We are proud to work on products that touch thousands or even millions of people's lives. Yet, we often avoid taking personal responsibility for the intended or unintended effects of our work. While it might not be easy to measure my impact, I pledge to aim to be a more responsible tech worker and tech consumer and question product decisions and business as usual, even when that's not officially part of my job.
I will think about:
- Which product features and decisions make me uncomfortable? (Not just on my team but in our company as a whole.)
- How do I feel when I talk about my job and the company I work for with friends and family?
- How are my work and company perceived from the outside?
- How responsible are the companies that make the products I use in my professional and personal life? Are there better alternatives?
Suggested actions:
- Ask questions and speak up when something makes me uncomfortable and I don’t have the decision-making power.
- Stop using the “If we don’t do it, somebody else will” excuse to justify questionable decisions.
- Stop supporting companies that don’t respect people and the environment, both as a consumer and an employee.
- Have discussions with my peers about ethics, inclusivity, and sustainability, and actively learn more about these topics and how they relate to my work.
- Make sure that I’m not embarrassed when my name appears in a commit, document, design proposal, or anything else that is product-related.
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