Produsing ethics [for the digital near future]

This chapter is grounded in the notion that "doing the right thing" is an outcome of rhetorically powerful tangles of human and non-human elements, embedded in deep- often invisible-structures of software, politics, and habits. Every action we take as individuals-whether designers, programmers, marketers, researchers, policy makers or consumers-reinforces, resists, and reconfigures existing ethical boundaries for what is acceptable and just; in other words, 'produses' ethics. I explore four recent public examples to illustrate the power of discourse to shape how we think and respond to everyday technologies. I then make a case for taking proactive stances toward creating better digital futures rather than just letting the future happen to us. As we grow more technologically mediated and digitally saturated, it is particularly important to take ownership of the tough questions, which will allow us to develop our ethical (moral) capacities (sensibilities) to address rising issues of humanity and justice that challenge current legal and regulatory frameworks.