if the information technology can make the people not protected by anonymity. I don’t think that with internet, they can make the people share who they are. I think if a certain group of people would enforced us not to be anonymous, I think many people would not already used internet. Internet is very different among the rest, since it gives us a way to be anonymous.
What I’ve learned:
I learned basically the meaning of anonymity. In different cases, it is in the advantage of people to be anonymous. Being anonymous makes it have more freedom so I think it is not good to stop the people from being anonymous. But being anonymous has its cons. I think we should be given choices to pick if we want to be anonymous or not.
Integrative questions:
1) What is the meaning of anonymity?
2) What are the disadvantages of anonymity?
3) What are the conflicts of being anonymous?
4) Is anonymity ethical or unethical?
5) What are the advantages of anonymity?
