David A. Banks is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Geography at University at Albany, SUNY.
He is co-chair of Theorizing the Web, editor-at-large for Real Life, co-editor of The Society Pages' Cyborgology, Associate Research Advisor at the Social Science Research Council, and He also does some research consulting.
David holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic institute and a B.A. in Urban Studies from New College of Florida.
This paper addresses the persistent problem that engineering education positions the engineering ... more This paper addresses the persistent problem that engineering education positions the engineering profession in neutral terms, placing moral weight not on the work of engineers but on the ad hoc uses of technical outcomes. We call this the “neutrality problem.” The problem plays out in common assumptions that, for instance, cars are only as violent as their users choose them to be, absolving engineers of moral responsibility for any socio-technical outcomes. The neutrality problem is not new; it has a long history of being challenged by critically engaged engineering educators. Based on interview data from undergraduate engineering students, we build on the work of these critical educators to argue for more nuanced understandings of how violence—at both interpersonal and structural levels—is conceived by activists and scholars. This work will help educators construct pathways for non-neutral engineering education.
This essay proposes that those seeking to build counter-power institutions and communities learn ... more This essay proposes that those seeking to build counter-power institutions and communities learn to think in terms of what I call " recursivity. " Recursivity is an anti-authoritarian metric that helps bring about a sensitivity to feedback loops at multiple levels of organization. I begin by describing how technological systems and the socioeconomic order co-constitute one-another around efficiency metrics. I then go on to define recursivity as social conditions that contain within them all of the parts and practices for their maturation and expansion, and show how organizations that demonstrate recursivity, like the historical English commons, have been marginalized or destroyed all together. Finally, I show how the
More than a semantic difference, investigating what it means to be online or offline shines light... more More than a semantic difference, investigating what it means to be online or offline shines light on the contours and configurations of digitally augmented life (Jurgenson, 2011). Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, this essay traces the origin of the terms online and offline to the early railroad industry where “the line” was a powerful orienting image. I propose that rather than an individual binary status; online/offline distinctions are more accurately described as a communal social relationship. This paper will argue that, rather than boycotts or similar market solutions, users are best served by following the historical example of railroads and fighting for democratized administrative control over networks.
Typically when we hear something has fallen to the “Tragedy of the Commons” we imagine a lack of ... more Typically when we hear something has fallen to the “Tragedy of the Commons” we imagine a lack of structure or regulation, when in fact the real tragedy that befell the English commons and similar institutions was one of too much control by too few people. How can we build new organizations that hold resources in common and what sorts of metrics can we use to measure our success?
This paper addresses the persistent problem that engineering education positions the engineering ... more This paper addresses the persistent problem that engineering education positions the engineering profession in neutral terms, placing moral weight not on the work of engineers but on the ad hoc uses of technical outcomes. We call this the “neutrality problem.” The problem plays out in common assumptions that, for instance, cars are only as violent as their users choose them to be, absolving engineers of moral responsibility for any socio-technical outcomes. The neutrality problem is not new; it has a long history of being challenged by critically engaged engineering educators. Based on interview data from undergraduate engineering students, we build on the work of these critical educators to argue for more nuanced understandings of how violence—at both interpersonal and structural levels—is conceived by activists and scholars. This work will help educators construct pathways for non-neutral engineering education.
This essay proposes that those seeking to build counter-power institutions and communities learn ... more This essay proposes that those seeking to build counter-power institutions and communities learn to think in terms of what I call " recursivity. " Recursivity is an anti-authoritarian metric that helps bring about a sensitivity to feedback loops at multiple levels of organization. I begin by describing how technological systems and the socioeconomic order co-constitute one-another around efficiency metrics. I then go on to define recursivity as social conditions that contain within them all of the parts and practices for their maturation and expansion, and show how organizations that demonstrate recursivity, like the historical English commons, have been marginalized or destroyed all together. Finally, I show how the
More than a semantic difference, investigating what it means to be online or offline shines light... more More than a semantic difference, investigating what it means to be online or offline shines light on the contours and configurations of digitally augmented life (Jurgenson, 2011). Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, this essay traces the origin of the terms online and offline to the early railroad industry where “the line” was a powerful orienting image. I propose that rather than an individual binary status; online/offline distinctions are more accurately described as a communal social relationship. This paper will argue that, rather than boycotts or similar market solutions, users are best served by following the historical example of railroads and fighting for democratized administrative control over networks.
Typically when we hear something has fallen to the “Tragedy of the Commons” we imagine a lack of ... more Typically when we hear something has fallen to the “Tragedy of the Commons” we imagine a lack of structure or regulation, when in fact the real tragedy that befell the English commons and similar institutions was one of too much control by too few people. How can we build new organizations that hold resources in common and what sorts of metrics can we use to measure our success?
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