Overview

Dr. Cynthia K. West examines the intersection of information technologies, power, people, and bodies. Informed by more than ten years as a digerati in Silicon Valley and a political theorist, she offers a unique perspective on the direction in which information technologies are leading North American and global societies and cultures. Not only are information technologies bringing positive changes, technologies are embedded in what Michel Foucault calls power networks. Information technologies inherit influences from prior historical, cultural, and social events. West's research examines how information technologies are on a path of creating efficiency, productivity, profitability, surveillance, and control. Human-machine interface technologies are merging more and more with physical bodies. Surveillance technologies are supervising human activities in an increasingly panoptic fashion. Biometric technologies record data from the body's parts—hands, retinas, irises, and even body odor. But as West points out, we need to ask ourselves just how digital do we want to become? West calls for an ethics dialogue not only among digerati within the industry but also a dialogue which allows for public participation. Where do we want to lead the technology? Instead of continuing to embrace the goals of the technocratic paradigm, how can we use the technologies toward more humanistic goals? West concludes by offering six levels of active participation for positive change. This book will be of particular interest to scholars and students of contemporary science and technology as well as participants in information technology.

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9781567204094

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Reviews

West provides a wideranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. Many issues in the book relate directly to OPEIU members and anyone else who works with a computer....Dr. West documents the deadening value of control, efficiency and profit that permeate technology design. Her revelations about technologies such as wearable computers, implants and biometrics are followed by questions about ethics....A Silicon Valley insider, Dr. West examines the emerging class of digerati and how information technologies are on a path to create efficiency, productivity, productivity, surveillance and control. -OPEIU Office and Professional Employees International Union [r]ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject. -Reference & User Services Quarterly This is a very valuable book for librarians and all others who want to better understand the broad impact of information technology on our society. -College & Research News West's book is well written and brings to light important ethical questions concerning the onward march of information technology....Techno-Human Mesh makes a number of compelling points and presents information on new technological developments that is not widely known outside of the high-tech community. It could serve a very useful purpose as a stimulant to more widespread discussion and critical review of new technologies. -Technical Services Quarterly �r�ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject. -Reference & User Services Quarterly ?[r]ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject.?-Reference & User Services Quarterly ?This is a very valuable book for librarians and all others who want to better understand the broad impact of information technology on our society.?-College & Research News ?West's book is well written and brings to light important ethical questions concerning the onward march of information technology....Techno-Human Mesh makes a number of compelling points and presents information on new technological developments that is not widely known outside of the high-tech community. It could serve a very useful purpose as a stimulant to more widespread discussion and critical review of new technologies.?-Technical Services Quarterly ?West provides a wideranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. Many issues in the book relate directly to OPEIU members and anyone else who works with a computer....Dr. West documents the deadening value of control, efficiency and profit that permeate technology design. Her revelations about technologies such as wearable computers, implants and biometrics are followed by questions about ethics....A Silicon Valley insider, Dr. West examines the emerging class of digerati and how information technologies are on a path to create efficiency, productivity, productivity, surveillance and control.?-OPEIU Office and Professional Employees International Union Cynthia West's new book is remarkable for its wide-ranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. West identifies changes in class structure, the human body, the workplace, and law enforcement and argues that we need greater public discussion about whether such trends are desirable. The book will provide stimulating reading for those who want to better understand the broader impacts of this ubiquitous technology. -Hans Klein Chair Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Cynthia West's Techno-Human Mesh explores the relation of the body to information machines. Her writing is lucid and her accomplishment is considerable. She bridges the gap between academia and the general public as well as the gap between academia and high tech workers. The book is a reliable guide both to what is happening in society as a consequence of the introduction of new technologies and to the latest and most important perspectives of cultural theory on these phenomena. Highly recommended. -Mark Poster Film Studies Program and History Department UC Irvine Techno-Human Mesh provides a riveting critique of the information technology industry and its leading participants, the digerati. As a Silicon Valley insider, West examines surveillance technologies, biometrics, body-worn computers, and other technologies that encourage the increased integration of the human body with digital devices. This work is a much-needed call for ethical dialogue among the industry leaders, research and development institutions, and the communities that these technologies will inevitably affect. -Richard Sclove Founder and Research Director The Loka Institute and Author of Democracy and Technology Cynthia West has provided an insider's view of the digital future. Her understanding of the emergent class of digerati is informed by her own involvement in the new economy. Her insights into the nature of the culture and lifestyle of the technical elite are carried forward through a comprehensive assessment of computer technology. The infusion of computer technology into our lives, the blurring of distinctions between work and recreation, and our rapid movement toward the eventual implantation of networked devices in our bodies is described clearly and with a sober recognition of what this means for our lives. -Oscar H. Gandy, Jr. Herbert I. Schiller Information and Society Professor Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania As a card-carrying member of the technological elite, Cynthia West has provided an ethical wake-up call to the information technology industry. Techno-Human Mesh is a significant examination of the impact of information technologies on life, culture and physical well-being. Drawing upon feminist theory of the body as political site, West explores the devaluation of the physical through the merging of humans with machines and provides a disturbing account of the manner in which human computer interface technologies such as virtual reality, wireless networks, wearable computers, biometrics and surveillance devices transform our physical experience. This is an important and prophetic book - required reading for both consumers and creators of information technologies. -Abby A. Goodrum Assistant Professor College of Information Science & Technology Drexel University West has written an essential book to move us forward in understanding the implications of the technology revolution. Based on years as a Silicon Valley insider as well as her own scholarly research, West offers a nuanced, crisply written account of the values of the digerati' of North America. She documents the deadening values of control, efficiency and profit the permeate technology design. Each eye-opening revelation about technologies such as wearable computers, implants, and biometrics, is followed by gentle yet probing questioning about whether we are going with these technologies. West is light years ahead of the Luddites; her sophistication and thoughtfulness invite discussion from all quarters. Techno-Human Mesh is a major contribution to the broader ethical discussions about technology West espouses. -Bonnie A. Nardi AT&T-Labs California Coauthor of Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart

West provides a wideranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. Many issues in the book relate directly to OPEIU members and anyone else who works with a computer....Dr. West documents the deadening value of control, efficiency and profit that permeate technology design. Her revelations about technologies such as wearable computers, implants and biometrics are followed by questions about ethics....A Silicon Valley insider, Dr. West examines the emerging class of digerati and how information technologies are on a path to create efficiency, productivity, productivity, surveillance and control. -OPEIU Office and Professional Employees International Union [r]ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject. -Reference & User Services Quarterly This is a very valuable book for librarians and all others who want to better understand the broad impact of information technology on our society. -College & Research News West's book is well written and brings to light important ethical questions concerning the onward march of information technology....Techno-Human Mesh makes a number of compelling points and presents information on new technological developments that is not widely known outside of the high-tech community. It could serve a very useful purpose as a stimulant to more widespread discussion and critical review of new technologies. -Technical Services Quarterly Yrecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject. -Reference & User Services Quarterly ?[r]ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject.?-Reference & User Services Quarterly ?This is a very valuable book for librarians and all others who want to better understand the broad impact of information technology on our society.?-College & Research News ?West's book is well written and brings to light important ethical questions concerning the onward march of information technology....Techno-Human Mesh makes a number of compelling points and presents information on new technological developments that is not widely known outside of the high-tech community. It could serve a very useful purpose as a stimulant to more widespread discussion and critical review of new technologies.?-Technical Services Quarterly ?West provides a wideranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. Many issues in the book relate directly to OPEIU members and anyone else who works with a computer....Dr. West documents the deadening value of control, efficiency and profit that permeate technology design. Her revelations about technologies such as wearable computers, implants and biometrics are followed by questions about ethics....A Silicon Valley insider, Dr. West examines the emerging class of digerati and how information technologies are on a path to create efficiency, productivity, productivity, surveillance and control.?-OPEIU Office and Professional Employees International Union Cynthia West's new book is remarkable for its wide-ranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. West identifies changes in class structure, the human body, the workplace, and law enforcement and argues that we need greater public discussion about whether such trends are desirable. The book will provide stimulating reading for those who want to better understand the broader impacts of this ubiquitous technology. -Hans Klein Chair Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Cynthia West's Techno-Human Mesh explores the relation of the body to information machines. Her writing is lucid and her accomplishment is considerable. She bridges the gap between academia and the general public as well as the gap between academia and high tech workers. The book is a reliable guide both to what is happening in society as a consequence of the introduction of new technologies and to the latest and most important perspectives of cultural theory on these phenomena. Highly recommended. -Mark Poster Film Studies Program and History Department UC Irvine Techno-Human Mesh provides a riveting critique of the information technology industry and its leading participants, the digerati. As a Silicon Valley insider, West examines surveillance technologies, biometrics, body-worn computers, and other technologies that encourage the increased integration of the human body with digital devices. This work is a much-needed call for ethical dialogue among the industry leaders, research and development institutions, and the communities that these technologies will inevitably affect. -Richard Sclove Founder and Research Director The Loka Institute and Author of Democracy and Technology Cynthia West has provided an insider's view of the digital future. Her understanding of the emergent class of digerati is informed by her own involvement in the new economy. Her insights into the nature of the culture and lifestyle of the technical elite are carried forward through a comprehensive assessment of computer technology. The infusion of computer technology into our lives, the blurring of distinctions between work and recreation, and our rapid movement toward the eventual implantation of networked devices in our bodies is described clearly and with a sober recognition of what this means for our lives. -Oscar H. Gandy, Jr. Herbert I. Schiller Information and Society Professor Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania As a card-carrying member of the technological elite, Cynthia West has provided an ethical wake-up call to the information technology industry. Techno-Human Mesh is a significant examination of the impact of information technologies on life, culture and physical well-being. Drawing upon feminist theory of the body as political site, West explores the devaluation of the physical through the merging of humans with machines and provides a disturbing account of the manner in which human computer interface technologies such as virtual reality, wireless networks, wearable computers, biometrics and surveillance devices transform our physical experience. This is an important and prophetic book - required reading for both consumers and creators of information technologies. -Abby A. Goodrum Assistant Professor College of Information Science & Technology Drexel University West has written an essential book to move us forward in understanding the implications of the technology revolution. Based on years as a Silicon Valley insider as well as her own scholarly research, West offers a nuanced, crisply written account of the values of the digerati' of North America. She documents the deadening values of control, efficiency and profit the permeate technology design. Each eye-opening revelation about technologies such as wearable computers, implants, and biometrics, is followed by gentle yet probing questioning about whether we are going with these technologies. West is light years ahead of the Luddites; her sophistication and thoughtfulness invite discussion from all quarters. Techno-Human Mesh is a major contribution to the broader ethical discussions about technology West espouses. -Bonnie A. Nardi AT&T-Labs California Coauthor of Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart

West has written an essential book to move us forward in understanding the implications of the technology revolution. Based on years as a Silicon Valley insider as well as her own scholarly research, West offers a nuanced, crisply written account of the values of the digerati' of North America. She documents the deadening values of control, efficiency and profit the permeate technology design. Each eye-opening revelation about technologies such as wearable computers, implants, and biometrics, is followed by gentle yet probing questioning about whether we are going with these technologies. West is light years ahead of the Luddites; her sophistication and thoughtfulness invite discussion from all quarters. Techno-Human Mesh is a major contribution to the broader ethical discussions about technology West espouses. -Bonnie A. Nardi AT&T-Labs California Coauthor of Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart

"""As a card-carrying member of the technological elite, Cynthia West has provided an ethical wake-up call to the information technology industry. Techno-Human Mesh is a significant examination of the impact of information technologies on life, culture and physical well-being. Drawing upon feminist theory of the body as political site, West explores the devaluation of the physical through the merging of humans with machines and provides a disturbing account of the manner in which human computer interface technologies such as virtual reality, wireless networks, wearable computers, biometrics and surveillance devices transform our physical experience. This is an important and prophetic book - required reading for both consumers and creators of information technologies.""-Abby A. Goodrum Assistant Professor College of Information Science & Technology Drexel University ""Cynthia West has provided an insider's view of the digital future. Her understanding of the emergent class of digerati is informed by her own involvement in the new economy. Her insights into the nature of the culture and lifestyle of the technical elite are carried forward through a comprehensive assessment of computer technology. The infusion of computer technology into our lives, the blurring of distinctions between work and recreation, and our rapid movement toward the eventual implantation of networked devices in our bodies is described clearly and with a sober recognition of what this means for our lives.""-Oscar H. Gandy, Jr. Herbert I. Schiller Information and Society Professor Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania ""Cynthia West's new book is remarkable for its wide-ranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. West identifies changes in class structure, the human body, the workplace, and law enforcement and argues that we need greater public discussion about whether such trends are desirable. The book will provide stimulating reading for those who want to better understand the broader impacts of this ubiquitous technology.""-Hans Klein Chair Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility ""Cynthia West's Techno-Human Mesh explores the relation of the body to information machines. Her writing is lucid and her accomplishment is considerable. She bridges the gap between academia and the general public as well as the gap between academia and high tech workers. The book is a reliable guide both to what is happening in society as a consequence of the introduction of new technologies and to the latest and most important perspectives of cultural theory on these phenomena. Highly recommended.""-Mark Poster Film Studies Program and History Department UC Irvine ""Techno-Human Mesh provides a riveting critique of the information technology industry and its leading participants, the digerati. As a Silicon Valley insider, West examines surveillance technologies, biometrics, body-worn computers, and other technologies that encourage the increased integration of the human body with digital devices. This work is a much-needed call for ethical dialogue among the industry leaders, research and development institutions, and the communities that these technologies will inevitably affect.""-Richard Sclove Founder and Research Director The Loka Institute and Author of Democracy and Technology ""West has written an essential book to move us forward in understanding the implications of the technology revolution. Based on years as a Silicon Valley insider as well as her own scholarly research, West offers a nuanced, crisply written account of the values of the digerati' of North America. She documents the deadening values of control, efficiency and profit the permeate technology design. Each eye-opening revelation about technologies such as wearable computers, implants, and biometrics, is followed by gentle yet probing questioning about whether we are going with these technologies. West is light years ahead of the Luddites; her sophistication and thoughtfulness invite discussion from all quarters. Techno-Human Mesh is a major contribution to the broader ethical discussions about technology West espouses.""-Bonnie A. Nardi AT&T-Labs California Coauthor of Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart ?[r]ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject.?-Reference & User Services Quarterly ?This is a very valuable book for librarians and all others who want to better understand the broad impact of information technology on our society.?-College & Research News ?West provides a wideranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. Many issues in the book relate directly to OPEIU members and anyone else who works with a computer....Dr. West documents the deadening value of control, efficiency and profit that permeate technology design. Her revelations about technologies such as wearable computers, implants and biometrics are followed by questions about ethics....A Silicon Valley insider, Dr. West examines the emerging class of""digerati"" and how information technologies are on a path to create efficiency, productivity, productivity, surveillance and control.?-OPEIU Office and Professional Employees International Union ?West's book is well written and brings to light important ethical questions concerning the onward march of information technology....Techno-Human Mesh makes a number of compelling points and presents information on new technological developments that is not widely known outside of the high-tech community. It could serve a very useful purpose as a stimulant to more widespread discussion and critical review of new technologies.?-Technical Services Quarterly ""Ýr¨ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject.""-Reference & User Services Quarterly ""[r]ecommended, , , to serious researchers seeking absolutely everything available on the subject.""-Reference & User Services Quarterly ""This is a very valuable book for librarians and all others who want to better understand the broad impact of information technology on our society.""-College & Research News ""West's book is well written and brings to light important ethical questions concerning the onward march of information technology....Techno-Human Mesh makes a number of compelling points and presents information on new technological developments that is not widely known outside of the high-tech community. It could serve a very useful purpose as a stimulant to more widespread discussion and critical review of new technologies.""-Technical Services Quarterly ""West provides a wideranging analysis of the social impact of information technology. Many issues in the book relate directly to OPEIU members and anyone else who works with a computer....Dr. West documents the deadening value of control, efficiency and profit that permeate technology design. Her revelations about technologies such as wearable computers, implants and biometrics are followed by questions about ethics....A Silicon Valley insider, Dr. West examines the emerging class of""digerati"" and how information technologies are on a path to create efficiency, productivity, productivity, surveillance and control.""-OPEIU Office and Professional Employees International Union"

Author Information

CYNTHIA K. WEST is an independent consultant with more than ten years of experience working in the information technology industry, specializing in Internet start-up companies./e Dr. West served as a vice president of sales and marketing at Silicon Valley start-ups, and she is a lifetime member of the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility.

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