4 ms·

How can programmers help end police racism?

6 points by tbwriting 6y ago

gregjor 6y ago
We can't even end language wars. It's not a tech problem. Programmers can start, like every other human being, with empathy and examining their own assumptions, biases, and bigotry. Since there's no global community of programmers, and it's a skill or a job rather than an identity, I think you're asking a meaningless question.
- tbwriting 6y ago
  I like where you were going, but sorry - it’s really not a meaningless question at all. Programming is a skill, and produces tools - tools that help people communicate, inform, solve problems, and more. (Also, no global community of programmers? Maybe not a single overarching one, but there definitely is one.)
  - gregjor 6y ago
    I’ve been programming for 40+ years, I’m not aware of any global community. How do I join? A bunch of people doing the same kind of work is not a “community” to me. Is there a community of car owners? People who wear socks? I suppose programmers can take some credit for putting cameras in cell phones, but the people using those to document and prosecute racism are not the programmers. I’m sure we’ll see a flurry of apps to track police abuse or something, but I don’t think those will make any difference, because the problem isn’t “not enough software.”
kgraves 6y ago
Stop working for Palantir (and other surveillance capitalists like Google and the like), but particularly Palantir, they work with police departments the US [0] [1]. Use your software skills to help activists instead and do not work for the enemy. [0] https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/leaked-palantir-gotham.html https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/leaked-palantir-gotham.htm... [1] https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kx4z8/revealed-this-is-palantirs-top-secret-user-manual-for-cops https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kx4z8/revealed-this-is-p...
giantg2 6y ago
The only way I see it stopping by programming is by implementing technology to document police misconduct (racism isn't the only issue). This would also need law and policy changes to provide appropriate disincentives for misconduct.
DevX101 6y ago
Your coding skills can't end it. Educate yourselves on how to be anti-racist. Educate your friends, families and colleagues on how to be anti-racist. Elect district attorneys, judges, and local officials who are anti-racist. Stop being apathetic. Silence in the face of oppression of your fellow countrymen is implicit consent.

6 points by tbwriting 6y ago

We can't even end language wars. It's not a tech problem. Programmers can start, like every other human being, with empathy and examining their own assumptions, biases, and bigotry. Since there's no global community of programmers, and it's a skill or a job rather than an identity, I think you're asking a meaningless question.

tbwriting 6y ago
I like where you were going, but sorry - it’s really not a meaningless question at all. Programming is a skill, and produces tools - tools that help people communicate, inform, solve problems, and more. (Also, no global community of programmers? Maybe not a single overarching one, but there definitely is one.)
- gregjor 6y ago
  I’ve been programming for 40+ years, I’m not aware of any global community. How do I join? A bunch of people doing the same kind of work is not a “community” to me. Is there a community of car owners? People who wear socks? I suppose programmers can take some credit for putting cameras in cell phones, but the people using those to document and prosecute racism are not the programmers. I’m sure we’ll see a flurry of apps to track police abuse or something, but I don’t think those will make any difference, because the problem isn’t “not enough software.”

kgraves 6y ago

Stop working for Palantir (and other surveillance capitalists like Google and the like), but particularly Palantir, they work with police departments the US [0] [1]. Use your software skills to help activists instead and do not work for the enemy. [0] https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/leaked-palantir-gotham.html https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/leaked-palantir-gotham.htm... [1] https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kx4z8/revealed-this-is-palantirs-top-secret-user-manual-for-cops https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kx4z8/revealed-this-is-p...

giantg2 6y ago

The only way I see it stopping by programming is by implementing technology to document police misconduct (racism isn't the only issue). This would also need law and policy changes to provide appropriate disincentives for misconduct.

DevX101 6y ago

Your coding skills can't end it. Educate yourselves on how to be anti-racist. Educate your friends, families and colleagues on how to be anti-racist. Elect district attorneys, judges, and local officials who are anti-racist. Stop being apathetic. Silence in the face of oppression of your fellow countrymen is implicit consent.