With Technology Comes Responsibility
18 Jun 2013
There is an endless supply of handy modern applications and technology out there which are continuously changing our lives. From the minute we power on our mobile phones, laptops, tablets and devices, we have a range of tech treats waiting for us to use. For example, the mobile applications I have on my phone and tablet, have changed the way I work, communicate and get entertained. Modern technology is having such an effect on our society, and with this comes responsibility. Designers and developers need to be constantly aware of the responsibility they have to their users, to make sure they
I look after the stability of the technology and the safety of its users. Also, the users themselves need to have a social awareness and be careful about what they post, knowing that there is no back button once they have clicked share.
An example of this type of responsibility debatably being overlooked, is the recent Scrabble App controversy. This app seems to have had such a vast social and competitive following, that when the system was upgraded recently to enable the app’s new user interface, the makers managed to wipe their player’s histories, change the dictionary and change the way in which the screen reloaded after player’s go. It seems that these changes have upset the game’s users, as it has shaken up their experience. People are angry about losing their long history of scores with many people over many years. It seems this application had become a big part of the gamer’s lives, and they felt let down that things they cared about had been taken away from them.
Sadly though, the above example is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the public being upset with or endangered by modern technology, there is a lot of press about the ways people are abusing technology and upsetting each other with it, intentionally or not.
Therefore, it is reassuring to read about the steps that are being made by Google, Facebook and many other big names in the IT world, to protect, help and generally be more responsible for the technology and data used on their applications.
