Current Focus: Disinformation and Trust

I've decided to focus on a huge problem in the next phase of my work. The problem of Disinformation versus the promise of Trust.

The rise of social media as the dominant source of news for many people, and as the growth medium for memes, has led to a vast decline in objective reality and sensible engagement. I'll be writing about some of the proof points for that assertion later. But for now, take that as the "Why".

I am continuing some of the work that I began in 2004 working on trusted web portals, picked up in 2013 working on Gmail Spam and Abuse prevention, and thought about delving into before coming to DataStax.

With the Generative AI explosion, I am even more deeply concerned about the torrent of exploitation which our tech industry has enabled, even as we’ve delivered lots of change for the better.

Simply put, we have to build Trust into the Internet. I am dedicating my work energy to making that happen

What might this involve? There are many different pieces.

First, there's Content Authenticity - think "CallerId for Content". How can I see where something I'm looking at came from?

Second, there's Identity - think "reputation, verified sender, certified professional". How can I trust the creator(s).

Third, there's Detection - think "Spam Filter for everything". What protects us from abusive and disinformative posts?

Fourth, there's Engagement Economics - think "clickbait". How do we change the underlying incentives away from fight or flight creating sensationalism?

Fifth, there's Advocacy and Regulation - think "oversight". What part does governance have to plan in transforming the Internet?

Finally, there's Infrastructure - think "trust by design". How can we rebuild the Internet from the bottom up to have trust at its core?

I'm researching all of these, and will be sharing thoughts, conclusions and details as I learn more.

Professional Background

I've been a software geek since the early days, and have been lucky to be well placed to see the rise of the Geeks from backoffice to center stage.

Since mid-2020, I've been leading Developer Experience at DataStax, helping DataStax to "get" developers. I've led Developer Relations and Product Management through the transition from self-managed to Cloud and self-service.

Between 2013 and 2019, I spent six years at Google, working as Lead Product Manager on Gmail, Google Play Services, and Cloud DevOps.

I began my career with ten formative years at Microsoft, growing up with the company from 1986 to 1996.

I was lucky to be a key member of the management team which led Visual C++ releases 1.0 through 4.0, setting the stage for Visual Studio. My final job at Microsoft was as Business Unit Manager of the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).

In between those two behemoths, I was a consultant to many software companies, working on strategy development, leadership development, strategic alignment, and executive teamwork ("The Art of Work"). I also practiced what I preached as a principal within several start-ups, including the NRG Group, Apex Nanotechnologies, Zazengo, and Glooey.

I've been told that I am a unique blend of strategist, technologist and psychologist, who inspires cold hard reasoning backed with passionate commitment.

I blog about Product Management, Developer Relations, Leadership, and Tech at TheArtofWork.com.