Nick directed my attention to an interesting post this week by Jamais Cascio for Fast Company.

Cascio's point (qua APIs) is that "as tempting as it is to rely on well-structured tools to prevent disastrous outcomes, even the best tools are ultimately insufficient."

This conclusion is part of a larger argument, whose main premises most of us would endorse:

1. Widely available and transparent technology enables people to use it carelessly or maliciously for ends that aren't part of the set of intended uses for the technology. This can be dangerous in a variety of ways.
2. It's not a good idea (nor a feasible one) to just prohibit the development of these technologies.
3. While it is important that systems be designed to make problematic use difficult, this model doesn't prevent problematic behavior arising from "novel approaches, nor from abuses that fall within the system rules, but are still harmful."

Detail of Denial, Colette Calascione

Read More...