Scrapbook 5 - CST 373

https://gizmodo.com/did-design-really-cause-hawaiis-ballistic-missile-threa-1822417863

Summary:
The recent mishap of a false incoming missile strike warning being sent to all cell phones in the state of Hawaii may have been due in part to the fault of the designer, some argue. While it was a user error that caused the accidental broadcasting of the horrifying message of an imminent attack, some argue that the recently released example of the user interface utilized shows that user error was only partially to blame, as the design was severely lacking. Designers have weighed in online stating that the bare-bones design was confusing and unclear as to what would trigger a test broadcast and what would actually broadcast the warning message, thus placing some of the blame for the incident on the initial designer and their work.

The reason this article was chosen:
This article was chosen as this week we looked into the responsibility of the programmer when working and designing products. Since we primarily focused on the ethical implications of the a designers responsibility, this article highlights a real world example in which the designer’s lack of foresight and user experience may have caused a state-wide panic.

Credibility of sources:
Gizmodo is a widely circulated and well known technology blog.

Ethical implications:
When is it okay to shrug off the blame of even obviously user-induced errors onto the design of a program. If the design is needlessly complicated for the average user, is it really the user’s fault for failing or should the designer take some of, if not all of the blame?