digital | writing notes

How to listen

It’s good to be back! My absence from this blog has been due to a move. My broadband has not been connected and despite the fact that their are plenty of wifi networks none are open – what is the world coming to? Don’t people agree with this?

Anyway this is not what I was going to write about. While catching up on my reading I came across a list of 11 things that will enhance the lecture experience, the list included some very good tips. Number 8 is my favourite:

Listen. Yes, I know you’re supposed to listen, but engage with your own mind as the lecture moves along. Ask yourself questions, try and evaluate points through what you already know, get involved in the meat of the topic even though you’re just listening to another person speak.

This is really a good reminder even when listening outside the lecture hall. In my case this is especially true if I am on the phone since my mind tends to wander…

Check out the entire list at The University Blog.

Photo: Paulgi (CC BY-NC-ND)

Posted on March 25, 2008 by mklang

Swedish moves against P2P

In an effort to come to terms with online copyright violation the Swedish government has decided to allow courts the power to force Internet providers to reveal the physical identity of those IP addresses involved in illegal file sharing. Previously this was thought to be a move that would go to far and diminish the integrity of Internet users.

This move is an attempt to decrease the need for police involvement since the only previous recourse for the copyright holder was to report the matter to the police. Now the move will towards civil action.

On the other hand the government has decided against the suggestion of the Renfors investigation (Renforsutredningen) which means that they will not allow Internet providers to terminate the accounts of users involved in illegal file sharing. I have written about the stupidity of these types of suggestions earlier (here) so I am glad that this proposal was not followed.

Posted on March 14, 2008 by mklang

Spying violates privacy

The BBC online report that the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe have found that cyber spying violates individuals’ right to privacy and could be used only in exceptional cases.

Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court has rejected provisions adopted by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia that allowed investigators to covertly search PCs online. In its ruling, the court creates a new right to confidentiality and integrity of personal data stored on IT systems; the ruling expands the current protection provided by the country’s constitutional rights for telecommunications privacy and the personal right to control private information under the German constitution.In line with an earlier ruling on censuses, the judges found that the modern digital world requires a new right, but not one which is absolute exceptions can be made if there is just cause. The judges did not feel that the blanket covert online searches that North Rhine-Westphalia’s (NRW) provisions allowed fell under that category; rather, these searches were found to be a severe violation of privacy.

The court explained that strict legal provisions apply for covert online searches of PCs, as with exceptional cases of telephone tapping or other exceptions to the right to privacy. Specifically, the judges say that private PCs can only be covertly searched “if there is evidence that an important overriding right would otherwise be violated.” (via Heise Online).

Here is the ruling in German.

Posted on March 12, 2008 by mklang

Interior decoration frustration

Aaaah, right now with the move days away and I am struggling to figure out the furniture solutions needed for the new place. Writing a thesis seems easy compared to all the decisions needed to finish a home. Just take a look a these choices available for bookshelves. Some of them are nice but I still have not found anything I like. Bah, its easier to write a paper…

Posted on March 10, 2008 by mklang

New Home

Some time ago I wrote that my living problems may soon be resolved. This would entail me leaving the absolute dump (a central dump – but still a dump) that I have been living in. Now it is all wrapped up. The deal is signed, sealed and delivered. I have a lease on a great apartment. Its 61 square meters in an old house with a new kitchen and a new bathroom. It even has a fireplace which is rare and very nice.

So I am moving in a couple of weeks and this means that I am stressed for everything from a sofa to curtains – besides the usual everyday stuff.

Posted on February 28, 2008 by mklang

The Future of Reputation

Daniel J. Solove has written what seems to be an interesting book The Future of Reputation: Gossip, rumor, and privacy on the Internet. The topic of Internet reputation is fascinating and was one of the earliest discussions. The basic premise is that our reputation is our greatest asset but as an asset it is not our own – it is in the hands of everyone else. So what happens when someone messes up that reputation?

A nice touch is that the book is available online for download and licensed under Creative Commons (BY-NC). Check out the table of contents:

Chapter 1. Introduction: When Poop Goes Primetime

Part I: Rumor and Reputation in a digital world

Chapter 2. How the Free Flow of Information Liberates and Constrains Us

Chapter 3. Gossip and the Virtues of Knowing Less

Chapter 4. Shaming and the Digital Scarlet Letter

Part II: Privacy, Free Speech, and the Law

Chapter 5. The Role of Law

Chapter 6. Free Speech, Anonymity, and Accountability

Chapter 7. Privacy in an Overexposed World

Chapter 8. Conclusion: The Future of Reputation

Posted on February 24, 2008 by mklang

Saturday procrastination

It’s Saturday and for the first time in a very long time I am home alone. Naturally I had planned to work today. With articles, chapters, interview analysis, student work, freelance work, reading and much more I really should work. But in the confusion of a Saturday I have not begun to do anything and in typical procrastination I have cleaned the apartment and done other “important” stuff.

Oh, what the hell, I am seriously considering taking my camera for a walk…

T-shirt from thinkgeek

Posted on February 23, 2008 by mklang

Seven Kilometers per Minute

This week I began my interviews. Basically I am going to conduct between 25-30 interview at university libraries all over Sweden. First up were Borås on Wednesday, Linköping on Thursday & Jönköping on Friday. The interviews went very well and it was fun to visit the libraries (pictures on my Flickr account)

The problem with travel in Sweden is that the distances are most easily covered by train and buss but there are too many lakes to be able to travel in straight lines. I have been to places that I have never heard of. This means that:

Wednesday – an easy stretch (total 2 hours)
Buss: Göteborg – Borås
Train: Borås – Göteborg
Thursday – delays due to a derailed train (total 8 hours)
Train: Göteborg – Katrineholm
Buss: Katrineholm – Norrköping
Train: Norrköping – Linköping
Train: Linköping – Norrköping
Buss: Norrköping – Katrineholm
Train: Katrineholm – Hällsberg
Train: Hällsberg – Göteborg
Friday – too much travel, not a happy traveler (total 4 hours)
Train: Göteborg – Falköping
Train: Falköping – Jönköping
Train: Jönköping – Göteborg

The final two hour stretch was sitting next to a young man who smellt really bad, drank beer and had bad teeth. Boy was I happy to get home. At an estimate I have traveled 1400 km in 14 hours over three days for 3,5 hours of interviews. That works out to seven kilometers per minute of interview… Science is an arduous task.

Some help for the geographically challenged

Posted on February 22, 2008 by mklang

Sports, Politics and Resistance

Tommie Smith was the winner of the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico. His teammate John Carlos came third.

“The two American athletes received their medals shoeless, but wearing black socks, to represent black poverty…” Both the americans and the silver medalist wore Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badges. “Carlos had forgotten his black gloves, but Norman suggested that they share Smith’s pair, with Smith wearing the right glove and Carlos the left. When “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, Smith and Carlos delivered the salute with heads bowed, a gesture which became front page news around the world. As they left the podium they were booed by the crowd.” Wikipedia

This is a classic image in symbolic resistance which has been an inspiration to all those who struggle.

The coming Chinese Olympics have already been the target of political campaigns. The Chinese civil rights record is a natural target for acts of civil disobedience – whether symbolic or not.

In order to prevent any such things the British Olympic chiefs are going to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China’s appalling human rights record – or face being banned from traveling to Beijing. (Daily Mail)

OK, so maybe there cannot be any official positions taken from the participating countries but to prevent individuals from protesting is going to far. The Chinese naturally see the Olympics as a perfect opportunity to present their position and of course this has not gone unopposed – for example AOL video, RSF, and Yahoo.

Posted on February 19, 2008 by mklang

The fish in you

Sometimes we focus too much on the advantages or perfection of evolution so that we forget the bits that are left behind. Neil Shubin, head of the University of Chicago’s anatomy school, argues in his new book Your Inner Fish (great title!) the rason we have hiccups is because we’re descended from fish. Here is a quote from a review of the book:

Spasms in our diaphragms, hiccups are triggered by electric signals generated in the brain stem. Amphibian brain stems emit similar signals, which control the regular motion of their gills. Our brain stems, inherited from amphibian ancestors, still spurt out odd signals producing hiccups that are, according to Shubin, essentially the same phenomenon as gill breathing.

(via Collision Detection)

Photo: Ålesund Aquarium blue 2 by mrjorgen (CC AT-NC-SA)

Posted on February 19, 2008 by mklang