week 14 - justice and ethics in my artistic and programming practice.

In both my artistic and programming work, I try to approach justice and ethics with some kind of awareness of my own limits. I don’t believe in assuming what people need or want, I’d rather make sure the people I’m designing or building for have a voice at every stage of the process. That means involving them early on, listening carefully, and being willing to grow and change my direction based on their input. I think it’s unethical to tell someone else’s story without doing the work to understand their context, and without inviting them into the process directly. With that said I do recognise that it is not always as simple to onboard people whose experiences completely align with the system being built as culture, socio-economic factors as well as education background may effect the lense through which every individual approaches a problem or an issue however I do believe that we as developers must do our best to ensure that we are not excluding people from the process of building a system that is meant to be inclusive and accessible to all. Even if this does halt development cycles or delays certain features, I think it’s worth it to ensure that the end product is truly representative and useful to the people it’s meant to serve.

On the programming side, I’m aware that I operate within systems, many of them Western, extractive, or profit-driven, especially in the US, that are hard to escape. But what I can do is be transparent about how and why I’m building what I’m building. I actively want to avoid dark patterns or manipulative design, especially when it comes to monetisation or engagement. I don’t think revenue should come at the cost of users’ well-being or agency. I look at platforms like tinder specifically which may be guilty of this and so much more as even a simple chat is monetised in such a way that most of the platform's features are hidden behind a paywall and if not from a somewhat well off bacground or are simply not willing to shell out money for a dating app, you are left with a very limited experience. I think it’s important to build systems that respect users’ time and attention, not just try to keep them hooked for profit, which Tinder is unfortunately a prime example of. I also try to avoid using data in ways that could harm people or communities, like selling personal information or using it to manipulate vulnerable groups. I think it’s crucial to be clear about what data is collected, how it’s used, and who has access to it. Tinder is in a weird midde place as although the data is well protected it still takes advantage of vulnerable groups of people who are looking for genuine companionship and uses that desire to exploit them for as much as they can.