Issue 27
the Week of September 14, 2015
In this issue, we explore the intersection of ageism and sexism in information technology, and critique free labor as the foundation of technology and media. We look at the systemic effects of domestic violence on womens’ careers in tech, and how to better structure our technical events. Plus, a critique of technology colonialism, and a must-read interview on tech culture with Julie Ann Horvath. Photo CC-BY Adrian Paine, cropped and filtered.
Technology Colonialism
Technology companies today are increasingly colonial in their actions. This can be seen in the veneer of sovereignty they seek to cultivate, how they work across borders, their use of dominant culture as a weapon, and the clear belief that “superior” technology is a suitable excuse for lawlessness, exploitation and even violence.
Without Scars: Domestic Violence, Abuse and the Tech Pipeline
I look around and I see my friends building technologies that make life easier for abusers. I am overwhelmingly sad thinking of all the people whose lives have been made orders of magnitude more hellish carrying ever-connected computers on their bodies.
Software In Person
Why do you think you're spending hundreds of thousands of dollars holding hackathons, sprint weeks, and conferences? And how could you be using that time and money better?
Interview With Julie Ann Horvath
"It’s easy to feel like the tech culture is just normal and how the industry is or should be. And that’s the moment of maturity - going from 'oh, this is how it is' to feeling like no, this is wrong and this isn’t how it should be."
The Predatory Search And Exploitation of Free Labor
The industries we know and love are being built on our free labor, our hunt for “experience,” and our naivety about our worth.
