Several times this year we’ve heard messages of social responsibility directed towards developers, issued from the stages of conference keynotes.<\/p>\n
\n “The opportunity for us as developers to have broad, deep impact on all parts of society and all parts of the economy has never been greater. With this enormous opportunity, I believe, comes enormous responsibility.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
- Satya Nadella<\/em> (Microsoft Build 2017<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n “We think this is the best time in history to be a developer. Our craft is respected, our work has been elevated, and we’re in an era of rising demand. This is our time. … As much as it is our time, the stakes are high. We have responsibilities to our craft, to each other, and to the world that developers never had before.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
- Sam Ramji<\/em> (Google Next 2017<\/a>)<\/p>\n
As we become increasingly reliant on technology across increasingly broad swaths of society, the people that create these technologies play increasingly impactful roles. Vendors themselves carry responsibility for producing secure, well-designed products. However, the tools themselves account for only a portion of the societal impact. The developers and operators that write, maintain, and implement code using these tools share in the obligation to build thoughtful, responsible systems. It is notable to watch vendors share this biblical\/Churchillian\/Spider-Man<\/a> philosophy with their developer communities.<\/p>\n