Designing better conversations online

Automattic, MIT Center for Civic Media, and The Mash-Up Americans have been working together to have honest dialogues, build empathy, and help make the world a more inclusive and compassionate place. So far, we’ve laid out the problem and explored our assumptions. In this, our third Design and Exclusion conversation, it’s time to talk about how we engage with one another online.

We each spend increasing time online talking, sharing pictures, stories, and memories with others, but it’s not often that we consider how many well- and ill-meaning strangers around the world can access this information. If you’re like most folks, you avoid thinking about it because it can be terrifying. Thankfully there are people who choose to spend their time considering how to improve online dialogues and community. We were able to bring a few of these trailblazers together for a discussion.

In this conversation, Aminatou Sow, co-founder of Tech LadyMafia and co-host of Call Your Girlfriend, is moderating a great discussion between Ethan Zuckerman, Director of the MIT Center for Civic Media and Erin McKean, founder of Wordnik, the largest online dictionary. Our host, Amy S. Choi, will kick things off by introducing a few designers to share their personal social media policies and where they draw the line on what and when to share. Listen below (full transcript).