Issue 25

the Week of August 10, 2015
Image of a bright red supernova.

New work on crowdfunding and black economic justice, being gay in maker spaces, and power dynamics in open source. We look at mental health in tech activism, the inequalities created by iOS-first development, and the demands faced by marginalized people in tech. We explore how the devaluation of non-developers negatively impacts tech companies, and an alternative to the existing founder mythology. Plus, the #GiveYourMoneyToWomen movement. Photo CC-BY NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, cropped and filtered.

Bright metal cogs in a machine.

How the Glorification of Software Developers Compromises Tech Companies

Instead of prioritizing coding work, we should instead look at our teams and companies as a complex and intricate organism, requiring every part of it to cooperate in order to work.

A black woman and girl high-fiving over a large tablet in a classroom environment.

The Accidental Classism and Unintentional Racism Of iOS Development for Children

There is a gulf between children that are able to access the tools that will help them prepare for the future, and those that simply cannot.

A person with long, curly hair on a stage all alone, facing a bright light.

Mental Health and Diversity Work

Recognize that, while extremely beneficial, diversity-in-tech work exacts an emotional and mental toll on the well-being of the people who do it.

Pennies and other coins in a mason jar.

Push Me Until I Break: The Effects of Unrealistic Expectations on Marginalized Workers in Tech

One must consider if this pressure is put on creators specifically to see them fail.

A lightbulb, slowly burning out in the dark, a hand reaching out to touch it.

The Hidden Power Dynamics of Open Source

Despite our mythologies of open source as a flat, accessible, democratic model for software development, the way we lead our open source groups consistently proves otherwise.

A beautiful chandelier with a shapely black center and rich, gold curves waterfalling from it.

Making Queer

Making as a gay man is a political statement that I will not be relegated to the periphery of society, seen as inconsequential, or be without the power to shape my own world and the worlds of others.

Photo of the Millions March march for justice for victims of police violence in NYC. Protestors hold signs that together form Eric Garner's eyes, staring out from the crowd and streets.

Getting Our Forty Acres: Crowdfunding, Reparations, and Black Economic Justice

In a society where equitable access to jobs, housing, and financial services is still threatened by racist discrimination, crowdfunding is a tool that has helped marginalized communities deal with the impact of economic violence.

Still from Rihanna's Bitch Better Have My Money music video. Rihanna lies in an opulent trunk full of cash, covered in blood, smoking a blunt on a lush yard.

Give Your Money To Women: The End Game of Capitalism

#GiveYourMoneyToWomen is more than a hashtag, it’s a theory and practical framework of gender justice.

This issue is made possible in part by some of our generous readers: André Arko, Aditya Mukerjee, Tilde Ann Thurium, vex0rian, Alex Navasardyan and Bernard Yu.Â