Thursday - Jun 9, 2011
The political scandal du jour involves New York congressman Anthony Weiner. Last week a conservative media group charged him with sending lewd pictures to a 21 year old woman via his Twitter account.
Initially, the congressman denied the allegation, claiming that his account was hacked and it was just a juvenile prank. As more pictures began to surface, the congressman admitted to sending the image in question and many others to six different women over the last three years.
This practice, known as sexting (sex + texting), has gotten a lot of people in trouble, as it leaves a trail of data that can easily be uncovered. The disgraced legislator is now paying the price for his reckless behavior in cyberspace. He has refused to resign from office, despite calls from some of his colleagues and many of his political opponents.
As convoluted as Weiner’s denial was, it was not implausible that he had been hacked. It’s easier than you may think to hack someone’s Twitter account. If you’re curious, here’s one way to do it. For other possible explanations, read Errata Security’s “Weiner Schnitzel” story.
Of course we now know what really happened. For once, hackers weren’t responsible. But this sordid story still offers lessons for everyone. As the hacks of corporations like Sony, Gmail and most recently, Citibank, make clear, online security as got to be improved–and fast.
In the meantime, take your own personal security precautions. If you use Twitter, limit access to your account. Have a unique password that you only use for Twitter. Use a strong password, change it periodically and keep it secure.
Remember that social media is designed to help you share information. Privacy settings notwithstanding, assume that anything you share online can be viewed publicly and act accordingly.
As for sexting, some things are best done offline, don’t you think?
Thursday - Mar 3, 2011
“The way in which people frantically communicate online via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be seen as a modern form of madness,” claims MIT professor Sherry Turkle, whose new book, “Alone Together” has just been published.
Once a booster for the personal freedom unleashed by the Internet, Turkle is not nearly as optimistic these days. In her new book she laments that the quality of our communication has been degraded by technology. Status updates and 140 character tweets have replaced thoughtful writing. Emoticons have replaced emotions. The constant flow of messages makes it nearly impossible to reflect. While you can argue about the benefits of social media, there’s no doubt that being connected 24/7 has consequences that we’re just beginning to understand.
During a recent interview on NPR, Turkle told a particularly telling tale. Before beginning an interview with a student, she asked him to turn off his smartphone. An hour later when he turned it on, he had over 100 messages. In apparent dismay, he asked her rhetorically when he would be able to just disconnect.
She went on to talk about how in some high schools, students’ social standings are based on how often they update their Facebook profiles, what they tweet and similar factors. The pressure to keep up is unrelenting. Unlike in the past, when youthful indiscretions were forgotten, everything posted online is there forever. Who wants to be judged by his actions as a teenager? It’s a terrible burden for students to bear.
In an unrelated story, college admissions officers admit that they view and evaluate an applicant’s Facebook page. How much weight they place on it or what they look for isn’t clear. Do they make judgments based on an applicant’s circle of friends, pictures posted, musical tastes, political leanings?
It’s unclear, but the implication is that kids may have to learn to craft their images at an early age, learning to only post information that has strategic value. We already know that employers review social media sites when hiring job candidates. Think about this: If you openly support the recent labor protests, how will a potential employer view that?
The easy, instant communication enabled by social media isn’t going away. Is this new technology just the latest bogeyman, blamed like television once was, for social disruption, or is it a really a descent into madness?
Thursday - Feb 17, 2011
The uprisings in the Middle East have captured the attention of the world, but in the U.S. an equally important protest has also begun to grab headlines. Public servants–teachers, nurses, firefighters and many others–are taking to the streets of Wisconsin to protest pending legislation that will strip away decades of hard-won workers’ rights.
According to Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) “It’s like Cairo has moved to Madison…” The congressman has characterized the peaceful demonstrations as “riots”, an attempt to discredit the public employees. But nothing could be further from the reality on the ground.
Wisconsin, like many other states, is having budget problems. The newly elected governor, Scott Walker, a conservative Republican, lays the blame at the feet of state employees. He wants to slash their benefits and pensions and more ominously, he’s proposed legislation that will strip the public employees unions of the right to collective bargaining. Ironically, Wisconsin was the first state to grant collective bargain rights to state employees. (This CNN article analyzes the importance of collective bargaining for the American middle class.)
Some claim that Walker has ginned up the state’s books to exaggerate the deficit so he can use it as a pretext to break the unions, a gift to his corporate backers. According to Wisconsin’s budget office, the state was running a surplus until Walker, soon after taking office, pushed through a series of corporate tax cuts that will add over $100 million to Wisconsin’s budget deficit over the next two years.
Yesterday, a reported 30,000 people rallied in Madison, the state capital, to protest the pending vote. Other demonstrations were held across the state. Larger protests are expected today.
Is this simply an issue of “spoiled” workers trying to preserve their perks or is there more at stake here?
Most of the benefits that American workers enjoy–minimum wage, safe working conditions, the 40 hour work week, paid holidays, sick leave, paid vacation–are a direct result of the labor movement. Union negotiations set the standard and private industry followed their lead.
An attack on unions is really an attack on the beleaguered middle class. State workers–the people that put out fires, teach our kids, respond to emergencies, pick up the trash, repair the roads–deserve thanks, not vilification. Now they’ve been pushed to the edge and they’re fighting back, drawing a crucial line in the sand.
Should Wisconsin’s civil servants lose this battle, it will embolden other states to follow suit; Ohio and New Jersey are watching closely. Can corporations be far behind in demanding more work for less pay? A bill just introduced in Nevada seeks to eliminate the $8.25 minimum wage. Will America compete with China by legally paying workers $2 an hour? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.
For all you working stiffs out there, it’s time to take some action. Show your support by joining the Protect Wisconsin Families Facebook page. Follow the breaking news on Twitter. Unions are not the enemy. They deserve our support.
