Blog Essay: Fact-Checking and Accuracy of Claims

Recently, watchdog groups have created websites dedicated to exposing the “extremism” of ideological enemies and journalists have begun projects that fact-check claims made by prominent political figures and media.

Blog Essay: Text messaging to fight human trafficking

More than 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery is still a way of life for thousands in the United States.

Blog essay: Using hacktivism for advocacy

We have talked in class about different forms of activism in the digital age, ranging from clicktivism to more deviant strategic behavior.

Yik Yak in the NYT - Anonymous abuse on mobile tech

This was on front page, above fold of NYT today - about how Yik Yak allows people to post abusive comments anonymously. A lot of it is happening on campuses - aimed at students and professors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/technology/popular-yik-yak-app-confers-anonymity-and-delivers-abuse.html?_r=0

How the British Government Deals with Antisemitism on the Internet.

Last Monday, we discussed the moral dilemma that society faces between fighting back against extremism while also protecting free speech. It reminded me of this article I found a few weeks back discussing the British government's efforts to combat racism and antisemitism. Parliament is essentially considering whether the law allows the government to restrict Internet access to antisemites, in the same way it can restrict Internet access for sex offenders. We can spend a lot of time debating whether or not this violates free speech, but I will say that it's interesting that European countries seem much more willing to do this than the US does. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31246808

Blog Essay: Wearable Technology

Wearable technology is undoubtedly the future of communication. 

Photo by We Are Wearables

While they have faced a series of setbacks, developing an interactive device that provides information seamlessly to the wearer is the goal for every major tech company right now. 

When Google’s research team realized the potential of wearables, they worked quickly to cause a stir in the tech community. Announced in 2012, Google purposely made “Project Glass” a spectacle. In a post on Google+, Google first introduced Glass with a big claim by stating,

“We think technology should work for you—to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.” 

A few months later, Google’s co-founder Sergey Brin interrupted Google’s annual developer I/O conference with a live demo of people skydiving into the conference while wearing Google Glass.

Google really sought after the coveted title of being the first player to a new product category. So Google worked to innovate on wearable technology in a large-scale fashion. However, they made a series of mistakes by attempting to mainstream a device that wasn’t quite yet ready for mass attention. 

Aside from the technical shortcomings, such as disappointing battery life and a poor quality screen, Google did not accurately consider the legal ramifications of this new type of technology. A series of legal troubles put Google on the defensive and has consistently challenged the company’s advancing of Glass. Labeled as a driving distraction, tool for piracy, and method of jeopardizing other’s privacy, Glass become a target in the news. 

In January of 2015, Google announced the end of the selling of the “Explorer” edition of Google Glass. While it may appear that Google has sidelined the project, they are certainly going to continue to work to maximize the advances they’ve made in this technology. Based on the success of their Android operating system, Google knows the benefits of advancing mobile technology to the next level.

Google’s not the only big player in wearable tech; Apple is ready to join in with their Apple Watch. Apple is expected to unveil the finalized details of their watch on Monday, March 9th. Based on the preview they’ve provided, the watch allows the user to message friends, check emails, see upcoming events, and pay for items using Apple Pay.

Unlike Google Glass’s questionable future, Apple’s watch will certainly stick around for many years. While a watch does not provide nearly the same amount of interactive abilities that a device like Google Glass provides, the Apple Watch still offers a number of ways developers can make useful third-party applications. 

All in all, wearable technology provides a huge opportunity for strategic communication. Just imagine walking down the street with some form of screen constantly in your line of vision or device in your ear; as you pass a store, the device notifies you that the store is having a flash sale on an item you were looking for a few days prior. This technology is already there and corporate powers are just waiting to tap into it.

This form of communication wouldn’t just benefit corporate interests. Activist organizers could potentially have new and extremely effective methods of effortless communication to boost visibility of their cause in addition to attendance at events. 

For instance, one could develop an application that uses the visuals of Google Glass or the geolocation data of the Apple Watch to suggest nearby rallies happening in realtime for causes that are known to matter to the user. This is just one example of the many ways wearable technology has the potential to completely alter grassroots activism. 

Long Blog Post Assignment: Social Media, Social Change

Social Media, Social Change, & Current Examples:

Tumblr and Facebook and their Roles in Racial and Environmental Justice

“If the Civil Rights Movement were still happening today, what would it look like?” was asked on the first day of class. We spent some time discussing how there would have been increased surveillance on leaders, polarized following of the movement, and decreased national media because of changes in information reception. However, like I said in class, this isn’t a hypothetical question. The movement for civil rights is ongoing. Organizing exists nationwide, but is led by those in Ferguson, MO.  

The other large-scale movement currently impacting the national dialogue is the environmental movement.Though environmentalists have been organizing for years, as the effects of climate change have escalated, so too has the organizing. Two notable examples to consider are the organizing against the Keystone XL Pipeline and the People’s Climate March in NYC.

When KXL was proposed, there was little reason to think it would be passed; it was another pipeline. But those concerned with its environmental and cultural impact-- it runs through water reserves and native lands-- took a hard stance, and President Obama has recently promised a veto.

The People’s Climate March was held on September 21, 2014. Over 400,000 people marched in NYC, and countless others in the 2,646 international events held throughout 162 countries. In NYC alone, there were 1,574 participating organizations, 50,000 college students, and over 100 world leaders. (As a slight aside, this march was one of the coolest things that I’ve been part of.)

Later in the semester I’m going to present about how Twitter can be used for social movements, but I think it is also worth discussing the role that other social media platforms have played in organizing, specifically with these two movements.

One of the most notable examples, and most relevant since we recently discussed it in class, is the use of Tumblr to help mobilize people for racial justice. After the decision was made regarding Ferguson and the city reacted, a tumblr page was created called the “Ferguson National Response Network.” The site allowed organizers to upload the movements in their city, and people to find actions in their hometowns to participate in. It is still being updated frequently, with ongoing events and ways for engagement. The two posts below highlight some of the examples of recent events: nationwide action for the 50th anniversary of Malcolm X’s death, and an online solidarity action on the day that would have been Trayvon Martin’s 20th birthday.

Black Lives Matter also has a tumblr page. It is updated mostly with illustrated images captioned. Some are made by artists in the black community, and some highlight issues happening that are relevant to the racial justice movement. Several posts focus on the intersection of LGBTQ equality and racial equality.

Facebook, too, has been a notable tool used by racial justice organizers. Some notable organizations with pages include: “Million Hoodies Movement for Justice,” the “Black Lives Matter” national page, and “Black Lives Matter DMV” (and other city-specific pages).

Social media is also a notable component of environmental organizing. I’m personally involved with American University's divestment campaign, and can attest to the importance of social media for connecting our campus organizers to a national network of support. Skype and Facebook were particularly helpful; I worked on traditional media for FFAU last semester, and Skype calls with 350.org organizers were incredibly helpful in solidifying a media strategy.

It was through the AU divestment campaign that I was made aware of the People’s Climate March. Students from AU organized busses for 200 AU students, as well as students from the other DMV universities. Our organizers used Facebook and other social media to connect to the organizers in NYC and across the globe.

The organizers in also utilized social media. Before I really knew what the PCM was, or the significance it was going to have, I had accepted a Facebook invitation to the event and was receiving updates.

During the march, huge screens streamed other marches from around the world to connect everyone who was marching. There were 630,000 posts made on social media, including those using the hashtags #peoplesclimate and #peoplesclimatemarch.

Social media has played an incredible role in shaping current activism. Above are just two examples-- two movements using two platforms. I look forward to discussing the role of Twitter in these movements later in the semester, and seeing how activism continues to be shaped by the integration of modern technology.