Ask HN: Is anyone willing to defend the manifesto for data practices?
https://towardsdatascience.com/an-ethical-code-cant-be-about-ethics-66acaea6f16f
At its core, the document’s authors have committed the same kind of ethical breach that the document itself was designed to prevent: they’ve turned out a minimum viable product without fully considering the downstream harm the product could cause. The code rewards virtue-signaling - and nothing else - which allows individual data science practitioners to benefit from something other than actually doing their jobs well. That hurts the profession, and by extension, those who turn to the profession for solutions.
I’ve reached out to individuals in the Data for Democracy Slack channel where the document was drafted, and on Twitter when I see the document mentioned, but have not been able to find anyone willing to engage. Considering the bold claims with which the product is marketed (“the most effective, ethical, and modern approach to data teamwork”), and the values enshrined in the document itself (“invite fair criticism while promoting...open discussion of errors, risks, and unintended consequences of our work”), I find this frustrating and concerning.
I’m not trying to be a jerk here. I have an honest concern about the ethical soundness of the document. If the people who wrote it actually believe they’ve created a viable and meaningful ethical code, they should be willing and able to defend it.
So, again, if you know anyone involved, please share this with them. If you were involved in the document, please address my criticism. We can have that conversation right here in this thread, or if you're not willing to talk publicly, reach out on Twitter (@SchaunW) and I can get you my contact info.
EDIT: Here's something you can retweet to point people to this page: https://twitter.com/SchaunW/status/966768206114361344 . Or better yet, use your own words.