DTC 475

  Erikka Moore Digital Diversity Professor Earle 16 December 2021 Synthesis Report We are human and as humans, we are not perfect. We have experiences that alter our thought processes and change our views on the world, this can be consciously or unconsciously. How can we keep this from affecting others in a bad way? An important aspect of today's world is technology. We can use technology for a vast amount of purposes. Understanding the design and working toward making it better is the goal. I believe that part of that is improving the way it relates to all sorts of people and not allowing bias to interfere with the results. As a designer of any sort, it is our responsibility to create content with diversity, inclusion, and neutrality in mind.   We live in a world where people are more in tune with bias than ever before there is a huge focus on injustice, racism, and inequality. In design, it's imperative that these factors are taken into account in every design to en...

 Unit 1 Blog Sept 20, 2021 https://erikkamooredtc475.blogspot.com/2021/09/reading-annotation-blog-post-14.html  Unit 2 Blog Oct 24, 2021 https://erikkamooredtc475.blogspot.com/2021/10/reading-annotation-blog-24.html Unit 3 Blog Dec 15, 2021 https://erikkamooredtc475.blogspot.com/2021/12/reading-annotation-blog-34.html The blog posts I chose show that I gained a focus later in the semester on inclusive design. I think this also reflects my growth as a designer as well. As I studied different aspects of design that are flawed because of bias I definitely put more focus into my own designs to try to be inclusive and not allow bias to creep into my work. I have learned that by having knowledge and being educated about issues and working with others you can work toward having less bias creep into the design process.

  In “Race After Technology” Benjamin Ruha discusses issues involving racial biases. One point that he focuses on is racial and gender biases in the job market and the fact that some companies are trying to implement technology that sorts through applicants to narrow down the applicant pool to those who would be more fitting for the job. This still has issues because we're depending on an AI to decide if a person is a good fit for a job rather than letting that person show that they are qualified. Ruha talks about a specific company, "A company called HireVue aims to "reduce unconscious bias and promote diversity" in the workplace by using an AI-powered program than analyzes recorded interviews of prospective employees. It uses thousands of data points, including verbal and nonverbal cues such as facial expression, posture, and vocal tone, and compares job seekers' scores to those of existing top-performing employees in order to decide whom to flag as a desirable...

Hope A. Olsen believes"Those who have the power to design systems—classification or technical—hold the ability to prioritize hierarchical schemes that privilege certain types of information over others." I think this is an important idea to me as a person studying to be a graphic and web designer especially. I would hope that with my education and some training be able to help create schemes that are unbiased and are built to serve everyone and serve them well whatever purpose the project lends itself to. I am extremely interested in learning how to consider all aspects when designing and I really think that learning about these subjects helps add that extra layer of education to help us be better at our chosen field whatever it may be. All professions have some aspects of taking responsibility for how the world is and how we can make it better in our own way. I found a study that was published in 2011claiming that race is gendered, that created a lineup of androgynous faces...

   In "Network Sovereignty" Marisa Elena Duarte discusses the impact of tribal broadband deployments. She points out that while there are a lot of aspects that have to be considered while implementing new broadband infrastructure there are benefits of the final outcome that make it worth it to many tribes to deploy broadband infrastructure. She says, “They must account for the inherent, legal/political, and cultural sovereignty of tribes; the technical specifications of devices; sources of funding; policy and regulation at the local, state, and national levels; support and investment of the tribal council and other key partners; and the skill and interest of the target communities.” (112). Not only are legal and political issues considered but the use of it and by whom and how it is accessed is also considered. The benefits of using resources to put in the infrastructure really can benefit tribes. Duarte says, “This is why concepts like economic self-determination are so powe...

  Tribal sovereignty is the tribe’s right to be in control and implement their own government and law enforcement. Legally and politically this ensures that the federal government cannot continue to take everything that belongs to the tribe, this protects the people as well. Marisa Elena Duarte says, “While the sovereign rights of tribes continue to be the most powerful legal and political mechanism that US tribes have for negotiating with the federal government, and the top defense against state encroachment and private citizens wishing to profit off tribal lands and bodies”. Being able to have their own government can help them to control the improvement and infrastructure needed to preserve their culture which heavily relies on their lands and waters.  Duarte explains internet access for those who live on reservation lands as such, “It is perhaps easy for city-living folks to imagine the Internet as something “out there,” as invisible and ephemeral as droplets of water ...