Greater Than Code

245: Hacking Reality with Rony Abovitz

August 11th, 2021  |  1 hr 20 mins

Rony Abovitz talks about having a free-willing imagination, and using his gifts of insight and intuition to maintain a sense of wonder and free-spiritedness.

The conversation veers towards talking about power structures and hierarchies and we wonder, is it possible (or will it ever be) to use technology to decentralize social structures? Can (or should we) hack reality?

244: Making Peace and Creating Trust with Brianna McGowen

August 4th, 2021  |  56 mins 22 secs

Brianna McGowen talks about making peace without giving up, practicing acceptance vs. resignation, the concepts of community-owned AI, and that trustless = antihuman.

She also chats about her involvement with Delicious Democracy and gives us her definition of “Equitism.”

243: Equitable Design: We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know with Jennifer Strickland

July 28th, 2021  |  57 mins 53 secs

Jennifer Strickland talks about equitable and inclusive design, being aware of your biases and prejudices, how ego plays a part in these things, and empathy and accessibility for all.

242: Considering The Social Side of Tech with Trond Hjorteland

July 21st, 2021  |  48 mins 25 secs

Trond Hjorteland talks about the superpower of sociotechnical system (STS) design: considering the social AND the technical. The social side matters. He covers the origins of sociotechnical systems, design from above vs self-organization, systemic change and open systems, and the fourth industrial revolution.

241: Data Science Science with Adam Ross Nelson

July 7th, 2021  |  1 hr 2 mins

Adam Ross Nelson talks about becoming a Data Scientist, recommendations for aspiring Data Scientists, four tips for creating and maintaining a solid portfolio, and three immunity boosts in dealing with Impostor Syndrome.

240: No Striving, No Hustling with Amelia Winger-Bearskin

June 30th, 2021  |  1 hr 51 secs

Amelia Bearskin-Winger talks about her Wampum.Codes project, storytelling and performance, explains the terms: “Indigenous Antecedent Technology,” and “Ethical Dependencies,” and talks about “community accountability” as opposed to “policing.”

239: Accessibility and Sexuality with Eli Holderness

June 23rd, 2021  |  45 mins 38 secs

Eli Holderness talks about accessibility and expressing your sexuality in tech: having conversations with leadership and management, team culture and support, and that it’s okay and not disingenuous to discard facets of yourself you no longer are or that no longer serve you.

238: Contributing to Humanity and Mutual Aid – Solidarity, Not Charity

June 9th, 2021  |  56 mins 36 secs

Mae Beale talks extensively about mutual aid and its goal of providing solidarity; not charity, somatics and the effects of yoga, meditation, and self-awareness, giving vs accepting help, and not only extending love, empathy, and forgiveness to others, but also to most importantly yourself.

237: Empathy is Critical with Andrea Goulet

June 2nd, 2021  |  55 mins 10 secs

Andrea Goulet, who is known for her work defining Empathy-Driven Development, talks about distilling complexity, being “technical” vs “non-technical”, and how empathy is critical in thinking about reforming hiring practices and giving performance reviews where continuous improvement is the goal.

236: Connecting Arts and Technology – The Power of Print with Marlena Compton

May 26th, 2021  |  1 hr 8 mins

Organizer of conferences such as “Pear Conf” and “Let’s Sketch Tech!” Marlena Compton joins the show to talk about the intersection of art and technology. She stresses “The Power of Print”, and talks about the beauty of zines, sketchnoting, and handwriting.

235: RailsConf Scholars: 2021 Remote Edition

May 19th, 2021  |  42 mins 18 secs

Special guests, Stefanni Brasil, Leah Miller, and Tram Bui talk about the RailsConf Scholars Program. The Opportunity Scholarship is a chance to jump in to learn more about Ruby on Rails specifically and software development in general.

234: Civil Society and Community Relationships with Michael Garfield

May 12th, 2021  |  1 hr 1 min

Artist and philosopher, Michael Garfield, talks about being able to creatively digest and reconstruct categories, recognizing economic value of talents & abilities, and civil society and community relationships.

233: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter with Jess Szmajda

May 5th, 2021  |  47 mins 24 secs

Jess Szmajda talks about the importance of using inclusive language, active listening, and metacognition: asking ourselves, “What are we not thinking about?” when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

232: Outside The Charmed Circle with Tamsin Davis-Langley

April 28th, 2021  |  1 hr 4 mins

Tamsin Davis-Langley talks about who is a person? A loaded question, we know. After touching on the concepts of hegemonic norms and privilege and power, Tamsin ideates on “fringe communities,” subcultures, and intersections, using the Queer community as an example. We end on the brilliant idea that individual experiences are not universally applicable and have a few key takeaways from the conversation.

231: Deserted Island Safety and Expectations with Austin Parker

April 21st, 2021  |  47 mins 38 secs

Austin Parker gives the full exclusive of what ended up being a smash-hit success in 2020 at the height of the pandemic called Deserted Island DevOps but tells us that it wasn’t without hesitation and fear of failure in both the technical and psychological senses. His main goal was to underpromise and overdeliver, and he talks about safety and setting expectations both for speakers and participants.

230: Using Tech + Policy For Good with Corey Ponder

April 14th, 2021  |  1 hr 10 mins

Corey Ponder talks about what it means to support Black lives, having conversations around allyship, developing empathy, and using the intersections of tech + policy for good.