Yaki Faitelson, Forbes; Why 'Right To Delete' Should Be On Your IT Agenda Now
"As California goes, at least concerning data laws, so goes the rest of
the country. In 2002, California became the first state to require
organizations to report breaches to regulators. Now, it’s the law in all 50 states."
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Monday, November 5, 2018
Data Self-Autonomy and Student Data Analytics; Kip Currier, November 5, 2018
Kip Currier: Data Self-Autonomy and Student Data Analytics
When I first saw this PittWire article's headline (Pitt Sets Course for Student Success With Inaugural Advanced Analytics Summit) about Pitt's first-ever Advanced Analytics Summit, my initial thought was, "will the article address the potential downsides of student data analytics?"
Certainly, there are some benefits potentially offered by analysis of data generated about students. Chief among them, greater self-awareness by students themselves; assuming that students are given the opportunity to access data collected about themselves. (Let's remember, also--as surprising as it may seem to digital cognoscenti--that not everyone may want to know and see the kinds of educational data that is generated and collected about themselves in the digital age, just as biomedical providers, ethicists, and users have been debating the thorny issues implicated by the right to know and not know one's own medical information (see here and here, as some examples of varying perspectives about whether to know-or-not-know your own genetic information.) Some among those who do see their educational data analytics may still want to elect to opt out of future collection and use of their personal data.
(Aside: Consider that most U.S. consumers currently have no statutorily-mandated and enforceable rights to opt out of data collection on themselves, or to view and make informed decisions about the petabytes of information collected about them. Indeed, at a privacy conference in Brussels recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook excoriated tech companies for the ways that "personal information is being "weaponized against us with military efficiency.""
Contrast this with the European Union's game-changing 2018 General Data Protection Regulation.
Perennial consumer protection leader California, with its legislature's passage of the most stringent consumer data privacy protection law in the nation and signing into law on September 23, 2018 by California Governor Jerry Brown, was recently sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for that law's adoption.
All the more reason that a recent Forbes article author exhorts "Why "Right To Delete" Should Be On Your IT Agenda Now".)
Having qualified persons to guide students in interpreting and deciding if and how to operationalize data about themselves is crucial. (Student Data Analytics Advisor, anyone?) In what ways can students, and those entrusted to advise them, use data about themselves to make the best possible decisions, during their time as students, as well as afterwards in their personal and professional lives. As Pitt Provost Ann Cudd is quoted in the article:
Kudos that Provost Cudd, as reported in the article, explicitly acknowledged "that as advanced analytics moves forward at the University, two topics of focus include identifying whether the use of data is universally good and what potential dangers exist, and how to keep the human components to avoid generalizing." The overarching, driving focus of student data analytics must always be on what is best for the individual, the student, the human being.
It was good to see that data privacy and cybersecurity issues were identified at the summit as significant concerns. These are HUGE issues with no magic bullets or easy answers. In an age in which even the Pentagon and White House are not innoculated from documented cyberintrusions, does anyone really feel 100% sure that student data won't be breached and misused?
Disappointingly, the article sheds little light on the various stakeholder interests who are eager to harvest and harness student data. As quoted at the end of the article, Stephen Wisniewski, Pitt's Vice Provost for Data and Information, states that "“The primary reason is to better serve our students". Ask yourself, is "better serving students" Google's primary reason for student data analytics? Or a third party vendor? Or the many other parties who stand to benefit from student data analytics? Not just in higher education settings, but in K-12 settings as well. It's self-evident that the motivations for student "advanced analytics" are more complex and nuanced than primarily "better serving students".
As always, when looking at ethical issues and engaging with ethical decision-making, it's critically important to identify the stakeholder interests. To that end, when looking at the issue of student data analytics, we must identify who all of the actual and potential stakeholders are and then think about what their respective interests are, in order to more critically assess the issues and holistically apprise, understand, and make highly informed decisions about the potential risks and benefits. And, as I often remind myself, what people don't say is often just as important, if not sometimes more important and revealing, than what they do say.
Any mention of "informed consent", with regard to data collection and use, is noticeably absent from this article's reporting, though it hopefully was front and center at the summit.
Student data analytics offer some tantalizing possibilities for students to better know thyself. And for the educational institutions that serve them to better know--with the goal of better advising--their students, within legally bound and yet-to-be-bound limits, human individual-centered policies, and ethically-grounded guardrails that are built and reinforced with core values.
It's paramount, too, amidst our all-too-frequent pell-mell rush to embrace new technologies with sometimes utopian thinking and breathless actions, that we remember to take some stabilizing breaths and think deeply and broadly about the ramifications of data collection and use and the choices we can make about what should and should not be done with data--data about ourselves. Individual choice should be an essential part of student data analytics. Anything less places the interests of the data above the interests of the individual.
When I first saw this PittWire article's headline (Pitt Sets Course for Student Success With Inaugural Advanced Analytics Summit) about Pitt's first-ever Advanced Analytics Summit, my initial thought was, "will the article address the potential downsides of student data analytics?"
Certainly, there are some benefits potentially offered by analysis of data generated about students. Chief among them, greater self-awareness by students themselves; assuming that students are given the opportunity to access data collected about themselves. (Let's remember, also--as surprising as it may seem to digital cognoscenti--that not everyone may want to know and see the kinds of educational data that is generated and collected about themselves in the digital age, just as biomedical providers, ethicists, and users have been debating the thorny issues implicated by the right to know and not know one's own medical information (see here and here, as some examples of varying perspectives about whether to know-or-not-know your own genetic information.) Some among those who do see their educational data analytics may still want to elect to opt out of future collection and use of their personal data.
(Aside: Consider that most U.S. consumers currently have no statutorily-mandated and enforceable rights to opt out of data collection on themselves, or to view and make informed decisions about the petabytes of information collected about them. Indeed, at a privacy conference in Brussels recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook excoriated tech companies for the ways that "personal information is being "weaponized against us with military efficiency.""
Contrast this with the European Union's game-changing 2018 General Data Protection Regulation.
Perennial consumer protection leader California, with its legislature's passage of the most stringent consumer data privacy protection law in the nation and signing into law on September 23, 2018 by California Governor Jerry Brown, was recently sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for that law's adoption.
All the more reason that a recent Forbes article author exhorts "Why "Right To Delete" Should Be On Your IT Agenda Now".)
Having qualified persons to guide students in interpreting and deciding if and how to operationalize data about themselves is crucial. (Student Data Analytics Advisor, anyone?) In what ways can students, and those entrusted to advise them, use data about themselves to make the best possible decisions, during their time as students, as well as afterwards in their personal and professional lives. As Pitt Provost Ann Cudd is quoted in the article:
“Two of our main objectives are raising graduation rates and closing achievement gaps. Things to focus on are excellence in education, building a network and identifying and pursuing life goals and leading a life of impact.”
Kudos that Provost Cudd, as reported in the article, explicitly acknowledged "that as advanced analytics moves forward at the University, two topics of focus include identifying whether the use of data is universally good and what potential dangers exist, and how to keep the human components to avoid generalizing." The overarching, driving focus of student data analytics must always be on what is best for the individual, the student, the human being.
It was good to see that data privacy and cybersecurity issues were identified at the summit as significant concerns. These are HUGE issues with no magic bullets or easy answers. In an age in which even the Pentagon and White House are not innoculated from documented cyberintrusions, does anyone really feel 100% sure that student data won't be breached and misused?
Disappointingly, the article sheds little light on the various stakeholder interests who are eager to harvest and harness student data. As quoted at the end of the article, Stephen Wisniewski, Pitt's Vice Provost for Data and Information, states that "“The primary reason is to better serve our students". Ask yourself, is "better serving students" Google's primary reason for student data analytics? Or a third party vendor? Or the many other parties who stand to benefit from student data analytics? Not just in higher education settings, but in K-12 settings as well. It's self-evident that the motivations for student "advanced analytics" are more complex and nuanced than primarily "better serving students".
As always, when looking at ethical issues and engaging with ethical decision-making, it's critically important to identify the stakeholder interests. To that end, when looking at the issue of student data analytics, we must identify who all of the actual and potential stakeholders are and then think about what their respective interests are, in order to more critically assess the issues and holistically apprise, understand, and make highly informed decisions about the potential risks and benefits. And, as I often remind myself, what people don't say is often just as important, if not sometimes more important and revealing, than what they do say.
Any mention of "informed consent", with regard to data collection and use, is noticeably absent from this article's reporting, though it hopefully was front and center at the summit.
Student data analytics offer some tantalizing possibilities for students to better know thyself. And for the educational institutions that serve them to better know--with the goal of better advising--their students, within legally bound and yet-to-be-bound limits, human individual-centered policies, and ethically-grounded guardrails that are built and reinforced with core values.
It's paramount, too, amidst our all-too-frequent pell-mell rush to embrace new technologies with sometimes utopian thinking and breathless actions, that we remember to take some stabilizing breaths and think deeply and broadly about the ramifications of data collection and use and the choices we can make about what should and should not be done with data--data about ourselves. Individual choice should be an essential part of student data analytics. Anything less places the interests of the data above the interests of the individual.
Pitt Sets Course for Student Success With Inaugural Advanced Analytics Summit; PittWire, November 2, 2018
PittWire; Pitt Sets Course for Student Success With Inaugural Advanced Analytics Summit
"Ann Cudd, provost and senior vice chancellor at Pitt, said that as advanced analytics moves forward at the University, two topics of focus include identifying whether the use of data is universally good and what potential dangers exist, and how to keep the human components to avoid generalizing...
While the vast amounts of information may be overwhelming, data privacy is seen as a key fundamental of building and maintaining trust between students and universities.
“It is vitally important that the storage of data be secure,” [Stephen] Wisniewski [vice provost for data and information at the University of Pittsburgh] said. “To that end, experts in the field collectively work to understand and address the ever-changing technology landscape to protect sensitive data.”
Wisniewski said that Pitt’s focus on advanced analytics has one driving principle.
“The primary reason is to better serve our students. That is our ultimate goal,” he said. “That’s what we want out of this. We want them to have the best experience possible and we’re using analytics to help that process.”"
"Ann Cudd, provost and senior vice chancellor at Pitt, said that as advanced analytics moves forward at the University, two topics of focus include identifying whether the use of data is universally good and what potential dangers exist, and how to keep the human components to avoid generalizing...
While the vast amounts of information may be overwhelming, data privacy is seen as a key fundamental of building and maintaining trust between students and universities.
“It is vitally important that the storage of data be secure,” [Stephen] Wisniewski [vice provost for data and information at the University of Pittsburgh] said. “To that end, experts in the field collectively work to understand and address the ever-changing technology landscape to protect sensitive data.”
Wisniewski said that Pitt’s focus on advanced analytics has one driving principle.
“The primary reason is to better serve our students. That is our ultimate goal,” he said. “That’s what we want out of this. We want them to have the best experience possible and we’re using analytics to help that process.”"
Nurse who treated Pittsburgh shooter: 'I'm sure he had no idea I was Jewish' ; The Guardian, November 4, 2018
Martin Pengelly, The Guardian; Nurse who treated Pittsburgh shooter: 'I'm sure he had no idea I was Jewish'
"Mahler said he would not go into great detail, because of privacy rules. But he wrote that the gunman “thanked me for saving him, for showing him kindness, and for treating him the same way I treat every other patient.
“This was the same Robert Bowers that just committed mass homicide. The Robert Bowers who instilled panic in my heart worrying my parents were two of his 11 victims less than an hour before his arrival.
“I’m sure he had no idea I was Jewish. Why thank a Jewish nurse, when 15 minutes beforehand, you’d shoot me in the head with no remorse?
“I didn’t say a word to him about my religion. I chose not to say anything to him the entire time. I wanted him to feel compassion. I chose to show him empathy. I felt that the best way to honour his victims was for a Jew to prove him wrong. Besides, if he finds out I’m Jewish, does it really matter?
The better question is, what does it mean to you?”
In conclusion, Mahler wrote: “If my actions mean anything, love means everything.”"
"Mahler said he would not go into great detail, because of privacy rules. But he wrote that the gunman “thanked me for saving him, for showing him kindness, and for treating him the same way I treat every other patient.
“This was the same Robert Bowers that just committed mass homicide. The Robert Bowers who instilled panic in my heart worrying my parents were two of his 11 victims less than an hour before his arrival.
“I’m sure he had no idea I was Jewish. Why thank a Jewish nurse, when 15 minutes beforehand, you’d shoot me in the head with no remorse?
“I didn’t say a word to him about my religion. I chose not to say anything to him the entire time. I wanted him to feel compassion. I chose to show him empathy. I felt that the best way to honour his victims was for a Jew to prove him wrong. Besides, if he finds out I’m Jewish, does it really matter?
The better question is, what does it mean to you?”
In conclusion, Mahler wrote: “If my actions mean anything, love means everything.”"
I’m a rabbi from Pittsburgh. The way to help our community is to act.; The Washington Post, November 2, 2018
Mark Asher Goodman, The Washington Post; I’m a rabbi from Pittsburgh. The way to help our community is to act.
So here’s how to help: Do something."
"Judaism is a religion of action. We are commanded in
so many places by our Torah to do something; to do justice; to care for
the stranger, the widow, and the orphan; to tend for the sick; to free
the captive; to build a world of lovingkindness. We are commanded
to “not stand idly by the blood of our neighbor.” Our most central
figure is Moses, who reacted to a great massacre against children with
action.
So here’s how to help: Do something."
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Why Aren’t Democrats Walking Away With the Midterms? Democrats miss Trump’s political gifts and the real threat he represents.; The New York Times, November 2, 2018
Bret Stephens, The New York Times;
Why Aren’t Democrats Walking Away With the Midterms?
Democrats miss Trump’s political gifts and the real threat he represents.
"I have written previously
that the real threat of the Trump presidency isn’t economic or
political catastrophe. It’s moral and institutional corrosion — the
debasement of our discourse and the fracturing of our civic bonds.
Democrats should be walking away with the midterms. That they are not is
because they have consistently underestimated the president’s political
gifts, while missing the deeper threat his presidency represents.
There’s a lesson here worth heeding. Our economic GDP may be booming, but our moral GDP is in recession."
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Customizable ethics checklists for Big Data researchers; BoingBoing, October 29, 2018
Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing; Customizable ethics checklists for Big Data researchers
"Deon is a project to create automated "ethics checklists" for data science projects; by default, running the code creates a comprehensive checklist covering data collection and storage, modeling and deployment: the checklist items aren't specific actions, they're "meant to provoke discussion among good-faith actors who take their ethical responsibilities seriously. Because of this, most of the items are framed as prompts to discuss or consider. Teams will want to document these discussions and decisions for posterity."
The lists can be customized for your own purposes, and if you think the default list needs revising, there's a democratic process for amending it."
"Deon is a project to create automated "ethics checklists" for data science projects; by default, running the code creates a comprehensive checklist covering data collection and storage, modeling and deployment: the checklist items aren't specific actions, they're "meant to provoke discussion among good-faith actors who take their ethical responsibilities seriously. Because of this, most of the items are framed as prompts to discuss or consider. Teams will want to document these discussions and decisions for posterity."
The lists can be customized for your own purposes, and if you think the default list needs revising, there's a democratic process for amending it."
A Rising Crescendo Demands Data Ethics and Data Responsibility; Forbes, October 29, 2018
Randy Bean, Forbes; A Rising Crescendo Demands Data Ethics and Data Responsibility
"It is against this backdrop that data ethics has rapidly moved to the forefront of any meaningful discussion about data. A spate of recent articles -- Never Heard of Data Ethics? You Will Soon, It’s Time to Talk About Data Ethics, Data Ethics: The New Competitive Advantage, Will Democracy Survive Big Data and Artificial Intelligence – underscore the increasing urgency and highlight the ethical considerations that organizations must address when managing data as an asset, and considering its impact on individual rights and privacy.
I recently convened two thought-leadership roundtables of Chief Data Officers and executives with responsibility for data initiatives within their organizations. The increased focus and concern for the ethical use of data is born out of widespread reaction to recent and highly publicized misuses of data that represent breaches of public trust -- whether this be unauthorized data sharing by social media platforms, reselling of customer information by businesses, or biased algorithms that reinforce social inequalities.
It is within this context that we are now witnessing increased corporate attention to data for good initiatives. Companies are increasingly recognizing and acknowledging that ethical action and doing well can be synonymous with doing good. A few corporations, notably Mastercard through their Center for Inclusive Growth, Bloomberg through Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Data for Good Exchange, and JP Morgan through the JP Morgan Institute have been among those corporations at the forefront of ethical data use for public good...
Increasingly, corporations are focusing on issues of data ethics, data privacy, and data philanthropy. An executive representing one of the nation’s largest insurance companies noted, “We are spending more hours on legal and ethical review of data than we are on data management”."
"It is against this backdrop that data ethics has rapidly moved to the forefront of any meaningful discussion about data. A spate of recent articles -- Never Heard of Data Ethics? You Will Soon, It’s Time to Talk About Data Ethics, Data Ethics: The New Competitive Advantage, Will Democracy Survive Big Data and Artificial Intelligence – underscore the increasing urgency and highlight the ethical considerations that organizations must address when managing data as an asset, and considering its impact on individual rights and privacy.
I recently convened two thought-leadership roundtables of Chief Data Officers and executives with responsibility for data initiatives within their organizations. The increased focus and concern for the ethical use of data is born out of widespread reaction to recent and highly publicized misuses of data that represent breaches of public trust -- whether this be unauthorized data sharing by social media platforms, reselling of customer information by businesses, or biased algorithms that reinforce social inequalities.
It is within this context that we are now witnessing increased corporate attention to data for good initiatives. Companies are increasingly recognizing and acknowledging that ethical action and doing well can be synonymous with doing good. A few corporations, notably Mastercard through their Center for Inclusive Growth, Bloomberg through Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Data for Good Exchange, and JP Morgan through the JP Morgan Institute have been among those corporations at the forefront of ethical data use for public good...
Increasingly, corporations are focusing on issues of data ethics, data privacy, and data philanthropy. An executive representing one of the nation’s largest insurance companies noted, “We are spending more hours on legal and ethical review of data than we are on data management”."
Current Events Classroom lesson from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), re the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, October 30, 2018
[Kip
Currier: I'm posting helpful information below, received from my former and
now-retired University of Pittsburgh colleague Dr. Ellen Detlefsen, whose son
David Reynolds works within the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Education
Division. As Ellen wrote:
"David...has put together a lesson plan and resource page about the tragedy in Pittsburgh. He has asked us to share this widely, and we urge you to do the same! Sadly, it is more needed now than ever, so please see that this is shared with teachers, preachers, health workers, and your friends, neighbors, and relatives!"]
"David...has put together a lesson plan and resource page about the tragedy in Pittsburgh. He has asked us to share this widely, and we urge you to do the same! Sadly, it is more needed now than ever, so please see that this is shared with teachers, preachers, health workers, and your friends, neighbors, and relatives!"]
"ADL has a new HS Current Events Classroom lesson: Deadly Shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
On the morning of October 27, at Sabbath services, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA and
yelled “All Jews must die,” then opened fire upon the congregants. He was armed
with
an assault rifle and several handguns and killed eleven congregants and
wounded six others, four of whom are police officers.
When
surrendering to law
enforcement, Bowers told an officer that he “wanted all Jews to die” and
that Jews “were committing genocide against his people.”
This
shooting is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the
U.S. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to analyze
this incident in the context of the shooter’s background and history of
anti-Semitism, as well as the nationwide rise of anti-Semitic incidents
over the last year. In this lesson, students will learn more about the
incident, understand and consider the larger
context of anti-Semitism in the U.S., explore how the escalation of
hate operates and how allyship can make a difference.
We also posted a new blog:
The Week in Hate and Bias and How to Talk with Young People
Here is a landing page with all the related resources that I’ve been sending the past few days plus these—all in one place!
After the Deadly Shooting at a Pittsburgh Synagogue: Resources for Educators
Dave Reynolds, Director of Professional Development and Regional Support
t: 617.406.6345 | email: dreynolds@adl.org
adl.org"
adl.org"
Medicine and ethics: Will we learn to take research scandals seriously?; Star Tribune, October 29, 2018
Carl Elliott, Star Tribune; Medicine and ethics: Will we learn to take research scandals seriously?
"“The Experiments” is a cautionary tale of how the refusal of institutional leaders to look honestly at ethical problems can lead to the deaths of unsuspecting patients. And while the jury is still out as to whether the Karolinska Institute will reform itself, at least the Swedish public and concerned politicians are trying to hold the institution accountable.
That is more than we can claim for Minnesota. As they say in the rehabilitation units: The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."
"“The Experiments” is a cautionary tale of how the refusal of institutional leaders to look honestly at ethical problems can lead to the deaths of unsuspecting patients. And while the jury is still out as to whether the Karolinska Institute will reform itself, at least the Swedish public and concerned politicians are trying to hold the institution accountable.
That is more than we can claim for Minnesota. As they say in the rehabilitation units: The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."
He Promised to Restore Damaged Hearts. Harvard Says His Lab Fabricated Research.; The New York Times, October 29, 2018
Gina Kolata, The New York Times;
He Promised to Restore Damaged Hearts. Harvard Says His Lab Fabricated Research.
He Promised to Restore Damaged Hearts. Harvard Says His Lab Fabricated Research.
"For Dr. Piero Anversa, the fall from scientific grace has been long, and the landing hard.
Researchers
worldwide once hailed his research as revolutionary, promising the
seemingly impossible: a way to grow new heart cells to replace those
lost in heart attacks and heart failure, leading killers in the United
States.
But Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, his former employers, this month accused Dr. Anversa and his laboratory of extensive scientific malpractice.
More than 30 research studies produced over more than a decade contain
falsified or fabricated data, officials concluded, and should be
retracted. Last year the hospital paid a $10 million settlement to the
federal government after the Department of Justice alleged
that Dr. Anversa and two members of his team were responsible for
fraudulently obtaining research funding from the National Institutes of
Health.
“The number of papers is
extraordinary,” said Dr. Jeffrey Flier, until 2016 the dean of Harvard
Medical School. “I can’t recall another case like this.”"
NDAs Are Out of Control. Here’s What Needs to Change; Harvard Business Review, January 30, 2018
Orly Lobel, Harvard Business Review; NDAs Are Out of Control. Here’s What Needs to Change
[Kip Currier: Came across this article about Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs) while updating a Trade Secrets lecture for this week. The author raises a number of thought-provoking ethical and policy issues to consider. Good information for people in all sectors to think about when faced with signing an NDA and/or managing NDAs.]
"Nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, which are increasingly common in employment contracts, suppress employee speech and chill creativity. The current revelations surfacing years of harassment in major organizations are merely the tip of the iceberg.
New data shows that over one-third of the U.S. workforce is bound by an NDA. These contracts have grown not only in number but also in breadth. They not only appear in settlements after a victim of sexual harassment has raised her voice but also are now routinely included in standard employment contracts upon hiring. At the outset, NDAs attempt to impose several obligations upon a new employee. They demand silence, often broadly worded to protect against speaking up against corporate culture or saying anything that would portray the company and its executives in a negative light. NDAs also attempt to expand the definitions of secrecy to cover more information than the traditional bounds of trade secret law, in effect preventing an employee from leaving their employer and continuing to work in the same field."
[Kip Currier: Came across this article about Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs) while updating a Trade Secrets lecture for this week. The author raises a number of thought-provoking ethical and policy issues to consider. Good information for people in all sectors to think about when faced with signing an NDA and/or managing NDAs.]
"Nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, which are increasingly common in employment contracts, suppress employee speech and chill creativity. The current revelations surfacing years of harassment in major organizations are merely the tip of the iceberg.
New data shows that over one-third of the U.S. workforce is bound by an NDA. These contracts have grown not only in number but also in breadth. They not only appear in settlements after a victim of sexual harassment has raised her voice but also are now routinely included in standard employment contracts upon hiring. At the outset, NDAs attempt to impose several obligations upon a new employee. They demand silence, often broadly worded to protect against speaking up against corporate culture or saying anything that would portray the company and its executives in a negative light. NDAs also attempt to expand the definitions of secrecy to cover more information than the traditional bounds of trade secret law, in effect preventing an employee from leaving their employer and continuing to work in the same field."
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
‘I’m Dr. Cohen’: The powerful humanity of the Jewish hospital staff that treated Robert Bowers; The Washington Post, October 30, 2018
Eli Rosenberg, The Washington Post; ‘I’m Dr. Cohen’: The powerful humanity of the Jewish hospital staff that treated Robert Bowers
“We’re here to take care of sick people,” Cohen, who is a member of the congregation where the massacre happened, said in an interview with ABC affiliate WTAE. “We’re not here to judge you. We’re not here to ask ’Do you have insurance?’ or ’Do you not have insurance?’ We’re here to take care of people that need our help.”"
"The man accused in the brutal killings of 11 people
in a synagogue in Pittsburgh was taken to the hospital after he was
apprehended to be treated for the injuries he suffered in a gunfight
with the police.
In the emergency room when he arrived, he was shouting, “I want to kill all the Jews,” according to the hospital’s president.
If
he only knew then about the identity of the team tasked with keeping
him alive: At least three of the doctors and nurses who cared for Robert
Bowers at the Allegheny General Hospital were Jewish, according to
President Jeffrey K. Cohen.
“We’re here to take care of sick people,” Cohen, who is a member of the congregation where the massacre happened, said in an interview with ABC affiliate WTAE. “We’re not here to judge you. We’re not here to ask ’Do you have insurance?’ or ’Do you not have insurance?’ We’re here to take care of people that need our help.”"
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Even The Data Ethics Initiatives Don't Want To Talk About Data Ethics; Forbes, October 23, 2018
Kalev Leetaru, Forbes; Even The Data Ethics Initiatives Don't Want To Talk About Data Ethics
"Two weeks ago, a new data ethics initiative, the Responsible Computer Science Challenge, caught my eye. Funded by the Omidyar Network, Mozilla, Schmidt Futures and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the initiative will award up to $3.5M to “promising approaches to embedding ethics into undergraduate computer science education, empowering graduating engineers to drive a culture shift in the tech industry and build a healthier internet.” I was immediately excited about a well-funded initiative focused on seeding data ethics into computer science curricula, getting students talking about ethics from the earliest stages of their careers. At the same time, I was concerned about whether even such a high-profile effort could possibly reverse the tide of anti-data-ethics that has taken root in academia and what impact it could realistically have in a world in which universities, publishers, funding agencies and employers have largely distanced themselves from once-sacrosanct data ethics principles like informed consent and the right to opt out. Surprisingly, for an initiative focused on evangelizing ethics, the Challenge declined to answer any of the questions I posed it regarding how it saw its efforts as changing this. Is there any hope left for data ethics when the very initiatives designed to help teach ethics don’t want to talk about ethics?"
"Two weeks ago, a new data ethics initiative, the Responsible Computer Science Challenge, caught my eye. Funded by the Omidyar Network, Mozilla, Schmidt Futures and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the initiative will award up to $3.5M to “promising approaches to embedding ethics into undergraduate computer science education, empowering graduating engineers to drive a culture shift in the tech industry and build a healthier internet.” I was immediately excited about a well-funded initiative focused on seeding data ethics into computer science curricula, getting students talking about ethics from the earliest stages of their careers. At the same time, I was concerned about whether even such a high-profile effort could possibly reverse the tide of anti-data-ethics that has taken root in academia and what impact it could realistically have in a world in which universities, publishers, funding agencies and employers have largely distanced themselves from once-sacrosanct data ethics principles like informed consent and the right to opt out. Surprisingly, for an initiative focused on evangelizing ethics, the Challenge declined to answer any of the questions I posed it regarding how it saw its efforts as changing this. Is there any hope left for data ethics when the very initiatives designed to help teach ethics don’t want to talk about ethics?"
Apple’s Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the ‘data industrial complex’; October 24, 2018
Natasha Lomas, TechCrunch; Apple’s Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the ‘data industrial complex’
"Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has joined the chorus of voices warning that data itself is being weaponized against people and societies — arguing that the trade in digital data has exploded into a “data industrial complex”."
"Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has joined the chorus of voices warning that data itself is being weaponized against people and societies — arguing that the trade in digital data has exploded into a “data industrial complex”."
Apple’s Tim Cook blasts Silicon Valley over privacy issues; The Washington Post, October 24, 2018
Tony Romm, The Washington Post; Apple’s Tim Cook blasts Silicon Valley over privacy issues
"Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Wednesday warned the world’s most powerful regulators that the poor privacy practices of some tech companies, the ills of social media and the erosion of trust in his own industry threaten to undermine “technology’s awesome potential” to address challenges such as disease and climate change."
"Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Wednesday warned the world’s most powerful regulators that the poor privacy practices of some tech companies, the ills of social media and the erosion of trust in his own industry threaten to undermine “technology’s awesome potential” to address challenges such as disease and climate change."
Hackers Are Breaking into Medical Databases to Protect Patient Data; The Scientist, October 1, 2018
Catherine Offord, The Scientist; Hackers Are Breaking into Medical Databases to Protect Patient Data
"The first few times Ben Sadeghipour hacked into a computer, it was to access the video games on his older brother’s desktop. “He would usually have a password on his computer, and I would try and guess his password,” Sadeghipour tells The Scientist. Sometimes he’d guess right. Other times, he wouldn’t. “So I got into learning about how to get into computers that were password protected,” he says. “At the time, I had no clue that what I was doing was considered hacking.”
The skills he picked up back then would become unexpectedly useful later in life. Sadeghipour now breaks into other people’s computer systems as a profession. He is one of thousands of so-called ethical hackers working for HackerOne, a company that provides services to institutions and businesses looking to test the security of their systems and identify vulnerabilities before criminals do."
"The first few times Ben Sadeghipour hacked into a computer, it was to access the video games on his older brother’s desktop. “He would usually have a password on his computer, and I would try and guess his password,” Sadeghipour tells The Scientist. Sometimes he’d guess right. Other times, he wouldn’t. “So I got into learning about how to get into computers that were password protected,” he says. “At the time, I had no clue that what I was doing was considered hacking.”
The skills he picked up back then would become unexpectedly useful later in life. Sadeghipour now breaks into other people’s computer systems as a profession. He is one of thousands of so-called ethical hackers working for HackerOne, a company that provides services to institutions and businesses looking to test the security of their systems and identify vulnerabilities before criminals do."
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Libraries are about democracy, not just books; The Age (Melbourne, Australia), October 9, 2018
Christie Nieman, The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Libraries are about democracy, not just books
[Kip Currier: This article provides a persuasive, nuanced first-hand account by a librarian in Victoria, Australia about the vital role of libraries in communities as incubators for democratic values like access to information, analog and digital literacy, and an informed, educated electorate.
It can be easy to talk about and wax eloquently about the importance of democracy--at least, in places where, thankfully, free speech enables that kind of discourse.
The harder job of walking the talk, in terms of public infrastructure development and sustainability, is what the author of this piece unpacks for us:
"Certainly, once upon a time, a public library was a collection of books. But it was never only that. The mission of a public library is, and always was, to allow whole community access to knowledge, information, literature, and cultural participation. Every single day, your public library aims to provide something necessary or enriching – for free – for you and every individual in its locality. It aims to do this even for those who never darken its door, just in case one day they do. A public library is an instrument of democracy. Its mission is access for all, no one left behind...
These days access and full participation is simply not possible without some level of digital literacy. Teaching this skill has become fundamental to the age-old library mission. Daily, I teach older people and new arrivals how to use email and show people from all walks of life how to scan their documents, search for jobs, submit online forms to Centrelink...
Not by mistake is "Libraries Change Lives" the name of the new Public Libraries Victoria Network campaign - a slogan for a collaborative effort to educate people about libraries and ensure they are well funded, now and far into the future.
Libraries need to be protected. By all of us, for each other. And and we need to remember that libraries are not just nice, they are necessary."
[Kip Currier: This article provides a persuasive, nuanced first-hand account by a librarian in Victoria, Australia about the vital role of libraries in communities as incubators for democratic values like access to information, analog and digital literacy, and an informed, educated electorate.
It can be easy to talk about and wax eloquently about the importance of democracy--at least, in places where, thankfully, free speech enables that kind of discourse.
The harder job of walking the talk, in terms of public infrastructure development and sustainability, is what the author of this piece unpacks for us:
Informing, reminding, and inspiring people why democracy requires necessary investment--in the short-term and for the long-term public interest--for civil societies to take root and thrive. Investment in public interest-committed institutions like libraries. For the benefit of everyone.As quantitative and qualitative data (see here and here) and experiential stories demonstrate time and time again, libraries are local community, regional, national, and transnational anchors and portals to the kinds of activities and values that are necessary for democracies to grow and flourish. For people of all walks of life.]
"Certainly, once upon a time, a public library was a collection of books. But it was never only that. The mission of a public library is, and always was, to allow whole community access to knowledge, information, literature, and cultural participation. Every single day, your public library aims to provide something necessary or enriching – for free – for you and every individual in its locality. It aims to do this even for those who never darken its door, just in case one day they do. A public library is an instrument of democracy. Its mission is access for all, no one left behind...
These days access and full participation is simply not possible without some level of digital literacy. Teaching this skill has become fundamental to the age-old library mission. Daily, I teach older people and new arrivals how to use email and show people from all walks of life how to scan their documents, search for jobs, submit online forms to Centrelink...
Not by mistake is "Libraries Change Lives" the name of the new Public Libraries Victoria Network campaign - a slogan for a collaborative effort to educate people about libraries and ensure they are well funded, now and far into the future.
Libraries need to be protected. By all of us, for each other. And and we need to remember that libraries are not just nice, they are necessary."
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Iowa man burns children's books from public library to protest Orange City Pride; Des Moines Register, October 22, 2018
, Des Moines Register; Iowa man burns children's books from public library to protest Orange City Pride
[Kip Currier: The American Library Association's (ALA) Banned Books Week was last month. It's an annual event, started in 1982 by the late Judith Krug, a staunch intellectual freedom advocate, to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual freedom and efforts by some to ban books.
The theme for this year's event is "Banning Books Silences Stories". This Des Moines Register article and video about a man who videotaped himself burning several LGBTQ-themed books owned by a public library in Iowa is a tangible example of attempts to silence the stories of others.
Watch this 3 minute 2012 Banned Books Week video by veteran journalist Bill Moyers for a still-relevant response regarding, as Moyers puts it, "self-deputized vigilantes".]
[Kip Currier: The American Library Association's (ALA) Banned Books Week was last month. It's an annual event, started in 1982 by the late Judith Krug, a staunch intellectual freedom advocate, to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual freedom and efforts by some to ban books.
The theme for this year's event is "Banning Books Silences Stories". This Des Moines Register article and video about a man who videotaped himself burning several LGBTQ-themed books owned by a public library in Iowa is a tangible example of attempts to silence the stories of others.
Watch this 3 minute 2012 Banned Books Week video by veteran journalist Bill Moyers for a still-relevant response regarding, as Moyers puts it, "self-deputized vigilantes".]
"The Orange City Public Library said it's
exploring legal options after a northwest Iowa man rented and then
publicly burned several children's books Friday.
The second
annual OC Pride kicked off Friday with a story time for kids, a
schedule shows. About an hour before the event, Paul Dorr started a live
Facebook video, in which he stood near the Prairie Winds Event Center.
The 27-minute video ends with Dorr throwing at least four books with
LGBTQ themes that he claimed he rented from the public library into a
burning trash can."
Monday, October 22, 2018
National Conference on the First Amendment; Duquesne University, October 21 - October 22, 2018
"National Conference on the First Amendment
Sunday, October 21 - Monday, October 22, 2018
Duquesne University Power Center Ballroom
[Kip Currier: Just listened virtually (see the link at the bottom of this post!) to the National Conference on the First Amendment's
Monday morning panels comprised of a diverse array of newspaper editors
(New York Times, Washington Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), university
presidents (Morehouse College, University of Chicago, University of
Virginia), and other 1st Amendment and national security experts from
government, industry, and the academy.
Hearing the thoughts of these impressive thought leaders was
enlightening, thought-provoking, AND energizing. I'll be blogging about
some of the sessions in the near future. Hopefully, the videos of these
sessions will be made available--and transcripts would be a great
resource as well!]
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."The National Conference on the First Amendment: Bedrock of American Freedoms will shine a light on the critical importance of the First Amendment in a free and democratic society, to open a dialogue with Americans about the First Amendment and its central role in maintaining the viability of our democratic institutions and to help diverse audiences recognize that we, as Americans, still share foundational values. At a time when incivility and disregard for foundational principles have become the norm in our society, all Americans—regardless of ideology or politics—can find common ground in a national celebration of the First Amendment.
- The First Amendment to the United States Constitution
This conference will devote attention to all aspects of our basic freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the right to peaceably assemble and to government petition. The conference also will cover modern technology, social media and more. With the help of some of the best minds in the country, the conference will challenge us to rediscover the central role that the First Amendment plays in our American democracy.
Speakers and panelists include nationally known experts in journalism, politics, law, higher education and civic advocacy. For complete details, see the conference agenda.
Live Webcast
In addition, the conference will be webcast live on Oct. 21-22 for those unable to attend in person."Saturday, October 20, 2018
The Saudis and Trump insult our intelligence. Congress shouldn’t.; The Washington Post, October 20, 2018
Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post; The Saudis and Trump insult our intelligence. Congress shouldn’t.
"White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders’s bland acknowledgment of Khashoggi’s death and announcement that the White House would continue to “follow” international investigations (that would be the Saudi’s self-investigation?) reminds one of Hannah Arendt’s phrase “the banality of evil.”...
In allowing the Saudis to delay this long and failing to demand audio recordings allegedly capturing the murder, the administration has become an accessory after the fact, an enabler of nearly unimaginable evil."
"White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders’s bland acknowledgment of Khashoggi’s death and announcement that the White House would continue to “follow” international investigations (that would be the Saudi’s self-investigation?) reminds one of Hannah Arendt’s phrase “the banality of evil.”...
There
was no actual condemnation by the administration of this human rights
atrocity, no defense of a free press or of the right of Americans
(residents or citizens) to travel safely. The administration looks
feckless, and if it continues down this road, will earn the ridicule and
disdain of Americans, our allies and all free peoples.
In allowing the Saudis to delay this long and failing to demand audio recordings allegedly capturing the murder, the administration has become an accessory after the fact, an enabler of nearly unimaginable evil."
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