Programming for cognitive justice Towards an ethical framework for democratic code Maja van der Velden Nonnegata 6b, 0656 Oslo, Norway Available online 23 November 2004 Abstract This paper contrasts two approaches to knowledge sharing for socio-economic development to examine how assumptions about knowledge are reflected in computer-based information systems. The paper argues that socio-technical systems for global knowledge sharing posses a bias resulting from choices about technology and from assumptions about knowledge, and that this bias may adversely affect the diversity of knowledge. To overcome this bias, the concept of cognitive justice is proposed and, on this basis, a framework suggested to guide the design of information systems based on a principle of the equal validity of all knowledges. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Cognitive justice; Diversity; Knowledge sharing; Ethical framework; Portal; Peer-to-peer 1. Introduction The message of the spinning-wheel is much wider than its circumference. Its message is one of simplicity, service of mankind, living so as not to hurt others, creating an indissoluble bond between the rich and the poor, capital and labour, the prince and the peasant. That larger message is naturally for all. (M.K. Gandhi in Young India, 17.9.1925) M.K. Gandhi took up spinning to protest the fact that Indians had to buy expensive British-made textiles, produced with cheap Indian-grown cotton on industrial looms in the UK. Gandhi’s spinning wheel became a symbol of liberation and development. 0953-5438/$ - see front matter q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.intcom.2004.10.004 Interacting with Computers 17 (2005) 105–120 www.elsevier.com/locate/intcom E-mail address: maja@xs4all.nl.