Cyberethics: When we are all hactivists at heart by Dan Lohrmann

Last time, I explained the growing cyber trend of hacking for a cause.

In Part 2, I’d like to start with two questions for you.

First, how would you finish this sentence: the Internet is…  That is, how would you briefly describe the Internet, or cyberspace, or the World Wide Web?

Here are some of the popular answers I’ve heard when speaking to “non-technical” people of all ages and diverse backgrounds:

1. The Internet is the greatest invention since the printing press. Billions of users sending trillions times trillions of bits. It is now my new TV, my phone, and my must-have mobile device. Cloud computing lets me access information at anytime from anywhere on the earth with my smartphone. We’re heading for the Dick Tracy watch.

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2. The Internet is a wonderful tool. It is infrastructure like a digital superhighway, a great multi-purpose communication device, quick access to specific news and sports, and more. It enables all of my new technologies to work together; it’s like a glue that packages my weather and social networks sites like Facebook or Twitter.

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3. The Internet is fun—I can dream online. The Web offers global gaming and virtual worlds. I love Halo, World of Warcraft, Clash of Clans, and other games. My friends and I constantly find interesting and new things to do, and I’m never bored online. In virtual reality, I enter Second Life....