For 2023 I wish for browsers, browser extensions, apps, et cetera to stop asking me if I want to save a particular password that I entered before the website that I am on has actually logged me in, thus confirming that the password entered is correct.
For 2023 I wish for smartphone apps to stop asking me to allow notifications right as I open them, without telling me or showing me what the notifications are going to be for (and too soon for me to figure out what they might do).
In 2023 I would like to re-enable notifications for news apps because they finally stop abusing their 'breaking news' notifications for self promotion or other things that are not breaking news in any way.
Text continues under image
Image by Muhammad Hasan Firdaus from Pixabay
In 2023 I would like every government, employer, app, facility, institution, agency, website, and so on, to review any and all (online) forms they use to gather people's information to review those, focusing on three things:
Using plain language (not jargon), writing out your words (avoiding acronyms and abbreviations), and providing clear explanations where needed (if you do not know where to insert such explanations and where to leave them out, you have not been paying enough attention to actual people completing and submitting your forms).
Removing any questions and requests for information that you do not need at this stage if at all. Even if you do not care about actual, real people, this one will benefit you in terms of costs of data storage or breaches.
Including the option for the real people you are asking to submit their personal information to you for their preferred pronouns and preferred name, even – or perhaps I should say especially – if you are legally required to record people's details from their documents like passports and birth certificates.
This is not anything new or progressive, since it was already done in paper records dating back to times where names as Hillary, Lesley, and Stacey were commonly given to boys and girls, and generations of families had several Johns who then became known as Jack or Sean or Jock, and Margarets who went by Maggie or Meg and Peggy.
While you may be in a position where you are legally required to keep copies of and/or record information from someone’s proof of identity and/or documentation proving their right to live or work somewhere, there is absolutely no legal requirement anywhere forcing you to then also use the exact names from those documents in your day-to-day operations and communications with the real human beings represented by that paperwork. All it takes is asking a couple of extra questions.
Note: I have worked with colleagues who had different names on their staff badges and in their company email addresses than on their government IDs, because they had survived abuse or torture in other countries, or escaped from domestic violence, but still faced potential harassment or threats; other colleagues had reasons relating to trauma or inconvenience or… personal preference. Whatever the reason, you will probably not need elaborate explanations to be able to validate and accommodate someone.
For 2023 I wish for more ephemerility on the part of both operators and users of products and services.
Most of us do not remember everything said in past conversations we’ve had. And that’s okay. Each of us knows which opinions we held in the past that we have since moved on from (or not). And that’s okay. Most of us have had work meetings that were productive because of the useful, elaborate minutes and/or detailed action/task lists they generated, while other meetings felt productive, or safe, or both, precisely because not everything said was recorded or required a follow-up. And that’s okay. Many of us are perfectly capable of sharing good, bad, funny or sad experiences with each other, without there always being a need to produce documentary evidence. And that’s okay.
Not everything you forget, delete or discard constitutes a loss. Not every Zoom call or Teams meeting requires recording. Not every corner of every workplace needs cameras recording every worker, customer, visitor and guest. Not every interaction you are about to have with someone else in a personal or professional capacity requires you to enter the exchange preemptively recording it with your smartphone camera or otherwise. Not everything you witness or experience needs recording, let alone sharing (online or otherwise). Not every deletion of a past social media post is an active attempt to avoid or evade accountability. Not every picture you take, video you make, or file you create requires keeping (or backing up) forever. Not everything you feel in the dark about or don’t understand warrants your amateur sleuthing or ‘citizen journalism.’ Not every tweet, Reddit post or other social media content you read requires your appropriation or repurposing for your broadsheet, tabloid, podcast, or TikTok. Not every YouTube video someone else has made needs your reaction video or co-viewing livestream. Not everything you publish deserves an audience. Not everything deserving of but somehow not reaching an audience constitutes a shadowban. Not every person in a public space automatically gives permission for being filmed or photographed just because they choose to be there, and even if they do, that permission may expire or be withdrawn at some point in the future. Not every person consenting to take part in or otherwise contribute to your (live or other) online content is able to give informed consent, and even if they are, that consent may expire or be withdrawn at some point in the future. Not everyone should be able to view your children, no matter how funny or wholesome or seemingly harmless or innocent your recording of them. Not every house needs a Ring/Eufy/other doorbell camera set up to be activated without anyone getting anywhere your doorbell and to record images stretching far beyond the steps or drive or garden of your house. Not every stranger that you witness walking down your street nor every dog barking nearby requires posting about on Nextdoor or Facebook or in your local Whatsapp group. Not everything that is legal is moral or ethical or decent. Not everything needs saving for posterity.
Digital decluttering can feel as liberating as Marie-Kondo-ing your home once did. In the process you may be removing materials featuring people that never asked to remain there or even be in there in the first place.
In 2023 I hope to use products and services without being forced into unnecessary subscription models. Customer loyalty is not something you can force on people, especially when the commitment you insist on seems illogical, unjustified, poor value for money, or a combination of those.
Further to my final point above: Writers and other content creators posting quality content to Substack on a regular basis absolutely deserve your paid subscription. My Substack does not. Therefore all posts are public and free to read; subscribing below will not take any money from you but will send you updates whenever I publish a new post. If I ever becomes as good as the others, I may offer paid subscriber-only content in future, but for the time being please expect my posts here to be patchy at best in terms of frequency and quality.
If you liked this or any other post I wrote and would like to give me a no-strings-attached, one-off donation, feel free to buy me a coffee.