Software design has informed the way we think about the world and, in turn, how we contribute to the world as well. For hundreds of millions (perhaps billions) of people, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, WhatsApp, Twitter, Quora, TikTok, and others are a means of access and contribution to society. Of course, some users contribute to their communities more than others, but fundamentally, they are utilizing the same technology channels.
Both Pope Francis and Alex Jones use Facebook to communicate with their communities, albeit for very different ends, but the utilization of the software features is equal. How software and platforms are used as a vehicle for communication is then transferred to its users with little to no oversight or moderation. As software designers, we typically don't want to restrict our users from using our solutions; however, if a software team is finding that users are abusing our platforms...