Invisibility and the Ethics of Digitalization: Designing so as not to Hurt Others

Abstract

The diversity of knowledge is crucial for finding credible and sustainable alternatives for living together. Yet, a preoccupation with content and connectivity obscures the role of information technology by making invisible different ways of knowing and other logics and experiences. How do we deal with diversity and difference in information technology? In this chapter, two cases are explored in which dealing with difference is a particular political and ethical concern. The designs of Indymedia, an Internet-based alternative media network, and TAMI, an Aboriginal database, are informed by the confrontations over different ways of knowing. They translate difference without sacrificing diversity, providing clues for building credible and sustainable design alternatives that will not hurt others.