Tagged with #society

3 results found.

• On personal goals

  Sander September 22, 2023 at 9:12 am

  Today, I've realised my overarching goal as a software engineer: create digital experiences that help improve mental health for the people using them.

  Unwittingly I myself have trended towards community software where capitalism, media manipulation and corporate influence is minimised (open-source, privacy first, self-hosting), and writing software with these values in mind.

  In my experience, capitalism and corporate software distort the incentives of software for the financial benefit of it's backers. Media manipulation uses information overload and content agendas to influence the news cycle and change the common values we live by. This ultimately is more important to them than the wellbeing of the person experiencing the artifact, but not to me.

  How have I been unwittingly trying to create positive user experiences:

  • Having ownership over your content through blogging software that does not demand your attention.
  • Creating a safe space for content consumption of trusted resources.
  • Reducing friction in everyday tasks also benefits mental health and reduces frustration.
  • Having peace of mind working on technologies that avoid complexity,
  • Building foundational projects to help understand how to think about replacement products that contain these values.
  • Helping people make time for oneself.

  ‎ #technology, #projects, #society

• Happy St. Andrews / Blue Beanie day 2021!

  Sander November 30, 2021 at 1:35 pm

  Supporting web standards and accessible websites as well as a great country!

  

  Smile

  #society #technology

• Concerns around Settled Status

  Sander March 24, 2021 at 11:36 am

  I have been keeping myself updated with the news around the Settled Status changes coming into effect in less than 100 days, and have successfully received it some time ago. However, I'm trying to find answers to a few concerns I'm having, and possibly correct my misunderstanding of the issues around this badly thought through concept of proving status.

  What about...

  1. Say a person with Settled Status requires urgent hospital treatment, how do they prove settled status if they're not in a position to give a share code? for example, seriously injured without partner present, phone running out of juice etc. Do I have to be able to to the government website to get a share code after a car accident?
  2. How does anyone requiring proof of Settled Status determine whether the person is an EU citizen settled in the UK, or a British national with a foreign sounding name for example? They can't always know the nationality of the person, so have to make a judgement on whether a request for status is required -- and this can only be based by making a discriminating judgement then? Such as "does the name sound non-british", skin colour, accent.
  3. If so, does that not make the process discriminatory at it's core, and against the law?
  4. How does someone know the difference between a British person with an EU sounding name, and an EU person that convinces the other party a sharecode is not required, without requiring all British people to present a form of identification? Does that mean everyone will need to carry identification of nationality?

  I'm happy to be corrected on my understanding, but I'm worried around vulnerable people (British and otherwise) being refused access to essential services and human rights in certain cases; and being discriminated against, structurally, in less than 100 days.

  If I get any answers I will update this post.

  #society