Truly honest question as I'm ignorant here. Please help me understand how "dark patterns" is racist? And remember, I've been asked why my horns don't show for nearly 60 years, so I'm really wanting to understand, not cause upset or argument. At all. xo
2023 is a great time to start using “anti-patterns” for IX that is used without intent and “deceptive patterns” for those patterns that are made with intent. Let’s throw out the monolithic term “dark patterns” and get in tune with inclusive terms that do not have racist (1/2)
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When you describe something dark, such as skin, you presumably aren't using the word dark to mean something bad. The main advocates I have seen for this renaming are designers with dark skin and it isn't that hard to stop using a phrase when someone tells us it hurts them.
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I recommend you start by reading @CandiWrites thoughts on it, she has explored these things and since deceptive patterns and deceptive design are much more descriptive as to the issue, it seems like a remarkably simple switch.
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Thank you so much for the suggestions. I've been deceived enough in my life and I'm not long for it so I have to choose my priorities at this point and deception is definitely not one of them but I do understand that within context it makes sense to so I appreciate the thought
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They're not colors perhaps but they all seem very negative to me to be exploitative to be manipulative to be harmful our patterns that really exist what should we call them I'm just struggling here I'm struggling for answers that's all I'm not trying to cause conflict at all

Feb 8, 2023 · 2:39 PM UTC

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The term dark patterns in web design has been specifically used to refer to manipulative and exploitative patterns, such as making it very hard for someone to choose to end a subscription, that's the issue with it.
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Thank you for the explanation I have been in web design a very long time but I have never used them or heard them because I'm not a designer perhaps?