I have a basically humanist philosophy about my role as a computer scientist: computer systems should be developed to support the positive aspects of human society and used in the service of the human condition. I feel that as computer professionals, we are ethically bound to consider the impact of the systems we help develop, since it is beyond the ability of the layperson to do so. While there are others whose role intersects with ours in this regard (e.g. sociologists, philosophers, psychologists, etc.), we are in a unique position to tackle the social impact issues that arise from the use and abuse of computer technology, since we understand the fundamentals of the technology itself. In addition, it is possible that with careful study, we can anticipate many (if not most) of the potential ill effects of any system that we develop, before the system is put into use. By doing so we can perhaps minimize those ill effects to an acceptable level.
The following are papers I've presented in the area of computing and society:
Below are numerous links to other sites that have also exhibited a similar concern about the impacts of computer technology. The sites range from professional organizations to conferences to clearinghouses. If you know of another site that could potentially be added to this list, please contact me.
