John Weckert

John Weckert is an Australian philosopher who has contributed to the field of information and computer ethics.

He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the journal Nanoethics: Ethics for Technologies that Converge at the Nanoscale, as well as the Australian Computer Society (ACS) representative on the Technical Committee on Computers and Society. He works closely with the ACS on various projects, including developing case studies to accompany the ACS Code of Ethics, with the case studies linking to clauses outlined in the CoE. He is also the manager of the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE) Program on Emerging Technologies: IT and Nanotechnology at Charles Sturt University. He is currently the Senior Professor of Information Technology in the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University.

Education and profession

Qualifications Ph.D. University of Melbourne, 1985, Philosophy. Diploma of Computer Science, La Trobe University, 1985. M.A. La Trobe University, 1977, Philosophy. B.A. (Hons)(First class) University of Adelaide, 1974, Philosophy.

Positions held Professor of Computer Ethics, School of Humanities and social Sciences, Charles Sturt University Professorial Fellow, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, an ARC funded Special Research Centre 2003–2006: Professor of Information Technology, School of Information Studies October – December 2006 – Erasmus Scholar NTNU, Trondheim, Norway and Linköping University, Sweden January – March 2004 – Visiting Professor of Philosophy, Dartmouth College, USA 2000–2002: Associate Professor of Information Technology July 1991 –December 1999: Senior Lecturer in Information Technology September 1986 – July 1991: Lecturer in Computing, Charles Sturt University 1985–86: Lecturer in Computing/Philosophy, Melbourne College of Advanced Education 1977–84: Lecturer in Philosophy, Melbourne College of Advanced Education 1976: Senior Tutor in Philosophy, University of Western Australia 1975: Tutor in Philosophy, Monash University

Contributions to information ethics Weckert has contributed many ideas to Information Ethics, specifically relative to the relationship between the philosophical and applied sides of Information and Computer Ethics.

Trust in an online environment Weckert has worked on the idea of trust within an online environment. He sums up his theories in his 2005 article, "Trust in Cyberspace". In the article, Weckert focuses on a few key issues regarding the concept of trust and if and when it may be possible in cyberspace.

Publications Articles

(reprinted in Robert K. Miller above).

Books

Weckert, John; Al-Saggaf, Yeslam (eds), Selected papers from the Computers and Philosophy (CAP) conference, The Australian National University, 13 October – 2 November 2003. CRPIT, vol 37: Australian Computer Society, Sydney.

(Proceedings of the Libraries and Expert Systems conference, Charles Sturt University – Riverina, July 1990).