Ethical tech is about different companies that have made an invention to make your life easier for a profit. One of the companies, DuckDuckGo is a search engine that does not track user information or personalize search results. It also offers and app and browser extension that work to protect user information. DuckDuckGo is not entirely open source and is run by a private, for-profit company. The main distinguishing feature is the company’s commitment to user privacy. This company is designed to make a profit, but these technologies are made to help create more alternatives for when you are teaching and doing other research. These technologies are interesting and are all different. I encourage you to look through these links in the article and you may find something useful that you can use. This website encourages outside opinion and if you have ideas of your own to share with the website.
Modern Day Suppression
Today people say that racism is disappearing. Technology is subliminally racist in ways that people may not even notice it unless it is directed towards them. My Dad would always say be careful what your saying you never know who you may upset with your words. So then doesn’t that mean that everything is racist in a way if it is seen in the wrong way by someone? Before the internet was invented people had to advertise by word of mouth and advertisements in the newspapers Google and other search engines like yelp can be racist in ways that will only be seen if your looking for it. A Hairdresser that may have thrived in the racist free environment with less technology is not going to be as successful because of the algorithms that are implemented in these different applications. “prior to the changes the Internet brought about, I never had to do much advertising because my name carried weight through the campus and the graduate school.” (173) As a black Hairdresser some of the racism that may occur online is you may not get the front page or get the same attention as other hairdressers that may be privileged. Websites like yelp are if you pay for the better representation you will get it; so, whoever pays more will get more. But that’s not always what happens. It seemed a bit unfair to Kandis the hair stylist because when she first started her business it was all about if you do your job well then people will come via word of mouth but nowadays you have to pay to be put on the top of the search page or you have to have some kind of gold membership so you get more views on your website. Kandis said “The algorithm shouldn’t get to decide whether I exist or not.”(175) this furthers my argument when I said that if you were good at your job then you got the recognition that you deserved, not because you signed up first or paid more money for your account.
Google today is starting to monopolize our ideas with what is shown to us via the internet. The need for competition is important for our society to become less racist. If you look up martinlutherking.org it will show up as a neonazi white supremist support website known as Stormfront. If google had many more competitors, they would have to fix their algorithm, so it was fair for everyone to use and things like Martinlutherkingjr.org would be what they are said to be. Google hasn’t affected me or offended me personally, but I support everyone having equal rights and equal opportunity in life to succeed.
-Ryan
Questions:
Do you feel like information is suppressed to you now more than ever?
Do you use other search engines besides google for different questions you have in order to get an unbiased answer?
Hi my name is Ryan
Hi my name is Ryan Im a Inclusive childhood education major. this is my first semester here at Cortland and I am a Junior. I hope to have a lot of fun this year and to start learning more about my major.