Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

A simple example is, think of a car. Cars are uncomfortable for people who are very tall, or very short. Now, you may say, "it's pretty much impossible to design a car to fit everyone!" which is absolutely true—and that's my point. Car makers can't design a car that fits everyone comfortably, so the car maker has to decide—based on the tradeoffs of cost, complexity, and audience size—who to size the car for. Is it uncomfortable for people over 6'3"? Is it uncomfortable for people over 6'10"? That's where the creator's views creep in, and there's no way to avoid it. It's not the end of the world; decisions do need to be made, and we make do. We just need to recognize that technology reflects the biases of its creator, and take that into account when seeking to understand technology and its impact.


Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: