[ad_1]
Alexis Gauba is co-founder of she256, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity and breaking down barriers to entry into the blockchain space, and Mechanism Labs, which is conducting blockchain-based search in distributed consent domains, scalability and usability.
The following is an exclusive contribution for the 2018 year of CoinDesk under consideration.
Blockchain technology has challenged the rules and pushed the boundaries since its inception and 2018 was no different. We have seen a selection of projects on frontiers at the forefront, to unlock ideas that did not exist before and actions that were not possible before.
This struck me personally. When I entered the space, I was not only fascinated by technological challenges, but I was also ideologically attracted by these great ideas of transformational change. This was not simply a subfield of computer science, but a generational movement.
In all this, however, it is essential to take a step back and also consider the broader implications of what we are building. More and more we are asking, who can really benefit from these technologies? Who are we building this future for? And more often than not, these potential user groups come from all walks of life.
Does this make sense. This space is driven by an ethos to allow people to take actions that were not able before, to allow freedom and financial autonomy based on global governance, to build choices where there could have been a single monopolistic option
We are still so early in this process of understanding the best ways to implement these technologies to positively influence the different groups. The fact is that we will never get there if we build in silos.
If we want this technology to be our financial and governance-based future, it is critical that those who build these technologies are representative of the global and diverse population they need to serve.
Recognize the problem
However, the diversity gap in technology is widespread. And this does not exclude this space. It is important to recognize this and take concrete steps to close the gap.
Coherent reminders to take actionable measures are important. Take this as another – what can you do in your community or workplace to break down barriers, educate, foster growth?
Going further, a large majority of the population does not understand blockchain technology.
Now we are still early, but if this technology wants to reach a point where it can have an impact on this scale, it is crucial to bring more people and develop real understanding. And this is not just technologists, it is necessary for lawyers, designers, economists, politicians and others to be well informed and deeply involved.
The nice thing about this space, though, is that because it's still in its infancy, we have the opportunity to create a precedent right now, to build diversity and inclusion as a priority and value from the beginning. And there are people who do an extraordinary job while giving active priority to these values.
But we still have a way to go. We can do better We can set up a different set of rules if we consciously make an effort.
A firmer decision
A key lock on both fronts is the high barrier to entry. Sometimes we want to abstract "the blockchain", but if we want a global participation in the governance processes and contribution to projects, it is necessary to build bridges and to welcome members with open arms.
In order to reduce barriers, we can prioritize friendly resources for beginners, use clear abstractions and communications, consciously document our open source projects in an understandable way, collaborate to discuss standards and more.
It begins with the construction of a culture, in the workplace, which promotes mentoring and education. We can think about where we make decisions and discuss problems. If we want people to participate, are they aware of it? If so, how can we bring them? Passively hoping that populations that do not contribute in any way will come together will not work.
We need to make it easy, to reach and to be encouraging and welcoming. We need to collaborate and share what we are doing in our workplaces and communities to empower others and hopefully inspire more people to do the same.
Equally as important as laying the groundwork for the next generation of these technologies are the people who lay these foundations. Let's continue the conversation. We act.
Image through CoinDesk archives
[ad_2]Source link
