Notes by Axbom

Per Axbom

Getting real about technology…

Stockholm, Sweden

Per Axbom Twitter

Categorizing vulnerable people is always, and should be, a sensitive subject. My intent in doing it is to bring disadvantaged groups to the attention of people building things so that they may become better at assessing impact and managing risk. »

A word that is troublesome and has a ring of falsehood to it, is "minority". I am now looking for better words. For example, in a list of vulnerable groups, under the heading "Who?" I may say "Gender disadvantaged".

I am well aware that minority does not truly refer to numerical minority, but to a social minority, lacking in major positions of social power. The word minority however itself brings connotations of "less" that I wish to avoid.

I am hugely grateful for any input you may have on the subject and specifically on avoiding the word minority and thoughts on various alternatives. 🙏

🔗 Originally posted on Twitter

Per Axbom Twitter

Still on my mind is @gitta reminding me yesterday how much we are training our brains to read short snippets of information and then move on, increasing the effort required to read long texts. My intent is to practice the latter, which is why I prefer reading paper books again.

I was just reading an article with a researcher saying how she is noticing how an increasing number of students seem to lack the stamina required to read and write long texts. Anecdotal, yes, but worthy as an artefact for assessing risks.

I enjoyed this article from @sciam [Scientific American], reminding us of how physical books give content shapes, something that can aid memory and recall but is not present in e-books. scientificamerican.com/article/readin…

🔗 Originally posted on Twitter