Civil Society – Page 282 – Public Intelligence Blog

2010/08/212010/08/21

Journal: Human-Centered Computing (Not…)

Analysis, Augmented Reality, Civil Society, Collective Intelligence, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, info-graphics/data-visualization, InfoOps (IO), IO Multinational, Open Government, Reform

Human-centered computing should be–but is not today–about connecting all humans with all information in near-real-time, while providing back office tools that elevate the human brain and more properly plan information and communications technologies in a support role. See for example our Citizen-Centered Graphics and all of the OSS/EIN Books. Where the emergent meme is off-target is in focusing on the relationship of the computer to the individual, rather than the whole. Hacking Humanity is the new meme.

TRADITIONAL

Human-Centered Computing (Wikipedia)
Human-Centered Computing Cluster (HCC)
Human-Centered Computing in Education (Links)
Human-Centered Computing: A Multi-Media Perspective (PDF circa 2005)

WORLD-BRAIN ORIENTATION

Review: The World Is Open–How Web Technology Is Revolutionizing Education
Review: Making Learning Whole–How Seven Principles of Teaching can Transform Education
Review (Guest): Cognitive Surplus–Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age
2010: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Trilogy Updated
Review: Holistic Darwinism: Synergy, Cybernetics, and the Bioeconomics of Evolution
Review: Consilience–the Unity of Knowledge
Review: The Unfinished Revolution–Human-Centered Computers and What They Can Do For Us
Review: Philosophy and the Social Problem–The Annotated Edition

2010/08/212010/08/23

Google Watch: Google is the only source, “Do Not Track Me” List, WSJ “What They Know” Series

Civil Society, Commerce, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Government, Mobile, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests, Privacy, Technologies

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has a requirement to provide a secured, hosted environment that provides web-based access to geospatial visualization services and Open Geospatial Consortium complaint web service interfaces. The Schedule of Supplies/Services provides for the period of performance from 20 September 2010 through 19 September 2011 and two 12-month option years.

This acquisition is for Commercial Geospatial Visualization Services for NGA. Google is the only source that can meet the Government's requirement for worldwide access, unlimited processing, and Open Geospatial Consortium complaint web service interfaces. See Full National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Release
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“Do Not Track Me” gains traction in Washington

by John M. Simpson (Aug 15, 2010)
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“What They Know” Series by the Wall Street Journal

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A comment on the Google wi-fi/wi-spy issue:

“Most of my sources say that Google and Facebook have been bankrolled by the NSA and CIA vendors and they are in complete collusion with each other. I believe Americans will live to regret their participation with Facebook and Google.” –Glen Woodfin (source)

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Related:
+ 2009 Arnold Google: The Digital Gutenberg (also: The Google Legacy, Google 2.0: The Calculating Predator)
+ Inside Google
+ Google = King of Malware
+ Journal: Google, CIA Invest in ‘Future’ of Web Monitoring
+ Street views privacy issue
+ Time For Google to Grow Up: Open Wi-Fi Privacy Mistake Must Be The Last (EFF.org)
+ Seriously? Eric Schmidt Thinks There Should Be No Anonymity Online? (Forbes – Aug 11, 2010)
+ EFF Warns of Untrustworthy SSL, Undetectable Surveillance (Aug 16, 2010)
+ Google CEO: Young web users will need to escape online posts (Aug 20, 2010)

2010/08/19

Code for America

Civil Society, Collective Intelligence, Government, Open Government, Technologies

Code for America was founded to help the brightest minds of the Web 2.0 generation transform city governments. Cities are under greater pressure than ever, struggling with budget cuts and outdated technology. What if, instead of cutting services or raising taxes, cities could leverage the power of the web to become more efficient, transparent, and participatory?

Friends of Code for America

2010/08/162010/08/17

Journal: Social Security Being Set Up for a Fall

03 Economy, 09 Justice, 11 Society, Civil Society, Cultural Intelligence, Government

editor spinney time — Chuck Spinney Recommends

My good friend Marshall Auerbach has one answer — can you “refudiate” it?

Which Party Poses the Real Risk to Social Security’s Future?

NewDeal2.0.org, Monday, 08/16/2010 – 5:02 pm by Marshall Auerback

Hint: it’s not Republicans.

Social Security remains one of the greatest achievements of the Democratic Party since its creation 75 years ago. Although Republicans have historically fulminated against the program (Ronald Reagan once likened it as something akin to “socialism”), they have actually made little headway in touching this sacred “third rail” in American politics. President Bush pushed for partial privatization of the program in 2005, but the proposal gained no policy traction (even within his own party) because Social Security continues to be hugely popular with American voters. It’s a universal program that benefits all Americans, not a government handout to a few privileged corporations.

Which is why it’s odd that Democrats seem almost embarrassed to continue to champion the legacy of FDR. The party frets about long-term deficits and the corresponding need to “save” Social Security from imminent bankruptcy and, in doing so, opens the gate to radical cuts in entitlements that will do nothing but further destroy incomes and perpetuate our current economic malaise.

FULL STORY ONLINE

Continue reading “Journal: Social Security Being Set Up for a Fall”

2010/08/102010/08/11

Video: MAD AS HELL (by the late Aaron Russo) about a Republic of Corporations, Banking, and the Dying Breed of Individual Freedom

Civil Society, Corporations, Corruption, Government, Media, Money, Banks & Concentrated Wealth, Videos/Movies/Documentaries

This is the first video part of eleven parts on YouTube. This video (1990's) by the late Aaron Russo earned him a visit from Nicholas Rockefeller around the time Russo was running for governor of Nevada as stated in this video interview before he died in 2007. Part two reveals Russo's commentary on “totalitarianism” disguised as anti-terrorism long before 9/11 with the passage of the Clinton anti-terrorism bill in the 90's.

Continue reading “Video: MAD AS HELL (by the late Aaron Russo) about a Republic of Corporations, Banking, and the Dying Breed of Individual Freedom”

2010/08/102010/08/10

NIGHTWATCH Extracts: Bottom-Up Anti Corruption

Civil Society, Commerce, Corruption, Law Enforcement

Mexico: BBC reported on 8 August police officers in Ciudad Juarez in northern Mexico detained their commander at gunpoint, accusing him of corruption and links to drug gangs. More than 200 federal police agents raided the hotel where their commander was staying and accused him of planting drugs on police officers to blackmail them into carrying out extortion. Some of the agents were injured when officers loyal to the commander defended him.

While some agents blocked off nearby streets to prevent their commander from escaping, others moved into the hotel where he was staying. They raided his room, where they say they found weapons and drugs. The federal officers allege that they were part of a stash, which their commander would plant on officers who refused to take part in his corrupt dealings. They say he would then blackmail the agents into carrying out extortion and other crimes.

The police officers held their commander captive until the Federal Police Commissioner General agreed to suspend him, pending an investigation. One of the policemen who took part in the protest told the Associated Press corruption in the higher ranks was putting them in danger. “We risk our lives, we leave families behind and it's the fault of those officers that we go down,” he said.

Phi Beta Iota: The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) has been a success story, despite some internal issues that are under investigation. What we are seeing across Central America, with El Salvador recently joining the fray, is the emergence of an anti-corruption culture that sees the value of self-policing. Four challenges remain:

Continue reading “NIGHTWATCH Extracts: Bottom-Up Anti Corruption”

2010/08/062010/08/06

Twitter & SMS Used to Help Election in Kenya

07 Other Atrocities, Civil Society, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Geospatial, Mobile, Peace Intelligence, Technologies

source article

How Twitter saved Kenya's election

Thu Aug 5, 2010

New York – Once again, social media has played a central role in a national election. During Kenya's recent ballot initiative to adopt a new constitution, citizens used Twitter, along with Facebook and a new breed of monitoring technology, to help eliminate the voter intimidation, bombings, and deadly violence that marred the struggling African country's disastrous 2008 election. Here, a quick guide:

How was social media used to monitor the election?
Voters reported any intimidation issues at the polls by posting Twitter messages with the hashtag #uchaguzi (the Kiswahili word for “election”), or sending SMS messages to a specially designated number. A group of volunteers tracked the messages and alerted local officials when necessary.

Besides Twitter, what other technologies were used?
A Kenyan-developed platform called Uchaguzi helped aggregate all reported problems, documenting incidents by location and type (security issues, hate speech, ballot issues) so that anyone with Internet access could get a quick overview on the Uchaguzi site. It's very new for Kenyans, Uchaguzi's Charles Kithika tells The Christian Science Monitor, to see that problems are being reported and investigated, effectively “discouraging” troublemakers.

Continue reading “Twitter & SMS Used to Help Election in Kenya”