6.13.20

I’ve been pretty depressed this week. And it has impacted my focus and output. At the beginning of all this, my job being stable was a blessing. But this week it began to feel wrong. That I could be so stable and unchanged while everything around me is in chaos.

I knew we lived in a deeply racist country. I knew black people were being killed disproportionately by the police. I knew these things and I’ve always hated these things. But knowing isn’t enough. Their efforts to make people understand are working, at least on me. I’m actually hearing them now, not just knowing it. I am now outraged and upset like I should have been.

In addition to dealing with this centuries old embarrassment, we are also responding terribly to a health crisis where tens of thousands of people are dying specifically because of our how our country decided to react at the highest and lowest levels. Not just our lackluster leaders but individuals too, we’ve botched the whole thing.

Yet in the midst of both of these unfolding, the stock market is at an all time high and there are some people saying we’ve handled things better than anyone else, that rule and law are paramount, etc. I feel so confused and dismayed by how looking at current events there are people who can see the world this differently from me. That they think the biggest problem is people pointing at the problems. And here’s me, just sitting in my house, safe, stable, and writing code…

But Joe reminded me of our mission. He reminded me of the internet’s role in all this. How powerful the internet has been for both good and bad through these challenges. The internet is one of the most important creations if not the crowning achievement of humanity. And like most things humanity has created, the internet is a reflection of ourselves. But that reflection is incomplete as long as a privileged few are the only ones able to contribute to it, build it, steer its course. Like most institutions it is possible to look at the internet and not see yourself. Universe as an idea exists to correct this. When we say the internet is better when everyone is part of it, we mean it. And everyone can’t be part of it until everyone can build it. Because we as the privileged few can’t represent everyone, they need their own voice.

It can be challenging to connect writing a line of code today to that mission. And thats been my challenge this week. Why does my work on a version control system matter when what the world needs is people fighting for equality or healing the sick? But building something important takes time and unglamorous work. The investment we put into making our tool more reliable, more powerful, and more forgiving means the barrier has been lowered. More people will be able to put their voice on the internet because of this small piece of work.

I needed this realignment this week. I thought I’d share it incase any of you needed to hear it too.