While I agree with almost every aspect of this article, I have a very hard time accepting opinions from people who use the term "Robber Baron". The author actually links to the wikipedia page, which has a fairly good section on the issues with the phrase: "Some of the actions of these men, which could only happen in a period of economic laissez faire, resulted in poor conditions for workers, but in the end, may also have enabled our present day standard of living"
At any rate, it exposes a unnecessary political view of the world which I cannot get behind. In no way is facebook trying to push personal Blogs, or Google trying to encourage HTTPS, the act of modern "Robber Barons". It's hyperbole based on historical revisionism at best, and at worst, reveals a hatred of capitalism in general.
"An ethical technologist would refuse to do this work". Or, perhaps, they'll make (bad?) business decisions, (potentially?) cripple their product, and in the end, lose out to someone who made more culturally fitting products & decisions - you know, -capitalism-.
Just like the economic talk of people who use those labels, the technical bits of this come down to "I don't like what people are doing with their products, and I don't like that consumers don't share my preferences", which has the lasting substance of exactly what it is, a unhelpful and petulant complaint. This is the type of thinking that leads one to litigious thoughts - if only _someone_ would _force_ these companies to comply with my perspective!
At any rate, it exposes a unnecessary political view of the world which I cannot get behind. In no way is facebook trying to push personal Blogs, or Google trying to encourage HTTPS, the act of modern "Robber Barons". It's hyperbole based on historical revisionism at best, and at worst, reveals a hatred of capitalism in general.
"An ethical technologist would refuse to do this work". Or, perhaps, they'll make (bad?) business decisions, (potentially?) cripple their product, and in the end, lose out to someone who made more culturally fitting products & decisions - you know, -capitalism-.
Just like the economic talk of people who use those labels, the technical bits of this come down to "I don't like what people are doing with their products, and I don't like that consumers don't share my preferences", which has the lasting substance of exactly what it is, a unhelpful and petulant complaint. This is the type of thinking that leads one to litigious thoughts - if only _someone_ would _force_ these companies to comply with my perspective!