Author Archives: Lassana Magassa

The “Daily Me”, chapter one of Cass Sunstein’s Republic 2.0 was a compelling read. Much like other readings assigned this quarter, there were points where things made perfect sense to me. However most of my time is usually spent scratching … Continue reading →

After reading Political Engagement Online written by Jennifer Brundidge and Ronald E. Rice I felt like it was a story I had read before. Then it hit me! It was a strain of the digital divide being manifested in the … Continue reading →

One of the notable people to do this is Yochai Benkler, who spoke of the rise of a “networked” public sphere. He speaks about this and other relevant topics in his book “The Wealth of Networks.” You can download the full title by clicking here http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/wealth_of_networks/index.php?title=Download_PDFs_of_the_book. Continue reading →

Chapter 1 of “Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age” proved to be very insightful. It illustrated both the benefits and disadvantages of digital memory as they pertain to privacy and personal security. In this chapter the began … Continue reading →

Consequently virtually every example—(e.g. Google blocking Sudan IP addresses to comply with U.S. export restrictions) was about how it was used to prevent individuals from. Not that I disagree with the examples given, but this assertion leads me to wonder, are there any legitimate reasons, situations, instances in which Internet control would be justified. Continue reading →

It reminds me of a presentation given in a course I took last quarter with Malcolm Parks (COM 597: Theories of Technology and Society). The presenter presented an “online community” which was created specifically for woman who suffer from bulimia, but were ok with it (I will provide the website and additional details when I hear back from the presenter). In this instance I believe it can be argued that a gatekeeper most likely someone who was bulimic as well created this community in search of individuals to be Continue reading →

In chapter 5 of Wiki Government, Beth Simone Noveck explores the role of information technology in promoting collaborative democracies. Noveck talks a lot about going beyond simple ideas of transparency (data for data’s sake), to one that encourages collaboration by government, … Continue reading →

This new accountability, a mutation which according to Allen grew out of an “overdue public response to the social consequences of harmful conduct in nominally private spheres …” is more “bold, democratic, and superpowered by technology.” Continue reading →

In this article Alan Westin opens by providing readers with a lens with which to understand privacy in modern societies.  He defines privacy as “the claim of an individual to determine what information about himself or herself should be known … Continue reading →