Why Feminine Technologies Matter - chapter 1, part a

This is not the main point of the chapter, but the author, Judith McGraw, observed that when we say "technology" today, we think of electronics and computers and massively complex objects and systems (say, the Internet). And because such things are complex and take special knowledge to master, we assume that we do not know enough to participate in technological decision-making. We assume it is best to leave such decisions to "the experts."

That is, in my opinion, a ruinous attitude to have. Everyone who will be interacting with a technology and everyone whose life will be affected by it should have input into decisions. And though it is not the point of this particular chapter in this particular book, I recommend Richard Sclove's Democracy and Technology as well as the writings of Neil Postman. You don't have to know how to build a computer to be interested in how it will be used and how it will affect your daily life. And truth be told? The experts? The ones who can build it? Probably aren't the best people to be making some of these decisions. Many, many of them will be so excited by what can be accomplished that they will not pause to ask what ought to be done.

Thus endeth the mini-STS soundbite of the day.