Changes between Version 12 and Version 13 of techies_of_color

Timestamp:

Aug 25, 2010, 8:30:08 PM (14 years ago)

Author:

alfredo

Comment:

--

techies_of_color

@@ -37 +37 @@
 The problems emerging threaten the movement's successful use of technology and the marrying of technology with the movement's organizing work: the movement's two political priorities in dealing with the Internet.
 
-To characterize and understand the dimensions of the problem:
+To characterize and understand the dimensions of the problem, we need to understand the varying levels of engagement activists have with the Internet.
 
-(What are the different levels of engagment on the Internet and what do we gain and not gain from each level of engagement
+Most of us just use it. We rely on it to function and to do what we want it to and what it says it will do. This is a good thing; it's what the Internet's technology is for. For us to be able to do that, however, we must rely on a smaller number of us who administer our servers.
 
-a whole set of people on which the project depends who are marginalized -- two things to understand:
+Service Administrators, or Chief technologists, actually install and maintain websites and email programs and their work is critical to the functioning of any organization on-line. Many larger organizations have one of at least one person with these skills on staff; those who can't afford such a professional full-time have access to one or more for hourly work.
 
-1 -- what is the connection between access and change
+Finally, there are system administrators. These are people who 
 
-2 -- what do we all lose when people we count on for this change don't have access -- give examples: software is frequently expensive, like census data on line cost $125,000
+* keep the servers and systems that run the web, email and other services functional; 
 
-We are seeing the recolonization of people of color)
+* install and upgrade the system software that actually runs servers
 
+* are there when something major breaks down, when the staff who run websites can't figure out a problem they're having, when a new server, networked computer or router must be installed, fixed or upgraded. In short, these are the people who run the system.
 
-1 -- This lack of representation is actually a lack of empowerment. Since white people control the technology at the operative and managerial level, the important contributions people of color make in combating racism, raising issues that are hidden by color, diversifying the "recipient" population and so much else simply doesn't "get" to the Internet's techies and users as it could and should.
+What is interesting is that many people look at the Internet and, like most of us who drive cars, see only the "vehicle" that moves and gets us places. They see the websites and they work with the email and they interact with lists. And when something goes wrong, they talk to their staff person who then either "fixes" it or, if they can't, makes a phone call to some other person most of us never see or meet.
 
-2 -- Software development is never geared to people of color. Since techies do the software development, that software frequently does not incorporate of the true needs, culture, generalized perceptions and stages of development that exist within communities of color. This is true at the planning stages up to the testing stages which is also frequently done mainly by white people.
+That person is the techie: the person who actually manages the Internet.
 
-3 -- Far too little effort is made among techies in this country to combat technology barriers that keep people of color off-line (what was once called "the digital divide"), a situation that would definitely improve if there were more techies of color. While it is true that many young people of color now use the Internet in this country, that use has not crossed generational lines as it has with the majority communities.
+Techies run systems, develop software, make major decisions about how we are going to use the Internet and what tools we will need. Unquestionably the final decision on Internet issues is still in the hands of very large and powerful corporations, the day to day, month to month decisions about what happens on the Internet are in the hands of techies. They run the Internet in a very practical sense. They can close it to people or open it up to the world. They determine how it will be used and how it will develop. They are the Internet's day to day leadership.
+
+To understand the impact of this it's important to remember that Internet functionality is fundamental to social change. Because it is so broad and popular, the Internet is the most important means of social organizing today. Virtually every demonstration, campaign, and movement developing in this country heavily uses Internet technology to communicate.
+
+While the movement itself has made huge gains in "democratizing" its leadership through racial, gender and national diversification, the fact that the progressive movement's interaction with the Internet in this country is managed by white activists represents a significant weakness.
+
+1 -- This lack of representation is actually a lack of empowerment. The important contributions people of color make in combating racism, raising issues that are hidden by color, diversifying the "recipient" population and so much else simply doesn't "get" to the Internet's techies and users as it could and should. Too often, the movement's functioning on the Internet represents the recolonization of people of color.
+
+2 -- Software development is never geared to people of color. Since techies do the software development, that software frequently falls short of incorporating the true needs, culture, generalized perceptions and stages of development that exist within communities of color. This is true at the planning stages up to the testing stages in which people of color are seldom involved.
+
+The amount of money, time and energy wasted or misdirected by this situation is inestimable. It's impossible to estimate the unimagineable investment made by organizations of color into proprietary software running servers, into the wide array of Windows software (which costs money and is not as effective as many Open Sources solutions), and the dependence on proprietary software like Google's array of aps and social networking software like Facebook.
+
+A simple attempt to acquire census data on specific areas of the country on-line can cost tens of thousands of dollars and that is a server-based software solution that could be developed by technologists if the interest were there.
+
+3 -- Far too little effort is made among techies in this country to combat technology barriers that keep people of color off-line, a situation that would definitely improve if there were more techies of color.
+
+While it is true that many young people of color now use the Internet in this country, that use has not crossed generational lines as it has with the majority communities. And that community of "young users" is constrained to very limited use patterns: mainly the kind of social networking software that allows for one to one communications but makes organizing very difficult.
+
+There is very little software development that would facilitate organization among people of color and that's because people of color are doing software development.
 
 4 -- The Internet is, of course, a world phenomenon and one of its greatest contributions is uniting the world through its communication. The necessary and politically powerful collaborations among techies from various countries and parts of the world are crippled by the lack of background diversity among US-based techies. It's difficult to truly develop a collaboration when the US techies are all white and not reflective of the entire US culture.
@@ -112 +131 @@
 Mentor Role
 
-The mentor is the living response to a call being made by many activists, particularly within the Climate Control movement, to "take responsibility and give back". Progressive white techies know they have been privileged over activists of color and, for the most part, want to respond by turning that around. Mentors will be expected to engage in anti-racist development and pedagogical accountability as participants in the institute.
+The mentor is the living response to a call being made by many activists, particularly within the Climate Control movement, to "take responsibility and give back". Progressive white techies know they have been privileged over activists of color and, for the most part, want to respond by turning that around.
 
 The mentor's role is to guide the mentee through the curriculum, provide all technical support and question answering needed, share all skills necessary and provide the opportunity for discussion of the social and political context for this work.