Dec 5, 2022What if failure is the plan?I’ve been thinking a lot about failure lately. Failure comes in many forms, but I’m especially interested in situations in which people *perceive* something as failing (or about to fail) and the contestations over failure that often arise in such situations. Given this, it’s hard not to be fascinated by…Twitter14 min readTwitter14 min read
Nov 8, 2022CFP: The Politics of Data and Quantification in the Public Sector2023 American Sociology Association / Science, Knowledge, and Technology Section Organizers: danah boyd, Microsoft Research Chuncheng Liu, UC San Diego Governments around the world leverage data and statistics to legitimize themselves and shape public policy. There is robust literature looking backward at statistics and state-building. However, the new politics of…Sociology2 min readSociology2 min read
Published in Data & Society: Points·Oct 4, 2022Here’s a Toast…Marking exactly ten years since I put pen to paper to envision Data & Society, I have decided to step down from its board of directors in March 2023 and join the organization’s advisory group. — In early March of 2013, I schemed a crazy scheme — one that would evolve into Data & Society, an amazing organization filled with brilliant people doing important work. Since then, I have played many roles in the organization. Event planner. Fundraiser. IKEA chair builder. Research coordinator. …Danah Boyd4 min readDanah Boyd4 min read
Dec 1, 2021Statistical Imaginaries: An Ode to Responsible Data ScienceThis text was first presented as a talk at the 2021 Microsoft Research Summit. If you would prefer to watch the talk, you may do so here. Three hundred thirty one million, four hundred forty nine thousand, two hundred and eighty one. According to the US Census Bureau, that is…19 min read19 min read
Oct 29, 2021In the Pursuit of Knowledge, There Be DragonsThis is a talk script from my keynote at IEEE Vis 2021. Good afternoon! I’m honored to be here today, speaking with you, in no small part because you have given me the opportunity to try to connect disparate parts of my career together into a coherent message. I started…Data Science15 min readData Science15 min read
May 20, 2021Knitting a Healthy Social Fabric.Many people see the roots of polarization and hate in the information ecosystem in which we are embedded. This leads us to conversations about disinformation, platform power, and the politics of speech. I see the roots differently. In my mind, polarization and hate are expressions of a fractured social graph…Society29 min readSociety29 min read
Dec 15, 2020The US Federal Government Needs a VP of Engineering, not a CTOIf you look at the roster of the Biden-Harris transition team, it’s quickly apparent that the incoming administration is tech-forward. Given the systematic dismantlement of the federal government over the last four years, and the significant logistical and scientific needs underpinning a large-scale vaccine roll-out, it is unsurprising to hear…Technology10 min readTechnology10 min read
Published in OneZero·Apr 14, 2020Teens Are Addicted to Socializing, Not ScreensScreenagers in the time of coronavirus — If you’re a parent trying to corral your children into attending “school” online, you’ve probably had the joy of witnessing a complete meltdown. Tantrums are no longer the domain of two-year-olds; 15-year-olds are also kicking and screaming. Needless to say, so are the fortysomethings. Children are begging to go outside…Technology4 min readTechnology4 min read
Published in OneZero·Sep 13, 2019Facing the Great Reckoning Head-On‘I benefited from the generosity of men who tolerated and, in effect, enabled unethical, immoral, and criminal men.’ — Last night, I was honored by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Alongside Oakland Privacy and William Gibson, I received a 2019 Barlow/Pioneer Award. I was asked to give a speech. As I reflected on what got me to this place, I realized I needed to reckon with how I have benefited…Sexual Assault9 min readSexual Assault9 min read
Published in Data & Society: Points·Apr 26, 2019Agnotology and Epistemological FragmentationOn April 17, 2019, Data & Society Founder and President danah boyd gave a talk at the Digital Public Library of America conference (DPLAfest). This is the transcript of that talk. I love the librarian community. You all are deeply committed to producing, curating, and enabling access to knowledge. Many…Libraries8 min readLibraries8 min read
