Category «Internet»

Implications of Cambridge Analytica scandal widen in scope as do responses – updated

Numerous follow-ups to my posting yesterday – NYT, Guardian – How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions – UK Channel Four Television has a report on the widening depth and breath of this scandal – An undercover investigation by Channel 4 News reveals how Cambridge Analytica secretly campaigns in elections across the world. …

Subjects: Congress, EU Data Protection, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

NYT, Guardian – How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions

During the election cycle in 2016, my FB page was routinely slammed with hateful and biased ads. This made no sense at the time, as I was not affiliated with any groups online, I did not opine about the candidates, and I did not “like” or “share” posts, and I do not use apps. I …

Subjects: Congress, EU Data Protection, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy, Social Media

Why do people go to Wikipedia? A survey suggests it’s their desire to go down that random rabbithole

NeimanLab: “What’s motivated people to visit the Wikipedia pages they’re reading? Wikipedia recently tried to answer that question at scale by asking a sample of Wikipedia readers last June, “Why are you reading this article today?” It seems a lot of people go to Wikipedia for earnest, serious, information-seeking reasons. The study collected 215,000 responses …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management

Legal tech is opening the system to those who need legal representation the most

TechCrunch: “…Emerging startups like JustFix.nyc and legal tech products like LegalZoom and DocuSign have lowered the barrier to entry for legal protection that was previously confined to law offices. Now anyone can write their will or incorporate a company without having to seek legal counsel. The dissolution of the traditional legal business model is good …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

The Quest for a Universal Translator for Old, Obsolete Computer Files

Atlas Obscura – To save bygone software, files, and more, researchers are working to emulate decades-old technology in the cloud. “…The digital world continues to expand and mutate in all sorts of ways that will orphan and otherwise impair file formats and programs—from ones long forgotten to ones that work just fine today but carry …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management, Libraries

Commentary – how do we fix life online without limiting free speech

New Yorker – Reddit and the Struggle to Detoxify the Internet How do we fix life online without limiting free speech? “Which Web sites get the most traffic? According to the ranking service Alexa, the top three sites in the United States, as of this writing, are Google, YouTube, and Facebook. (Porn, somewhat hearteningly, doesn’t …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

Opinion: YouTube may be one of the most radicalizing instruments of the 21st century

Via NYT – Benton Foundation – [Commentary] “It seems as if you are never “hard core” enough for YouTube’s recommendation algorithm. It promotes, recommends and disseminates videos in a manner that appears to constantly up the stakes. Given its billion or so users, YouTube may be one of the most powerful radicalizing instruments of the …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Internet, Libraries, Search Engines, Social Media

Report – Bias in Online Classes: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Bias in Online Classes: Evidence from a Field Experiment – Center for Education Policy Analysis at Stanford – Rachel Baker of the University of California, Irvine; Thomas Dee of Stanford; Brent Evans of Vanderbilt University; and June John of Stanford: “While online learning environments are increasingly common, relatively little is known about issues of equity …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Education, Internet, Knowledge Management