Your story is knowledge.
Rethreading the Algorithm explores how Black people experience, question, navigate, and reshape technology. If you choose to contribute, your story will become part of a growing archive of lived experience and collective knowledge.
You decide what to share.
You can skip optional questions, use text instead of audio, stop before submitting, and review your contribution before deciding whether to add it to the archive.
What participation involves
You'll start by sharing a short 2-3 minute story about an experience that you have had navigating technology.
Then, you'll answer a series of reflection questions about one experience with technology. You may select responses, type answers, and-if audio is available-record some responses instead. These questions are important. The will help us analyze the content of your story and make it searchable others who want to learn from your experiences.
The survey is expected to take about 15-25 minutes.
Taking part is your choice. You may skip questions when the survey allows it, and you may stop at any time before submitting your story.
Depending on how you participate, we may collect your written responses, selected survey responses, optional story context, and audio you choose to record.
We also collect limited technical information necessary to operate and secure the project.
Reviewed and approved public materials may include:
- a reviewed story or summary;
- themes and selected survey responses;
- non-identifying excerpts from your story;
- your generated textile or visual representation; and
- aggregate patterns across many stories.
Every contribution is reviewed before publication.
We may remove identifying information, private information about other people, or material that could create a significant risk of harm. We may also exclude content that falls outside the archive's participation guidelines.
We will not intentionally rewrite your story in ways that change its meaning or make it fit a particular interpretation.
If we create a shortened preview or summary of your story, it will be clearly distinguished from your original words.
If you choose to record audio, we will store it and may transcribe it to process your contribution.
You may type instead of recording anywhere that option is available.
We will not intentionally alter your story audio in ways that change its meaning or make it fit a particular interpretation.
Please avoid sharing names, exact addresses, workplaces, usernames, or other identifying details unless they are necessary to the story.
Even after editing or redaction, a story may sometimes still be recognizable to someone who already knows the people or events involved.
Telling a personal story may bring up discomfort, frustration, or difficult memories. There is also a risk of accidentally sharing identifying information when describing experiences involving work, school, technology platforms, institutions, bias, or community.
You control how much you share and may skip questions or stop before submitting.
Rethreading the Algorithm is intended to be a long-term archive. Published stories may remain publicly available for many years.
You may request withdrawal of your story by contacting the project team and providing your submission identifier. We will explain any circumstances in which complete removal may not be possible.
Raw survey responses are stored in a restricted project database. Audio files, if provided, are stored separately with limited access. The project currently uses Supabase/Postgres and private file storage to manage these materials.
Only reviewed and approved content may later be copied into the public archive.