#softwareethics — Public Fediverse posts

Software Harm Reduction | 🔗 https://brennan.day/software-harm-reduction/

#TechCriticism #DigitalCulture #OpenSource #AIEthics #SoftwareEthics #DigitalSovereignty #Community

Software Harm Reduction | 🔗 https://brennan.day/software-harm-reduction/

#TechCriticism #DigitalCulture #OpenSource #AIEthics #SoftwareEthics #DigitalSovereignty #Community

🚨Breaking News: Claude Code user discovers they've been unwittingly transformed into a lab rat 🐀 for secret A/B tests. Apparently, paying $200/month doesn't exempt you from surprise software roulette—who knew?! 🤷‍♂️ And who better to conduct clandestine experiments than an AI safety company with a PhD in 'Meta' ethics. 🎓🔍
https://backnotprop.com/blog/do-not-ab-test-my-workflow/ #BreakingNews #ClaudeCode #LabRat #ABTesting #SoftwareEthics #AIExperiments #HackerNews #ngated

🚨Breaking News: Claude Code user discovers they've been unwittingly transformed into a lab rat 🐀 for secret A/B tests. Apparently, paying $200/month doesn't exempt you from surprise software roulette—who knew?! 🤷‍♂️ And who better to conduct clandestine experiments than an AI safety company with a PhD in 'Meta' ethics. 🎓🔍
https://backnotprop.com/blog/do-not-ab-test-my-workflow/ #BreakingNews #ClaudeCode #LabRat #ABTesting #SoftwareEthics #AIExperiments #HackerNews #ngated

Notify you clearly?
Explain the reasoning?
Give you opt-out options?
Respond to concerns?
Or do they hide changes and hope you don't notice?
Values matter more than features.
#CustomerTrust #BusinessValues #SoftwareEthics

Ah yes, the cutting-edge revelation that companies need to *hire* someone to tell customers they won't sell their data to the highest bidder. 🤔🙄 Because apparently, trust is now a software feature that requires JavaScript and cookies to load. 🍪🔒
https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2025/10/14/why-more-saas-companies-are-hiring-chief-trust-officers #dataprivacy #trustissues #customertrust #softwareethics #technews #HackerNews #ngated

Ah yes, the cutting-edge revelation that companies need to *hire* someone to tell customers they won't sell their data to the highest bidder. 🤔🙄 Because apparently, trust is now a software feature that requires JavaScript and cookies to load. 🍪🔒
https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2025/10/14/why-more-saas-companies-are-hiring-chief-trust-officers #dataprivacy #trustissues #customertrust #softwareethics #technews #HackerNews #ngated

🎉 Oh look, another tech drama where Datastar claims to be the Mother Teresa of developers while sneakily sliding features behind a #paywall like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. 🐇🎩 The "MIT-licensed and free" mantra is repeated like a broken record, hoping no one notices the Emperor’s new clothes. 👗👀
https://data-star.dev/essays/greedy_developer #techdrama #developerstories #MITlicense #softwareethics #HackerNews #ngated

🎉 Oh look, another tech drama where Datastar claims to be the Mother Teresa of developers while sneakily sliding features behind a #paywall like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. 🐇🎩 The "MIT-licensed and free" mantra is repeated like a broken record, hoping no one notices the Emperor’s new clothes. 👗👀
https://data-star.dev/essays/greedy_developer #techdrama #developerstories #MITlicense #softwareethics #HackerNews #ngated

🚨Breaking news🚨: Software engineers discovered ethics! 😲 Apparently, when asked to commit illegal acts, they... wait for it... *said no*! 🥳 Who knew engineers had spines and morals? Next up: programmers learn to tie their own shoes! 🤔👟
https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/asked-to-do-something-illegal-at-work/ #BreakingNews #SoftwareEthics #SoftwareEngineers #Morals #TechHumor #HackerNews #ngated

🚨Breaking news🚨: Software engineers discovered ethics! 😲 Apparently, when asked to commit illegal acts, they... wait for it... *said no*! 🥳 Who knew engineers had spines and morals? Next up: programmers learn to tie their own shoes! 🤔👟
https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/asked-to-do-something-illegal-at-work/ #BreakingNews #SoftwareEthics #SoftwareEngineers #Morals #TechHumor #HackerNews #ngated

Hold onto your silicon, folks! California lawmakers have greenlit an AI safety bill (SB 53) demanding more transparency from big AI players. Of course, the plot twist: Newsom might veto it.

Is this a step towards responsible AI or just another legislative dance? What's your take?
#AI #GovTech #TechNews #SoftwareEthics #AIRegulation
https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/13/california-lawmakers-pass-ai-safety-bill-sb-53-but-newsom-could-still-veto/

You're Probably Breaking the Llama Community License

https://notes.victor.earth/youre-probably-breaking-the-llama-community-license/

#HackerNews #LlamaCommunityLicense #BreakingLicense #OpenSource #CommunityGuidelines #SoftwareEthics

You're Probably Breaking the Llama Community License

https://notes.victor.earth/youre-probably-breaking-the-llama-community-license/

#HackerNews #LlamaCommunityLicense #BreakingLicense #OpenSource #CommunityGuidelines #SoftwareEthics

So, I'm (still) looking for work (senior Python backend developer with experience at a lot of other things, if you're curious). And the job postings I'm looking at bear a noticeable difference from the last time I had to actively look for a job a few years back.

I keep seeing stuff that's anywhere between borderline-unethical and inarguably-unethical-bordering-on-illegal.

An example I saw today was for a back-end developer. They didn't outright say it, but I got the impression they're building an "AI" model, or possibly selling training material to those that do. The "must-haves" for the position included wording to the effect of "extensive experience defeating anti-scraping measures".

Twenty years ago, that posting would have been on the dark web; actively working to defeat website operators / content owners protections of their web content? And today, that's just perfectly fine to put in a listing on a major job site?

Have the ethics of my industry slipped into the sewer in the last five years, and I just didn't notice until now?

#software #engineering #ethics #SoftwareEngineering #SoftwareEthics #job #posting #JobPosting #unethical

So, I'm (still) looking for work (senior Python backend developer with experience at a lot of other things, if you're curious). And the job postings I'm looking at bear a noticeable difference from the last time I had to actively look for a job a few years back.

I keep seeing stuff that's anywhere between borderline-unethical and inarguably-unethical-bordering-on-illegal.

An example I saw today was for a back-end developer. They didn't outright say it, but I got the impression they're building an "AI" model, or possibly selling training material to those that do. The "must-haves" for the position included wording to the effect of "extensive experience defeating anti-scraping measures".

Twenty years ago, that posting would have been on the dark web; actively working to defeat website operators / content owners protections of their web content? And today, that's just perfectly fine to put in a listing on a major job site?

Have the ethics of my industry slipped into the sewer in the last five years, and I just didn't notice until now?

#software #engineering #ethics #SoftwareEngineering #SoftwareEthics #job #posting #JobPosting #unethical

🤔 Are you a satisfied user of closed-source, non-free software? Would you consider advocating for such software? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Why or why not? #TechDebate #SoftwareEthics

Liebe Microsoft-Fans,

ich habe schon häufiger die hypothetische Frage gestellt:
"Was müsste Microsoft tun, wo für Euch eine Grenze überschritten ist, dass Ihr es nicht mehr ok findet?
Was wäre z.B., wenn Microsoft alle Tastatureingaben aufzeichnet und an MS-Server schickt?"

Jetzt geht Microsoft sogar soweit und macht alle 5 Sekunden Screenshots. Ist die Grenze jetzt überschritten?

#Microsoft #SoftwareEthics #EthicalComputing

Liebe Microsoft-Fans,

ich habe schon häufiger die hypothetische Frage gestellt:
"Was müsste Microsoft tun, wo für Euch eine Grenze überschritten ist, dass Ihr es nicht mehr ok findet?
Was wäre z.B., wenn Microsoft alle Tastatureingaben aufzeichnet und an MS-Server schickt?"

Jetzt geht Microsoft sogar soweit und macht alle 5 Sekunden Screenshots. Ist die Grenze jetzt überschritten?

#Microsoft #SoftwareEthics #EthicalComputing

"Desarrollador de libfoo obtiene salario retroactivo, indefinido de gracia de RedHat, OMS, Naciones Unidas, por esforzadamente mantener componente de 200 líneas que mantiene la economía del mundo occidental."

(Ver: https://xkcd.com/2347/ )

#xkcd #SoftwareEthics

(4/)

"Developer of libfoo awarded retroactive, lifetime grace salary by RedHat, WTO, UN for thanklessly maintaining 200 LOC component that sustains the entire Western world economy."

(See: https://xkcd.com/2347/ )

#AU #xkcd #SoftwareEthics

(4/)

I am reading the recently released #TheASF Generative Tooling Guidance (https://www.apache.org/legal/generative-tooling.html) and wondering how other organizations and projects approach this problem.

Are there any #FOSS / #OpenSource folks on Fediverse that can shed some light on that? TIA

#GenerativeAI #ChatGPT #SoftwareEthics

Developers should consider the potential harm of their AI creations from the very beginning and implement mitigation measures during development.

Leslie Miley - Technical Advisor to the CTO at Microsoft - discusses the responsibilities of developers, tech companies, and individuals in ensuring a more responsible & ethical approach to #AI development.

🎧 Listen to the #InfoQ #podcast: https://bit.ly/3HG9eNz

#transcript included

#SustainableComputing #SoftwareEthics

Developers should consider the potential harm of their AI creations from the very beginning and implement mitigation measures during development.

Leslie Miley - Technical Advisor to the CTO at Microsoft - discusses the responsibilities of developers, tech companies, and individuals in ensuring a more responsible & ethical approach to #AI development.

🎧 Listen to the #InfoQ #podcast: https://bit.ly/3HG9eNz

#transcript included

#SustainableComputing #SoftwareEthics