The tech industry has long held the belief that technology is apolitical. People are flawed, but the machines? They are neutral. They are pure.
This is ridiculous, of course. People make the machines. We write the algorithms that can’t recognize dark skin tones. We decide to downplay or ignore harassment on our platforms. There are a plethora of examples in books like Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neill, Technically Wrong by Sara Wachter-Boettcher, and The Internet of Garbage by Sarah Jeong. Technology is political because people are political.
What excites me is that finally, our industry is starting to admit that yes, our work is political. Our work has repercussions. And we can use our talents for good — not just to line the pockets of our capitalist technocrat overlords. And maybe, just maybe, we have a civic duty to engage with politics.
After the 2016 election, several volunteer organizations popped up with the goal of connecting technologists with progressive candidates, whose tech acumen lags seriously behind that of Republicans. I spend a lot of my spare time volunteering for two such organizations, Tech for Campaigns and Ragtag. We get to support candidates and non-profits trying to introduce gun safety legislation, protect women’s healthcare, act to mitigate climate change, and further many more progressive issues.
These are both huge organizations. TFC boasts over 10,000 volunteers. I’ve personally collaborated with easily a hundred other technologists on political or non-profit websites, and digital advertising for candidates across the country. There are so many volunteers that I get ridiculously excited when I see someone I recognize working on a project. Tech feels like a super small industry sometimes, so getting to meet so many new folks I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to know? That’s gold.
Working with fellow tech folks on these projects gives me so much hope for the future. Everyone I’ve worked with, regardless of background, job, or experience, has been enthusiastic, kind, and dedicated to making a positive difference. It’s such a different vibe from the “I was just doing my job” discourse I see so often on Twitter.
Getting to work with candidates and their staffers is like a whole new world into how grassroots politics works. I’ve learned a lot just by my small measure of involvement. It’s humbling to see how much technology doesn’t matter sometimes, especially with local campaigns where knocking on doors and talking to people face-to-face can make the biggest difference. Not our usual “tech is the most powerful industry” narrative, eh?
To me, new technology is always fun and interesting. But seeing so many people volunteer to support progressive causes? That lights a fire in my gut. That makes me want to keep trudging forward, step by step. Together, we can make a difference.
So, we should be political so we can further “progressive” causes. Or should we be political to further “conservative” causes? Won’t that alienate people of the opposite cause? I think that it why people try to be apolitical when it comes to business. To stop the hate and the alienation of others. Because, at the end of the day, we are all just people. So, yes, keep politics out of business. Which is becoming harder and harder every day because politics forces businesses into politics and mercantilists forces business into politics. Can’t we just be left alone? Isn’t there a third way of just letting people be? Live and let live unless you are truly hurting someone? That is what love truly is. When you can disagree and still get along. Politics is not love because it encourages people to not love each other any more and creates a win-lose relationship instead of a win-win relationship.
Well… yes. Exactly. Hence advancing causes that act to mitigate climate change, protect women’s healthcare, introduce gun safety legislation, etc. These causes are all literally addressing things that truly hurt everyone.
While it might even be commendable, trying to make a difference in a world, no matter the direction (left, right, forward, backward, whatever) on a personal level, it is highly unethical and plainly wrong trying to force your views on your colleagues and the community as a whole. As soon as you start engaging in politics you simply HAVE to choose a side, and if you choose a side and expect others to do the same… well, it’s only natural that you would then be pushing for them to choose your political agenda as well. And that is absolutely NOT OK.
You might think that some causes are universal and should be supported by anyone and everyone, but here’s the thing – there is no one universally supported political issue. Each one is bound to bring polarising opinions and this will lead to conflicts.
And then, bam – you just created uncomfortable space and workplace for at least some of your coworkers; and for what? For politics…
And one more thing, about that – you might think that it’s ok to force those not with you (politically) to go away. But keep in mind that there will – inevitably – be places, where your worldview will be unwelcome, and it will be you going away.
I won’t “embrace the political”, and I encourage all reading this to follow my steps here. It’s much healthier not to engage in politics at work, period.
“And then, bam – you just created uncomfortable space and workplace for at least some of your coworkers; and for what? For politics…”
If some of my coworkers support a political candidate who wants me dead, then they’ve already created an uncomfortable workplace for me. They did that. It sucks that I’ll be blamed for it if I say it out loud, but it sucks more that there are people in office who actively would like me to die.
@Grayjing
That’s ridiculous. Is that your argument? If you seriously believe your conservative colleagues want you dead then you suffer from a mental illness called paranoïa and I am not joking.
For the most part, other people don’t want you dead. In fact, they don’t care enough about you to want you dead. Most of them come to work for money, sure they might like their job, they might go the extra mile to support their team or their company but for the most part, they would rather spend their time working on their own side project, hanging out with their family, watching their kids get older.
I think you spend too much time on the internet, you have a very biased view of conservative people.
It might not suit your political ideology, I can understand that. But I definitely encourage you to unplug the cord and meet with conservatives people. You will see. For sure there are areas where you will disagree, a lot. You will quickly realize that 90% of the time you agree about the problems and you sometimes differ with the solutions.
If you seriously believe these people want you dead, then they would be right to just discard your opinions and ignore your presence. You are the one who is dangerous for society.
This is a strange post as it works against itself.
The Web/Internet is and always was an open and free technology that anyone could use to create communities, share information, build businesses, and much more. That’s why in “the early days” we talked about how it would transform democracy, get rid of racism, generally spread freedom. It was often framed as an “anti-corporate-power” machine. It was the greatest invention since Guttenberg’s press, the first time “free-speech” could truly be free. Open source was designed to liberate software from the “evil clutches” of, well, Microsoft. Society would become a meritocracy. We’d all be working from home. Money will be obsolete. Entrepreneurship will reward hard work in the first truly free market. Wired hit the newstands.
It was always a political effort.
This article instead performs this one weird trick where it obliterates the truth of history (those who develop OS software, web applications, have always been free to choose what they work on, not the opposite) then offers a solution to this non-existent problem and you won’t believe what this recursive pomo-redux thing did next!
Don’t work at places whose values you can’t get behind. I’m surprised someone has to point this out.
After reading this article I realized how lucky I am, not to work in a company heavy on politics.
Thankfully I am French, but if I was living in the US with a colleague constantly trying to sell me on so called “progressive ideas” while pushing for “women healthcare” in a country without any universal healthcare. I would just laugh him/her out.
As a man, how could I listen and respect someone who wants to increase my taxes while discriminating half the population, me included while daring to call this “equality”
This is lovely, thank you. Not only recognizing the political aspects of our work (which is essential and often ignored) – but intentionally building on that. Inspiring! ❤