TLDR 99

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 99

Published: 2017-05-26 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to issue #99 of TL;DR. Feel free to share with someone that you believe would benefit. Subscribe to this newsletter if you stumbled across this newsletter online.

This week's issue is all about life, death, and the stuff in between.

This week I posted the following:

• Stop motion movie creation in early childhood education - This post shares an overview of some recent work I conducted in a kindergarten classroom. I worked with the class to make a stop motion movie version of a text they were reading. I like working with technology in early and elementary education to get a better sense of how to make it work in those placements.

Please get in touch with me at hello@wiobyrne.com. You can review archives of the newsletter or on Medium. I also share the quotes at the bottom of the newsletter on Instagram.

🔖 Key Takeaways

• The Most Important Thing: The most important thing for me from this video was an insistence on the evening routine and setting up the organization and preparation for the next day.
• I Need to Improve: My morning routine includes waking at 5, meditating for 20 minutes, and then working out/running for a half hour. I need to improve this routine by planning/reflecting the night before...and not looking at emails/social media first thing in the morning.
• Evan Williams Indicates: Evan Williams has been one of the pioneers in helping to provide free digital tools to the citizens of the world. Williams indicates that he thinks the Internet is broken.
• This Is a Frequent Concern: Algorithms and models are often imperfect, and shrouded in secrecy because it's the "secret sauce" of an organization. This is a frequent concern that I have when I examine the work behind the scenes with Facebook.
• It Is Our Duty: We've discussed how net neutrality can be a difficult subject to understand. We also have discussed how paramount it is to our freedoms and use of this fundamental text. It is our duty to educate ourselves, and speak up against these false arguments.
• Once Again We See: The post is a somber look at the role of these professionals that are forced to serve on the frontlines of this war. Once again we see librarians and media specialists stepping to the forefront and saving lives.
• Sometimes We Forget: Sometimes we forget about the power of literacy and education. We ignore the role of the press and journalists and their roles in leveraging or promoting truth.

📺 Watch

How to create a morning routine (and stick to it long-term)

This video from Thomas Frank focuses on starting your day in the right frame of mind through the development of a morning routine. Specifically, Frank offers insight into the following:

• Wake up earlier
• Start small and track your progress
• Building the routine
• Evening routine

The most important thing for me from this video was an insistence on the evening routine and setting up the organization and preparation for the next day.

My morning routine includes waking at 5, meditating for 20 minutes, and then working out/running for a half hour. I need to improve this routine by planning/reflecting the night before...and not looking at emails/social media first thing in the morning.

📚 Read

"The Internet is Broken": @ev is trying to salvage it

Often when we think about publishing and sharing in open, online spaces, there is the altruistic belief that anyone can make their voice heard. With this great power, there is the realization that anyone, with any perspective can make their voice heard. This includes trolling behaviors, hate speech, anonymous sources, and AI bots.

Evan Williams has been one of the pioneers in helping to provide free digital tools to the citizens of the world to express and publish their ideas. In this post, Williams indicates that he thinks the Internet is broken. He discusses his work creating Twitter, Blogger, and now Medium. The piece also tries to chart out a possible way forward to help clean up the Internet.

Revealed: Facebook's internal rulebook on sex, terrorism, and violence

I'm reading Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil right now. The book is an excellent look at mathematical models, big data, and algorithms and the bad decisions made with this information. It is helping me conceptualize exactly what it meant by models, code, and algorithms.

One of the concepts that O'Neil discusses is that these algorithms and models are often imperfect, and shrouded in secrecy because it's the "secret sauce" of an organization. This is a frequent concern that I have when I examine the work behind the scenes with Facebook.

This week the secret rules and guidelines for deciding how to moderate issues of violence, hate speech, terrorism, pornography, racism, and self-harm were revealed.

This piece by Wired provides a good overview of the files and the potential for backlash against Facebook. Review the complete set of materials obtained by The Guardian.

These are the arguments against net neutrality - and why they're wrong

First of all, this cover image is another version of the Gadsden flag that ties in some connections to current issues of privacy and security. I think some of these would make great laptop stickers.

The content of the post focuses on some of the half-truths and misconceptions about the arguments made against net neutrality. One thing that is true is that the current leadership of the FCC, and money from lobbyists are trying to build confusion and doubt about the logic and rules behind net neutrality.

We've discussed in the past here on TL;DR how net neutrality can be a difficult subject to understand. We also have discussed how paramount it is to our freedoms and use of this fundamental text. It is our duty to educate ourselves, and speak up against these false arguments when made.

This piece provides a different look at the same argument.

For these Philly librarians, drug tourists and overdose drills are part of the job

Philadelphia has a soft spot in my heart as it was very close to where I grew up. This post from Philly.com caught my eye as it discusses the role of library media specialists and their role in combating the opioid crisis.

The post is a somber look at the role of these professionals that are forced to serve on the frontlines of this war. Once again we see librarians and media specialists stepping to the forefront and saving lives.

"To die would be to stop writing"

Throughout this week, this opinion/editorial on Javier Valdez Cárdenas has continued to speak to me. Cárdenas was a Mexican journalist and founder of Riodoce, a newspaper based in Sinaloa. He received several international awards for his writings on drug trafficking and organized crime in the Mexican drug war. Cárdenas was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen this week, blocks away from the Ríodoce offices.

Sometimes we forget about the power of literacy and education. We ignore the role of the press and journalists and their roles in leveraging or promoting truth. Stories like this, and the life of Cárdenas are good reminders of the meaning and power of making our voices heard.

🔨 Do

How to make the perfect martini

Sir Roger Moore died earlier this week at the age of 89.

This post provides guidance from Roger Moore on how to make the perfect martini. Specifically, Moore notes:

"My dry martinis taste amazing and the day they tell me I've got 24 hours to live I am going to have six. Here's how I make them."

I'm not really a martini person, but I think I'll make an exception in this case.

🤔 Consider

"If you think we can't change the world, it just means that you're not one of those that will." — Jacque Fresco

🔗 Navigation

Previous: TLDR 98 • Next: TLDR 100 • Archive: 📧 Newsletter

🌱 Connected Concepts:

• Morning Routine — Thomas Frank video focuses on starting day in right frame of mind through development of morning routine, most important thing for me was insistence on evening routine and setting up organization and preparation for next day I need to improve by planning reflecting night before.
• Evan Williams — One of pioneers helping provide free digital tools to citizens of world Twitter Blogger Medium, Williams indicates he thinks the Internet is broken piece tries to chart out possible way forward to help clean up Internet.
• Facebook Moderation — Weapons of Math Destruction Cathy O'Neil algorithms and models often imperfect shrouded in secrecy, this is frequent concern I have when examine work behind scenes with Facebook secret rules and guidelines for moderating violence hate speech terrorism revealed.
• Net Neutrality Arguments — Post focuses on half-truths and misconceptions about arguments made against net neutrality FCC leadership and lobbyists trying to build confusion, we've discussed how paramount it is to our freedoms it is our duty to educate ourselves and speak up against these false arguments.
• Librarians Opioid Crisis — Philly.com role of library media specialists in combating opioid crisis, somber look at role of these professionals forced to serve on frontlines once again we see librarians and media specialists stepping to forefront and saving lives.
• Javier Valdez Cárdenas — Mexican journalist founder of Riodoce received international awards for writings on drug trafficking organized crime shot and killed, sometimes we forget power of literacy and education ignore role of press and journalists stories like this good reminders of meaning and power of making our voices heard.
• Roger Moore Martini — Sir Roger Moore died age 89 guidance on how to make perfect martini, my dry martinis taste amazing day they tell me I've got 24 hours to live I am going to have six I'm not martini person but I'll make exception.

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