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Data Ethics for Regular Developers - rubyconf 2018

Colin
November 13, 2018

Data Ethics for Regular Developers - rubyconf 2018

Colin

November 13, 2018
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  1. DATA ETHICS FOR REGULAR
    DEVELOPERS:
    WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT DATA
    ETHICS BY PRETENDING TO NOT KNOW
    WHAT PRINGLES ARE ONLINE
    COLIN FLEMING
    @RIDETHECATBUS

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  2. CONTENT WARNING

    ● DISCUSSION OF DEATH
    ● DISCUSSION OF ABORTION
    CARE

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  3. IMAGINE AN INVENTION THAT
    MAKES TELEPORTATION
    POSSIBLE

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  4. BUT THERE IS
    A COST

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  5. SURPRISE!
    THE INVENTION IS
    CARS

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  6. DOUBLE SURPRISE!
    PEOPLE’S DATA IS
    FUEL

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  7. HMM WHAT’S IN THE NEWS TODAY
    OH DEAR:

    ● EXPERIAN BREACH?
    ● FACEBOOK/GOOGLE BREACH OF
    THE MONTH??
    ● PALANTIR ROBOCOP
    ALGORITHMS???

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  8. REGULAR DEVELOPERS
    STARE DOWN THESE
    ETHICAL QUESTIONS ALL
    THE TIME

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  9. OUR ROADMAP FOR THIS TALK:

    ● CRASH COURSE IN ETHICAL
    REASONING
    ● IDENTIFYING OUR VALUES
    ● A FEW CASE STUDIES

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  10. ETHICS IS OUR
    RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT IN
    A WAY INFORMED BY
    SHARED AND PERSONAL
    VALUES
    (MORE OR LESS)

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  12. PROGRAMMER CODES OF
    ETHICS (LIKE THE
    ASSOCIATION FOR
    COMPUTING MACHINERY’S)
    ARE A THING!

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  13. ACM ETHICS SUMMARY:
    ● EVERYONE IS A STAKEHOLDER IN
    COMPUTING
    ● AVOID HARM AND PROTECT
    PRIVACY
    ● AVOID YOLO-DRIVEN
    DEVELOPMENT

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  14. THE DC ABORTION FUND’S VALUES
    (ROUGHLY):

    ● EMPOWER CLIENTS TO CARRY OUT
    THEIR CHOICES
    ● ASKING SLIGHTLY INTRUSIVE
    QUESTIONS IS OKAY IF IT COULD
    IMPROVE HOW WE WORK

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  15. OUR VALUES AS AN ENGINEERING
    TEAM:
    ● COLLECTING DATA IS RISKY SO
    DO IT CAREFULLY
    ● AVOID DOING MAD SCIENCE

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  16. THREE CASE STUDIES:

    ● ASKING FOR DATA IN THE FIRST
    PLACE
    ● TRACKING IMMIGRATION STATUS
    ● PREDICTIVE MODELING

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  17. ETHICAL QUESTIONS TO ASK:

    ● IS THIS IN LINE WITH OUR VALUES?
    ● DOES THIS PUT PEOPLE IN HARM’S
    WAY?
    ● WOULD THIS SURPRISE SOMEONE?
    ● WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BLOW IT?

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  18. FIRST:
    THE POWER DYNAMICS
    OF ASKING FOR DATA IN
    THE FIRST PLACE

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  19. FIRST:
    ASKING FOR DATA:
    DOES IT PUT PEOPLE IN
    HARM’S WAY?

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  20. FIRST:
    ASKING FOR DATA:
    WOULD THIS SURPRISE
    SOMEONE?

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  21. FIRST:
    ASKING FOR DATA:
    WHAT HAPPENS IF WE
    BLOW IT?

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  22. FIRST AND A HALF:
    THE POWER DYNAMICS
    OF ASKING FOR DATA IN
    THE FIRST PLACE (AS A
    FOR PROFIT BUSINESS)

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  23. SECOND:
    TRACKING DANGEROUS
    DATA LIKE IMMIGRATION
    STATUS

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  24. TRACKING IMMIGRATION
    STATUS BECAUSE IT’S
    HELPFUL FOR SERVING
    PATIENTS

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  25. NOT TRACKING
    IMMIGRATION STATUS
    BECAUSE I.C.E. IS A
    THING NOW

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  26. SECOND AND A HALF:
    TRACKING DANGEROUS
    DATA LIKE IMMIGRATION
    STATUS (AS A FOR
    PROFIT BUSINESS)

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  27. THIRD:
    THE ALGO AND
    PREDICTIVE MODELING

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  28. THIRD AND A HALF:
    THE ALGO AND
    PREDICTIVE MODELING
    (AS A FOR PROFIT
    BUSINESS)

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  29. I’M OUT OF STUFF TO TALK ABOUT:

    ● PREPARE TO WORK THROUGH
    ETHICAL QUESTIONS
    ● THINK HARD ABOUT YOUR
    VALUES AND POWER
    ● CHARGE IN HEADFIRST

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  30. THANKS
    ●JAMEY, ETHICAL
    DECISIONS TRACK
    CURATOR
    ●SOUND PERSON

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  31. I AM:
    COLIN FLEMING
    MY EMAIL:
    [email protected]
    MY TWITTER:
    @RIDETHECATBUS

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