A World of Secrets: Why we should cherish leakers & hackers.
Filed under: Global Economy & Politics, Society & Economy, Technology
When I was teaching at a Catholic women’s high school on Chicago’s South Side, I did not allow note passing in class. It was distracting to the learning environment. I quietly confiscated them, placed them on my desk and asked that they be picked up at the end of class. I did not destroy or read them. Their contents, their authors and their recipients were none of my business. These young women lived in a crowded urban world where their privacy was invaded by both adults and their own peers.
I wanted them to understand that while note passing was rude, that was no excuse for authorities to invade their privacy. It was my way of showing respect. I feel the same today about people’s personal phone calls, e-mail messages, text messages, casual conversations, instant messages and the like. Unless there is clear and compelling evidence of criminal wrongdoing, there is no reason to invade what little privacy people have these days. It’s rude behavior by authorities and should not be tolerated in a civilized society.
Squeezing the Fun Out of an Apple
Once upon a time there were two Steves: The two Steves were a couple of geeky kids who liked to play in the garage. One Steve was an engineering genius. The other Steve was a marketing genius.
Steve the engineering genius built a computer called the Apple I. It was fun showing it off to the other geeks at the Homebrew Computer Club. Steve the marketing genius thought it was fun selling them at the local computer shop.
Both Steves were fun loving guys who really enjoyed what they did. It was even more fun when they made tons of money, although Steve the engineering genius wasn’t so impressed by money. Read more
Goose Island: The Beginning of the Next American Revolution?
Filed under: Society & Economy, Technology, Unions, Workplace
Goose Island is the only island located on the Chicago River. I suspect most Chicagoans would need MapQuest to even find Goose Island. Once a center for manufacturing, the neighborhoods surrounding it have been quietly gentrified over the years. Until quite recently, the island was most famous for the beer that is brewed at its local Goose Island Brewery. Read more