2015 Year in Review

the Week of December 14, 2015
Flowers growing from a cactus plant.

In this issue, we review the major events, themes and trends from 2015 in technology and culture. We critique the current state of tech feminism, cultural complacency towards racism in the field, and the evolution of codes of conduct as a tool in tech communities. We discuss how whiteness and colonialism function in online harassment, and how diversity initiatives failed in 2015. Plus, how privilege plays out in cybersecurity and online privacy; and a look at the major issues facing the tech industry in the year ahead. Public Domain Photo, Joshua Tree National Park.

Model View Culture logo.

Top 25 Model View Culture Posts of 2015

A quick tour of our top articles, features and interviews from the year!

Person pictured behind sheets, pressing their hand against the fabric.

In Who Do We Trust? How Privilege Plays Out in Security and Privacy Online

Protecting yourself online takes time, money and privilege.

A door with a handle reading "Push."

The New Normal: Codes of Conduct in 2015 and Beyond

Although we can rightly celebrate the progress that we have made thus far, we must also recognize just how far we still have to go in making this phase in our cultural evolution a success.

Person taking close-up picture of themselves in a mirror.

Racist Tech and The End of Culture Complacency

Even though consequences are necessary to address the racism in technology, we have built a culture that refuses accountability.

Chess board with a white Queen in focus.

The State of Online Harassment: Decentering Whiteness and Colonization

The most marginalized groups deserve as much access, resources and social capital in aid against harassment as white victims.

by Izzy I.
A cherry pie made out of Legos.

The Pie is Rotten: Re-Evaluating Tech Feminism in 2016

If we reach our numerical goals only to look in the mirror and see all the corruption that already existed, we will have failed.

A cracked egg.

Your Half-Assed Diversity Initiatives Aren’t Going to Cut It In 2016

Companies have made it crystal clear that they don’t actually care about the diversity they’re supposed to be working on.

by Riley H