> What were we (technologists) thinking when we built these toxic social media platforms and algorithms?
If OKR A reaches B, we'd be valued at C, which would mean my stock option would be worth D.
That's what everyone was, is, and will be thinking.
If OKR A reaches B, we'd be valued at C, which would mean my stock option would be worth D.
That's what everyone was, is, and will be thinking.
I think the trick is that most people don't want to feel like the bad guy. They have to be able to convince themselves that what they're doing isn't harmful in order to avoid internal moral conflicts. The principles we hear about tech & neutrality give us enough leeway to feel okay about our actions even if the outcomes are toxic. (Which, to your point, lets us cash in when we hit our targets.)