Stay Out of Jail
Platforms and Business Ethics
As another academic semester comes to a close and placement season starts at IBS Hyderabad, I would like to repost fantastic and practical suggestions from Wisława Szymborska- Polish poet, essayist, translator, and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature. Here are the important parts.
Regardless of the length of life
a résumé is best kept short.Concise, well-chosen facts are de rigueur.
Landscapes are replaced by addresses,
shaky memories give way to unshakable dates.Memberships in what but without why.
Honors, but not how they were earned.Write as if you’d never talked to yourself
and always kept yourself at arm’s length.‘Writing a Résumé’ – Wisława Szymborska
Platforms have transformed the world of work. I have written about Blue Collar Worker, Creative Class, and Work-Life Balance in previous editions. Do check them out.
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DTW
During the Week, India’s WinZO sued Google to stop its new gaming policy which it finds to be discriminatory to its interest in the mobile gaming space.
Even Space is not devoid of the perils of unethical practices. Of course, the perils of too many players some of them not-so-ethical have created problems of waste and trash even in space. Major Peake, the first British astronaut to walk in space, while giving evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee said
communications satellites vital to many aspects of modern life were all potentially in jeopardy from the "hundreds of thousands" of small pieces of debris travelling "exceptionally fast".
Social media platforms have tremendous negative externalities when they impose a tremendous mental cost on both users and sometime non-users. Troll accounts fuelled by the frenzy over even trivial issues bring venom and hatred irrespective of subject or individual.
Recent incidents and their flare-ups has also thrown the possibility of the polarizing impact of social networks. The Black Box Algorithms of search and social media are controlling what we read and watch. Are they bringing us together or pulling us apart? Are we creating Echo Chambers where there is no appreciation of diversity or difference of opinion? Even if it is not search and social, there is a constant flux of notifications prompting us to “do“ something or “buy” something thereby creating a steady stream of data for the platforms to be exchanged for even more engagement.
Content on platforms can be harmful through twin mechanisms of fraud and FOMO. Recent elections in the USA have brought out the power of social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in causing irreparable harm to public trust and peace. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) takes a toll on young minds and has led to multiple instances of physical harm. Young impressionable minds are following social media celebrities and attempting fatal stunts to garner social media attention. The issue of fake reviews has a troubling impact on the integrity and usefulness of platforms. Amazon etc have made numerous attempts to curb the fake reviews initiated by sellers and buyers on their platforms.
Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life and a secret life.
Gabriel García Márquez to his biographer Gerald Martin
Platforms have transformed our lives and removed the distinction between public, private and secret. And we have seen our private lives being broadcasted live on platforms and many companies like Google have become “Repository of Human Intentions” by tracking seemingly private life for their profits. The modern-day tech platforms have enabled new mechanisms of Seven Deadly Sins.
If you want to read how modern consumer technology is all good to society, then read this piece on seven heavenly virtues-
This has raised a lot of questions about the power of platforms in our day-to-day life, especially from a public life perspective. I have written about the power of platforms in democracy, nation-states, regulations, negative network externalities, brands, news media, and social good. I have tried to summarise some of the key learnings from previous posts to discuss the Platforms’ influence on our public life which can be visualized through the following graphical representation.
You can read more about the power of platforms in our daily lives in an earlier newsletter-
Caveat Emptor or Caveat Venditor- Most of the platforms convey the perception that they are free for the users and hence Good for ALL. I go by an adage that says- If you are getting it for free then you are the product.
OTW
Over the Weekend, I watched episodes of DropOut and felt the angst of whistleblowers working for unethical entrepreneurs/managers. One of the most important whistleblowers, Erica Cheung faces the dilemma of speaking up against the fraud or simply keeping her job. She ultimately answers the higher call and risks her career and life to expose the fraud at Theranos.
On a positive note, a couple of volunteers of the PBEL City Residents’ Association and PeeranCheruvu Runners organized a Blood Donation Camp to help Aarohi Blood Center work in supporting children with Thalassemia.
You might want to watch his short film shot at PBEL City featuring some of the residents to create awareness of Thalassemia. We would like to thank all donors, volunteers, and organisers who supported us In our efforts toward bringing dignity to Thalassemia Children.
Wishing you Happy Navratri and a blessed Festival Season.
I Love You
Shailendra
OTM
Opportunities through MountainSpeak are available for volunteering at Aarohi Blood Bank for social media and promotional partnerships. Please get in touch with Dhiraj Kaveri if you would like to contribute to their mission of “Bringing Dignity to Life of people by making Quality blood and blood products”.
AND if you want to spend less time explaining and more time learning, experimenting, and playing, you might want to try to use Float to share interactive walkthroughs for any website in seconds.
Float is an enterprise by IBS Hyderabad alumni Navdeep Yadav and latest of his initiatives after launching courses on skillshare and udemy.
Go ahead and give it a try.