For many of us, working with computers/tech was like discovering joyful magic: we could make a machine sing, dance, play, do tricks.
But that’s also a solipsistic view that must be grown out of. We can’t escape the networked nature of the world we now work and create in.
Our idle creations, our fascinated tinkerings, our curious explorations, have an impact on real people and real lives beyond the users table
If we aren’t up to honestly and openly grappling with the ethics of the things we build, we shouldn’t be building them.
I say “we” even though Facebook is the current 800lb gorilla, because so many of us, every day, are working on things w/the same potential.
Taking the current king of the hill to task is critical; internalizing the industry values to prevent the next instance is critical, too.
It’s one of the reasons I value the Content Strategy community so much; the emphasis on empathy means asking, “How will this affect others?”
Thinking through the impact of what we create and do, then making the “right” calls based on those predictions, instead of blindly building.
I have good friends who work for FB; they are not a monolith. But like any large system, it amplifies the impact of creators’ choices.
I’m writing, now, about a project I started and regretfully killed because I didn’t know how to mitigate its potential for harm.
Someone else may have the ability to navigate those waters and do it responsibly; I see others launching products in that space now.
All I know is I wasn’t able to, and it would’ve been irresponsible for me.