Aza Raskin

Aza Raskin
Aza Raskin in 2019
Born (1984-02-01) February 1, 1984 (age 40)
California, United States
EducationUniversity of Chicago (BS)
Occupation(s)interface designer, entrepreneur, writer
OrganizationCenter for Humane Technology
Known forReportedly developing infinite scrolling
Parents

Aza Raskin (born February 1, 1984) is the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology[1] and of the Earth Species Project.[2] He is also a writer, entrepreneur, inventor, and interface designer.[3][4][5] He is the son of Jef Raskin, a human–computer interface expert who was the initiator of the Macintosh project at Apple.

Raskin is an advocate for the ethical use of technology, and has been critical of the effects that modern technology has on everyday lives and society.[6] In the podcast Your Undivided Attention, along with Tristan Harris, Raskin has talked extensively about the power of information technology and the dangers it potentially poses to modern society.[7][8]

Raskin coined the phrase, "freedom of speech is not freedom of reach,"[9][10] which was the title of an article that he wrote with Renée DiResta.[11] The phrase is now widely used to refer to the large-scale implications of platform amplification and free speech. For example, it was publicly quoted by the comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, and was used by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to help explain the rationale for banning political advertisements on Twitter.[12][13]

Raskin has continued his father's work on project Archy, has worked as the head of user experience at Mozilla Labs and as lead designer for Firefox, and has founded a number of companies. More recently, he has collaborated on virtual reality projects[14] and on zooming user interface (ZUI).[15]

  1. ^ "Center for Humane Technology team members". Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  2. ^ Jepsen, Mary Lou; Ryan, John (December 29, 2019). "Artificial intelligence is helping us talk to animals (yes, really)". Wired. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  3. ^ Campofiorito, Matteo (September 1, 2008). "Interview with Aza Raskin, Head of User Experience for Mozilla Labs". oneopensource. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2009.
  4. ^ "Mozilla warns of new phishing scam". Infosecurity Magazine. May 27, 2010.
  5. ^ Shankland, Stephen (March 8, 2009). "Firefox, too, revamping new-tab behavior". CNET News. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  6. ^ Dodds, Laurence (May 10, 2019). "'We lost control of our creations': The Silicon Valley heretic on a mission to make Big Tech repent". Telegraph.
  7. ^ "Your Undivided Attention Podcast". Humane Tech.
  8. ^ Anon (2018). ""It's as if they're taking behavioural cocaine and just sprinkling it all over your interface"". London: BBC.
  9. ^ "Design Principle for consideration: Introducing the Active Audience". Humane Tech. April 2019.
  10. ^ Newton, Casey (June 4, 2020). "What other social networks can learn from Snapchat's rebuke of Trump". The Verge. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  11. ^ "Free Speech Is Not the Same As Free Reach". Wired. 2018.
  12. ^ "Free Speech Is Not the Same As Free Reach". TechCrunch. November 22, 2019.
  13. ^ Jack Dorsey (October 31, 2019). "Twitter".
  14. ^ Pierce, David (September 22, 2016). "VR Headset Makes All Your iPhone Videos 3-D". Wired.
  15. ^ makespace.fun