this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2023
199 points (90.6% liked)
Technology
59607 readers
3531 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
A "user" is anyone who walks through the public park and picks up a gadget that someone else left there.
They poke at it for a while, not knowing who built it or who dropped it in the park. It does some cool stuff.
Sometimes they can wiggle it and it makes colors that their friends enjoy. Maybe someone built this thing just to be a fun toy to play with?
They put it in their pants pocket and walk on.
Once in a while, the thing they picked up in the park just spontaneously catches fire and burns their pants off, leaving them naked in the middle of the town square and really embarrassed.
But usually, a "user" can mess around with technology crap and not get burned.
Until, y'know, they do.
And then it's supposed to be their fault.
Hey, thing-builders: If the thing you built hurts people, you should fix that. "They picked it up, it's okay if it burns their pants off" is not a good excuse.
While I agree with your premise, people also need to be aware that some random thing they started fiddling with can be problematic, and should maybe do some basic research on what they're fiddling with. We absolutely need to hold creators responsible for their creations, but this also shouldn't absolve people of using their brains and thinking critically.
Then it should at least come with a warning label, and perhaps, with the ability to block children from picking it up or playing with it.
Those who create dangerous things have a duty to warn others of their potential dangers before leaving them haphazardly about.
I think its morally acceptable to make products designed to hurt the user and other people.