Abstracts
Unknown Author

Any technologies, such as any scientific achievements, are ambivalent. The development of modern ICT has created the possibility of constant communication. How has our implacable interference in other people’s lives (through mobile communication) – and their interference in our lives - influence us? What are the social consequences of life “always on-line”? Is the Internet destroying our social structure? Technical progress is making society less individual. Superficial acquaintances are becoming more common amongst us. Yet we do have a choice. We can decide for ourselves whether we should be constantly “on line”. The ability to use this choice gives us real control over life in the world of the Internet and mobile telephones.

In this article an attempt has been made to analyze the main features of scientific and applied international and national research in different fields related to the (wide) range of issues of the “information society”, or the “knowledge society”, which has been conducted in the last 7-8 years (2003-2010). The reference point in this case was the World Summit on the Information Society held under the UN aegis, upon the results of which the strategic vision for processes of the information society development on a global scale was updated. The work highlights the current and prospective areas of research for this topic in Russia (including joint studies of Russian and international researchers) and justifies the necessity for their development and stimulation. A new area of research is also proposed – “Studies on the Social Consequences of ICT Dissemination”.

This article examines ethical aspects of the effect of digital ICT on society and the environment. Emphasis is placed on such issues as: freedom, information overload, Internet dependency, the digital divide, robotics and confidentiality of private life with regard to crosscultural communication. The main thesis is based on the fact that the study of ethical aspects can and should facilitate the resolution of problems and the discovery of reliable solutions for scientific and technological challenges in the digital age. The key challenge in information ethics is the desire to make us aware of the issues and alternative formation of private and public life. In this respect information ethics is the most important interdisciplinary and polycultural reflection of the transformation of humankind through computer technology.
The most important functions of advertising in the information society are economic and socio-cultural functions. Advertising as an element of mass communication has a powerful effect on the cultural and socio-psychological values of Russian citizens, their goal-orientation, behavioral models and world outlook. In the interests of society and the state it is necessary to support and promote socially responsible marketing / branding in such areas as: “Advertising for Society”; “Advertisers for the City”. In our opinion there are all grounds to consider modern advertising a resource that does not yield to pecuniary resources in terms of investment attractiveness. As an area of investment to realize the social and economic potential of advertising, we propose discussions on the project “City of Advertising”.

A normative legal base of expert activity is developing in Russia. A new impulse in this respect was given by intensive formation of the information society, concepts for development of civil legislation and regulatory documents on strategic planning. Expert procedures are migrating to the networked space; their quality and efficiency are increasing due to use of intellectual information technologies and situation rooms.
In this study the author investigates the relationship between the concepts of “the right to information” and “the right to conduct information activity” and also the difference of “information and consumer activity” from “professional information activity”. Analysis is carried out of the legal regulation of information activity and issues are examined such as the recording of information and the gathering and processing information from unmonitored (free) sources (information flows).

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&copy Информационное общество, 2010, вып. 5, с. 68-69.