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RubyConf AU 2018 | Sydney | Australia March 8th & 9th, 2018 Organisers: Melissa Kaulfuss (@melissakaulfuss), Nicholas Bruning (@thetron), Sharon Vaughan (@Sharon_AV) & Nadia Vu (@nadiavu_) MCs: Melissa Kaulfuss & Nicholas Bruning Sponsored by: Envato, Culture Amp, Lookahead, Reinteractive, Oneflare, Shippit, Twilio, The Conversation, Netflix, Disco, Heroku, REA Group
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In her talk titled "Politics? In My Technology?" at RubyConf AU 2018, Merrin Macleod explores the intricate relationship between technology and politics. She opens by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land and shares her background in technology, highlighting her dual citizenship and current projects related to bushfire forecasting. Merrin emphasizes that technology and politics are inextricably linked, urging technologists to reflect on how political power dynamics shape technological advancements and vice versa. **Key Points Discussed:** - **Definition of Technology and Politics:** Merrin defines technology broadly as human-made tools and solutions, while politics involves organizing people and power to make group decisions. She notes that politics permeates all levels of organization—from governments to workplaces. - **Political Systems:** She discusses how political systems influence technology development, using Australia as an example where political institutions dictate societal operations. - **Power Dynamics:** Merrin examines how power dynamics within both society and technology communities determine resource allocation and project priorities, using the Ruby community as a prime illustration. - **Historical Context:** She references philosophical insights from theorists like Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx to show how political ideas stem from societal observations and shape our technological systems. - **Impact of Historical Innovations:** Merrin cites examples such as the printing press, telegraph, and Internet, which transformed communication and significantly altered power dynamics across societies. These advancements have led to increased interconnectedness and have facilitated shifts in political landscapes. - **Contemporary Issues in Democracy:** Merrin discusses current challenges facing democracy, noting trends of increasing inequality and declining trust in public institutions since the 2006 Freedom House reports. She expresses concern about the implications for liberal democracies as power shifts away from governments. - **Call to Action:** The talk concludes with a call for technologists to critically engage with the political ideologies that influence their work. Merrin urges audiences to recognize their role in shaping technology and to be mindful of its societal implications. **Main Takeaways:** - Technology is a reflection of human ideas and societal constructs, with political dynamics shaping its development and distribution. - Technologists should recognize their power to influence societal change through their work and consider the broader political contexts in which they operate. - Awareness of the political implications of technology is essential for creating inclusive and reflective solutions for the future.
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