TLDR 103

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 103

Published: 2017-06-23 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to issue #103 of TL;DR. In this week's issue...Ignorance is strength.

This week I posted the following:

Three stages to become a digitally agile researcher - For all of my friends in research, this is a guide to get you started in open scholarship online. This should be viewed as a companion post to my earlier pieces on being a digitally agile educator.
What you need to know about "acceptable use policies" - This week I submitted my section on acceptable use policies for the Encyclopedia of Media Literacy. The end result is an interesting look at the intersection between AUPs, EULA, ToS, and ToU. If you don't know what those mean....you should read this.
Cold brew coffee - Emma Cragg sent me a note after last week's issue of TL;DR asking for more guidance on cold brew coffee. This post shares my recipe for the elixir. As a reminder, this stuff is concentrated. Dilute it with water...and stop scrubbing the floors with your toothbrush. :)

🔖 Key Takeaways

These Are Videos I Wish: The Mark Rober YouTube channel is awesome. Rober focuses on creativity, science, and design. These are videos I wish I could make. :)
This Is a Very Important Subject: The results suggest that a patchwork of algorithms, fake accounts, and false consensus help create "illusions of popularity." This is a very important subject, and I'm trying to figure out not only what to do about it...but also how to tell this story in a way that is approachable and accessible for all.
I Need to Take Some Time: For the time being, I will not use images from Unsplash in my posts until I have a better sense of what this all means.
I Believe the Internet Is: I believe the Internet is the dominant text of our generation. I also believe that it is a fundamental human right that we provide opportunities for all individuals to use the Internet and engage in web literacy practices.
This Is Important: The problems at Uber are more symptomatic of a larger culture of misogyny, sexism, & sexual harassment prevalent in Silicon Valley. This is important for education and the future of jobs as we consider opportunities to empower all to pursue the career of their choice.
I Also Think: I agree that the digital natives moniker is an ill-founded label that I wish never existed. I also think that children will come into classrooms with an expectation to be engaged, and (in some aspects) entertained.
I Urge You: If you have a blog or website, your selection of font plays a big part in how you frame your digital identity. I urge you to take a look around and re-examine your font selection.

📺 Watch

1st place science fair ideas - 10 ideas and tricks to WIN!

The Mark Rober YouTube channel is awesome. Rober focuses on creativity, science, and design. His videos are usually hacks or makes that are kid friendly...and usually involve kids. These are videos I wish I could make. :)

This video on science fair ideas is a good starting point to get to know the channel. It also provides a good series of challenges to give kids as school lets out for the summer.

📚 Read

In recent issues of TL;DR, I've shared a lot of information about "fake news" and the role of social media in our lives. I've also shared a great deal about your digital identity and the need to be informed about the digital silos you may exist within.

This piece in The Guardian from Alex Hern shares the results from case studies conducted by the University of Oxford on "computational propaganda" from 9 countries around the globe. The results suggest that a patchwork of algorithms, fake accounts, and false consensus help create "illusions of popularity." This means that these networks are being used by governments and individuals to spread lies, misinformation, and propaganda.

This is a very important subject, and I'm trying to figure out not only what to do about it...but also how to tell this story in a way that is approachable and accessible for all. Do I leave Facebook? How do I help educate and advocate for others? Does this matter as this is the "new normal"?

For now, I'm reading a lot (start here & here by Aral Balkan), and having discussions with people about what this all means. Come and join us in the discussions.

Community update: Unsplash branded license and ToS changes

I spend a lot of time writing and teaching about creating digital content. In this work, I promote Unsplash as a tool to quickly add images to blog posts. As the course progresses, I begin to explain Creative Commons licensing, and urge individuals to create, license, and share their own work.

I recommended (and used) Unsplash because it shared high quality, interesting photos, under a Creative Commons (CC0) license. This means that you could use it without any concern as you began to understand CC licensing and intellectual property online.

This week Unsplash moved from the CC0 license to the Unsplash License. I had a great discussion with Steph Liverani from Unsplash on Twitter about this move. It appears that one of the reasons for this was that some people were pulling images from Unsplash to create clones of the site. There is also some disagreement about "revocability" between the two licenses. Read the response from Unsplash to the Creative Commons post.

I need to take some time to let the Unsplash License settle a bit and research it a bit more. For the time being, I will not use images from Unsplash in my posts until I have a better sense of what this all means.

Supreme Court says you can't ban people from the Internet, no matter what they've done

I believe the Internet is the dominant text of our generation. I also believe that it is a fundamental human right that we provide opportunities for all individuals to use the Internet and engage in web literacy practices.

That being said, I know that there's some bad people out there. There has been some discussion about whether or not individuals convicted of a serious crime should be able to use digital texts and tools. The U.S. Supreme Court this week decided that it is unlawful to ban people from the Internet, no matter what they've done.

The decisions by the Justices are very interesting. I recommend reviewing highlights from Mike Masnick's post as I believe the ruling will be used in future rulings about freedom and liberties online.

With her blog post about toxic bro-culture at Uber, Susan Fowler proved that one person can make a difference

Chances are you may not have paid attention to the trials and tribulations that have been occurring within Uber over the past couple of months. Susan Fowler, a former engineer at Uber described in detail some of the toxic culture in the organization.

As noted in this piece by Kara Swisher, the problems at Uber are more symptomatic of a larger culture of misogyny, sexism, & sexual harassment prevalent in Silicon Valley. Swisher suggests that the fallout, and recent resignation of Uber C.E.O. Travis Kalanick show that one person can make a difference.

This is important for education and the future of jobs as we consider opportunities to empower all to pursue the career of their choice.

Is the Internet changing kids' brains?

This excerpt from the new book by Dan Willingham tries to tackle the perennial question about whether or not the Internet has altered the brains and cognition of individuals. I'm interested to read Willingham's response to the "Is Google making us dumber" debate.

From this excerpt, it appears that his response is a bit more nuanced as he highlights the plasticity of the brain and suggests that these activities may not be permanent. He also discusses the role of concentration and boredom in learning. These are themes that Willingham makes in his other books as well.

I agree that the digital natives moniker is an ill-founded label that I wish never existed. I also think that children will come into classrooms with an expectation to be engaged, and (in some aspects) entertained. I don't see this as a problem. It requires more diligence on the part of the individual doing the teaching. It also requires that we re-examine, and problematize pedagogy.

🔨 Do

What does your choice of font say about you?

What does your choice of font say about you? You may not think that it has any impact on your digital identity, but I disagree. I think you should consider what your font suggests about your personality.

Most of our font selection usually happens in our emails and written documents. In these spaces, we may (or may not) be able to modify the font. Most times we do have the opportunity to switch things up.

If you have a blog or website, your selection of font plays a big part in how you frame your digital identity.

I urge you to take a look around and re-examine your font selection.

🤔 Consider

"Reach for the stars, even if you have to stand on a cactus." — Martin Luther King, Jr.

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

Computational Propaganda — Oxford University case studies across 9 countries reveal how algorithms, fake accounts, and false consensus create illusions of popularity, with social networks being weaponized by governments and individuals to spread lies and misinformation requiring new approaches to media literacy.
Creative Commons Licensing — Unsplash's shift from CC0 to a proprietary license raises questions about intellectual property, revocability, and platform sustainability, requiring educators to understand licensing frameworks when teaching digital content creation and image attribution.
Internet Access as Human Right — Supreme Court ruling that internet bans are unlawful establishes internet access as a fundamental right, recognizing it as the dominant text of our generation and essential for participating in modern literacy practices and civic life.
Silicon Valley Culture — Susan Fowler's exposure of Uber's toxic culture reveals broader patterns of misogyny, sexism, and sexual harassment prevalent across Silicon Valley, with implications for education and future of work as we prepare students for technology careers.
Digital Natives Myth — Research debunks the ill-founded "digital natives" label, while acknowledging children enter classrooms expecting engagement and entertainment, requiring educators to re-examine pedagogy without relying on generational stereotypes about technology aptitude.

Part of the 📧 Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.