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The increased debate around ethical source threatens to divide the OSS community. In his book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", philosopher Thomas Kuhn posits that there are three possible solutions to a crisis like the one we're facing: procrastination, assimilation, or revolution. Which will we choose as we prepare for the hard work of reconciling ethics and open source?
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The video titled "The Rising Storm of Ethics in Open Source" presented by Coraline Ada Ehmke at RailsConf 2021 discusses the growing ethical dilemmas in the open source software (OSS) community. Ehmke emphasizes the importance of recognizing our responsibilities as creators and contributors in the technology field, particularly in light of recent abuses involving open source technologies. Key points discussed in the video include: - **Historical Context**: Ehmke begins by sharing her background in advocating for ethical practices within tech communities, including her contributions to code of conduct policies and ethical licensing. - **The Parable of the Locksmith**: The presentation includes a retelling of a parable by Edmund Berkeley that illustrates the moral responsibilities of technologists by comparing a locksmith who accepts an unethical job to the current state of software creators. - **The Rise of Open Source and Its Complicity**: Ehmke traces the evolution of the open source movement, highlighting both its successes and the dark turn it has taken as technology has been misused for mass surveillance, violence, and human rights violations. - **Ethical Responsibilities**: The speaker challenges developers to reconsider their ethical obligations, asserting that software freedom, while important, should not come at the cost of facilitating harming actions. - **Real-World Examples**: Examples of how companies like Palantir Technologies leverage open source contributions for unethical purposes, such as supporting immigration enforcement actions, are presented to demonstrate the real impacts of these technologies. - **Call to Action**: Ehmke concludes with a call for the Ruby community and broader technology community to unite in reflecting on shared values, with an emphasis on taking responsibility for their work’s societal implications and preventing harm through ethical practices. The main takeaway from the video is a clear call for the open source community to confront its ethical responsibilities assertively, advocating for justice and equity in technology development to ensure that open source contributions do not enable negative societal impacts. Ehmke encourages technologists to be proactive in preventing their work from being misused, promoting a shift from passive to active ethical engagement within the development community.
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