Email and Ethics: Style and Ethical Relations in Computer-Mediated Communications

InE-mail and Ethics, Emma Rooksby explores the ways in which interpersonal relations are affected by being conducted via computer-mediated communication. For over a decade, computer-mediated communication has been available as institutional and personal communication technology, and it has been becoming more widely available ever since its inception. It is often considered to be an efficient, productive and cost-effective form of communication, and it is claimed to bring many social and personal benefits in fields ranging from political action and formation of friendships, to therapeutic discussion and education access. The advent of this channel of communication has prompted a renewed investigation into the nature and value of forms of human association. Rooksby addresses these concerns in her rigorous investigation of the benefits, limitations and implications of computer-mediated communication. With its depth of research and clarity of style, this book will be of essentialinterest to philosophers, scholars of communication, cultural and media studies, and those interested in the importance and implications of computer-mediated communication.

Emma Rooksby is Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australia.