Friday, June 26, 2015

Access (3) Government Censorship




There are such ideological, such cultural, such human differences between some countries, that it is easy I suppose for a Westerner like me to frown upon, and scowl at, an Eastern policy and practice.  The answer is no, of course, from me.  But then it becomes a matter of understanding the reasons behind the decision to censor, that is, without judging it or expecting otherwise.  It is also a matter of the Chinese, for example, to weigh in with their support for or rejection of such censorship and to decide what to do and how to do it.
 

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Access (2) The Web in Times of Crisis




I suppose this question is at the heart of Social Contract à la Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes.  The people agree to surrender some their freedom and rights to the ruler, in exchange for a host of protections of their broader freedom and rights from said ruler and the governing body.  I'd say it's a complex balance, and how this balance is reached and maintained very much depends on the relationship between the government and the people: Is it trusting and respectful, or otherwise?
 

Monday, June 22, 2015

Access (1) Slow Internet Speeds




What should be the case - equal access, equal opportunity - runs head to head with how it is.  Just as there are sociopolitical and socioeconomic matters in many countries, so there are sociotechnology quandaries as well.  It makes sense to rally and advocate for such equality, but I believe entrepreneurs and philanthropists have a better chance of solving the issue than corporate titans or government officials. 
 

Friday, June 12, 2015

Reflections on Privacy Online



These men and women speak to a host of complicated, weighty matters concerning privacy.  There is, for instance, that give and take of social media: free use for data use.  Where do you weigh in on these matters, and how do you navigate them in your personal and work lives?
 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Privacy (5) Mobile Phone Tracking




This is a fundamental dilemma in media and technology:  Obviously the ability to track mobile phones can keep citizens safe, including young people, but in the wrong hands the very same technology can endanger or take advantage of citizens.  Unfortunately we cannot always trust that companies or individuals with know-how and access to tracking will use technology for the good.
 

Monday, June 8, 2015

Privacy (4) Your Data for Sale





Answer: Not without customer consent.  But the question is, How clear or user friendly are privacy policies?  The ones I've seen are couched in such legalese as to be too obtuse to read meaningfully.