Temporary Hiatus
I really only have the time for 140 characters or less right now. Preferably written by someone else and then lazily retweeted by me. I will revisit this blog as the semester winds down. Until then, posts will be sporadic.
Another great hacking discussion brought to you by The Media Show. Hacking isn’t just about computers. You can hack photography, cars, clothes or anything that interests you. Hacking as a habit of mind.
Legal Threats Have a “Chilling Effect” on Sharing
Even if you’re engaged in legal sharing, you might receive a cease and desist letter from the copyright holder of the content you’re using. Cease and desist letters can be used to discourage lawful behavior because users feel vulnerable to litigation, even if there is no legal basis for the cease and desist claim. If you would like know more about the notice you’ve received, or explore common tactics used to discourage sharing, visit the Chilling Effects website. Established in 2002, Chilling Effects helps promote online sharing and freedom of information by pairing internet users with clinical law students. Law students analyze the notice for merit and post an analysis of the claim in a searchable database. The site helps users know when they’re on the right (or wrong) side of the law when it comes to sharing.
From the Chilling Effects site:
Do you know your online rights? Have you received a letter asking you to remove information from a Web site or to stop engaging in an activity? Are you concerned about liability for information that someone else posted to your online forum? If so, this site is for you.
Chilling Effects aims to help you understand the protections that the First Amendment and intellectual property laws give to your online activities. We are excited about the new opportunities the Internet offers individuals to express their views, parody politicians, celebrate their favorite movie stars, or criticize businesses. But we’ve noticed that not everyone feels the same way. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some individuals and corporations are using intellectual property and other laws to silence other online users. Chilling Effects encourages respect for intellectual property law, while frowning on its misuse to “chill” legitimate activity.
Schools, censorship and social networks
US courts have yet to establish guidelines for a school’s right to punish students for their online actions outside of school. In most cases, online bullying falls under the school’s jurisdiction. What about criticism of school officials or school policy? Even though many student handbooks include behavior expectations for on and off campus activities, students should not have to waive their right to free expression in order to matriculate at an educational institution.
The bill is scheduled for a test vote in the Senate on Jan. 24th: We need to act now to let our lawmakers know just how terrible it is. Use this link to send a letter to your senator opposing SOPA/PIPA.
2012 STEM Challenge is Now Open
Video game design contest for middle school, high school and doctoral students. This is great opportunity for student group projects! There is also an adult/educator division if you have one of your own ideas.
Thanks to reader Bruce for sharing.
Emmanuel Goldstein discusses hackers, questioning control, the importance of information access/sharing and how schools should encourage students to challenge the system.
More about the Media Show:
Since its birth in 2008, The Media Show has been exposing workings of the technology and media industries that impact our lives — what is often called “media literacy,” with a dash of Internet literacy thrown in. Our episodes have tackled everything from YouTube copyright takedowns to billboard ads to chain letters. We’re puppeteers in the tradition of Avenue Q, Greg The Bunny, or Team America World Police: we write comedy for adult Internet audiences, knowing that the elusive high school audience “watches up,” making educational shows for that demographic rare indeed.
How to deal with the dark side of sharism: internet commenters
When I talk to educators about sharism, I am often asked how to protect students from the harsh comments on the internet. I’m tempted to respond, “There is a good chance those comments are written by some of your students.” Those students who aren’t out there terrorizing YouTube posters, however, would be shocked and hurt by the vitriolic criticism of the anonymous web. I think there are three complementary approaches you can take when posting student work that can make sharism a more positive experience for the uninitiated.
- Turn on comment moderating. It is a simple step that will allow you (or the student) to filter what goes public. It’s important not to censor too much by approving only positive comments. Personal attacks, spam and non sequiturs can be rejected, but criticisms should be approved and shared. Selecting only the “great jobs, I love it!” comments will give students a false sense of the reception of their work and the perceived value of their contributions.
- Require identity for comments. Many in the industry believe that anonymous commenting encourages trolling.
- For older students, have an honest conversation about the wasteland that is public commenting. For every cogent post you receive, you’ll get twice as many unintelligible rants about Obama or Fox News (even if your work has nothing to do with politics). You can introduce your students to some of the types of comments they might encounter in these clean posts about internet commenting (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). It is also helpful for the students to realize that the attacks aren’t personal, just part of the day-to-day business of being on the web. Once they leave the safety of your classroom assignments, they’re going to encounter these types of comments and it might be a good idea to brace them for it. I’m particularly fond of Godwin’s Law (the longer a discussion goes on, the greater chance someone will be called a Nazi). Think of it as an opportunity for your debate class to dissect the argument and see when one person started to lose ground.
Going On Update
In response to a recent blog post about GoingOn, a representative from the company has offered to provide a comprehensive demo of the product. I’m interested to learn more about the system features and the ability (if any) to integrate it with existing Learning Management Systems. In all fairness to GoingOn, some of my frustrations expressed in the original blog post stemmed from the context of the product announcement: The Wired Campus blog. Wired Campus’s credibility has taken a hit recently due to the misinformation about the connection between Pearson’s OpenClass and Google. Also, Wired Campus had just posted a very similar article about another company (see links below) and commenters have expressed concern that not enough detail was given to distinguish these startups from existing products.
I’ll post an update after the demo.
