The struggle for technology: instrumentalism versus culture
"This age–old conflict about social status remains at the heart of present–day struggles over the meanings of technology. On one side, defenders of technicians view technologies as creative expressions of human culture. In this view, technology is imbued with human values and strivings in all their contradictory complexity. I term this position the 'cultural' approach to technology. On the other side are those who see technological action as a narrow form of rationality that seeks only the best means for a given end. For such people, technology is something purely technical, essentially uncreative and devoid of values, subordinate to ends given by others. I call this second position the 'instrumental' conception of technology. ...
the discourse of technology favors the instrumental over the cultural. An entire tradition of philosophical critique is based on a reduction of technology to instrumental rationality. But technological enthusiasts also embrace the instrumental definition of technology. From their perspective, our modern technological civilization represents the embodiment of reason in the world, with new technologies as the vanguard of progress. Technological utopians like Kevin Kelly epitomize this instrumental perspective. In contrast, the cultural understanding of technology recognizes the creativity expressed in everything from steam engines to iPhones. But the cultural approach is definitely in the minority. This view is most common among people like me, historians of technology and other scholars who connect technological choices to specific aspects of culture and society."
(Eric Schatzberg, Rethinking Technology)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
World's first ethical smartphone to launch in UK
"Fairphone, which is described by its makers as 'the world's first ethical smartphone' is set to launch in London. The first prototype of the Fairphone, which has been developed by a team in The Netherlands, will be shown at the London Design Festival next week. Fairphone's makers say they use conflict–free materials and aim to ensure that every worker in the phone's supply chain receives a fair wage."
(Angus Montgomery, 10 Sep 2013, Design Week)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
How would it feel to be represented by someone like Tony Abbott?
"Every week Tony Abbott makes another comment that reveals very concerning social views. Commentators blow them off as 'gaffes', but this isn't about gaffes. It's about values. It's about our national character if our Prime Minister labels refugees who seek our help as 'illegal', even as they exercise their legal, human right to flee danger. It's about the message we send to young gay and lesbian Australians, if our Prime Minister talks about their equality as a 'passing fashion,' and what that does to their self–esteem. It's about our values if a Prime Minister talks to 'the housewives of Australia as they're doing their ironing,' says his colleagues are 'not just a pretty face' and have 'sex appeal' and calls on his opponent to 'make an honest woman of herself'. Prime Ministers reflect our national values, and have the power to change them radically. Does what Tony Abbott says matter? Well, in 17 days he wants to be speaking for all of us. That's why GetUp members are launching this ad. Will you be part of it?"
(GetUp!)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
Two examples of the ethnographic design approach are shadowing and self-observations
"Shadowing is an ethnographic technique to understand a person's real–time interactions with products, services or process and their shifting contexts and needs over the course of a day. Shadowing often focuses on particular events or tasks participants are willing to share. Talk Aloud and closure interviews are used to clarify questions.
Self–observations / Diaries is a method used when it is difficult or impossible to directly access a certain place (like people's homes) or access is too time consuming. It consists of asking people to provide self–observations about their activities in the form of log reports or diaries, for example. Although this method involves the subjectivity of the participants in the data collected, it can be valuable to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of the people that are being studied."
(Experientia)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
Brand Toolkit: Firefox Web Browser
"Here is your guide to all things Firefox, the flagship brand in the Mozilla universe. It's full of guidelines, examples and tips to help you create websites and communications that are on brand and on style, both online and off.
The Firefox brand is a living thing. It grows, changes and adapts. So we want you to have easy access to the latest and greatest out there. And lo we created this toolkit. And it was good."
(Mozilla, 2012)
Fig.1 Mozilla's unabashedly self–promoting "A Different Kind of Browser" clip.
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
