Humanity On Rails

Presentation by Daniel Azuma at RailsConf 2013. An introduction to the philosophy of technology, and a discussion of why it's relevant to the Rails community. For more information, see http://daniel-azuma.com/railsconf2013

Transcript

1. Humanity on Rails Daniel Azuma An Introduction to the Philosophy of Technology RailsConf 2013
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkljLxddVI4
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkljLxddVI4
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkljLxddVI4
5. http://www.railsbridgeboston.org/blog/2012_aug_recap
6. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:YAHOO_headquarters.jpg
7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29192621@N06/2928615391/
8. http://www.confreaks.com/videos/856
9. http://stuffkit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/www.stuffkit-38.jpg
10. A history lesson
11. http://www.leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com/da-vinci-helicopter.html
12. http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=1257
13. Jacques Ellul (1912-1994)
14. Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) “Technique itself… selects among the means to be employed. The human being is no longer in any sense the agent of choice.” —The Technological Society
15. Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
18. Albert Borgmann (1937- )
19. The Device Paradigm
20. The Device Paradigm
21. The Device Paradigm Commodity convenient, available
22. The Device Paradigm Commodity Mechanism convenient, available
23. The Device Paradigm Commodity Mechanism convenient, available concealed
24. The Device Paradigm Commodity Mechanism convenient, available concealed
25. Interface Implementation The Device Paradigm convenient, available concealed
26. Encapsulation Interface Implementation convenient, available concealed
29. The Device Paradigm Commodity Mechanism convenient, available concealed
30. Eyeballs Customers The Device Paradigm convenient, available concealed
31. Eyeballs Customers The Device Paradigm convenient, available concealed
32. Business Model Eyeballs Customers convenient, available concealed
33. Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) “…man in the technological age is, in a particularly striking way, challenged forth into revealing.” —The Question Concerning Technology
34. http://sociableboost.com/20-reasons-you-hate-twitter-what-to-do-about-it/
35. http://www.journalismfestival.com/news/so-you-hate-twitter-get-therapy/
36. http://www.bannerview.com/blog/a/BOSVIEW/Do-You-Hate-Twitter-Yet/
37. http://www.rudebaguette.com/2013/01/25/will-twitter-give-into-the-french-governments-request-for-hate-speech-account-info/
39. OH: “I f***ing hate Twitter” #railsconf #zomg
40. http://www.time.com/time/cartoonsoftheweek/0,29489,1888178_1862973,00.html
41. http://mashable.com/2012/06/26/marketers-failing-twitter-study/
42. Albert Borgmann (1937- ) “…technology is seldom offered as a choice, i.e. as a way of life that we are asked to prefer over others, but is promoted as a basis for choices.” —Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life
43. Andrew Feenberg (1943- ) “Real change will come…when we… begin to intervene in the design process in the defense of the conditions of a meaningful life and a livable environment.” —Questioning Technology
44. Samuel Florman (1925- ) “…without imagination, heightened awareness, moral sense, and some reference to the general culture, the engineering experience becomes less meaningful, less fulfilling than it should be.” —The Civilized Engineer
45. http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/piles-of-books
46. Does technology have value?
47. Does technology have values?
48. If technology is value-neutral, the ends justifies the means. then…
49. The Device Paradigm Commodity Mechanism convenient, available concealed
50. The Device Paradigm Commodity Mechanism convenient, available concealed
51. Technology is not value-neutral
52. Technology is not value-neutral It values: • Convenience • Efficiency • Power • Control It devalues: • Engagement • Aesthetic • Meaning • Community
53. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkljLxddVI4
54. http://www.railsbridgeboston.org/blog/2012_aug_recap
55. If there is a bias inherent in what we do as engineers then… We tend to take it for granted.
56. If there is a bias inherent in what we do as engineers then… We need to question it.
57. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:YAHOO_headquarters.jpg
58. Why us?
59. http://www.flickr.com/photos/oreillyconf/4684102658/
60. The good news…
63. The Device Paradigm Interface Implementation convenient, available concealed
64. Open Source Interface Implementation convenient, available OPEN
65. http://www.kickasslabs.com/2012/04/28/rails-conf-2012-images/100_0298/
66. The Technologist’s Calling • To seek to understand technology • To learn to live well with technology • To teach the world about technology
67. http://daniel-azuma.com/railsconf2013 Links and bibliography: Humanity On Rails
68. http://daniel-azuma.com/railsconf2013 Links and bibliography: Twitter: @danielazuma Humanity On Rails
69. http://daniel-azuma.com/railsconf2013 Links and bibliography: Twitter: @danielazuma Humanity On Rails