Frustrated With Silicon Valley? NYC Calls

Andrew Rasiej, founder of Personal Democracy Forum and Civic Hall, long time activist and civic tech evangelist, sparks an important debate by putting ... one billboard on Route 101 in Palo Alto.

It says:

"I am frustrated as #%*&! in Silicon Valley. WeWantYouIn.nyc" and then more we find on the website:

For many of us who have been working in the field for a long time, it now feels like the promise of the Internet era to create a more open, connected, and equitable society is slipping away. In the pursuit of the next big thing, important human values have been subordinated to speed, profits, and market domination. Data are being collected on people without their consent. Fake news, insults, and prejudice are prevalent and amplified on social media. Many of the technologies being developed are designed to kidnap our—and our kids’—attention, only to maximize profits. 

Valley can be criticised for many things and fairly it was in last years. And we keep seeing the frustration growing on many levels. But Rasiej brings up the important one—ethics and morality of technology. When SV is associated with moneymaking startups, Rasiej positions NYC to be something fresh, deeper and more 360 when thinking about doing technology. 

In the New York City technology community, we believe we have the ingredients necessary to redirect tech’s trajectory towards the positive and help change the culture of technology innovation to be more empathetic, equitable, and inclusive. 

Fair to say, looking at results, that it did spark debate (Wired and ABC News both covered it)—and now we wait for the second billboard to be put in two weeks. You can add your ideas here.