Senate Postpones Vote on Internet Anti-Piracy Bill; New York Times, 1/20/12

Jonathan Weisman, New York Times; Senate Postpones Vote on Internet Anti-Piracy Bill:

"Taking to the medium that helped organize extensive protests against the legislation, Mr. Reid, Democrat of Nevada, announced a delay in the vote via the social media Web site Twitter. But he indicated the issue, which had been scheduled for a vote Tuesday, had not died...

In the House, Representative Lamar Smith, the Texas Republican who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, called off plans to formally draft his version of the anti-piracy bill next month."

Can We Really Unplug?; Slate,com, 1/3/12

Katie Roiphe, Slate.com; Can We Really Unplug? :

"We don’t use the Internet; it uses us. It takes our empty lives, our fruit fly attention spans, and uses them for its infinite glittering preoccupations. Solutions like Freedom or a couple of days at a Benedictine monastery can’t remake us into peaceful, moderate, contented inhabitants of the room we are in. If you ask any 60-year-old what life was like before the Internet they will likely say they “don’t remember.” How can they not remember the vast bulk of their adult life? The advent of our online lives is so transforming, so absorbing, so passionate that daily life beforehand is literally unimaginable. We can’t even envision freedom, in other words, the best we can hope for is Freedom."

How I’m Surviving (or Trying to) Without Wikipedia at My Fingertips; New York Times, 1/18/12

David Carr, New York Times; How I’m Surviving (or Trying to) Without Wikipedia at My Fingertips:

"Wikipedia is neither the definitive source nor the only one in a world with billions of links. As a matter of policy, my daughter can’t use a Wikipedia citation for schoolwork, and if I use the site as a primary source for my work, I will end up in the naughty corner. No, I can’t just lift stuff from there; all I can do with Wikipedia is gain an understanding of dozens of things I know nothing about...

Wikipedia is the Web, an amazing tool of digitally enabled networked intelligence. It may be one of humankind’s crowning achievements; most of us have come to think of it as a public utility and it generally pitches itself as one."

[Podcast] Pico Iyer On Unplugging; NPR's On Point, 1/17/12

[Podcast] NPR's On Point; Pico Iyer On Unplugging:

"We text, we tweet, we carry cell phones like they’re life lines. We check our e-mails, our Facebook pages, our online status six different ways. And then we start again. We’ve known for a while now that the digital world – great as it is – could be addictive. Overwhelming. An obsession. A leash. A prison.

Some people are breaking out. Letting go. Staying off. Travel writer Pico Iyer is one. He moved cell-phone-free to the boondocks of Japan for a reason. Better to go slow, go quietly, go off the digital grid."

[Podcast] Act One. Trickle Down History; This American Life, 1/14/11

[Podcast] This American Life; Act One. Trickle Down History:

"Reporter Starlee Kine observes what would have happened if the U.S.-led invasion of Grenada in 1983 had been decided not by Ronald Reagan, but by a bunch of middle schoolers...and she remembers a class trip to the Nixon library, where Nixon aide HR Haldeman spoke. (20 minutes)"

Young, in Love and Sharing Everything, Including a Password; New York Times, 1/17/12

Matt Richtel, New York Times; Young, in Love and Sharing Everything, Including a Password:

"The digital era has given rise to a more intimate custom. It has become fashionable for young people to express their affection for each other by sharing their passwords to e-mail, Facebook and other accounts. Boyfriends and girlfriends sometimes even create identical passwords, and let each other read their private e-mails and texts...

Counselors typically advise against the practice, and parents often preach the wisdom of password privacy. Winifred Lender, a child psychologist in Santa Barbara, had her three sons sign “digital contracts” that outline terms for how much media they will consume, how they will behave online and that they will not share passwords."

Wikipedia goes dark for 24 hours to protest web piracy bills; Foxnews.com, 1/18/12

Foxnews.com; Wikipedia goes dark for 24 hours to protest web piracy bills:

"Can the world live without Wikipedia for a day?

The online encyclopedia is one of the Internet's most visited sites, and at midnight Eastern Standard Time it began a 24-hour "blackout" in protest against proposed anti-piracy legislation that many leading websites -- including Reddit, Google, Facebook, Amazon and others -- contend will make it challenging if not impossible for them to operate."

Digitizing Health Records, Before It Was Cool; New York Times, 1/14/12

Milt Freudenheim, New York Times; Digitizing Health Records, Before It Was Cool:

"Ms. Faulkner understands why it’s taken much longer for the health care industry than, say, banks and airlines to move to electronic data. In banking, the types of data are much more limited and known, she says. In health care, by contrast, data is constantly changing based on information from doctors, nurses, patients and others. New discoveries, protocols and government requirements add even more complexity.

The way this data is stored and used can literally be a matter of life and death — which is why the transition to electronic health records is so sensitive. And why it’s so important, Ms. Faulkner says. Computerized record systems can actively search for and analyze information in ways that paper files never can, thereby improving patients’ health, she says...

Concerns about security are hardly groundless. A government Web site known as the “Wall of Shame” has documented hundreds of breaches that threatened patients’ privacy."

A TV Debate on Antipiracy; New York Times, 1/15/12

Brian Stelter, New York Times; A TV Debate on Antipiracy:

"A pair of bills that would strengthen antipiracy laws — and that could effectively censor the Internet, according to heavyweights like Google — have received scant coverage from the major television networks. The parent companies of the TV networks are among the chief supporters of the bills, having lobbied Congress to write them in the first place.

Those two facts, taken together, have caused conspiracy theories to flourish online about corporate interference in news coverage."

Fighting Antipiracy Measure, Activist Group Posts Personal Information of Media Executives; New York Times, 1/13/12

Amy Chozick, New York Times; Fighting Antipiracy Measure, Activist Group Posts Personal Information of Media Executives:

"In protest of antipiracy legislation currently being considered by Congress, the group has posted online documents that reveal personal information about Jeffrey L. Bewkes, chairman and chief executive of Time Warner, and Sumner M. Redstone, who controls Viacom and the CBS Corporation. Those companies, like almost every major company in the media and entertainment industry, have championed the Stop Online Piracy Act, the House of Representatives bill, known as SOPA, and its related Senate bill, called Protect I.P."

Do Robots Have Ethics?; NPR, 1/5/12

Barbara J. King, NPR; Do Robots Have Ethics? :

"Most scientists think a lot about ethics. We adhere to, and constantly work to improve, guidelines for codes of good conduct in our dealings with people and other animals.

And now, according to a new book edited by philosophers Patrick Lin and Keith Abney, and computer scientist George A. Bekey, more of us had better think about the ethics of dealing with robots, too."

Man Wins Web Squatting Suit Involving His Name; New York Times, 1/6/12

Brian X. Chen, New York Times; Man Wins Web Squatting Suit Involving His Name:

"A New York man on Friday won a lawsuit against a woman whom he accused of registering Web addresses incorporating his name and demanding $1 million for each of them."

Marine biologist could get 20 years in prison for feeding whales; Yahoo News, 1/6/12

Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo News; Marine biologist could get 20 years in prison for feeding whales:

"A California marine biologist is facing up to 20 years in prison and half a million dollars in fines for allegedly feeding a group of killer whales and then altering footage of the incident and lying to authorities."

[Editorial] Judicial Ethics and the Supreme Court; New York Times, 1/5/12

[Editorial] New York Times; Judicial Ethics and the Supreme Court:

"It is not enough for the justices to rely on their own “constant vigilance and good judgment,” as Chief Justice Roberts contends. It is disingenuous for him to claim that “no compilation of ethical rules can guarantee integrity” when no code currently applies to the court. Adopting a conduct code would clarify the rules that apply to the justices and greatly bolster public confidence in the court."

Internet Access Is Not a Human Right; New York Times, 1/4/12

Vincent G. Cerf, New York Times; Internet Access Is Not a Human Right:

"Over the past few years, courts and parliaments in countries like France and Estonia have pronounced Internet access a human right.

But that argument, however well meaning, misses a larger point: technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself. There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. Loosely put, it must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives, like freedom from torture or freedom of conscience. It is a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we will end up valuing the wrong things."

New Questions About Trips Sponsored by Education Publisher; New York Times, 1/1/11

Michael Winerip, New York Times; New Questions About Trips Sponsored by Education Publisher:

"For several weeks, New York State’s attorney general has been investigating similar trips involving two dozen education officials from around the country who traveled to Singapore; London; Helsinki, Finland; China and Rio de Janeiro as guests of the Pearson Foundation. The trips, and the fact that most of these officials come from states that have multimillion contracts with Pearson, were the subject of two of my columns this fall.

Last month, the attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, issued subpoenas to the Manhattan offices of the Pearson Foundation and Pearson Education. Mr. Schneiderman is looking into whether the nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation, which is prohibited by state law from undisclosed lobbying, was used to benefit Pearson Education, a profit-making company that publishes standardized tests, curriculums and textbooks, according to people familiar with the inquiry."

[Podcast] Cheating 101; 60 Minutes, 1/1/12

[Podcast] 60 Minutes; Cheating 101:

"Sam Eshaghoff explains how he operated his SAT test-taking "business" in order to maximize profit."

[Podcast] Television's New Antiheroes: Creating Sympathy For The Devilish; NPR's Morning Edition, 12/15/11

[Podcast] Eric Deggans, NPR's Morning Edition; Television's New Antiheroes: Creating Sympathy For The Devilish:

"[T]hese characters, warped as they can be, are also a statement on our times. In a world filled with war, recession and cynicism, straight-up heroes feel fake as a three-dollar bill. So the confused guy who does bad things for the right reasons just might be the best reflection of where we are today."

Your Life on Facebook, in Total Recall; New York Times, 12/15/11

Jenna Wortham, New York Times; Your Life on Facebook, in Total Recall:

"“There’s no act too small to record on your permanent record,” said Jonathan Zittrain, a law professor at Harvard who studies how the Internet affects society. “All of the mouse droppings that appear as we migrate around the Web will be saved.”

The old Facebook profile page shows the most recent items users have posted, along with things like photos of them posted by others. But Timeline creates a scrapbooklike montage, assembling photos, links and updates for each month and year since they signed up for Facebook."

Judge Dismisses Twitter Stalking Case; New York Times, 12/15/11

Somini Sengupta, New York Times; Judge Dismisses Twitter Stalking Case:

"In a case with potentially far-reaching consequences for freedom of expression on the Internet, a federal judge on Thursday dismissed a criminal case against a man accused of stalking a religious leader on Twitter, saying that the Constitution protects “uncomfortable” speech on such bulletin-boardlike sites."

Put It on My Marquee: I Just Watched ‘Creepshow 2’; New York Times, 12/10/11

Natasha Singer, New York Times; Put It on My Marquee: I Just Watched ‘Creepshow 2’ :

"Netflix is backing a bill in Congress that would amend the Video Privacy Protection Act, a 1988 law that requires a video services company to get a customer’s written consent when it seeks to disclose that client’s personal information, such as rental history. The new bill, passed by the House last Tuesday, would allow consumers to give one-time blanket consent online for a company to share their viewing habits continuously."

[OpEd] The New Digital Divide; New York Times, 12/3/11

[OpEd] Susan P. Crawford, New York Times; The New Digital Divide:

"Increasingly, we are a country in which only the urban and suburban well-off have truly high-speed Internet access, while the rest — the poor and the working class — either cannot afford access or use restricted wireless access as their only connection to the Internet. As our jobs, entertainment, politics and even health care move online, millions are at risk of being left behind."

[Podcast] How Private Is Your Email? It Depends?; NPR's All Things Considered, 11/24/11

[Podcast] NPR's All Things Considered, 11/24/11; How Private Is Your Email? It Depends? :

"Do the police need a warrant to read your email? Believe it or not, two decades into the Internet age, the answer to that question is still "maybe." It depends on how old the email is, where you keep it — and it even depends on whom you ask."

An Excess of Ethics; Library Journal, 11/15/11

John N. Berry III, Library Journal; An Excess of Ethics:

"No principle or rule of professional ethics requires that library workers forfeit any of their rights or job benefits in order to hold their jobs. Support for professional development and advancement is a benefit of working in good libraries. This often includes time off and even payment of costs for conference attendance. I was surprised when many library administrators seemed to disagree with those assertions in a fascinating recent discussion on the PubLib list.

Even the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics (COE) leaves some room for dispute about the ethical responsibilities of library workers and what they owe their employer when they take advantage of certain job benefits and opportunities."

[Editorial] A Push for Online Privacy; New York Times, 11/19/11

[Editorial] New York Times; A Push for Online Privacy:

"Congress should act on the F.T.C.’s recommendation to establish a system that would allow consumers to effectively opt out of all tracking of their online activities. There are other worthy proposals, including the administration’s call for limits on the collection of data about consumers online. Lawmakers have proposed about a dozen privacy bills this year alone. But with Congress stuck in a partisan rut, it is reassuring to see the F.T.C. at work."

Doing the Ethical Thing May Be Right, but It Isn’t Automatic; New York Times, 10/18/11

Alina Tugend, New York Times; Doing the Ethical Thing May Be Right, but It Isn’t Automatic:

"Putting aside the specifics of each case, one question that has come up is, “What would I do?” That is, if I saw what seemed to be a crime or unethical act committed by a respected colleague, coach, teacher or friend, would I storm in and stop it? Would I call the authorities immediately? Would I disregard the potentially devastating impact on my job or workplace or beloved institution?"

My Take: Keep government out of mind-reading business; CNN.com, 11/12/11

Paul Root Wolpe, Ph.D., director of Emory University’s Center for Ethics, CNN.com; My Take: Keep government out of mind-reading business:

"Throughout human history, the inner workings of our minds were impenetrable, known only to us and, perhaps, to God. No one could see what you were thinking, or know what you were feeling, unless you chose to reveal it to them...

Now, for the first time in human history, we are peering into the labyrinth of the mind and pulling out information, perhaps even information you would rather we did not know.

Neuroscientists are actively developing technologies to create more effective lie detectors, to determine if people have been at a crime scene, or to predict who may be more likely to engage in violent crime...

And if brain imaging for lie detection is shown to be reliable, intelligence agencies may want to use it to discover moles, employers may want to use it to screen employees, schools to uncover vandals or cheaters.

But should we allow it?

I believe not."

Plan Would Delay Sales of Generic for Lipitor; New York Times, 11/12/11

Duff Wilson, New York Times; Plan Would Delay Sales of Generic for Lipitor:

"Pfizer has agreed to large discounts for benefit managers that block the use of generic versions of Lipitor, according to a letter from Catalyst Rx, a benefit manager for 18 million people in the United States. The letters have not previously been made public.

A pharmacy group and an independent expert say the tactic will benefit Pfizer and benefit managers at the expense of employers and taxpayers, who may end up paying more than they should for the drug...

“I’m stunned,” said Geoffrey F. Joyce, an associate professor of pharmaceutical economics and a health policy expert at the University of Southern California, after reviewing the letters. “This is just an egregious case."

Penn State trustees stand behind acting leader, vow investigation; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/12/11

Laura Olson and Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Penn State trustees stand behind acting leader, vow investigation:

"Provost Rodney Erickson, who ascended to the presidency on Wednesday night, addressed the trustees Friday morning and devoted most of his time reassuring the campus, parents, alumni and others that the school would take the necessary corrective actions.

Later in the day, Mr. Erickson said the university will appoint an ethics officer who would report directly to the president. "We will cooperate fully and completely with any ongoing investigation," he said.

Board chairman Steve Garban echoed those sentiments, saying, "We are committed to restoring public trust in this university.""

Questioning Privacy Protections in Research; New York Times, 10/23/11

Patricia Cohen, New York Times; Questioning Privacy Protections in Research:

"Hoping to protect privacy in an age when a fingernail clipping can reveal a person’s identity, federal officials are planning to overhaul the rules that regulate research involving human subjects. But critics outside the biomedical arena warn that the proposed revisions may unintentionally create a more serious problem: sealing off vast collections of publicly available information from inspection, including census data, market research, oral histories and labor statistics."

Privacy and Press Freedom Collide in University Case; New York Times, 10/20/11

Tamar Lewin, New York Times; Privacy and Press Freedom Collide in University Case:

"Those requests set off a shootout between the state’s freedom of information law and the federal privacy law for educational records.

The university, backed by the big guns of academia, argues that the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or Ferpa, forbids disclosure of such information — and threatens the loss of federal financing if it hands over private records. Personal information about students is precisely what the federal privacy act was designed to protect, it said, raising the specter of a world in which students might be shamed by the public release of their academic credentials...

But The Tribune, backed by media groups including The New York Times, argues that the documents are not education records under the federal law, but rather records of questionable conduct, so the public’s right to know should prevail."

Dealing With an Identity Hijacked on the Online Highway; New York Times, 9/26/11

Noam Cohen, New York Times; Dealing With an Identity Hijacked on the Online Highway:

"DESPITE his prominent position as a Republican candidate for president, Rick Santorum has lost control of his online identity. And for all the snickering online about it, his predicament stands as a chilling example of what it means to be at the mercy of the Google algorithm.

For those not in on the joke, Mr. Santorum’s torment is that when you look up his last name on Google, and the Bing search engine as well, you encounter a made-up definition of “Santorum” meant to ridicule him in a way that isn’t remotely fit to be described in a family newspaper."

Century After It Was Banned, Place of Honor for Twain Tale; New York Times, 9/22/11

Abby Goodnough, New York Times; Century After It Was Banned, Place of Honor for Twain Tale:

"Richard Whitehead was researching his new role as a trustee of the public library here when he stumbled on an old, forgotten controversy about the book, Mark Twain’s sly interpretation of the Adam and Eve story.

In 1906, he learned, the library’s trustees voted to ban “Eve’s Diary” because the illustrations, by Lester Ralph, showed a naked (though not graphically so) Eve exploring the wonders of Eden."

For Idaho and the Internet, Life in the Slow Lane; New York Times, 9/13/11

Katherine Q. Seelye, New York Times; For Idaho and the Internet, Life in the Slow Lane:

"“This is about our overall competitiveness,” said Jonathan Adelstein, the administrator of the federal government’s Rural Utilities Service and a major advocate of broadband. “Without broadband, especially in rural areas, kids might not reach their full potential. And we can’t expect to be competitive in a global economy.”"

[Graphic] Comparing Internet Speeds Across the Nation; New York Times, 9/13/11

[Graphic] New York Times; Comparing Internet Speeds Across the Nation

Report calls 1940s syphilis research 'unconscionable'; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/13/11

Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Report calls 1940s syphilis research 'unconscionable' :

"A report on the medical research of John C. Cutler in Guatemala in the 1940s released this morning by a presidential commission concludes that the syphilis experiments he conducted for the U.S. Public Health Service involved "unconscionable" violations of ethics."

[Op Ed] Bullying as True Drama; New York Times, 9/11

[Op Ed] Danah Boyd and Alice Marwick, New York Times; Bullying as True Drama:

"Antibullying efforts cannot be successful if they make teenagers feel victimized without providing them the support to go from a position of victimization to one of empowerment. When teenagers acknowledge that they’re being bullied, adults need to provide programs similar to those that help victims of abuse. And they must recognize that emotional recovery is a long and difficult process.

But if the goal is to intervene at the moment of victimization, the focus should be to work within teenagers’ cultural frame, encourage empathy and help young people understand when and where drama has serious consequences. Interventions must focus on positive concepts like healthy relationships and digital citizenship rather than starting with the negative framing of bullying. The key is to help young people feel independently strong, confident and capable without first requiring them to see themselves as either an oppressed person or an oppressor."

Suicide Draws Attention to Gay Bullying; New York Times, 9/21/11

Anahad O'Connor, New York Times; Suicide Draws Attention to Gay Bullying:

"Five months ago, Jamey Rodemeyer, a Buffalo junior high school student, got on his webcam and created a video urging other gay teenagers to remain hopeful in the face of bullying.

The 14-year-old spoke of coming out as bisexual and enduring taunts and slurs at school. And he described, in at times desperate tones, rejection and ridicule from other teenagers.

Jamey made the video as part of the It Gets Better project, a campaign that was started last fall to give hope to bullied gay teenagers. “All you have to do is hold your head up and you’ll go far,” he said. “Just love yourself and you’re set. … It gets better.”

But for Jamey, the struggle apparently was just too much. This week his parents announced that their son was found dead, an apparent suicide."

Patient Data Posted Online in Major Breach of Privacy; New York Times, 9/8/11

Kevin Sack, New York Times; Patient Data Posted Online in Major Breach of Privacy:

"A medical privacy breach at Stanford University’s hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., led to the public posting of medical records for 20,000 emergency room patients, including names and diagnosis codes, on a commercial Web site for nearly a year, the hospital has confirmed."

With Cheating Only a Click Away, Professors Reduce the Incentive; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/4/11

Jie Jenny Zou, Chronicle of Higher Education; With Cheating Only a Click Away, Professors Reduce the Incentive:

"By specifically outlining for students how clicker cheating violates academic honor codes, Mr. Bruff says, universities can clarify the situation for students and bolster professors' positions. "The instructor can point to the honor code—the university has decided that this counts as cheating, so it's not just me being a tough guy. It's that this is commonly accepted as inappropriate," he says.

That kind of clarity works, says Mr. Duncan. At Boulder, the student-enforced honor code takes a strong stance against all forms of cheating. It's one reason that, since the first physics class he watched, he has used clickers for nearly a decade and has caught students cheating only twice."

Commission: Researchers Knew Of Ethical Problems In Guatemala STD Study; NPR's Shots Blog, 8/30/11

Eliza Barclay, NPR's Shots Blog; Commission: Researchers Knew Of Ethical Problems In Guatemala STD Study:

"U.S. researchers knowingly breached medical ethics by infecting Guatemalans with venereal diseases in the 1940s without informing them of the risks, a presidential commission has found.

The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which was asked by President Obama to investigate the Guatemala study in October 2010, came to the conclusion after learning that the researchers had conducted similar research with American prisoners in 1943 but had given them the chance to make informed consent.

The U.S. government formally apologized for the "reprehensible research" last year."

Ethical 'Reality': A Proposed Code For Producers To Live By; NPR's Monkey See Blog, 8/31/11

Linda Holmes, NPR's Monkey See Blog; Ethical 'Reality': A Proposed Code For Producers To Live By:

"But just as responsible sports teams can make responsible decisions about minimizing risks where they can, there are ways for shows that absolutely don't have to be so exploitative and potentially damaging — shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race and Project Runway and Top Chef and even American Idol and Deadliest Catch — to take their responsibilities to participants more seriously and to distinguish and brand themselves as the shows committed to existing on the do-less-harm end of the spectrum. How do you accomplish that?

With a voluntary, industry-adopted ethics code that would allow a show that wants to agree to specific measures that minimize (do not eliminate, but minimize) potential harm, and in return to be marketed as Not That Kind Of Show."

Bullying Law Puts New Jersey Schools on Spot; New York Times, 8/30/11

Winnie Hu, New York Times; Bullying Law Puts New Jersey Schools on Spot:

"But while many parents and educators welcome the efforts to curb bullying both on campus and online, some superintendents and school board members across New Jersey say the new law, which takes effect Sept. 1, reaches much too far, and complain that they have been given no additional resources to meet its mandates.

The law, known as the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, is considered the toughest legislation against bullying in the nation. Propelled by public outcry over the suicide of a Rutgers University freshman, Tyler Clementi, nearly a year ago, it demands that all public schools adopt comprehensive antibullying policies (there are 18 pages of “required components”), increase staff training and adhere to tight deadlines for reporting episodes."

[Podcast] If Science Takes A Wrong Turn, Who Rights It? ; NPR's Talk of the Nation, 8/5/11

[Podcast] Ira Flatow, NPR's Talk of the Nation: If Science Takes A Wrong Turn, Who Rights It? :

"Science is often idealized as a self-correcting system. But how often—and how quickly—is bad science set straight? Ira Flatow and guests discuss recent cases of scientific fraud that have led to retractions of journal studies, and whether human study volunteers have been harmed by bogus science."

On Its Own, Europe Backs Web Privacy Fights; New York Times, 8/9/11

Suzanne Daley, New York Times; On Its Own, Europe Backs Web Privacy Fights:

"Mr. Werro says Europe sees the need to balance freedom of speech and the right to know against a person’s right to privacy or dignity, concepts often enshrined in European laws. The European perspective was shaped by the way information was collected and used against individuals under dictators like Franco and Hitler and under Communism. Government agencies routinely compiled dossiers on citizens as a means of control."

[Editorial] Ethics, Politics and the Law; New York Times, 6/30/11

[Editorial] New York Times; Ethics, Politics and the Law:

"The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices became an important issue in the just completed term. The court cannot maintain its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law when justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that weakened the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial."

Band of Academic-Plagiarism Sleuths Undoes German Politicians; Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/12/11

Aisha Labi, Chronicle of Higher Education; Band of Academic-Plagiarism Sleuths Undoes German Politicians:

"The revelations of how extensively Mr. Guttenberg had plagiarized came as no surprise to one group of people: an online community of plagiarism detectors that formed since the allegations against him came to light. That loose band of academic vigilantes helped to compile and disseminate the information that eventually brought about Mr. Guttenberg's downfall. Its members have since set their sights on other high-profile figures, and, although they do not work directly with universities, their online sleuthing is having an impact."

Secret Archive of Ulster Troubles Faces Subpoena; New York Times, 5/13/11

Jim Dwyer, New York Times; Secret Archive of Ulster Troubles Faces Subpoena:

"The interviewers, working for an oral history project at Boston College, brought two tools: a digital minidisk recorder and a promise of confidentiality. In exchange for candor, the people being interviewed were assured that the contents would remain sealed until they were dead.

Now, however, authorities in the United Kingdom want oral histories that were given to Boston College by two members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army for an investigation into murders and kidnappings committed nearly 40 years ago."

Facebook, Foe of Anonymity, Is Forced to Explain a Secret; New York Times, 5/13/11

Miguel Helft, New York Times; Facebook, Foe of Anonymity, Is Forced to Explain a Secret:

"Now, Facebook is being taken to task for trying to conceal its own identity as it sought to coax reporters and technology experts to write critical stories about the privacy implications of a search feature, Social Circle, from its rival, Google.

The plan backfired after The Daily Beast revealed late Wednesday that Facebook, whose own privacy practices have long been criticized, was behind the effort."

Faculty at For-Profits Allege Constant Pressure to Keep Students Enrolled; Chronicle of Higher Education, 5/8/11

Kelly Field, Chronicle of Higher Education; Faculty at For-Profits Allege Constant Pressure to Keep Students Enrolled:

"Faculty complaints about the quality and rigor of for-profit education are hardly limited to Kaplan, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, with about 112,000 students in campus-based and online programs. In interviews with The Chronicle and lawsuits filed around the country, more than a dozen current and former professors from six of the seven largest publicly traded education companies say they were leaned on to dumb down courses, offer lengthy extensions, and change failing grades. They describe a system in which expectations are low, cheating is tolerated, and faculty are under tremendous pressure to keep students enrolled."