Phi Beta Iota: From day one we have been expressing concern over Google placing excessive emphasis on math hacks and ignoring both humanity and the needs of humanity. It is now clear to the broader public, as it has been clear to us from the very beginning, that Google has been mis-directed.
Those who believe that economics, rather than individuals or events, is the driving force behind history are going to have their faith sorely tested in the coming weeks.
Emotion and experience say the revival of nuclear power can not and should not continue after the events at Fukushima. Economics, and the political imperatives that it creates, say it is inevitable.
Hacker Group Anonymous Brings Peaceful Revolution To America: Will Engage In Civil Disobedience Until Bernanke Steps Down
The world's most (in)famous hacker group – Anonymous – known for effectively shutting down their hacking nemesis security firm (with clients such as Morgan Stanley and, unfortunately for them, Bank of America)- HBGary, advocating the cause of Wikileaks, and the threat made by one of its members that evidence of fraud by Bank of America will be released on Monday, has just launched communication #1 in its Operation “Empire State Rebellion.” The goal – engage in “a relentless campaign of non-violent, peaceful, civil disobedience” until Ben Bernanke steps down and the “Primary Dealers within the Federal Reserve banking system be broken up and held accountable for rigging markets and destroying the global economy effective immediately.”
Phi Beta Iota: Bernanke, like Obama, is a front. As long as Goldman Sachs occupies the Secretary of the Treasury and the National Security Advisor positions, as long as no one goes to jail starting with Rubin, Summers, and Gaither, one can salute their intentions, but question their intelligence (as in decision support). They can start by reading Matt Taibbi's Griftopia–Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America.
Peter Morville, whose books provide deep human insights missing from a great deal of what passes for information technology “design,” has posted a new briefing that he has entitled:
On the evening on March 24, 2011, EFF staff activists will discuss the state of government surveillance and privacy in the United States at “Government Surveillance in a Digital World,” an event hosted by San Francisco Intersection for the Arts, with a live video stream by BAMM.tv.
One of the many topics to be discussed is the PATRIOT Act. For nearly ten years, EFF has fought to reform or repeal the overbroad authority granted to law enforcement through the PATRIOT Act, and this year, we have a chance to introduce significant reforms. Thanks to bipartisan opposition and the efforts of grassroots activists, Congress rejected a rubber-stamp reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and instead vowed to spend three months debating reforms to this law. This gives us an incredible opportunity to speak out against the PATRIOT Act and tell Congress that we don’t want any laws that trample on our civil liberties.
Join the EFF activism team in person or online for a a wide-ranging discussion on privacy in the digital world, online free expression, and how we can work together to stop Congress from reauthorizing a PATRIOT Act that enables excessive government surveillance.
Factor e Farm, our land-based facility for Global Village Construction Set development, has now been alive for 4 years. We encountered the place as an empty soybean field abused by commercial agriculture. This video shows in 4 minutes what has happened in the last 4 years – and points to the plans for the next 2 years. These are exciting times indeed.
Phi Beta Iota: The below commentary is so spectacularly intelligent and concise we are cross-posting it from Quora, with a link to the original project and multiple questions as the end of the observations.
We forget before there was Facebook, there was Friendster, there was MySpace, there were chatrooms, email and AIM. There will always be the threat of a smart person creating something infinitely better.
Here are the things a “New Facebook” social network would win with:
