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 COLUMN
Ethical awareness LAST WEEK I wrote about the differences I see between the CIO and CTO positions. Although I've received many e-mails related to that issue, another, more surprising topic has emerged as a theme: What are CTOs reading?
At InfoWorld's CTO Forum last month, I found myself at dinner seated beside Albert Erisman, director of Mathematics and Computing Technology at Boeing, a Boeing senior technical fellow, and the co-founder of the nonprofit IBTE which publishes Ethix. Ethix is both a newsletter and a Web site (www.ethix.org) with the goal of becoming "the leading center in the world for studying the interrelationships of business, technology, and ethics." After working in the technology industry for many years, Erisman decided that he wanted to focus on nonprofit work with less emphasis on the business of pure technological innovation and more on what it means for the global community. In the constant blur of networking innovations, new capabilities of software, and the rapidly diminishing distinctions between home and office, I find this unique journalistic focus pertinent, vital, and a real breath of critical fresh air. Too often those in the high-tech industry view their work as an unquestionable contribution to the greater good without regard to long-term effects on the way we all live. Yet the onward march of technology can result in unintended consequences -- look no further than Albert Einstein's purely "scientific" work in creating the atom bomb. Ethix takes a fascinating look at the gray areas between innovation and consequence, all while maintaining a positive and bullish outlook on technology. The tone of Ethix does not come across as didactic or preachy; rather, the discussions within the newsletter provide a needed moral subtext for the topics of the day, probing previously unexplored philosophical and subjective concerns. There are dozens of technology information outlets we can use to help choose the most reliable router, the most flexible backbone for a wireless network, the most powerful servers in price/performance, but what does it all mean in the larger societal context? Anyone who has followed the landmark Microsoft trial realizes that the whole thing is not as much about technology as it is about how our society believes a technology business should be conducted ethically and responsibly. In each issue of Ethix, among the book reviews, interviews with thinkers, and challenging editorials, a particular issue is set forth for discussion and readers offer their thoughtful opinions in the following issue. Some of the questions posed in recent issues include, What responsibilities, if any, should corporations have to their communities? How should these be balanced with accountability to their shareholders? What are the primary ethical issues and challenges we must face up to in the emerging biotechnology realm? What do you do to maintain balance and boundaries for yourself and your family in this fast-paced, always-connected economy? These are important questions that largely go unasked and unanswered in other technology media. As I have discussed previously, the CTO functions most strategically at the intersection of business and technology. As publications such as Ethix suggest, CTOs -- as the technology champions of their organizations -- should also recognize their roles in the promotion of solid ethical practices. Chad Dickerson is InfoWorld's CTO. Contact him at chad_dickerson@infoworld.com. MORE > SPONSORED WHITE PAPERS 
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