#The Technology Blog since 2009

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Pluralistic is five

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in SEATTLE TONIGHT (Feb 19) for with DAN SAVAGE, and in TORONTO on SUNDAY (Feb 23) at Another Story Books. More tour dates here.

Five years and two weeks ago, I parted ways with Boing Boing, a website I co-own and wrote for virtually every day for 19 years ago. Two weeks later – five years ago from today – I started my own blog, Pluralistic, which is, therefore, half a decade old, as of today.

I've written an annual rumination on this most years since.

Here's the fourth anniversary post (on blogging as a way to organize thoughts for big, ambitious, synthetic works):

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/20/fore/#synthesis

The third (on writing without analytics):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/drei-drei-drei/#now-we-are-three

The second (on "post own site, share everywhere," AKA "POSSE"):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/19/now-we-are-two/#two-much-posse

I wasn't sure what I would write about today, but I figured it out yesterday, in the car, driving to my book-launch event with Wil Wheaton at LA's Diesel Books (tonight's event is in Seattle, with Dan Savage):

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cory-doctorow-with-dan-savage-picks-and-shovels-a-martin-hench-novel-tickets-1106741957989

I was listening to the always excellent Know Your Enemy podcast, where the hosts were interviewing Chris Hayes:

https://know-your-enemy-1682b684.simplecast.com/episodes/pay-attention-w-chris-hayes-OA3C8ZMp

The occasion was the publication of Hayes's new book, The Sirens' Call, about the way technology interacts with our attention:

https://sirenscallbook.com

The interview was fascinating, and steered clear of moral panic about computers rotting our brains (shades of Socrates' possibly apocryphal statements that reading, rather than memorizing, was destroying young peoples' critical faculties). Instead, Hayes talked about how empty it feels to read an algorithmic feed, how our attention gets caught up by it, sometimes for longer than we planned, and then afterward, we feel like our attention and time were poorly spent. He talked about how reflective experiences – like reading a book with his kid before school – are shattered by pocket-buzzes as news articles came in. And he talked about how satisfying it was to pay protracted attention to something important, and how hard that was.

Listening to Hayes's description, I realized two things: first, he was absolutely right, those are terrible things; and second, I barely experience them (though, when I do, it makes me feel awful). Both of these are intimately bound up with my blogging and social media habits.

15 years ago, I published "Writing in the Age of Distraction," an article about preserving your attention in a digital world so you could get writing done. We live in a very different world, but the advice still holds up:

https://www.locusmag.com/Features/2009/01/cory-doctorow-writing-in-age-of.html

In particular, I advised readers to turn off all their alerts. This is something I've done since before the smartphone era, tracking down the preferences that kept programs like AIM, Apple Mail and Google Reader from popping up an alert when a new item appeared. This is absolutely fundamental and should be non-negotiable. When I heard Hayes describe how his phone buzzes in his pocket whenever there is breaking news, I was actually shocked. Do people really allow their devices to interrupt them on a random reinforcement schedule? I mean, no wonder the internet makes people go crazy. I'm not a big believer in BF Skinner, but I think it's well established that any stimulus that occurs at random intervals is impossible to get used to, and shocks you anew every time it recurs.

Rather than letting myself get pocket-buzzed by the news, I have an RSS reader. You should use an RSS reader, seriously:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/16/keep-it-really-simple-stupid/#read-receipts-are-you-kidding-me-seriously-fuck-that-noise

I periodically check in with my reader to see what stories have been posted. The experience of choosing to look at the news is profoundly different from having the news blasted at you. I still don't always choose wisely – I'm as guilty of scrolling my phone when I could be doing something more ultimately satisfying as anyone else – but the affect of being in charge of when and how I consume current events is the opposite of the feeling of being at the beck-and-call of any fool headline writer who hits "publish."

This is even more important in the age of smartphones. Whenever you install an app, turn off its notifications. If you forget and an app pushes you an update ("Hi, this is the app you used to pay your parking meter that one time! We're having a 2% off sale on parking spots in a different city from the one you're in now and we wanted to make sure you stopped whatever you were doing and found out about it RIGHT NOW!") then turn off notifications for that app. Consider deleting it. Your phone should buzz when you're expecting a call, or an important message.

Note I said important message. I also turn off notifications for most of the apps I use that have a direct-messaging function. I check in with my group chats periodically, but I never get interrupted by friends across town or across the world posting photos of lunch or kvetching about the guy who farted next to them on the subway. I look at those chats when I'm taking a break, not when I'm trying to get stuff done. It's really nice to stay on top of your friends' lives without feeling low-grade resentment for how they interrupted your creative fog with a ganked Tiktok video of a zoomer making fun of a boomer for getting mad at a millennial for quoting Osama bin Laden. There's times when it makes sense to turn on group-chat notifications – like when you're on a group outing and trying to locate one another – but the rest of the time, turn it off.

Now, there are people I need to hear from urgently, who do get to buzz my pockets when something important comes up – people I'm working on a project with, say, or my wife and kid. But I also have all those people trained to send me emails unless it's urgent. You know the norm we have about calling someone out of the blue being kind of gross and rude? That's how you should feel about making someone's pocket buzz, unless it's important. Send those people emails.

I visit my email in between other tasks and clear out my inbox. If that sounds impossible, I have some suggestions for how to manage it:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/dec/21/keeping-email-address-secret-spambots

Tldr? Get you some mail rules:

add everyone you correspond with to an address book called "people I know"

filter emails from anyone in the "people I know" address book into a high priority inbox, which you just treat as your regular inbox

look at the unfiltered inbox (full of people you've never corresponded with) every day or two and reply to messages that need replying (and those people will thereafter be filtered into the "people I know" inbox)

filter any message containing the world "unsubscribe" into a folder called "mailing lists"

if you're subscribed to mailing lists that you feel you can't leave because it would be impolite, filter them into a folder called "mailing lists" unless the message contains your name (so you can reply promptly if someone mentions you on the list)

The point here is to manage your attention. You decide when you want to get non-urgent communications, and mail-app automation automatically flags the stuff that you are most likely to want to see. For extra credit: adopt a "suspense file" that lets you manage other peoples' emails to you:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/26/one-weird-trick/#todo

Now, let's talk about algorithmic feeds. Lots of phosphors have been spilled on this subject, and critics of The Algorithm have an unfortunately propensity to buy into the self aggrandizement of soi-dissant evil sorcerer tech bros who claim they can "hack your dopamine loops" by programming an algorithmic feed. I think this is bullshit. Mind-control rays are nonsense, whether they are being promoted by Rasputin or a repentant Prodigal Tech Bro:

https://conversationalist.org/2020/03/05/the-prodigal-techbro/

But I hate algorithmic feeds. To explain why, I should explain how much I love non-algorithmic feeds. I follow a lot of people on several social media services, and I almost never feel the need to look at trending topics, suggested posts, or anything resembling the "For You" feed. Sure, there's times when I want to turn on the ole social TV and see what's on – the digital equivalent of leaving the TV on in a hotel room while I unpack and iron my suit – but those times are rare.

Mostly what I get is a feed of the things that my friends think are noteworthy enough to share. Some of that stuff is "OC" (material they've posted themselves), but the majority of it is stuff they're boosting from the feeds of their friends. Now, I say friend but I don't know the majority of the people I follow. I have a parasocial relationship (these get an undeserved bad rap) with them.

We're "friends" in the sense that I think they have interesting taste. There's people I've followed for more than a decade without exchanging a single explicit communication. I think they're cool, and I repost the cool stuff they post, so the people who follow me can see it. Reposting is a way of collaborating with other people who've opted into sharing their attention-management with you:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/27/probably/

Reposting with a comment? Even better – you're telling people why to pay attention to that thing, or, more importantly, why they can safely ignore it if it's not their thing (what Bruce Sterling memorably calls an "attention conservation notice"). This is why Mastodon's decision not to implement quote-tweeting (over a misplaced squeamishness about "dunk culture") was such a catastrophic own-goal. If you're building a social network without an algorithmic suggestion feed (yay), you absolutely can't afford to block a feature that lets people annotate the material they boost into other people's timelines:

https://fediversereport.com/fediverse-report-104/

Remember how I said the affect of going to read the news is totally different (and infinitely superior) to the affect of having the news pushed to you? Same goes for the difference between getting a feed of things boosted and written by people you've chosen to follow, and getting a feed of things chosen by an algorithm. This is for reasons far more profound than the mere fact that algorithms use poor signals to choose those posts (e.g. "do a lot of people seem to be arguing about this post?").

For me, the problem with algorithmic feeds is the same as the problem with AI art. The point of art is to communicate something, and art consists of thousands of micro-decisions made by someone intending to communicate something, which gives it a richness and a texture that can make art arresting and profound. Prompting an AI to draw you a picture consists of just a few decisions, orders of magnitude fewer communicative acts than are embodied in a human-drawn illustration, even if you refine the image through many subsequent prompts. What you get is something "soulless" – a thing that seems to involve many decisions, but almost all of them were made by a machine that had no communicative intent.

This is the definition of "uncanniness," which is "the seeming of intention without intending anything." Most of the "meaning" in an AI illustration is "meaning that does not stem from organizing intention":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/13/spooky-action-at-a-close-up/#invisible-hand

The same is true of an algorithmic feed. When someone you follow – a person – posts or boosts something into their feed, there is a human intention. It is a communicative act. It can be very communicative, even if it's just a boost, provided the person adds some context with their own commentary or quoting. It can be just a little communicative, too – a momentary thumbpress on the boost button. But either way, to read a feed populated by people, rather than machines, is to be showered with the communicative intent of people whom you have chosen to hear from. Perhaps you chose unwisely and followed someone whose communications are banal or offensive or repetitious. Unfollow them.

Most importantly, follow the people who are followed by the people you follow. If someone whose taste you like pleases or interests you time and again by promoting something by a stranger to your attention, then bring that stranger closer by making them someone you follow, too. Do this, again and again, and build a constellation of people who make you smile or make you think. Just the act of boosting and virtually handling the things those people make and boost gets that stuff into your skin and your thoughts:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/31/divination/

This is the good kind of filter bubble – the bubble of "people who interest me." I'm not saying that it's a sin to read an algorithmic feed, but relying on algorithmic feeds is a recipe for feeling empty, and regretful of your misspent attention. This is true even when the algorithm is good at its job, as with Tiktok, whose whole appeal is to take your hands off the wheel and give total control over to the autopilot. Even when an algorithm makes many good guesses about what you'll like, seeing something you like isn't as nice, as pleasing, as useful, as seeing that same thing as the result of someone else's intention.

And, of course, once you let the app drive, you become a soft target for the cupidity and deceptions of the app's makers. Tiktok, for example, uses its "heating tool" to selectively boost things into your feed – not because they think you'll like it, but because they want to trick the person whose content they're boosting into thinking that Tiktok is a good place to distribute their work through:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

The value of an algorithmic feed – of an intermediated feed – is to help you build your disintermediated, human feed. Find people you like through the algorithm, follow them, then stop letting the algorithm drive.

And the human feed you consume is input for the human feed you create, the stream of communicative acts you commit in order to say to the world, "This is what feels good to spend my attention on. If this makes you feel good, too, then please follow me, and you will sit downstream of my communicative acts, as I sit downstream of the communicative acts of so many others."

The more communicative the feeds you emit are, the more reward you will reap. First, because interrogating your own attention – "why was this thing interesting?" – is a clarifying and mnemonic act, that lets you get more back from the attention you pay. And second, because the more you communicate about those attentive insights, the more people you will find who are truly Your People, a community that goes beyond "I follow this stranger" and gets into the realm of "this stranger and I are on the same side in a world of great peril and worry":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/09/the-memex-method/

Which brings me back to this blog and my fifth bloggaversary. Because a blog is a feed, but one that is far heavier on communications than a stream of boosted posts. Five years into this iteration of my blogging life (and 24 years into my blogging life overall), blogging remains one of the most powerful, clarifying and uplifting parts of my day.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/19/gimme-five/#jeffty

[amyoffline]

In Defense of the Phandom (Mostly): Dan, Phil, and Our Parasocial Social Club

Refer to my previous pinned post for an explanation of and outline for this project. Now that I'm done going through my old reblogs (god, it took forever), it's time to actually research and write this script! This will be my pinned post for the foreseeable future, so you can come back to it by clicking on my blog for the current status of this part of the process. (Note from February 15 - everything is on hold for now while I wrap up my dissertation!)

Script word count: 2,350 | Last updated: January 9, 2025

Research

Peer-reviewed or published literature: ⚫︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ Social media, forum archives, and fanwork: ⚫︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ The great rewatch: ⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ Discussions with other phannies (hey! that could be you, if you want!): ⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎

Writing

Introduction, background, and conclusion sections: ⚫︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ 2009-2013: ⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ 2014-2018: ⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ 2019-2025: ⚫︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ Long tangents (fandom, RPF, and PSIs/PSRs): ⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎ Editing: ⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎⚪︎

More details below the cut!

Research → peer reviewed or published literature:

I read a few things (like Haidt's The Anxious Generation) while I was in the process of searching academic databases, but most of the 403 works I have saved to Zotero for this are currently unread. They're not all the same length or will take the same amount of time to read, so the completion proportion is just getting updated based on vibes. I'm absolutely not referencing all 403 of these things in the script - I just cast a wide net for materials I thought might be relevant. Furthermore, there are some things I didn't save that I know I'll be referencing, like some of the Pew Research Center's work in the early to mid 2010s on teenagers and technology, or the journalistic coverage of what got my school district in huge trouble in 2011.

Research → Social media and forum archives:

The collection of posts, art, and fic (other than mine) to reference in the video. For regular posts and art, especially by people who have long since abandoned their accounts or whose content went pretty viral, I feel comfortable just showing things in the video with credit as examples. For fic, I intend to just discuss trends more broadly and vaguely since, as a fic writer myself, I know we tend to get more flack and less acclaim for our work and therefore prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Let me know if you think I should handle this differently - the academic impulse is to credit sources and reproducible searches for every single thing you do, but that's definitely not best practice for phandom history since we have so much "forbidden" lore. I'll also be reading the IDB forum front-to-back, listening to things like the phandom podcast, reading the current generation of phanzines, and looking at recent (and historical, if anyone has any) surveys done of phannies within the community. I'm assuming those folks would appreciate credit and/or a shoutout.

Research → The great rewatch:

Rewatching everything DNP-related so I can talk about it from more recent memory (and read what's left of the original comments for DNP videos that are still up at their original locations). I know there's a playlist for this but I also know it's incomplete, so I have been doing some poking around myself and will probably continue to.

Research → Discussions with other phannies:

I read a few things (like Haidt's The Anxious Generation) while I was in the process of searching academic databases, but most of the 403 works I have saved to Zotero for this are currently unread. They're not all the same length or will take the same amount of time to read, so the completion proportion is just getting updated based on vibes. I'm absolutely not referencing all 403 of these things in the script - I just cast a wide net for materials I thought might be relevant. Furthermore, there are some things I didn't save that I know I'll be referencing, like some of the Pew Research Center's work in the early to mid 2010s on teenagers and technology, or the journalistic coverage of what got my school district in huge trouble in 2011. The first task is to sort that whole Zotero collection into more manageable sub-collections (on PSR on PSIs, on mental health, on YouTube platform history, etc), which is what I'm currently working on.

Writing → Introduction, background, and conclusion sections

See old pinned post for the outline. Will expand details here once research is mostly done (I plan to read and watch everything in the research section aside from talking to other phannies, then complete the script's rough draft, then talk to others on call, then integrate that with and finalize the script).

Writing → 2009-2013

See above.

Writing → 2014-2018

See above.

Writing → 2019-2025

See above.

Writing → Long tangents (fandom, RPF, and PSRs/PSIs)

See above. These tangents are kind of mini video essays in and olf themselves, so I may write them while I'm reading through my saved stuff in Zotero and before I rewatch all the DNP videos.

[earthtogwyneth]

Blog Post #3 (9/12/24)

How can cyberfeminism lead to radical action about intersectionality?

With the first development of feminism, women of color were outcasted from receiving the rights that were being fought for. Since then, with newer waves of feminism, women of color are often spoken for when it comes to ideology and approach, and the voices of women of color are often drowned out. With the development of "Cyberfeminism," women of color now have an outlet to speak directly to one another to encourage radical action. In the article, "Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender and Embodiment" Jessie Daniels wrote, "Many women in and out of global feminist political organizations view Internet technology as a crucial medium for movement toward gender equality (Cherny and Weise 1996; Harcourt 1999, 2000, 2004; Purweal 2004; Merithew 2004; Jacobs 2004)"(pg. 107, 2009). Cyberfeminism gives women of color the platform to create community which can lead to changes for their lives and the lives of others.

Does the use of technology as a tool relinquish our control on the collection of personal data?

The use of technology as a tool poses the question of whether society has essentially allowed for companies to collect a person's data. With the continuous advancements made in technology, users have ultimately signed off that technology is allowed to become more and more invasive on their lives. Eubanks wrote, "Today, we [society] have ceded much of that decision-making power to sophisticated machines"(pg. 13, Automating Equality, 2013). As society accepts the terms that come with the creation of newer technology, society accepts that their data will be monitored, sold and used to continue the creation of newer technology. Technology has become a tool for society as a whole, whether that be in the medical field, social action, or used to help humans achieve success and goals. The advancements in technology are made with careful analyzation of the data that user's willingly accept to be monitored. The terms and conditions that user's click "yes" to without reading over specifically say what data is being collected and how it will be used. Through using technology for society's benefit, companies have taken that as a willing acceptance to a collection of personal data and information.

How does the automation of technology devalue human experience?

Technological automation removes all human involvement from an interaction. A situation as simple as checking-in for the doctors can now have the receptionist removed from the interaction, thus placing the person with a piece of technology learning personal information about them. The removal of humans in many interactions have created for an individualizing experience. With this removal comes the integration of technology in spaces that require empathy and emotional connection amongst humans. The challenges involved with accessing social work and social benefits is an example of how automating services creates more problems than it solves (Eubanks, 2013). For poverty-stricken communities and areas, having to access resources through automated services presents a larger issue at hand. The issue being that they become larger targets for suspicion and attempts at being denied services. The automation of technological resources allows for companies and systems to take advantage of those in need by becoming the largest targets for data collection.

Can AI be taught bias?

As AI rapidly advances, the notion that it can learn just as much as and even more than humans is prevalent. AI learns as it is taught and what data it is fed. The data it is presented is taken from millions of online users that agreed to have their data collected. When AI is presented with differing opinions, is it as a non-human force able to create bias? AI itself cannot be taught bias, but the technology that AI provides can be used to perpetuate bias.

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. Women’s Studies Quarterly, 37(1/2), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.1353/wsq.0.0158

Eubanks, V. (2013). Automating Inequality. St. Martin’s Press.

[gisellecardoza]

#3 Blog Post (9/12)

How do algorithms present racially biased outcomes without using race?

Everyone expects technology (which makes algorithms) to be neutral and safe for everyone no matter their gender, race, or age but that isn’t the case. For example Nicole Brown talks about healthcare and how the algorithms show that white people are more sick but that is because they have better healthcare or put more money into it so they are more likely to go see a doctor when they are sick. But what the algorithm is not seeing is that many minorities don’t have healthcare or money so they are more likely to use at home treatments. So without it even seeing race the algorithms are biased based on the information given. Technology is made by humans and humans are racially biased. 

How reliable is technology? 

Most of the time we believe that technology is getting better. Technology brings algorithms into the equation that can be questionable at times and it brings “automated decision-making” (Eubanks). Eubanks explains her story and how technology wasn’t reliable at the time. When her partner was injured it showed that her insurance company had paid for the bills for a certain day but then she saw that some of the bills were denied, since she had just switched jobs the insurance hadn’t had a start day.  She had to get on the phone with many people, and they told her it was a “technical error”. This is just one example of the many errors that can happen. For the most part technology is reliable but at times it isn’t reliable. In her case the most stressful time technology wasn't reliable. 

Why is the “digital divide” a problem when discussing gender?

The digital divide is two groups, one having access to the internet and their own computers while the other group doesn’t have access to these things. Minorities like women and people of race (specifically African Americans and Latinos) are more likely to be “poor” and not have enough money for these things or have free access to them unlike white men who do have access to it. This is a problem because as women we aren’t getting paid as much as men and there is inequality in the “digital divide.” With that being said, many women want to learn the new technologies and be a part of the “internetworked global feminism. (Daniels) 

How does the internet represent a “tool” for global organizations? 

The internet and social media are tools for global feminist organizations because they are able to bring awareness to many different issues, and motivate people to be a part of the organization. It also creates a safe space for many people that are going through “repressive sex/gender regimes” (Daniels). Many girls and women are starting to be more engaged with technology to help express themselves better. 

Brown, N (2020). Race and Technology. 

Daniels, J (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. The Feminist Press

Eubanks, Automating Inequality. Pdf

[jennyurquizasblog]

Blog Post #6

What is a cyborg, and how does it affect dualism?

A cyborg is a hybrid organism mixing reality and fiction, like a haf-human half-machine design. In Haraway's reading, they talk about how the cyborg can relate to dualism. Some examples are male/female or mind/body. But they do mention how the cyborg doesn't have an exact half or an exact place that separates human and machine. They mention how the cyborg can show potential for alternative identities by bringing a better understanding of gender and race. It also lessens the idea of dualism since there is no middle ground between them. (Haraway 354-359)

Why did Renee Le Espereance choose a life of privacy after her image was used in a game?

The short film Seeking Mavis Beacon talks about how Mavis Beacon came to life. Mavis is said not to be real, but her image is based on a real person, Renee Le Esperance. The creators of Mavis Beacon said that they had found Renee when she was advertising a product, and they had found her very beautiful and wanted her to be the model of a photoshoot, and they paid her 500 dollars for the shoot. They didn't tell her that her image would be used as the primary teacher for Mavis Beacon, a typing learning system. It may have been her face, but it wasn't her voice or hands on the screen. The creators may have wanted it to be more inclusive, but in the end, it wasn't. They had used a voice that was fluent in English, but she wasn't. Since she was a Haitian immigrant, she would have had an accent. Riordan's article talks about how women in online games and systems are created for the male gaze, like how Mavis was created with a more pleasing voice for its users. The system earned the creators millions, but Renee only got 500. Renee had not given her consent for them to use her image in the game and wanted it to be taken down so she could be forgotten. Ultimately, she just wanted to live a private life, so her son said she did not want to be found at the film's end. (Silver et al. 243-254)

How have specific topics been discussed within the women 's-only forum in white supremacy sites?

Within the white supremacy community, they have a separate section for women to have their voice, but the male voices still suppress it. Daniel's reading talked about how when explaining why they chose their names, the creator would comment on the men's posts, but when the women would post, they wouldn't get acknowledged as much. So their voices would be suppressed, which is why they have their women's only section, but the topics they have in their forum have been taken differently. In one post, they started talking about abortion; some were saying it is murder, and others were saying it is a woman's choice. So, even if they are white supremacists, some are still standing on the side of feminists. Some even mention taking their boss's parking spot. Some have even embraced the liberal feminist viewpoints since they do not want to feel powerless in their community. (Daniels 61-90)

What is the problem with how females are represented in games and videos?

Women have been misrepresented in games and videos for so long. In O'Riordan's reading they talk a lot about how female characters in games are created to look very sexual and put in clothes that are very uncomfortable for what they are to do. For example, characters in GTA are in very revealing clothing to the point that they are barely wearing clothes. Clothes are even very tight-fitting, so if they were to be made in real life, they wouldn't be able to move realistically. (Silver et al. 243-254)

Daniels, Jessie. “Gender, White Supremacy, and the Internet.” Cyber Racism: White Supremacy Online and the New Attack on Civil Rights, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, Md, 2009, pp. 61–90.

Jones, Jazmin, and Olivia McKayla Ross. Seeking Mavis Beacon, Neon, 2024.

Haraway, Donna Jeanne. “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century.” Cyborg Manifesto, Camas Books, Victoria, British Columbia, 2018, pp. 354–359.

Silver, David, et al. “Gender, Technology, and Visual Cyberculture Virtually Women.” Critical Cyberculture Studies, NYU Press, New York, 2006, pp. 243–254. 

[cindyngx]

Week 6 Blog

1: What is the definition of cyber racism, and what role does digital media or platform play in regard to white supremacy?

In simple term, cyber racism can often define as the act of spreading hate and racism on the internet. According to White Supremacy in the Digital Era - An Intro by J. Daniels, cyber racism can also be define as a mean of utilizing digital platforms to aid in the expansion of white supremacy. Digital media plays a crucial role in this case because while many internet users utilize social media to advocate for change and justice, these platforms also facilitate white supremacy by providing affordable resources, the ability to reach large audiences, the ability to stay anonymous, build communities and the freedom to spread misinformation. For example, there are many websites on the internet that uses educational language as a disguise to present misleading information about group of people or race in general. This can be harmful to society especially students who depend heavily on the internet when conducting research projects and may be lacking the skills to fact check sources.

2: How do video games act as a tool to ingrain the image or idea of racism and colonial narratives?

As technology becomes more developed and diverse, gaming applications has also gotten more creative. However, this creativity can either be a positive or negative influence. For example, in the reading by J. Ow, The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator, the author discussed how stereotypes and racist tropes of certain racial group can be integrated into games. In this instance, Ow introduced the video game, Shadow Warrior, and explained how the game's main character was set to portray white supremacy by conquering Asian territories through the act of violence. The game further misrepresented the Asian group by sexualizing women and portraying them as submissive.

3: How is digital literacy being impacted by white supremacist website?

Disguised white supremacist websites, or better known as cloaked white supremacist are online sites that disguise cyber-racism. This can be done by creating a website that look similar to legitimate civil rights websites, and using academic-sounding language to misinform users about topics such as racism, slavery, segregation, etc. This can negatively impact digital literacy especially among students as they often conduct research to various school assignments. Without having background knowledge or simply not having enough time to cross check for reliable resources, many students often fell for these cloaked websites and mistaken them for accurate information. If this continue to occur, it could ultimately reshape the younger generation and their understanding of race and history.

4: Despite knowing that online hate speech is harmful, controlling it can be very difficult. What are some complications or challenges that prevent hate speech from discontinuing?

While people are strongly against online hate speech, it is truly difficult to maintain control over these activities due to various complications. For example, this act can be protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. Although this amendment was created to give people their fair share of basic rights, it unfortunately has also protected these hateful speech from being banned. Furthermore, taking down these online hate speech can be quite complex since the internet is a global network that enable information to spread at a lighting speed. Even if social media platforms decide to take down these posts, it would raise controversy or accusations of censorship.

Daniels, J. (2009). Cyber Racism: White Supremacy Online and The New Attack on Civil Rights. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 

Ow, A.J. (2000). 4. The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator.

[janeeseelizabeth]

Blog Post #2

In what ways can algorithms be beneficial? Algorithms are a widely used tool that is seen a lot on social media platforms. It is the system that gathers information about what kind of content you like to see and designs your social media feed to be specifically dedicated to you and your interest. This system is highly beneficial in a lot of cases, it helps news and information be spread, can show relatable content, and also be a form of entertainment. Recently on Tiktok, the community of users has formed their own way to boost the algorithm relating to information about the current mass deportations that are taking place. Many people are using the hashtag “cute winter boots” in order to spread awareness on the cause, share locations of protest, and to update everyone on the locations of immigration police. This hashtag boosts the algorithm of these videos, while also hiding its true message away from the censorship on Tiktok. 

What is the goal of cyberfeminism?

Cyberfeminism has become a wide spread movement that encourages equality, discusses gender, and shares feminist views on political and social matters. Cyberfeminism has been used across the world in order to spark conversations on debatable discussions, to spread awareness on certain stereotypes. Women come together in order to fight oppression and for new ways to show their unity. One way was discussed in the article, “Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment,”  by Jessie Daniels. The author discusses how a website was created in order for women to expose men that had harassed them, they would snap a photo and post it on the website. By doing so, they were not letting these men get away with their crimes, while also spreading awareness to other women to beware of these men. 

What are the disadvantages of algorithms? 

Although algorithms have been proved to be an accommodating feature of technology, they also have their downsides. Algorithms are not always reliable and have caused many problems regarding racism and discrimination. There have been many recurring incidents where algorithms have targeted certain ethnic groups and also certain areas that are more prone to poverty. A significant problem was discussed in Nicole Brown's video, “Race and Technology.” Brown discusses that since white people tend to have more access to healthcare and spend more money on health care, the algorithm automatically gives white people more recommendations for different healthcare options. 

How has facial recognition been proved to not be a reliable way to identify a person? 

There have been multiple instances when facial recognition has wrongly identified a person and has even led to imprisonment. Studies have shown that facial recognition is not completely trustworthy and in most cases it is not as effective on people with darker skin tones or people from Asian descent. This is a significant problem because facial recognition is being used as evidence to convict people of crimes that they did not commit just because a computer recognized them as someone else. This problem relates to the ongoing discrimination faced by certain ethnic groups, there have been many wrongful arrests due to police saying a person fits the description of the criminal they are looking for just because of the color of their skin. 

References: 

Brown,N.(2020, September 12). Race and Technology. Youtube. https://youtu.be/d8uiAjigKy8 

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment.

[ferncassette]

When does Deltarune takes place?

A rather simple question, that, from what I can tell, few people can answer. This makes sense, obviously, as the game never states the year, not even in subversive way, like in Undertale.

I checked Deltarune subreddit (sorry), a few YouTube videos with low views and Fandom (sorry), and the first two "sources" have no concrete answer, and Fandom wiki has no say at all (makes sense tbh).

So, a while ago I began thinking about this, and, I have some guesses.

Deltarune takes place in the fall of 2011 or 2012. Or just early 2010s if you feel like this is too specific.

Now I shall explain my thought process. I have two categories of reasoning for this: out of universe and in universe.

Real life stuff

Out of universe stuff includes real life stuff, and, since I'm not Toby, I don't know if either of these are correct. Still, I feel like they're worth a mention.

We know Deltarune began development in 2012. It would make sense, that the game would continue to use that time period, that's because:

2. This game tackles nostalgia, and it would make sense to use a period that would be nostalgic to majority of Deltarune's intended audience.

These two are basically just guesses, but next category actually use in-game evidence.

The technology of Deltarune

The world of Deltarune is clearly supposed to mirror our own. Part of this is done by using 2010s tech.

The phones

Starting with Catti, in chapter 1 she has a smartphone:

That said, so far she's the only person to have a smartphone, which could indicate that they are still not a common item like they are now.

Meanwhile, Kris has a cellphone, something that would still be more common than smartphones before 2013 or so.

The only other visible phone in game is this corded phone in Kris's home:

This kind of corded phone was also kinda replaced by smartphones.

The computers

Computers are a bit more interesting in their visuals in the game. We have:

Kris's and Asriel's, as well as Alphys's computer monitors resemble the ones common in early 2010s.

Computer room in the Librarby has these older monitors, which makes sense, given that libraries tend to have outdated tech due to poor funding. At least someone (probably the mayor) was kind enough to give this high end laptop to the Librarby.

The TVs

Both of TVs we see in the game don't look new:

These look a bit old even for early 2010s, but it can be explained with context. Neither Toriel nor Kris really use their TV, so why would they need a newer one? Meanwhile Asgore probably got the cheapest shit he could get.

holidaygirl1225

In Spamton Sweepstakes there's a blog, that's run by Noelle. Her blog look like a typical GeoCities page. For the record, GeoCities went offline in 2009, and those pages are implied to have been written by younger Noelle.

Why some might think otherwise?

Deltarune has 2 mentions of a certain year:

Spamton and Virovirokun mention 1997 a LOT, which led some to think that the game takes place in early 2000s, or as early as 1998.

I don't think this is the case because 1997 is meant to represent that Spamton is long past his prime, and that Viro' is an outdated virus. Also, you can see technology that wouldn't make sense to be a thing that early.

Then, there's this:

This one led to an obvious conclusion that Deltarune takes place in "202x". So, mystery solved, right?

Na.

This is a cut content, and while this game has a more unique relation with cut content than your typical game, I believe this is one of the exceptions. The whole illustrated manual uses outdated info about mechanics of the game, and, was clearly unfinished. As such, while 2020s might at one point be the period when Deltarune takes place, this is not a proof of that. If it DOES take place in 2020s, we will learn this by some other means in future chapters.

Conclusion

So, does this matter that much anyway? Probably not tbh, given that it's not really said in the game. I do find it interesting that people seem to have such varied answer to a rather simple question. Anywhere between 1998 to 2020s, even though the game clearly depicts early 2010s.

I can't wait to turn out to be an absolute clown because everyone on Tumblr already believe this, which I couldn't find out due to this sites abysmal search functions.

[acovey77]

Blog Post #3

Blog Post Week 3

Should there be greater measures in place to prevent false identifications by surveillance? 

While government and corporate surveillance efforts may be used to track individuals or simply advertise more effectively, identification software used such as facial recognition software or preliminary software used to detect possible threats such as health care fraud like the one mentioned in Eubanks’ Automating Inequality article can cause unwarranted stress. These measures can create false identifications of threats resulting in time and money spent by the victim to fight these results, but also possible blacklists that could ruin their lives. These possibilities make it more than necessary for the implementation of greater measures to prevent false identifications.

Could the Constitution be used to fight government and corporation observation?

The 4th Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures in order to protect one’s security and the security of their property. Government and corporate observation allows for tracking a user’s activity on the internet, akin to just watching someone move around and not searching their possessions. However, if the government or a company is to search through downloaded files or record specific downloaded activity, that could be considered as a person’s property. It could be stated that they are unreasonably carrying out a search of someone’s property. If this logic were to stand in court, it appears that certain government and corporate surveillance could be deemed unconstitutional.

Should companies be held liable for technological mishaps that result in problems for users such as Insurance being incorrectly canceled?

Technological problems that cause unwarranted stress on the consumer such as that which was described in Eubanks’ Automating Inequality create burdens that harm consumers. The issue of solving these errors should not be left on the shoulders of those who are hapless victims and should instead be placed on the shoulders of the company who had these errors happen either intentionally or unintentionally. It is necessary for companies to gain greater insight into algorithmical glitches in their software and have better, quicker backups made to fix unintended problems as problems with Insurance companies can quickly ruin the lives of someone simply because a company did not see themselves at fault despite causing the problem.

How should the right to privacy be protected?

The right to privacy should be protected through greater limitations on the observations of the public. Since observation of the public allows for greater safety across the nation and lessens the likelihood of terrorist attacks through data collection designed to determine if someone is likely to harm others, it is necessary to keep limited public observation in the modern age to combat the newer threats that plague society. However, corporations collect data in a way that creates a “tension between the political economy required to mass produce the infrastructure of the Internet and its reliance on the exploited labor” as companies steal data from users in order to make a greater profit (Daniels, 105). The threat of leaked data and the abusive relationship between corporations and the public without any upsides necessitates the creation of laws designed to punish corporations for doing this.

References

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. The Feminist Press

Eubanks, Automating Inequality.pdf

Savey, E. (2020, November 8). List of the 27 Amendments. Constitution of the United States. https://constitutionus.com/constitution/amendments/constitutional-amendments/

[jascamille]

blog post #3

Is it possible for “safe spaces” on the internet to be dangerous? 

Of course “safe spaces” on the internet can be dangerous because we go into these places blind without knowing anything. As Daniels mentions, many women have joined websites to find people that have gone through the same experiences as they did. The downside to that is that we do not know who's or what’s going on the other side of the screen. 

How does one algorithm affect another algorithm? 

Each social media app is encoded with it’s own unique algorithm that fits the purpose of the app. Just like humans there are some things that can go wrong inside. As mentioned by Eubanks some technology is meant to not only keep us safe but our information to be safe. Programs like Google are able to keep track of passwords to websites and credit card information, when connecting this private information we’re putting ourselves at risk of potentially being hacked. 

Why is it that marginalized groups always the target for cyber attacks?

As mentioned in class this week marginalized groups are targeted because of environments and their private information they connected to websites. These websites could be their medical history or what they looked up to eat, information about who a person is, is logged everytime that you open an app. In “Automating Inequality”, Eubanks mentions that he has come across digital security guards, before reading this introduction I had no clue that there was such thing security guards in the online world. Cyber attacks on marginalized people can also be caused by the biases that the creators of the websites have. When biases are in place they are coded to make assumptions on people, specifically marginalized groups.

How can we use technology to create policies? 

Looking back to when technology was first created, it has came a long way with major upgrades. Technology started with a man and now it can be altered. Since before 2020 social media has brought so many things wrong with our world to light. Being aware that websites that have personal information can help us prepare if the system was to fail us. 

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking cyberfeminism(s): Race, gender, and embodiment. In C. Waldby & R. W. Connell (Eds.), Cyberfeminism: The intersection of race, gender, and technology (pp. 15-34). Routledge.

Eubanks. Automating Inequality.

[lifeofkasss]

Blog #3

How is cyberfeminism important in our society? 

As explained in “Rethinking Cyberfeminism”, cyberfeminism focuses on gender equality and inclusivity in terms of how gnder and technology tie into eachother. With the use of technology, women are able to experiment with these new technologies that come into the world. Many people, like ourselves, use social media on a day to day basis. With the use of social media people are able to express themselves in many ways and share their thoughts with the world. Although social media can be a scary place, people find a way to create a positive environment where they can advocate for gender rights. There are many individuals and even company pages that use social media as a space to promote gender rights and make sure everyone feels welcomed and included. With these technological advancements our world has made, we are able to promote equality and inclusivity whether it be the people around us or people across the globe. The power of social media and the internet has made it possible to bring together many different people and communities, and allows them to communicate and express themselves to people who can relate and help them.

How can technology be anti-black?

Just as Nicole Brown mentioned, many technologies and algorithms tend to oppress many people of color. She mentioned how predictive policing had targeted black communities as “violent” since they had been scored on how likely they were to be connected to gun violence in their area. She had also mentioned that most of the people being targeted had never committed crimes, and some targets were even children. There are many other ways technology opresses not only blacks but all people of color. Tecnologies such as social media harrasment, digital divides, historical exclusions, etc. There are so many imperfections with our technology that target and exclude people of color. Many colored individuals are so often targeted online, such as trolling, that lead to mental health and safety problems. Digital divide are also mostly in black/colored communities meaning they dont have the same access to technology as other communities. 

Brown, N (2020). Race and Technology.

Daniels, J (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. The Feminist Press

Eubanks, Automating Inequality. Pdf

[unpluggedfinancial]

The Rise of Bitcoin Acceptance: A New Era in Financial Innovation

Introduction

Bitcoin, the world’s first decentralized cryptocurrency, has transformed the financial landscape since its inception in 2009. Its journey from an obscure digital asset to a mainstream financial instrument is nothing short of remarkable. This blog post explores the growing acceptance of Bitcoin, highlighting key legislative developments and significant holdings, including those by the U.S. government.

Oklahoma’s Landmark Bitcoin Bill

Oklahoma has made a landmark move by passing a bill to protect Bitcoin rights. Governor Kevin Stitt signed the bill into law on May 13, 2024. Championed by Representative Samuel Brian Hill and Senator Coleman, the legislation establishes key protections for Bitcoin and digital asset holders. Effective November 1, 2024, it ensures fundamental rights for individuals and businesses engaged in digital asset activities, positioning Oklahoma as a leader in the digital economy.

Dennis Porter, CEO and co-founder of the Satoshi Action Fund, highlighted the importance of state-level initiatives, stating, “Americans should wake up to the incredible political opportunity that is available at the state level. Throughout history, multiple movements and industries have utilized the states to deliver powerful victories for their cause. Now, Satoshi Action is poised to put the Bitcoin and digital asset ecosystem onto the same trajectory.”

Key Provisions of the Bill

The bill guarantees the right to self-custody, allowing individuals to securely hold their digital assets. It permits using Bitcoin and other digital currencies for transactions without additional taxes, aligning digital assets with traditional legal tender regarding tax treatment. This aims to streamline the use of cryptocurrencies in everyday transactions and foster a more inclusive financial environment.

Bitcoin Mining Protections

The bill supports Bitcoin mining by protecting the right to mine Bitcoin at home and through commercial operations. Oklahoma hopes to attract more blockchain businesses and investments by ensuring legal clarity and stability. The legislation prevents local governments from imposing restrictive measures specifically targeting mining activities, such as additional noise ordinances, while still adhering to general noise regulations.

Porter emphasized Oklahoma's stance: “Oklahoma has now placed its flag in the ground to show the world that they will protect the right for Bitcoiners to access the technology.”

The bill also stipulates that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission cannot create discriminatory rate schedules for mining companies, ensuring fair utility rates and encouraging sustainable and economically viable mining practices.

Advocacy and Future Impact

Dennis Porter and the Satoshi Action Fund were instrumental in advocating for the bill. They emphasize the importance of self-custody and the right to mine, arguing that these rights are fundamental to financial sovereignty and innovation. The Oklahoma Bitcoin Association, led by Storm Rund, was crucial in passing the bill, with significant contributions from Eric Peterson, Policy Director at Satoshi Action Fund.

When the bill takes effect on November 1, 2024, it sets a precedent for other states. Oklahoma positions itself at the forefront of the digital financial revolution by ensuring legal certainty. This legislation aims to attract blockchain businesses, drive innovation, and create economic opportunities, especially in rural areas. Oklahoma's proactive approach will likely inspire similar measures nationwide, solidifying its role as a leader in digital asset regulation.

U.S. Senate’s Resolution on SEC Crypto Rule

In a significant move on the federal level, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution on May 16, 2024, calling for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strike down a rule affecting financial institutions dealing with crypto firms. The resolution nullifies the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121, which required banks to keep customers’ digital assets on their balance sheets, with capital maintained against them. This rule had been widely criticized for stifling innovation.

“The tally, a stunning 60 ‘Yeas’ in the Senate vote, sends a strong signal that both houses of Congress, across the political divide, clearly disapprove of this rule,” said the crypto advocacy group Blockchain Association.

Despite President Joe Biden's stated intention to veto the resolution to "protect investors in crypto-asset markets and to safeguard the broader financial system," the strong bipartisan support reflects growing political awareness and support for the crypto industry.

Conclusion

The recent legislative developments in Oklahoma and the U.S. Senate's resolution mark significant milestones in Bitcoin's journey towards broader acceptance and regulatory clarity. As Oklahoma leads with protective measures for Bitcoin rights and mining, and as federal lawmakers push back against restrictive SEC rules, the future looks promising for the integration and growth of digital assets in the mainstream economy. These steps not only encourage innovation and investment but also set a precedent for other states and countries to follow in embracing the digital financial revolution.

[macleod]

I have a lot of feelings that I am going to briefly summarize here: this is fucked.

Tumblr, in the way it works, means that every reblog is essentially its own post. I can barely believe that "opting out", which is absolute bullshit, is going to restrict any data from being sent. A reblog is a copy, which means even if you opt out, the reblogged content likely isn't, and considering the absolute farce that is the way tumblr backend works (mainly from 15+ years of hotfixes) I have absolutely zero belief that opting out will work and that they can remove reblogged content from posts in a way that is substantially accurate.

The next issue is simple: If you opt out later, your data has already been packaged and sold off to the highest bidder and there will be nothing you can do about it. The way I've seen the phrasing on this has been that they have already packaged quite a few posts and sent them off. Once they are submitted, there is absolutely no way to remove them from the blackbox of data aggregation once the weights have been created from them (that's a very minimal explanation of how companies like OpenAI and Midjourney have their technology working. Once something is added, it can't or won't be removed).

This toggle is worthless. They know that. Automattic knew this was going to be a horrific decision from the user base and pressed forward anyway. They are going for a cash grab that has a one time payoff and horrific longterm dividends. This pays them once a large sum, then nothing for practically infinite data usage.

They've had a horrific past few months between the mass layoffs, this obvious intellectual property sell off, the CEO of Tumblr going absolutely insane over trans issues and targeting users, making up lies, and releasing private information from inside a user's account that wasn't public.

I adored tumblr for what it was, when it was in the best interest of the users, hell, there's a chance that Yahoo (who wanted to turn it into the "next PDF") understood Tumblr better than Automattic ever did.

I know a lot of previous and current staff members, several who are absolutely pissed about these changes. The enshittification continues of this poor place.

I have been on here since 2009 and have amassed well over a million followers in that time on this platform through various blogs, and for the first time in a very long time, I will start reconsidering my usage of [tumblr] and may migrate elsewhere (or nowhere).

Hi, Tumblr. It’s Tumblr. We’re working on some things that we want to share with you. 

AI companies are acquiring content across the internet for a variety of purposes in all sorts of ways. There are currently very few regulations giving individuals control over how their content is used by AI platforms. Proposed regulations around the world, like the European Union’s AI Act, would give individuals more control over whether and how their content is utilized by this emerging technology. We support this right regardless of geographic location, so we’re releasing a toggle to opt out of sharing content from your public blogs with third parties, including AI platforms that use this content for model training. We’re also working with partners to ensure you have as much control as possible regarding what content is used.

Here are the important details:

We already discourage AI crawlers from gathering content from Tumblr and will continue to do so, save for those with which we partner. 

We want to represent all of you on Tumblr and ensure that protections are in place for how your content is used. We are committed to making sure our partners respect those decisions.

To opt out of sharing your public blogs’ content with third parties, visit each of your public blogs’ blog settings via the web interface and toggle on the “Prevent third-party sharing” option. 

For instructions on how to opt out using the latest version of the app, please visit this Help Center doc. 

Please note: If you’ve already chosen to discourage search crawling of your blog in your settings, we’ve automatically enabled the “Prevent third-party sharing” option.

If you have concerns, please read through the Help Center doc linked above and contact us via Support if you still have questions.

[jennyurquizasblog]

Blog Post 2 Cyberfeminism and Health Ethics

How does Eubanks's partner's experience with the insurance show domination and exploitation?

The article mentions how Eubanks and Jason received so much help from their community that they didn't feel much financial stress. However, they still suffered a lot because their insurance didn't help with paying the medical bills for Jason's injuries. They mentioned that the insurance algorithm flagged them as potential fraud and did not provide them with the financial help they needed. Although it took them so long to be accepted by the insurance company, it was not fair that they had to rely on their community more than the insurance or the health system. (Eubanks et al., 2018)

What are the ethics of the health system?

The health system is supposed to help and provide for those in need. Jason was left out, and because the insurance is becoming more digital-based, it is easier for them to be flagged as potential fraud and be left out when they need help. The article mentions that because it is all digital-based, there is no accountability or humane treatment for those in need. Digital platforms will not treat those people like human beings would. Digital platforms are robots without emotions, so they wouldn't take a humane approach to helping those in need. (Eubanks et al., 2018)

How the newer technology will help empower feminists and show their struggles?

Daniels's article talks about how, with the newer technology, they can use it to inform and educate individuals and help empower women. They want to use a website to show women's struggles with men who expose themselves in the streets and subways of New York. They want to use the media to bring attention to how they deal with that. The article mentions a metaphor for the “cyborg” being a human and a robot. They use the example to emphasize the idea of gender fluidity.(Daniels, 2009)

Who becomes the benefactor of cyberfeminism?

Throughout Daniels's article, they kept mentioning who will become the benefactor with all that is going on with cyberfeminism. Since they are not sure if women are really going to get the power that they are searching for. And if all the women are going to become the benefactors ike women of color. Going back to how women would really benefit if they are doing it behind a screen. (Daniels, 2009)

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking cyberfeminism(s): Race, gender, and embodiment. WSQ: Women’s Studies Quarterly, 37(1–2), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.1353/wsq.0.0158 

Eubanks, V. (2018). Red Flags. In Automating inequality: How high-tech tools profile, police, and punish the poor (pp. 9–28). essay, Tantor Media. 

[trickyweb]

Top 5 Benefits of Blockchain Development Services for Your Business

After the Bitcoin got launched in the year 2009, it became instantly popular among most of the people. That’s when people came to know about the existence of blockchain and got interested to explore how blockchain could help them thrive. Since then blockchain has been thriving and has become one of the well known technologies in most of the places and different industries. Moreover, Blockchain App Development services are used to build different kinds of applications. From large enterprises to higher authorities and nonprofit entities, all are leveraging blockchain technology into their system to increase efficiency and improve existing processes.

Today in this blog, we will learn about what blockchain technology is, where it is used, different Blockchain Development Company, and several benefits of blockchain application development.

What is Blockchain Technology?

Blockchain application development is a revolutionary digital bookkeeping system that allows the safe and open sharing of information in a network. Blockchain uses a distributed database where the data is kept in different blocks interconnected with each other creating a chain, with each block carrying a number of transactions. The blocks are sequentially organized and cannot be modified or erased without agreement in the network, which provides safety to the data. This renders blockchain perfect for the development of tamper-evident or tamper-proof records, such as payment tracking, orders, accounts, and other forms of transactions. The system has strict security protocols to avoid unauthorized transactions and maintain consistency in the shared data. Blockchain technology is used to provide blockchain development solutions across different industries to enhance productivity.

Comprehensive Blockchain Development Services for Secure and Transparent Transactions

There are many different blockchain development services offered by blockchain technology. Few key services we have listed below:

dApps Development

Decentralized development utilizes blockchain networks to build secure, transparent, and scalable solutions to meet specific industry needs. dApp leverage blockchain development solutions to design and build easy to use, and flexible dApp applications that work best for any industry no matter if its a finance or a supply chain industry, we have a solution for all. This technology helps you remove centralized points of failure and run on a decentralized peer-to-peer network. This process ensure continuous operation and avoiding downtime and other operational constraints.

Enterprise blockchain development

Enterprise blockchain development is the process of creating and applying blockchain solutions specifically for major organizations. As opposed to public blockchains such as Bitcoin or Ethereum (that are open to the general public), enterprise blockchains are generally private or permissioned, such that access is limited to authorized users. As we all know blockchain technology is increasingly being adopted in various enterprise applications. Some of which include tracking goods throughout the supply chain, managing patient records securely, processing insurance claims efficiently, and improving transparency in supply chain management.

Smart Contract Development

Smart contracts are self-driven contracts programmed to run on distributed networks. They are revolutionizing industries by providing automated solutions for a wide range of applications. Comprehensive Blockchain Smart Contract Development services help automate and streamline your business operations. Using top-tier blockchain platforms such as NEO, Hyperledger, Ethereum, and EOS, we can design and develop smart contracts that trigger processes automatically, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing operational inefficiencies. Whether it’s processing loan requests, validating insurance eligibility, or handling complex financial transactions, with blockchain development solutions you can ensure that your business benefits from a decentralized, secure, and automated approach.

NFT marketplace development

One of the blockchain development solutions provided by blockchain technology is NFT marketplace development. NFT marketplace development is the process of creating a decentralized digital platform where you can buy, sell, and even trade non-fungible tokens, which are unique digital assets backed by blockchain technology. These platforms leverage smart contracts and distributed ledger technology to make sure there is transparency, and immutability in each transaction. With the NFT features like token mining, wallet integration, developers build user-friendly interfaces while ensuring scalability and performance. These platforms offer a space for artists, collectors, and businesses to engage in the NFT ecosystem while leveraging blockchain app development for secure and efficient transactions.

Benefits of implementing Blockchain Development Services to Drive Business Growth

Decentralized Nature

In traditional systems centralized systems were there to manage and control whole data. Due to a centralized nature of traditional systems, the chances of fraud, censorship, and risk were high.  That’s where blockchain shines, as it supports decentralized nature, no single party has complete control over the whole system. It offers a decentralized way for businesses to share and verify information without needing a central authority to enforce trust. This is useful especially in complex ecosystems such as supply chains. In such systems, different stakeholders including suppliers, manufacturers, transporters, and retailers require access to real time data. With decentralized blockchain app development features everyone can access the data without having to manage it all.

Improved Trust

One of the major benefits of implementing blockchain development solutions into your existing system is it offers trust and transparency. The major issue that was found in centralized systems was a lack of trust and transparency between entities.. Blockchain technology eliminates this issue and promotes trust between entities where it is lacking or uncertain by circulating the data in distributed networks where anyone with the authorized credentials can access it. Blockchain app development solutions allow all transactions to be visible to all participants who have access to it.

Enhanced Security and Privacy

Incorporating blockchain app development enables you to secure your data from unauthorized access and minimize the chances of data breaches. Moreover, by implementing blockchain technology you can protect your systems from cyber attacks and malicious attempts. Each transaction is encrypted and are interconnected with one another, making it impossible to make changes without permission. Because blockchain uses many decentralized networks of nodes instead of one central server, it’s much harder for hackers to attack.  

Cost Reduction

Blockchain automates many manual processes including reporting and auditing processes, leading to reduced manual work and cutting overall production cost. Implementing Blockchain application development into our systems eliminates the need of third-party providers and cuts the costs. As we don’t need to spent on transaction fees and legal paperworks. Bank charges are not applied into cryptocurrency transactions and with smart contracts you can get rid of manual verification.

Increased Speed

As most of the tasks are automated by blockchain technology, the speed of transactions automatically increases. Automating tasks not only saves time but also minimizes human mistakes and maximizes overall efficiency. Unlike traditional banking systems who used to take days to process one transaction, especially when it was an international transaction. Transactions that happen using blockchain technology occur directly between two users without any interference of third parties. Moreover, how quickly the transaction will happen or the time it will take depends on different attributes. This will be depending on the size of every block and network traffic.     

In summary, as blockchain technology keeps on revolutionizing sectors with its safe, and clear system, companies need to stay ahead by adopting modern solutions. From optimizing operational efficiency to protection of intellectual property, the prospects are endless. Companies that want to take advantage of this revolutionizing technology need to invest in top-notch blockchain app development. Collaborating with industry leaders such as Tricky Websolutions Pvt. Ltd. can guarantee you get the best customized solutions.

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

I’ve been informally working with a co-worker answering questions about building out hybrid native applications and it’s been wonderful. I also had opportunity to work on more React Native to iOS code with another developer. Total blast. It hit all my happy buttons.

All that happiness was destroyed later Friday afternoon, but that’s a story for another day. Don’t worry, I’m fine, my family is fine, everything’s fine.

Gus Mueller

Without going into details (that’s what the technote is for), Acorn’s file format is a SQLite database, with a simple three-table schema, containing TIFF or PNG bitmaps to represent bitmap layers, and a plist to represent shape layers. Acorn has kept this simple format since version 2.0 back in 2009.

At some point I’d opened an Acorn file in Base, my database editing app of choice, and realized it was actually a SQLite database. Nifty!

Given Gus is the creator and maintainer of FMDB it kind of makes sense. 😃 (I use FMDB in Stream.)

The Onion

Warning that even the slightest dent, knick, or scratch would henceforth be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday that Raymond Pratt, a 54-year-old resident of Chula Vista, CA who bumped a Tesla while parallel parking, had been sentenced to death.

The Onion’s articles, like this one, put a smile on my face.

Yahoo!Finance

Google lays off hundreds of employees in Android, Pixel group

I’m afraid we’re going to see more and more of this over the next handful of years.

I’m sure I’m living on borrowed time. Who knows, I may end up working at Starbucks?

I love being a software developer but the new world order is ready to trade craft for expediency. I hate that. I hope I can continue to be a software craftsman.

If I could retire today, I would. That would allow me to focus on Stream and [top secret project] all the time. 😀

Kate McCusker • The Guardian

Protective helmets were donned and sledgehammers wielded as Elon Musk Space Karen critics vented their frustration at the Tesla boss and billionaire by smashing up a disused Tesla bound for the scrapheap.

Oh, how much would you love to do this? I know I would.

Have you heard of the abandoned mall parking lots being used to store Tesla cars and trucks, weird, right? It would be a shame if a pack of drones flew over them and bombed them into oblivion, wouldn’t it?

[Ruben Cagnie • Toast Technology Blog]

At Toast, we believe that GraphQL is the right technology to build efficient web and mobile applications. This did not happen overnight. In this blogpost, we will cover the adoption of GraphQL at Toast, from its early days to the recent paradigm shift towards GraphQL Federation.

I love the Toast app! ❤️ It’s one of my favorite apps on my phone because it’s darned handy! There are four restaurants we love to eat at but sometimes we’d like to get takeout. That’s where Toast comes in. Their idea to build a generic ordering app was super smart. Love it! ❤️

It’s nice to see how folks build their infrastructure out. Reading articles like this is like reading about a motor rebuild. There’s always something new to learn.

I’ve always wanted to try GraphQL. Maybe one of these days I’ll get a chance at the day job? 😃

Alexander Lee • Digiday

Former Substack creators say they’re earning more on new platforms that offer larger shares of subscription revenue

Good! Nazistack needs a mass exodus of great writers.

I need to write a piece with a list of the wonderful writers I follow there, via RSS of course, so anyone who reads this can go encourage them to leave Substack. 🤬

Jason Koebler • 404 Media

This weekend, U.S. secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick went on CBS’s Face the Nation and pitched a fantasy world where iPhones are manufactured in the United States:

I’m sure Tim Cook would love to have a factory complete with worker accommodations that drives folks into the ground for pennies a day.

Maybe our new Administration plans to do away with the minimum wage too?

Mike Pearl • Mashable

It’s downright strange how little we know about the hacker or hackers who exposed the identities of over 30 million Ashley Madison users in 2015.

I watched a documentary on Netflix called [Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, & Scandal(https://time.com/6977627/netflix-ashley-madison-documentary-true-story) a couple nights back and it was absolutely fascinating.

As far as I know the person or persons behind the hack have never been found! That is just amazing to me. Their saving grace is they did it for cultural reasons, not for money. After making their demand for the company to shut down they simply delivered on their threat to release the data they’d stolen. No money demand.

It’s worth a watch.🍿

Mitch Wagner

Mitchellaneous: Excellent protest signs

I threw this in here because I love seeing the interesting signs folks come up with for protests. There have been a lot of good ones since Marmalade Messiah took office.

Sarah Perez • TechCrunch

Tapestry, a new app designed to organize the open social web, is adding a valuable feature to help people who are keeping up with multiple social networks: It will now remove duplicate posts from your feed. That means if you follow the same person across social networking services like Bluesky and Mastodon, you won’t have to see their post appear twice in your feed if they’ve shared it in multiple places.

I remember Craig Hockenberry being asked if Twitterrific — long live Ollie! — was coming to Mastodon. He said that The Iconfactory was exploring something different. Something more for the open web.

Well, Tapestry is that app and it was brilliantly executed.

I’m looking forward to what they do with the Mac version. 😍

Oh, one more thing! Hire The Iconfactory to do your design work, I did, and the results were brilliant!

The Iconfactory is one of those wonderful companies in my list of small companies I’d work for in a heartbeat! 🥰

Matthias Endler

I have met a lot of developers in my life. Lately, I asked myself: “What does it take to be one of the best? What do they all have in common?”

Great piece. I’ve met my share of absolutely incredible developers in my time. From so many developers at Visio, too many to name, to the many excellent developers at WillowTree, hi Nish!

I like Matthias’ take on the matter.

David Eaves, Hillary Hartley • Lawfare

In March, the U.S. government shut down 18F, the digital services team tasked with modernizing government technology and services. 18F was perhaps best known for helping the IRS create a free direct-file tax website that makes it fast and free for Americans to file taxes.

This group was full of kind, caring, compassionate, designers, developers, and project managers with the goal of making world class websites for the government.

Folks like Ethan Marcotte went to work there. Yes, that Ethan Marcotte, the guy who created Responsive Web Design. Now think of an entire engineering team like that!

Phil Windley

Cory’s right, using an RSS reader will make your digital life better. I’m wasting less time scrolling past stuff I don’t care about and more time reading things I enjoy. That’s a win.

Yep, yep, yep! There are plenty of excellent RSS readers on the market, but I think you should use Stream! 😁

Aria Desires • Faultlore

C is the lingua franca of programming. We must all speak C, and therefore C is not just a programming language anymore – it’s a protocol that every general-purpose programming language needs to speak.

This piece will take a little time to read but I really appreciated the technical detail and the authors take on so many things C. Nicely done! 🙏🏼

Ghost - Building ActivityPub

Last week we explored some Threads compatibility updates, how to find and follow people across the Fediverse, and the progress of the social web beta launch. This week, we’ve got more fixes and updates to share, as well as a painful and embarrassing story that we wish had never happened.

This is Ghosts place to talk about how they’re building ActivityPub support into Ghost. It’s nice to see other blogging tools support open standards.

To my knowledge, Micro.blog, WordPress, and Ghost support ActivityPub. I’m looking forward to seeing more!👻

Cory Dransfelt

All of Apple’s services are abysmal

I’ve heard this from so many people over the years. Creating web services is hard. Especially when you’re servicing millions and millions of people, but shops like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Facebook manage to pull it off. Why can’t Apple?

https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/5176/2024/f9fe101b00.png TMNT Robatello!