RESEARCH and ETHICAL/CREATIVE/CRITICAL PRACTICE

 


Big Tech and Housing Sustainability
Foundations of Information  INFO-601

Foundations of Information introduces the idea that information science is not just about books and libraries.  Information collection, dissemination and access is an intrinsic part of life and exponentially becoming evermore present in modern life.  Information has to do with learning, privacy, working, computerization and entertainment to name but a few.  In this class we were tasked with expanding our understanding that information is not just about libraries and archives.  

This paper is an example of both the Research, and Ethical/Creative/Critical Practice student learning outcomes.  In this paper I researched how the presence, and business tactics of Big Tech companies have resulted in the loss of affordable housing in cities in the United States.  While researching this paper I found information about the technology industry in several cities including New York, Alexandria, Nashville and in Naples, Italy and, Toronto, Canada, and its negative impact on housing and affordability.   

I was influenced by the work of Salvatore Settis's book If Venice Dies.  I became interested in his work because Dr. Rabina assigned another one of his articles about architecture for the class.  I was intrigued by his idea that people have a right to their city and that without the citizens who live, work and create the vibe of that city, there will be no modern civilization.  Venice is a tragic example for Settis because so many Venetians can no longer live in the place where they may have called home for generations. 

This made me think of the ethical questions many of us have about Big Tech and Big Data.  How much information is too much? How comfortable are we with ceding so much of our identities to companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon?  How much do we want to give up in order to be in this modern life?  I addressed these questions and wonder why Big Tech doesn't realize how much they need us.

Big Tech and Housing Sustainability

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