My point is that the willful ignorance of the political left to tech movements based on shared values, like the free software movement, has left us all poorer and in more danger than otherwise. Tbf the liberal centre also is hostile/doesn’t give a shit.
It’s not willful ignorance when people have no way to figure it out. Transportation safety, like planes and cars and say, pharma and food safety are comparable. No one person can know how all planes, trains, cars, drugs, food, and tech work—we need experts to help protect us.
Sure but I’m not talking about tech skill. I’m talking about making space for new people and ideas in the movement. If the left made space and engaged those of us who saw a different path for software, the Internet, and social media we might have got some policy momentum out of it.
I see people joining new political movements all the time, and we always make space for them…even when whatever it is is confusing. But again, we expect a normal path of products, tested and regulated, instead we get, Run fast and break it. Sigh
For example, so many voices in tech warned that proprietary closed social media was going to be a disaster. Who listened? Not policy makers on the left that is for sure.
I don’t want it to be true but it is at least in my experience. I’ve done tons of work for little gain trying to get elected officials and candidates who say they’re progressive to care about these issues or see how they are vital to finding a just path forward in the 21st century.
It’s because there is no concept of 3rd party assessment or regulation for Tech in Govt, unlike the FDA or CDC NIH TSA or CPSC. Those agencies gather info and research and help politicians understand all the impacts. (Along with the OEB etc) Without those 3rd parties, they don’t know
Buns me out to think about where we could be today if there was interest from politicos in advocating for consumer rights to their own data and citizen rights to government data, algo transparency from social media firms, or open and accessible software that is free for everyone who wants to use it.
There are a lot of us…not enough of us, but we exist. We get a lot done outside the US…then again, we don’t have to compete with billionaire donors in other countries.
That is literally the giant gap. Lots of pro-tech but pro-cautious folks exist, and could give solid legal and financial advice to companies and politicians and the public. Without that? They don’t know if you are a competitor or a promoter or a Luddite. Or just trying to be a nice helpful guy
Yeah that’s rough. If only there was a way for people to evaluate claims and reason about ideas together.
And the people I know DO care very much but the tech industry CEOs seem extremely hostile to anyone subjecting them to the exact same laws, taxes, accounting and safety regs that everything and everyone else has been subjected too. Seriously, your CEOs are predators
Those CEOs have the wealth and power they do because the whole of society stood by and let them grab it all. There were many voices pointing out the dangers. They were ignored.