Defensive Data Design

As we go into a world where agents will be doing more things, how can we make the defaults as safe (and secure) as possible? Some points to consider:

• Putting something in the trashTrash Trash in WordPress is like the Recycle Bin on your PC or Trash in your Macintosh computer. Users with the proper permission level (administrators and editors) have the ability to delete a post, page, and/or comments. When you delete the item, it is moved to the trash folder where it will remain for 30 days. should be easy; deleting should be very hard.
• Proposing a draft should be easy; publishing to the world should be hard.
• Changes should be reversible and visible wherever possible.
• How can we show the data behind the object in a way that makes it more legible and understandable, not less?
• Error messages should be how you’d describe it to a friend. And have a copy-to-clipboard next to it, so people can put into search/AI/whatever.
• If you error out, say the why not just the what.
• Fail gracefully, in a way that minimizes harm or exposure.
• Assume everything (networking / formatting / structure) is not just unreliable, but actually hostile.
• Use the space you have, don’t make people click when you could have shown them something directly.
• Plain language, make it obvious, natural. (And also fun.)