A Talk about Nothing

This talk is about nothing – and everything.

It starts with an excursion to science and shows how "nothing", or what we've long taken to be nothing, is the basis of why we are, who we are and what we do.
It shows how we can use knowledge about unconscious bias, privilege and empathy to uncover "nothings" in the tech industry of our times.
And it takes a close look at "nothings" in tech – from code, software documentation and code comments, to communities, shipping culture and harassment, silencing and lack of diversity in tech today.

This talk was presented as closing keynote for ScotlandJS 2015 scotlandjs.com.

Transcript

1. LENA REINHARD @LRNRD The Neighbourhoodie eHealth Africa Hoodie Apache CouchDB Co-Founder, CEO, Dev Team Lead
2. Picture: andyspictures
3. Picture: Nick Risinger
4. NOTHING
5. FROM ZERO TO HERO
6. Picture: Oxfordian Kissuth
7. THE EMPTY SPACE
8. THE EMPTY SPACE THAT IS NOT EMPTY
9. Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Picture: CERN
10. Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Picture: Claudia Marcelloni / CERN
11. ENIAC U.S. Army Photo
12. The Transistor
13. NOTHING IN THE TECH INDUSTRY: BEYOND OUR PERCEPTIONS
14. UNDERSTANDING PRIVILEGE
15. white cis socially acceptable weight & height able-bodied middle-class
16. THE TECH INDUSTRY IS FULL OF PRIVILEGE
17. THE TECH INDUSTRY IS FULL OF PRIVILEGE
18. THE PRIVILEGE NOT TO LISTEN THE PRIVILEGE NOT TO CARE THE PRIVILEGE TO IGNORE THE PRIVILEGE TO DO NOTHING AND MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES.
19. PRIVILEGE COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY TO 1. be aware 2. shut up 3. listen 4. educate ourselves 5. use privilege for good
20. WE ALL HAVE BIASES BECAUSE OUR BRAINS LOVE SHORTCUTS
21. WE ALL HAVE BIASES
22. WE ALL HAVE BIASES
23. WE ALL HAVE BIASES
24. WE NEED DIVERSITY FOR EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
25. COMBATTING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS 1. identify 2. mind subtle cues 3. foster awareness 4. stay accountable
26. A WORLD BETWEEN WORDS: EMPATHY
27. SOFTWARE USERS CARRY LIFE EXPERIENCES INTO INTERACTIONS
28. I WISH EMPATHY WAS LESS 'WALK A MILE IN ANOTHER'S SHOES' & MORE OF 'BELIEVE THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE WHO WALK IN SHOES DIFFERENT THAN YOURS.' (@laraenna)
29. CODE CAN CHANGE REALITIES
31. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE
32. real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE
33. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
34. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
35. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
36. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
37. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
38. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
39. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
40. CODE CAN HARM & EXCLUDE PEOPLE real-name policies men as default ignoring users auto-opt-in enabling harassment violating boundaries security flaws dark UI patterns
42. BY BUILDING SOFTWARE WE MAKE RULES FOR SPACES . THIS SOFTWARE WE HAVE BUILT ACTIVELY ENDANGERS MARGINALISED PEOPLE.
43. BY BUILDING SOFTWARE WE MAKE RULES FOR SPACES . THIS SOFTWARE WE HAVE BUILT ACTIVELY ENDANGERS MARGINALISED PEOPLE.
44. Comic: Abstruse Goose
45. Comic: Abstruse Goose
46. CODE COMMENTS Picture: Michael Koziarski
47. Picture: Harvard College Patches in Mark I
48. Screenshot: libuv project
49. Screenshot: libuv project
50. TRIVIALITY ONLY GETS USED TO CHARACTERIZE CHALLENGES TO THE STATUS QUO. (Tim Chevalier)
51. Screenshot: Django Project
52. Screenshot: Django Project
53. CODE, COMMENTS & DOCUMENTATION SPEAK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES
56. SHIPPING CULTURE
57. SHIPPING CULTURE HARMS HUMANS & SOFTWARE: IT INDUCES PRESSURE, DISTANCES US FROM USERS, UNDERVALUES THINKING & SETS WRONG INCENTIVES
58. SHIPPING CULTURE HARMS HUMANS & SOFTWARE: IT INDUCES PRESSURE, DISTANCES US FROM USERS, UNDERVALUES THINKING & SETS WRONG INCENTIVES
59. SHIPPING CULTURE HARMS HUMANS & SOFTWARE: IT INDUCES PRESSURE, DISTANCES US FROM USERS, UNDERVALUES THINKING & SETS WRONG INCENTIVES
60. SHIPPING CULTURE HARMS HUMANS & SOFTWARE: IT INDUCES PRESSURE, DISTANCES US FROM USERS, UNDERVALUES THINKING & SETS WRONG INCENTIVES
61. (Pete Warden) WHEN OPTIMISING CODE, SKEPTICISM BECOMES A HABIT. WE LEAVE THAT HABIT BEHIND WHEN CONFRONTED WITH EVIDENCE ABOUT OURSELVES.
62. (Pete Warden) WHEN OPTIMISING CODE, SKEPTICISM BECOMES A HABIT. WE LEAVE THAT HABIT BEHIND WHEN CONFRONTED WITH EVIDENCE ABOUT OURSELVES.
63. BEING IN TECH & NOT CARING ABOUT TECH CULTURE IS A LUXURY, ONLY AFFORDABLE TO THOSE WITH ENOUGH PRIVILEGE TO IGNORE IT & TOO LITTLE EMPATHY TO CARE.
64. MERITOCRACY: A LUCRATIVE ILLUSION
65. MERITOCRACY: A WEAPON AGAINST THE UNDERREPRESENTED
66. MERITOCRACY: A WEAPON AGAINST THE UNDERREPRESENTED
67. MERITOCRACY ENFORCES ABUSE
68. WE END UP NORMALISING HARASSMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES
69. SILENCING ERASES PEOPLE, THEIR WORK, THEIR VOICES
73. INADEQUATE INSUFFICIENT INEXISTENT SOLUTIONS PRIVILEGE AND LACK OF DIVERSITY HAVE LED TO
74. PRIVILEGE AND LACK OF DIVERSITY HAVE LED TO INADEQUATE INSUFFICIENT INEXISTENT SOLUTIONS
75. THE INTERNET IS BUILT BY MEN, FOR MEN
76. AS A WHITE MAN, THAT WAS THE MOST FUN I HAD ONLINE IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY GETTING TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND NOT BE INSULTED BY THEM. (Sydette)
77. HARASSMENT COMES WITH COST
78. 'IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS TIME TO BE A WOMAN WITH AN OPINION.' (Brianna Wu)
79. IF SILICON VALLEY CAN INVENT A DRIVERLESS CAR, THEY CAN ADDRESS ONLINE HARASSMENT. THEY LACK THE MOTIVATION. (Jaclyn Friedman)
80. DIVERSITY CANNOT BE SOLVED IN THE VACUUM OF PRIVILEGE. (Adria Richards)
81. DIVERSITY CANNOT BE SOLVED IN THE VACUUM OF PRIVILEGE. (Adria Richards)
82. WHO GETS TO BE THE ONES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE?
83. WHO DO WE ALL WANT TO BE?
84. WE ALL PLAY A PART IN SETTING NEW STANDARDS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
85. WE ALL PLAY A PART IN SETTING NEW STANDARDS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
86. THE TECH INDUSTRY WON'T BE THE SAME ANYMORE. AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING.
87. THE TECH INDUSTRY WON'T BE THE SAME ANYMORE. AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING.
88. Picture: andyspictures