“One of the reasons Hamilton found the word democracy so offensive was because he realized that the vast majority of American citizens had not the dimmest understanding of what he was talking about.” – Joseph Ellis – Proving that it is easier to be a futurist than a historian, Cory Doctorow contributed a bit of soothsaying to a New York Timesseries the editors ...
Many years ago while still in college, I was on the train to New York City—a beautiful ride along the eastern banks of the Hudson River. Several rows from me sat a family of American tourists who caught my attention when I heard the dad say, “Look kids, there’s Alcatraz.” Reasonably confident that Alcatraz sits on an island in San Francisco ...
There should be little doubt that the video clip doctored to make Speaker Pelosi look drunk should be seen as a sign of new hazards to come in the digitally-enhanced war on reality. The video is not even very sophisticated compared to what is actually possible right now with technology like “deepfakes,” and we can expect to see far more ...
In Response to Angela Watercutter’s Grumpy Cat Article at Wired Dear Angela: First, forgive me for taking a bit too seriously your lighthearted article of May 17, in which you identify the passing of Grumpy Cat* as a symbol of a bygone internet that was playful and innocent in 2012, but which has since devolved to a world of harassment, ...
Is it just me, or have the digital rights folks lately shifted the narrative on the subject of platform responsibility and content moderation? Where once they could be counted on to repeat the commandment Thou Shalt Not Touch Online Content, I perceive a more nuanced (sounding) agenda now recommending Best Practices for Touching Online Content If You Really Must. For instance, ...
