2 ms·
By working with a product team to develop worst-case scenarios for non-technical abuse of a tool, like trolling, harassment, manipulation via misinformation, bl
by beatpanda 8y ago
By working with a product team to develop worst-case scenarios for non-technical abuse of a tool, like trolling, harassment, manipulation via misinformation, blackmail, and so on. Especially as it concerns a tool developed by people mostly embedded in one culture and releasing it to an audience embedded in another. Soliciting feedback from people who study society and social problems, to understand how a tool might be used by people who are not like the people who are building it, might have helped to avoid a lot of problems.
- pm90 8y agoI'm not sure why this is being downvoted. I know sociology was meant to be a placeholder for any one of seemingly worthless degrees, but the commenter has made a convincing case for how sociological analysis could have helped silicon valley social media firms (at the very least) recognize the kind of impact they have on society and be more responsive those impacts.
- masonic 8y agoIn my experience, Sociology majors are no less prone to "trolling, harassment, manipulation via misinformation, blackmail, and so on" than the general population. More so, in fact.
- olcor 8y ago+1. Sociology is an extremely important area to learn, not just in tech. How people work, play and live within different types of social constructs (and how these constructs are built and maintained in the first place) is valuable info to anyone who wants to get things done properly.