Friday, November 09, 2012

In a city where it can cost you $5-10,000 per year to park your car, I can't wait to see what they consider price gouging.
"In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the New York State Attorney General has subpoenaed Craigslist, demanding that the site identify more than 100 sellers whose prices on post-Sandy gas, generators and other supplies were of an 'unconscionably excessive price' during an emergency. AG Eric Schneiderman said: 'Our office has zero tolerance for price gouging [and] will do everything we can to stop unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of New Yorkers trying to rebuild their lives.'"


“Big brother owns a copy”
"A high court judge has ruled that companies do not have a general claim of ownership of the content contained in staff emails. The decision creates a potential legal minefield for the terms of staff contracts and an administrative nightmare for IT teams running email servers, back up and storage. The judge ruled businesses do not have an 'enforceable proprietary claim' to staff email content unless that content can be considered to be confidential information belonging to a business, unless business copyright applies to the content, or unless the business has a contractual right of ownership over the content. Justice Edwards-Stuart added it was 'quite impractical and unrealistic' to determine that ownership of the content of emails either belongs exclusively to the creator or the recipient of an email."


If "War is the continuation of Politik by other means" as Clausewitz suggests, are drones warfighting tools or political tools?
Military Stats Reveal Epicenter of U.S. Drone War
… The American military has launched 333 drone strikes this year in Afghanistan. That’s not only the highest total ever, according to U.S. Air Force statistics. It’s essentially the same number of robotic attacks in Pakistan since the CIA-led campaign there began nearly eight years ago. In the last 30 days, there have been three reported strikes in Yemen. In Afghanistan, that’s just an average day’s worth of remotely piloted attacks. And the increased strikes come as the rest of the war in Afghanistan is slowing down.

(Related) It must be politics, or this would be an act of war. Wouldn't it?
Iranian Pilots Tried (and Failed) to Shoot Down a U.S. Drone
Two Iranian jets recently tried and failed to shoot down an unarmed MQ-1 Predator drone flying a surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf, the Pentagon disclosed Thursday. Despite the best efforts of Iranian pilots, the slow-flying robot returned to its Middle Eastern base unharmed.
… This isn’t the first time the manned and unmanned air forces of the two countries have tangled; in 2009, a U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone flying over Iraq, as Danger Room first reported.
… Apparently the Predator was not flown under the auspices of the CIA; Little referred to it as a “military” drone. He said he didn’t have a precise timeline of the incident, but it appears to have taken place quickly. While the U.S. has lots of Navy ships near Iranian waters, including two aircraft carriers, the U.S. didn’t scramble any of its own piloted aircraft to break the Iranian “escort” or otherwise relieve the drone of its pursuers, Little said.


“It's free, but it will work a lot better if you pay us.” Perhaps my lawyer friends could invent the “Crass Action Lawsuit?” (Be sure to get Trekies on your jury)
Family Feud: Tense Thanksgiving for Facebook and George Takei
Takei, whose page has nearly 3 million followers on the social network, says in a Facebook post that his forthcoming book Oh Myyy will include an entire chapter devoted to Facebook’s filtering of page posts using an algorithm called EdgeRank and its parallel practice of charging page owners to reduce EdgeRank filtering. Takei made the announcement while replying to another Facebook user who wrote a jeremiad against the filtering. Takei has been outspoken about his frustration with the filtering, which essentially forces him to pay Facebook if he wants to reach all of his own fans.
“I am writing a chapter in my book Oh Myyy about Edgeranking and what I have done to try and achieve higher engagement,” Takei writes. “I am curious as to why interactivity rates on my page appear to fluctuate so much when I have done nothing different. I have not been pressured to use Promoted Pages [advertising], but I have had to take active steps to get fans to add my page to their ‘Interests’ so that it has a higher likelihood of appearing in their newsfeed.”
Takei’s book is slated for release sometime around Thanksgiving, keeping alive a controversial issue that just won’t die. Earlier this fall, the blog Dangerous Minds and the author Ryan Holiday both published rants accusing Facebook of aggressively filtering posts from Facebook pages in order to get owners of the pages to pony up for advertising to escape the filtering. Facebook told our sister site Ars Technica that, regardless of whether the author has paid for promotion, a post can be suppressed if readers fail to interact with the post or if they respond negatively.


You might be surprised!
See Everything You’ve Ever Shared With Someone On Facebook’s Redesigned Friendship Pages
Facebook has a little-known feature called Friendship Pages that shows all the wall posts, updates, and photos you’re tagged in with someone. Today it’s getting a redesign, and Facebook is launching the facebook.com/us quick link for couples to see their Friendship Pages.


Yeah, it's upside down, but still interesting. This has potential!
"Australia's UBank has put a billion real-world transaction records behind a website that allows users to compare their spending habits with others of the same gender, in the same age/income range, neighborhood and living situation. The 'PeopleLikeU' tool surfaces favorite shops and restaurants surprisingly accurately — because it's based on real customers' transactions, it lists places like good takeout joints that wouldn't normally come to mind when you think of a favorite place to eat. The bank says all data was 'deidentified' and it consulted with privacy authorities."


Interesting that fines are based on a percentage of revenue rather than what seem a “reasonable number” when the legislation is passed but quickly drops to insignificant as revenues exceed a billion dollars a month.
Facebook Lobbies Brussels In Earnest On EU Data Privacy Proposals
November 9, 2012 by Dissent
Tom Brewster reports:
Facebook is lobbying hard to influence European Commission policy makers on recent proposals to shake up data privacy laws across member states, TechWeekEurope understands.
Earlier this year, the EC outlined its plans for new data protection rules, laying out a regulation and a directive. They both contained controversial proposals, including the ability for regulators to fine a company two percent of annual turnover for serious failings and an obligation to confess to data breaches within 24 hours of them happening.
A source close to the matter said today the company was putting plenty of effort into lobbying in Brussels to get officials to rethink the laws.
Read more on TechWeek Europe.


A backgrounder...
November 08, 2012
Australian Government - Telecommunications data retention - an overview
  • "By drawing on information related to similar proposals introduced in the United Kingdom (UK) in June 2012, this Background Note outlines the types of communications data generated by use of the Internet, email and phones, why law enforcement agencies want it retained, and what existing access law enforcement agencies have to such data. In this context, it also explores the reasons for the proposals, outlines some of the concerns and touches on some of the challenges involved. However, it does not specifically examine the arguments for and against a data retention scheme, or the growing debate over its privacy implications."


Short, but to the point.
November 08, 2012
Teen Use of Social Networking Sites and Perceptions of Legal Risk
De Zwart, Melissa , Lindsay, David F., Henderson, Michael and Phillips, Michael, Randoms vs Weirdos: Teen Use of Social Networking Sites and Perceptions of Legal Risk (2011). (2011) 36(3) Alternative Law Journal 153.; Monash University Faculty of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 44. Available at SSRN
  • This article reports on research to identify the risks relevant to teens when using these services and provide them with practical guidance regarding how to miminise and avoid such risks. The authors, drawn from the education and law disciplines, undertook to ascertain the actual scale and nature of use of SNS among teenagers in years 7 to 10, the perceptions of risk associated with such use and the actual legal risks. The project produced both a report detailing the outcomes of the research and an educational resource to be distributed to all Victorian schools that may be used to assist students, teachers and parents to discuss and critically consider the risks and legal implications of using SNS. This article discusses some key outcomes of the study related to use of SNS and perceptions of legal risks."


A quick reminder with links to the good stuff...
Tips for Understanding User Privacy When Operating in Multiple Countries
… To read more on this topic, consider these related ISACA resources:
the Privacy/Data Protection topic in the ISACA Knowledge Center,


I suppose it's worth a try...
Ca: Commissioners release guide for ‘privacy-friendly’ smartphone apps
November 9, 2012 by Dissent
James Keller reports:
Several Canadian privacy watchdogs have created a set of guidelines to help mobile developers create “privacy-friendly” smartphone apps.
And they warn that failing to be transparent about any information collected could see developers running afoul of both the law and their potential customers.
Federal privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart joined her counterparts in British Columbia and Alberta in releasing a 12-page document that explains how Canada’s privacy laws apply to mobile app developers — whether they’re based in this country or farther afield.
Read more on The Province.


Better than nothing, but not by much... More like, “Hey look at me! I've gathered all this information so I must be an authority on this data stuff...”
Lawmakers Release Information About How Data Brokers Handle Consumers’ Personal Information
November 9, 2012 by Dissent
From Rep. Ed Markey:
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), co-Chairmen of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, today released responses to letters sent to nine major data brokerage companies querying each about how it collects, assembles and sells consumer information to third parties. The companies –Acxiom, Epsilon (Alliance Data Systems), Equifax, Experian, Harte-Hanks, Intelius, Fair Isaac, Merkle, and Meredith Corp. – responded to lawmaker questions about policies and practices related to privacy, transparency and consumer notification. Data brokers represent a multi-billion dollar industry, aggregating information about hundreds of millions of Americans from both online and offline sources, which they then may sell to third parties for targeted advertising and other purposes. Consumers often have little knowledge of the existence of these companies.
Other signatories on the letters include Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.), and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
“The data brokers’ responses offer only a glimpse of the practices of an industry that has operated in the shadows for years,” said the lawmakers in a joint statement. “Many questions about how these data brokers operate have been left unanswered, particularly how they analyze personal information to categorize and rate consumers. This and other practices could affect the lives of nearly all Americans, including children and teens. We want to work with the data broker industry so that it is more open about how it collects, uses, and sells Americans’ information. Until then, we will continue our efforts to learn more about this industry and will push for whatever steps are necessary to make sure Americans know how this industry operates and are granted control over their own information.”
A copy of the responses to the lawmakers, as well as the original letters, can be found HERE.
Findings from the responses include:
  • All companies except for one – Acxiom – rejected the categorization of their business practices as data brokerage. One company called itself a “data provider”, while another reported that since it only “analyzes” data, they should not be considered a data broker.
  • Only one company provided details on the number of consumers who request access to their information – Acxiom reported over the last two years as few as 77 people per year, out of the 190 million consumers it has collected information on, requested access to their personal information. Several other companies do not allow access to consumer data stating that information is not identifiable.
  • In addition to collecting data about consumers from sources such as telephone directories, mobile phones, government agencies, financial institutions and directly from consumers themselves, several data brokers reported mining consumer information from social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • The companies provided little explanation of the distinction between information they collect and use (e.g, a person is female) versus the information they create by analysis for profiling consumers (e.g. young female interested in weight loss sent coupon for a diet pill).


I suspect Amazon would like a piece of the “Marijuana Home Delivery” business here in Colorado. Perhaps we could trade for wine?
Amazon has announced a new service called Amazon Wine that brings online shoppers one-step closer to being able to buy anything and everything from Amazon.com. The service allows users to buy over 1000 different wines from wineries around the country. The service also offers access to details from the winemakers such as tasting notes, recommended food pairings, and how many cases they produce of each vintage.
… The states where customers can purchase wine via Amazon include California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Amazon says additional states will be coming soon.


Is this a viable research tool?
November 08, 2012
The Ethics of Twitter Research: A Topology of Disciplines, Methods and Ethics Review Boards
Michael Zimmer, PhD: "In the five years since its launch, the social networking and microblogging service Twitter has quickly grown to over 300 million users, generating over 300 millions tweets each day. By providing a simple platform for users to explain “what’s happening” in 140 characters or less, Twitter has become the Internet’s de facto public forum to sharing “pretty much anything [users] wanted, be it information, relationships, entertainment, citizen journalism, and beyond” (Dybwad, 2009). This sharing of information, relationships, entertainment, journalism, and beyond has made Twitter a cultural phenomenon... The Library of Congress recognized this importance of Twitter when it announced in 2010 that, Every public tweet, ever, since Twitter’s inception in March 2006, will be archived digitally at the Library of Congress (Raymond, 2010, ¶2)..In the wake of the Library of Congress announcement, increased debates over the appropriateness of archiving public Tweets for research purposes have arisen (see, for example, Vieweg, 2010; Zimmer, 2010). The goal of this paper is to seek initial answers to these questions by surveying academic research that relies on the collection and use of Twitter data."


De-stressing my students. Seriously.
If you spend most of your time working in front of your computer, your eyes get tired after a certain time period, without you noticing. Constant sitting in front of a computer screen may lead to eye strain injury. Now, there is an app called eyeBreak that helps you avoid eye strain injury by reminding you to take an eye-rest at regular intervals. You simply open their website in your browser and keep it open. Every 20 minutes it will remind you to take an eye-rest by making a sound. No need to sign up or configure settings.


Free is good. And fun! Download the free book and load it into your word processor. Change all occurances of “Dracula” to “Congress” and references to “blood sucking” to “Taxation” and you have a Libertarian manifesto!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Free Copies of Dracula - And Google Books for Educators
Today's Google doodle remembers Bram Stoker's birthday. If you click through today's Google doodle you'll find a slew of links about Stoker and his most famous work, Dracula. On Google Books you can find free full-view copies of Dracula. I've embedded a copy below. If you haven't used Google Books to locate free full-view books, take a look at my simple guide to Google Books for Educators.
Applications for Education
If you have your students reading novels, short stories, and or primary source works that are in the public domain, Google Books is a great place to look for free copies of those works. You can embed the works directly into your course blog so that students can read them online in the same place that they find all of the other important information about your courses.


Even if you don't want to write a book, the idea of a collection of test questions is interesting...
… Siyavula has gathered teachers and university-level students in South Africa to write openly licensed textbooks in math and science. Over the course of two to three weekend-long workshops per book, volunteers come together and collaboratively author a textbook.
The workshops include an introduction to copyright, Beckett says. And they must deal with a variety of practical and technical issues (including which authoring platform to utilize). But by bringing together a diverse group of people, the textbooks include more ideas than you’d find if you’d just commissioned a single author to write the copy.
… Siyavula covers math and science, and other organizations have been working on similar efforts. There have been textbook hackathons in Finland and in Boston, for example, compiling math and computer science textbook materials.


If the security is adequate, this could be quite useful.
Pinterest, the online board where users can pin images for other users to see and share, has finally added private boards. Secret Boards, as the new feature is called, allows users to set up private, user-restricted boards where images can rest safely knowing they’re not open to public scrutiny. The feature is being “gradually rolled out.”

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