Ethics on the line

Abstract

This article explores the ethical dimensions of computer‐mediated communication held in chatrooms. The philosophical underpinnings refer to the work of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas, specifically to concepts relating to the ethics of Other‐oriented communication. The main argument is that this medium presents serious difficulty for Other‐oriented communication due to the potential for control over online interaction. This control is manifested in three ways: the ability to control online presence of Self and Other, the ability to manage exposure and vulnerability and thereby suspend surprise, and the means by which text‐based communication provides a sense of a separate‐space‐shared‐time. Based on this analysis, two tactics are suggested by which one might be able to resist control and allow for a more Other‐oriented interaction.