Dear (m)otherboard friends,

Thanks to everyone who joined our inaugural “We Just Build Hammers” book club discussion Wednesday! We were so energized to have such an engaged and thoughtful group come together to explore Part I of Coraline Ada Ehmke’s new book.

Part I recap

Our conversation spanned many dimensions of tech ethics, from historical parallels to personal experiences of maintaining ethical agency in challenging environments. Here are a few standout moments and themes that emerged from our discussion:

Favorite tools and technologies. During intros, we shared an inspired range of favorite technologies and tools. This expansive understanding of what constitutes technology set a powerful historical tone for the conversation:

• Natural elements: fire, wind, the wheel, tree communication networks
• Tools: hammer, screwdriver, chisel
• Stories: pen and paper, language, pencil, writing and journaling
• Insulin pump
• Obsidian

On compartmentalization. Coraline shared a striking parallel between the Manhattan Project and today’s tech industry: “The Manhattan Project involved 100,000 workers, of whom about 100 knew it had something to do with atomic power, and of which about a dozen knew it was being worked toward a bomb... We see the same kind of compartmentalization in the tech industry today, with hyper-specialization.”

Negative roadmap. Coraline offered practical advice for maintaining ethical agency: “Recognize where you have agency and where you don’t... Something that everybody can do at all stages of their career is what I call a negative roadmap—write down a list of things that you will not, under any circumstances, do.”

Inner compass. Coraline reminded us of the importance of inner guidance: “Pay attention to that inner voice that tells you when something is right or wrong, and don't let them take that listening skill away from you.”

Ethical agency. One of our student participants, Isabella, shared how she maintains ethical agency despite limited power in her university: “I can’t go into a room with the president of my university and say, ‘Don’t do this.’ But what I can do is be active and use my voice. I can talk to people. I can spread the word. I can resist.”

Collective action. God(m)other Emily shared a powerful story about accidentally creating a whisper network in Hollywood that grew to include 5,000 women: “It was fascinating to literally witness how building community—a bunch of women who had no power in their roles... having tremendous power... the relational power that you can build is much stronger than what you imagined.”

Community. That echoed in what drew folks to our community: “Being a part of an incredibly smart, thoughtful, curious, and audacious group of thinkers talking about one of the most pervasive systems that runs our lives (TECH!) felt like I was right at home (see the whole thing on women, storytelling, ‘it all,’ etc. etc. etc.)...When you feel like you don’t know what to do, trust that community has the power to light the way.” – from Kacie on LinkedIn

Intergenerational discussion. “If [you’re] a digital native, I was trying to work out, would that make me a digital pre-Cambrian? Because, you know, I can say things like, ‘I remember when none of this was true.’” – Eric

What’s next

“We have to do the work…The thing that brings us all together right now is that each of us, in our own way, are doing the work, and that matters.” – Coraline

Continue to add to our shared notebook with your reflections and ideas. We’ve added a section where you can contribute to our collective “Ten Commandments” for the book club. What principles should guide our discussions?

For our next meeting on April 30 at 7 PM CT, we’ll be discussing Part II: The Parable of the Locksmith (Chapters 4-6).

And please, invite your friends and colleagues to join our next discussion! The more diverse perspectives we have, the richer our conversation will be. Who else would benefit from our burgeoning community?

Book club FOMO? It’s not too late! Join us for Part II and beyond by becoming a (m)otherboard sustaining member. Or sign up just for the book club sessions. 

Thank you again for your participation. This book club is a living example of what Coraline describes in her book—a community coming together to grapple with the ethical implications of technology across generations. As book club member Eric wisely noted, “You know what you do, but you don’t know what you do does.”

Looking forward to continuing this reading journey with you,
The God(m)others