The MP3 format is officially dead The Next Web by Abhimanyu Ghoshal If you grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, you probably still remember downloading MP3 files to build your music collection, and burning up to 10 times as many of these onto audio discs than you could with traditional CD tracks. I didn’t … Read more
The Political Environment on Social Media Pew Internet Rss Feed: Reports by Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech In a political environment defined by widespread polarization and partisan animosity, even simple conversations can go awry when the subject turns to politics. In their in-person interactions, Americans can (and often do) attempt to steer clear of … Read more
Timeline: The rise of bitcoin AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH) A look at the history of bitcoin, the world’s newest and potentially most powerful currency. FBI’s Secret Surveillance Tech Budget Is ‘Hundreds of Millions’ The Intercept by Jenna McLaughlin The FBI has “hundreds of millions of dollars” to spend on developing technology for use in both national … Read more
New Study Shows Armchair Activists Actually Make a Difference – Social media “slacktivism” plays an important role in social movements. Upvoted by Gabrielle Canon In the wake of the devastating November terrorist attack that left 130 dead in Paris, Facebook photos around the world began appearing in the faded colors of the French flag: With just one click, … Read more
EDRi identifies key challenges to freedom of expression online Yeni Medya On 13 November 2014, EDRi met with the European External Action Service (EEAS) for a civil society consultation on the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline. The EEAS aims at improving the Guidelines in the future and was seeking input … Read more
Europe launches antitrust investigation into Amazon’s ebooks business The Next Web by Amanda Connolly The European Commission has launched a formal antitrust investigation into Amazons ebook business to determine if the company is abusing its powers. The investigation is going to hone in on Amazon’s contracts with publishers, Russian cybersecurity firm hacked BBC News | Europe | World … Read more
Transparency Is No Substitute For Free Speech EFF.org Updates by Eva Galperin and Jillian York / Twitter has released a new transparency report. The company—which scored five stars in our latest “Who Has Your Back?” report—blogged about the release, wrote that “[p]roviding this insight is simply the right thing to do, especially in an age of … Read more
Ethnographers as Writers: Theory and Data – Part II Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog by Kristen Ghodsee So I’m staring at some fieldnotes and trying to sort out the best way to blend my theoretical analysis with my ethnographic data. Where to start? How to find the right balance? Once … Read more
3 Ways Big Data Is Going To Be Used Against You In The Future Stanford Center for Internet and Society Date published: May 6, 2014 Fast Company “”I worry that profitable organizations will use big data to disadvantage consumers,” Calo adds. “Intimate knowledge of consumers coupled with being able design every aspect of interaction–that?s going to … Read more