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Some Code Isn’t Worth Writing
There’s a comfortable little lie software people like to tell themselves.
Michael Long6 min read·Just now--
And that lie is twofold: “It’s just code.” And, “We’re just building tools.”
No. Sometimes we’re just writing code and building tools.
But sometimes we’re building digital slot machines with better typography.
Sometimes we’re dressing up predatory payday loans with a new design language and rounded corners. Sometimes we’re enabling surveillance capitalism, conveniently connected to a mission statement about “connection”.
And sometimes we’re just capitalizing on human suffering and misery.
Let’s stop pretending the software industry is morally neutral.
The Players
DraftKings and their ilk don’t exist because humanity desperately needed a more elegant way to enjoy sports. They exist because turning every game, every play, every injury, and every halftime bathroom break into a betting opportunity is absurdly profitable.
Klarna and the rest of buy-now-pay-later finance folk aren’t “democratizing access.” They’re normalizing debt for people buying shoes, groceries, and making impulse purchases they probably shouldn’t be financing in the first place.
