Software for Good
Noting the general lack of “real, viral enthusiasm” for Hillary Clinton among Internet users, BuzzFeed’s editor-in-chief Ben Smith writes in a short but smart piece that “Clinton still hasn’t unlocked the only thing that could really turn a campaign into a movement, and make her a figure of the future and not just the past: authentic excitement among American women at her historic candidacy.”
Anti-dystopias: Just in time for weekend pondering, futurist Kevin Kelly offers 23 100-word scenarios “of a plausible technological future in 100 years that I would like to live in” that he crowdsourced via Twitter.
New on GitHub, the ironically-named Streisand codebase built by Joshua Lund enables a user to successfully defeat efforts by “ISPs, telecoms, politicians, and corporations to block access to the sites and information that you care about.” In a blog post, Lund explains that he was inspired by people in Turkey who graffitied the IP address of Google’s DNS servers in order to circumvent state censorship of the Internet, but then ran into difficulties when those workarounds were also shut down. He writes:
It became clear that there was an enormous chasm between the simple solution people had been using and every other available option. Most of the server setup HOWTOs were riddled with errors, and the errors were frequently serious enough that they would prevent the software from functioning properly even if someone were diligent enough to follow the instructions perfectly (which would take forever). Censorship is easy, but getting around it can be hard. Streisand aims to change that, and it is my sincere hope that it will help shift the balance of power back towards the people, where it belongs. As censorship attempts increase, more and more VPN servers will spring up–and now that process is significantly easier.
The “Streisand effect,” for those of you who need a refresher, is when an attempt to hide or censor information only increases the interest in that same information, facilitated by the Internet.
Benetech CEO Jim Fruchterman on why his company is focused on “open source software-for-good.” He tells interviewer Jen Wike of OpenSource.com: “We’re exploring in the [Benetech] Labs a full spectrum of projects, from strengthening the capacity of clean water organizations with data platforms, to providing access to 3D educational models for students with visual impairments, to helping labor rights groups fight child labor, human trafficking, and other abuses.”
Filesharing tycoon Kim Dotcom talks to the Guardian’s Hannah Jane Parkinson about his Mana Internet party’s efforts to get the youth vote in New Zealand’s September elections, and promises to “abolish mass surveillance.”
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will soon introduce NSA reform legislation aimed at fixing some weaknesses in the recently passed House version of the USA Freedom Act, reports Charlie Savage for the New York Times, and privacy advocates are offering cautious praise.
James Stewart argues in The New York Times that a proposed merger of Fox News and Time Warner would disastrously reduce competition in the media business, which is already highly concentrated.
The cities of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wilson, North Carolina have formally asked the FCC to help them get around state laws blocking them from expanding their public high-speed Internet services, Sam Gustin reports for Vice.
Our Miranda Neubauer reports on the continuing efforts of open-data advocates in New York City to improve the quality and quantity of the city’s open data offerings.
Bloomberg’s Henry Goldman covers New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to turn the city’s thousands of pay phones into WiFi hotspots.
Our Rebecca Chao explains the secret behind the “Potato Salad Kickstarter” viral success–a few big pledgers.
For traveling Internet-addicts, check out HotelWifiTest.
Last but not least, check out our new series on “Civic Tech and Engagement: What Makes it ‘Thick'” which kicks off with my report on “How SeeClickFix is Changing the Fabric of Local Reality.”