Editorial Notes... 42—Reflections on Tech Industry Criticism in Light of the Roundtable Discussion "Envisioning Web Media 30 Years Hence"
Reflecting on a roundtable, the author explores connecting tech industry critique with design theory, starting from UI/UX issues.Summary
The author participated in a roundtable titled "Envisioning Web Media 30 Years Hence" and reflects on how to distance web media from Big Tech's platform capitalism. While the early internet held ideals of intellectual expansion, the current reality is dominated by the negative effects of attention harvesting and data extraction. The discussion suggested that insights from art and design fields could sharpen journalistic critiques of the tech industry, using examples like Amazon's UI-based "dark patterns." The author argues there is a continuity between micro-scale UI/UX problems and macro-scale computational infrastructure development, such as Google's "Project Suncatcher," necessitating a new philosophical framework. Concepts from Benjamin Bratton, who suggests technology evolves beyond human control, and Ron Wakkary's posthumanism design theory—particularly the concepts of "things," "designer of things," "biography," and "constituency"—provide material for critically examining the expanding tech industry on a planetary scale.
(Source：artscape)