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PaulConway

SI410EthicsandInformationTechnology

ReadingandDiscussionGuide3AvatarsandIdentity

Thisreadinganddiscussionguidecoversthethreeweeksofthecoursedevotedtothenatureofavatarsandtherelationshipofvirtualselvestopersonalidentity.Theguideliststherequiredreadings,suggeststhinkstolookforwhilereadingthem,andposessomequestionsthatcouldberaisedduringthelecturesession.Theguidealsodescribesbrieflythepurposeoflab/discussionsection.

Week8:AvatarsandIdentity

• TuesdayOctober26 Topic: Whatisanavatar? RequiredReadings:

• Spence,E.,“MetaEthicsfortheMetaverse:TheEthicsofVirtualWorlds,”inCurrentIssuesinComputingandPhilosophy,editedbyA.Briggle,K.WaelbersandP.A.E.Brey.Amsterdam:IOS(2008).

• Boberg,M.etal.,“DesigningAvatars,”Proceedingsof3rdInternationalConferenceonDigitalInteractiveMediainEntertainmentandArts,(2008).

Whattolookfor:Spenceisapieceofphilosophythatmakesanargumentforthemoralrightsofavatars.Theargumentsinthispapershouldbefamiliarfromyourreadinginthefirstthreeweeksofthecourse.Bobergisanutsandboltstreatmentofavatardesign.Discussionquestions:1.Whatisanavatar–technicallyandphilosophically?2.Whatarethemoralrightsofavatarsandhowdotheserightsplayoutinpractice?

• WednesdayOctober27Lab/DiscussionThelabsessionfocusesontheavatarcreationassignment,especiallythebackgroundinformationneededtothinkabouthowtocreatetheavatarsfortheassignmentandwhatisinvolvedwithreflectinginwritingonavatarconstruction.

• ThursdayOctober28 Topic: IdentityinCyberspaceRequiredReadings:

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PaulConway

• Cocking,D.(2008).“PluralSelvesandRelationalIdentity:IntimacyandPrivacyOnline,”inInformationTechnologyandMoralPhilosophy,editedbyJeroenVanDenHovenandJohnWeckert.CambridgeUniversityPress,pp.123‐41.

Whattoreadfor:Cockingdiscussestheimplicationsofthefactthatonlinecommunicationaffordsusalotofcontroloverhowwepresentourselves.Buttherearealsolimitationsoncontrol,partlypersonalandpartlysocial.Discussionquestions:1.Whatisafriendincyberspace?2.WhatdoesCockingmeanby“uncooperativeaspectsofself?”Week9:ProjectingSelfinVirtualEnvironments

• TuesdayNovember2 Topic: Avatars:ContinuumorProsthesis? RequiredReadings:

• Matthews,S.(2008).“IdentityandInformationTechnology,”inInformationTechnologyandMoralPhilosophy,editedbyJeroenVanDenHovenandJohnWeckert.CambridgeUniversityPress,pp.142‐60.

Whattolookfor:Inthisreadingandotherreadingsinthismodule,alargequestionarisesabouttheextenttowhichavatarsareextensionsorprojectionsoftheselfinwhichcontrolresidesinfrontofthescreen,versustheextenttowhichavatarsare“other.”Inthelattermode,theenvironmentcreatestheethicalnorms.ReadMatthewsforhowhetacklesthisissue.Comparewithotherarticlesyouhavealreadyread.Discussionquestions:1.Inwhatwayisanavatarlikeafalselimb?2.Areyouadifferentpersonwhentherearefewconsequencesforyouractions?

• WednesdayNovember3Lab/DiscussionThelabsessionisatutorialonusingtheEvolvertoolstocreateavatars.Thelabwillalsoprovideanopportunitytocreateandmodifyanavatar.

• ThursdayNovember4 Topic: AvatarsandAnonymityRequiredReadings:

• Wallace,K.A.,“OnlineAnonymity,”inHimmaandTavani(2008),pp.165‐190.• Brennan,GandPettit,P.(2008).“Esteem,Identifiability,andtheInternet,”inInformationTechnology

andMoralPhilosophy,editedbyJeroenVanDenHovenandJohnWeckert.CambridgeUniversityPress,pp.175‐94.

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PaulConway

Whattoreadfor:Anonymitycreatespotentialandrisk.Howdotheseauthorssortoutthedifference?Discussionquestions:1.Howareyouridentityandyourselfesteemrelated?2.Aretheconditionsforself‐esteemdifferentintheonlineenvironment?3.Areyouthreatenedorempoweredbyanonymityonline?

Week10:PrivacyandVirtualEnvironments

• TuesdayNovember9 Topic: PrivacyReconsidered RequiredReadings:

• Shoemaker,D.,“Self‐exposureandexposureoftheself:informationprivacyandthepresentationofidentify,”EthicsandInformationTechnology12(2010):3‐15.

Whattolookfor:Shoemakerhasareallyinterestingtakeonidentityandprivacyinonlineenvironments.ComparehisargumenttothatmadebyBrennanandPettitinthepreviousweek’sreading.Discussionquestions:1.Whatistherelationshipofself‐esteemtotherightofprivacy?

• WednesdayNovember10Lab/DiscussionThisweek’slabinvolveslearninghowtousethegamingenginetoolstomodifythevirtualenvironmentusedforthegamescenarioassignment.

• ThursdayNovember11 Topic: SynthesisofIdentityandVirtualityDiscussionquestions:Thisclasssessionisanopportunityforsynthesisandreview,coupledwithalookaheadtotheapplicationofavatarcreationinavirtualenvironment.