> "rules are rules and must be followed to the letter" When I see this kind of blind obedience to authority I get absolutely terrified. I've lived through the

> "rules are rules and must be followed to the letter" When I see this kind of blind obedience to authority I get absolutely terrified. I've lived through the Soviet Union (aside: which is why it's extra hilarious when HN posters who disagree with me think i'm a communist because I have "commie" in my username), I've spoken to people who lived through the after-effects of Nazi Germany. And our industry is at the forefront of so much of soceital development. Computer Scientists already have to make endless conscientious decisions about privacy, robotics, facial recognition, and how our tech is used or not used to perpetuate repression and discrimination. And it's only going to get worse with the rise of AI. So to see so many technologists just shrug and say "The rule said no GitHub" makes me terrified for how they critically evaluate (or don't) the requirements put in front of them for what they implement, and what it means for our dystopian future. It's also infuriating that "critical thinking" and "healthy distrust of authority" have become appropriated by the alt-right to spread COVID vaccine conspiracy theories, and at this point I even hesitate to say things like advocating for "challenging authority" because the concept has bene politicized to mean "challenge thinking for the benefit of your community and society instead of your own individual wants", or even more simply "challenge the left/progressives".