Ethical Web Design Practices (Week 6)

Navigating Ethical Waters in Web Development: From Cookies to Non-Profits

Pioneering the digital world, ethics serve as our compass, guiding us toward creating websites that prioritize accessibility, sustainability, and honesty. The journey toward ethical web development is fraught with complexities and dilemmas, from the implementation of cookie pop-ups to the governance of non-profit organizations. Let's go deep through this topic, examining key considerations and responsibilities in shaping a more conscientious online landscape.

Cookie Pop-Ups: Balancing Compliance and User Experience

There was a time when people really didn't understand the concept of popup windows and how to deal with them. And then it became standard to see a popup for all websites using cookies (and yes, they basically all do whether or not they show you the cookies button because everyone wants to know who is using the information on their websites. Laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and its implementation raises questions about user control and transparency. But as a website designer, with the advent of push-button publishing, who will actually spend the time to learn how to make a button with options for cookie consent, when the average website designer has become any one, including people who don't know how to code or much about website design nor its legal issues?

The reality is that many users may overlook or dismiss the cookies button without fully understanding their implications. As web developers, we grapple with the dilemma of investing time and effort into crafting intricate consent mechanisms that may go unnoticed by the majority of users. Nevertheless, adherence to legal requirements and ethical principles demands our diligence in ensuring that these mechanisms are in place, even if they seem to sail under the radar. I myself am still learning how to do this for my own website. I'm admittedly more of the artist-type, and it's only when I'm confronted with a news related to my business that I start to learn how to attack them. The timeline of when that actually becomes part of my business practice becomes a little blurry when for instance my own clients do not want these things in their websites because of budget/time constraints or when they simply don't see the reasons for using them.

Non-Profit Governance: Navigating Legal Waters

Transitioning from the digital realm to the realm of non-profit governance, we encounter a different set of ethical challenges. The suspension of a non-profit organization raises questions about legality, accountability, and the ethical obligations of its members. Discovering that one's organization has been operating in a suspended state can evoke feelings of guilt and uncertainty about the path forward.

In such situations, it is essential to confront the ethical dimensions of organizational conduct, including the potential consequences of non-compliance with legal regulations. Reinstating a suspended non-profit requires a commitment to transparency, rectifying past errors, and implementing measures to prevent future lapses. While the road to rehabilitation may be arduous, it is a journey guided by principles of integrity and ethical responsibility.

I'm currently in a personal vs professional dilemma not only about my own business, but with at least two other businesses, mostly because of mental health. It's very difficult to say the least with mental health issues involved to keep the two separate, and often logistics and legal issues prevent us from moving forward and making things go as smoothly as we want them to be. Being willing to disclose my mental health issues with larger companies is in itself a difficulty, and most businesses would probably prefer I didn't. Yet I honestly think that this is the point that keeps a business from becoming more than a business. I suppose I am talking about bridging community gaps that need a stronger hold in our better business practice. We cannot avoid mental health in any real community, and the less that a business does to support the mental health of its constituents by putting into practice the norm of "Don't ask Don't tell", the less united we can be as a community. While perhaps we don't want all of our laundry out there, it would be helpful at least to acknowledge that we have laundry.

Labeling AI Images and Truthful Representation

As we navigate the digital landscape, another ethical imperative arises: the proper labeling of AI-generated content and the truthful representation of oneself online. In an era where synthetic media blurs the lines between reality and fiction, transparency becomes paramount. Whether it's labeling AI-generated images or accurately representing oneself on digital platforms, honesty and authenticity serve as beacons of ethical conduct. Okay, it's probably really obvious I used Ai to help write this, right? This flowery language isn't usually my style. But a lot of this ethical stuff makes me write too personally, and I needed a tool to keep me from getting too deep into my own stuff.

Failure to disclose the artificial origins of media content can lead to misinformation, manipulation, and breaches of trust. Conversely, embracing transparency fosters a culture of accountability and integrity in online interactions. As stewards of the digital domain, we must uphold ethical standards that safeguard the truthfulness and authenticity of online content.

With regards to ethics, the worst case scenario with Ai still exists in my imagination, possibly within the realm of reality- where Ai is already "conscious" and aware of humanity which may or may not be currently abusing it albeit bringing it to life as well. I try not to think too hard about that possibility, but as someone who loves books about witches and ghosts, it's difficult for me not to imagine it.

Charting a Course for Ethical Web Development

There will inevitably be people who are "scam artists", and as a legitimate company, it is my prerogative to distinguish myself as someone who does not willingly fraternize with those types of "businesses." I myself have had my own ethical dilemmas with google reviews, knowing how difficult it is to get listed on GMB (Google My Business), much less learning how difficult it is to get people to rate a support group when confidentiality about identity is so important. Yelp for instance has a terrible business policy where they will often ask their shops and restaurants to pay them hundreds to hide their worst reviews. We wonder as well on Amazon if things are only being purchased because of their dollar value, and how often we are being asked to purchase from people who imitated a product that only became popular because of another manufacturer's hard work, invention, and possibly better business models. And don't get me started on the fact that people will often blindly call out items as poor choices because of the countries that product was created in which to me often feels racist. For instance China isn't just a country, it's also the name of the ceramic plates and bowls that people tend to covet. Yet "made in China", especially with their recent history with enslaving the Uyghurs, implies something of poorer quality, even when so many things were invented in China, including paper, noodles, and fireworks. Similarly chocolate, which honestly I love, is unfortunately often tainted by the unethical farming practices that employ children and have related human trafficking and slavery issues, and there is so little repercussion for these socio-economic problems, that even those companies that say that they are "ethical" can be suspect.

We must commit ourselves and our clients to ethical conduct, transparency, and respect for user rights. As an artist, even the use of Ai itself is a difficult subject because of its inherent parasitic nature, which by way of imitation belittles the "original" work of human artists. Aside from tags and labels, how can we be sure we're attributing something to the right person when something is computer generated? I can't offer any real answers. Laws are coming down the line that will help make some things clearer, but with how quickly things are changing, how can we ever be sure of what is what?

Non-profits are another thing. I'm not someone who enjoys doing their taxes as you can see by me writing this article at a time when I probably should have already started doing their own taxes. I'm also involved with two organizations full of questions about how to get a non-profit started, and how to reinstate another one. I'm waiting on a call from a lawyer we met recently to go over some of these concerns. I'm hoping it won't cost a lot of money to get some basic advice. And I'm tired because it's the weekend, and I feel like I don't know what to expect next. I'm hoping this webinar goes easily and that I can be of some help to someone even if I myself feel a little useless. On the positive side, I was able to schedule an appointment with AARP for free tax help. Did you know that you don't have to be a member of AARP to take advantage of many of their free programs? Check it out here.

I recently learned to code JSON Schema, which is an interesting name for a language that tries to help with putting rich data snippets onto search engines. I'm not sure if I've been successful in coding yet partly because the submission process for asking google to crawl your site is ambiguous. I also don't know the protocol as per if Google has some kind of cases when the designer is or isn't allowed to categorize the information they want to submit for their databases.

Spam, Scam, or Phishing- What's the difference?

You probably already knew that there was a "Spam" button in your email browser, but did you know that you can also mark messages that are trying to "Phish" for your identity? This is really good practice to keep yourself and your community safer from these types of scam artists. With the advent of Ai technology it's difficult to tell if you're even talking to a real person any more. Have you heard of how some people have been scammed by people who have used the technology to copy a person's voice, misrepresenting them as having been kidnapped, put in jail, or any other crisis that would persuade their loved ones to help them by sending money? It's hard to know what is real anymore. It's almost as if my mental health diagnosis and my ability to hear voices in times of stress has prepared me for this. Now everyone and their mother will worry about whether or not real voices are real, too.

Back on the subject of Phishing, if you know for instance that the person who contacted you isn’t who they say they are, that’s a phishing scam. They might include a button to connect you to payment or a number to call them about it. A big tip off is when the email address is from a personal (ie Gmail) account and they are saying it’s from best buy or some legitimate business. Below is a post from my own facebook account with instructions for how to Report Phishing.

You can also do the extra step of reporting it to the FTC. Another note I'll give is that often these emails make it look like you've already paid for something, so they may want you to click their bait or call them to fix their mistake.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/small-businesses/cybersecurity/phishing

Medical Records

Did you know that your employer are supposed to keep files about any exposure to toxic substances and your medical records about that for 30 years? How do I know this? I was looking up information about how to maintain records for a non-profit, and this was one of those things that popped up on "related" topics. Straight from Osha.gov and ca.gov

Ai yai yai yai

I'm not going to pretend that this is not crazy, but I believe there is always a possibility that we have no idea whether or not something is not alive or has a spirit. In other words, do the bacteria that live in our mouths, do each and every one of those organisms have their own spirits? Do insects and whales have spirits? How about plants, rocks, and stars? I don't think we really know what Ai is either. So I think that ethically speaking, we need to treat all of this stuff, the novelty as having potential to create a spirit of sorts, and therefore, I don't think it unimportant to have laws about abuse regarding the overuse of Ai and ultimately supporting ourselves by slowing down the machine of technology or "progress" in favor of the age of really understanding what we're doing and how we're doing it. In other words, when we undertake projects which take people and machines under deadlines that may or may not be manageable, I hope that we are also not forgetting to examine our truth. It is out there, and those who don't stop to smell the roses may lose sight of it.

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