Abstract
The Arts and Sciences have always been considered distinct, but have played differing roles with respect to significant ethical, humanitarian and political issues of the day. Computers were first introduced within a culture of data processing, which gave rise to a number of social issues. As computers developed, the concept of ‘information’ became more important, yet it is very difficult to say what is meant by that term. Despite this, the concept of ‘information’ has been instrumental in promoting free-market economics. However, the introduction of mixed media computing raises some serious questions about the adequacy of the concept of ‘information’ and suggests that the current mainstream ideology of computing is under some pressure. People who worked in computing in the early decades frequently held libertarian views that were often described as counter-cultural. Many of these views were absorbed within the dominant culture of free-market liberalisation, but different counter-cultures have emerged (e.g., hackers and political activists). Some digital artists and designers can also be considered counter-cultural and it is from this direction that we might see an emerging positive ethical response to contemporary issues.
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Beardon, C. (2006). Information Cultures and Counter-Cultures. In: Zielinski, C., Duquenoy, P., Kimppa, K. (eds) The Information Society: Emerging Landscapes. IFIP International Federation for Information Processing, vol 195. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-31168-8_1
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