axbom’s Twitter Archive—№ 29,047

The system built normalized prejudice into our emojis. It's bizarre but should be completely unsurprising. See the thread for more examples. brookLYNevery1/1167087999630434304
Permalink On twitter.com ♻️ 4 Retweets ❤️ 12 Favorites 2019 Aug 31 Mood -2 🙁

…in reply to @axbom
brooklynevery1/1167409916899934209?s=21
Permalink On twitter.com ♻️ 1 Retweets 2019 Aug 31 Mood 0

…in reply to @axbom
brooklynevery1/1167433521981513730?s=21
Permalink On twitter.com ❤️ 1 Favorite 2019 Aug 31 Mood 0

…in reply to @axbom
In the future, backspacing emojis will be a simple history lesson. djnemec/1167460582083170305?s=21
On twitter.com 2019 Aug 31 Mood 0

…in reply to @axbom
My take: Once we only had light-skinned yellow emojis. There was a call for more diversity in color and constellations (same-gender partnerships, rainbow families). As this was added, the diversity became an add-on, thus leaving in plain sight what was considered default.
Permalink On twitter.com 2019 Sep 1 Mood 0

…in reply to @axbom
So in the ambition to right what enough people in time agreed was wrong, the prejudice is exposed - and cemented - by the order in which ligatures are built.
Permalink On twitter.com ♻️ 1 Retweets 2019 Sep 1 Mood -2 🙁

…in reply to @axbom
I agree that it is a feature - and can make logical, programmatic sense - but it dismisses the emotional charge of so clearly displaying in which order history decided they were valid enough for inclusion.
Permalink On twitter.com 2019 Sep 1 Mood +2 🙂

…in reply to @axbom
To systematically build in such a way that backspacing always leaves us with the light-skinned yellow man (or only having heterosexual partnerships as a unit) tells us something about society and the makers of tech.
Permalink On twitter.com 2019 Sep 1 Mood 0

…in reply to @axbom
I very much doubt that it is with any expressed intent, or even conscious intent, that these biases are exposed in ligatures. Hence why it is a perfect illustration of something systemic.
Permalink On twitter.com ❤️ 2 Favorites 2019 Sep 1 Mood +1 🙂

…in reply to @axbom
I acknowledge that the “white” people ligatures are built the same way, always ending on the yellow man. But those emojis did not come about due to a call for diversity, they were a side-product of it. And still the light-skinned men prevail.
Permalink On twitter.com 2019 Sep 1 Mood 0