Month: July 2019

  • The challenges of locking down my cyber-life

    In January 2019, I wrote a post (which see for further links) I have shared often since about how I intended to “lock down my cyber-life.” That was six months ago. I made lots of progress, but it seems I’m far from finished, too. In that post, I explained three problems about computer technology (viz.,…

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  • Things I don’t understand even after they are explained to me

    Why public art is so ugly. Why the public are not up in arms about the ugliness of public art. Why I continue to drink and even occasionally desire beer even though it isn’t actually that tasty to me. Why people are evil. (Some people really are. No, some people are really, really evil, if…

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  • On the clash of civilizations

    There is a global conflict underway. A good way to understand it is by looking at the different interests that are coming into conflict. And a good place to begin is, of course, with: The immigrants. People from the “global south” are immigrating north, inspired by the images of prosperity they see on television and…

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  • Why Murder Is Evil

    Why is murder wrong? It amazes me that you can find discussions of this question that manage to supply no clue about how to answer it, especially considering how many confused teenagers ask it as they grow up. Let us not pussyfoot around here. Just as you always thought, murder is not just wrong, it…

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  • Toward a social contract for social media

    Last week, I led a “strike,” or boycott, associated with the hashtag #SocialMediaStrike, directed at the giant, centralized social media services. Though throttled by Twitter and no doubt by others, the brief campaign led to massive use of the hashtag, many people carrying out the strike, as well as dozens of news stories from around…

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  • Thanks for striking

    Let me express my extreme gratitude to everyone who signed the Declaration of Digital Independence and went on social media strike July 4 and/or 5. I’d also like to thank the many reporters who picked up this story. I’m cognizant that this attention represented some trust of me, i.e., that I wouldn’t hijack this movement…

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