bryan short
New on the Podcast: An Interview with the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C., Michael McEvoy
The Digital Tattoo Podcast – Episode 6 With a federal election approaching in Canada, I sat down with the Michael McEvoy, the Information and Privacy for British Columbia, and talked about potential threats to the democratic process. We also discussed how the role of his office is changing and what he learned as a lead […]
Canvas Exposed: The little problem with UBC’s big, expensive new tool
The little problem with UBC’s big, expensive new tool Last year, UBC introduced a new learning management system. Canvas by Instructure was rolled out to replace the aging and underperforming Blackboard Connect. When classes begin this September, UBC’s more than 60,000 students will only be using the new Canvas system. Learning management systems are useful […]
Digital Rights Now – Sign the Petition
A few months ago, we proposed a bill of rights for learning data. While the need for reform within the context of our university systems is still real, events like the Cambridge Analytica scandal—which occurred in the interim—highlight the need for all Canadians to have a bill of rights to protect their digital identities. Today, […]
New on the Podcast: The City with Eyes
The Digital Tattoo Podcast – Episode 5 As the government of Canada slowly prepares to embrace the future of city building, a small plot of land races ahead to become the nation’s first smart city. Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc., is developing a proposal for 12 acres on the downtown […]
Technology companies are updating their privacy policies for their benefit, not yours
You may have noticed that a lot of companies are updating their privacy policies. It’s not a coincidence. And these major corporations haven’t suddenly begun caring about the privacy of their users; in fact, many are still profiting from exploiting the information that they collect. These companies are updating their privacy policies to protect themselves. […]
Did Canada just get the ‘Right to be Forgotten’?
Links: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s Draft Position on Online Reputation. Michael Geist’s article in the Globe and Mail and on his blog.
The LMS IRL: Strangers in the Classroom
The Learning Management System in Real Life Unknown Strangers in the Classroom Imagine yourself walking into a classroom. At the front of the room, your instructor is seated with six other people. These people have clipboards, stopwatches, and take extensive notes. Unlike your instructor, the identities of these six people are unknown; they’re all wearing […]
Student Data on the LMS: Make Your Voice Heard
Contribute! Draft Student Bill of Rights for Learning Data Share your thoughts on our Padlet The Learning Management System in Real Life Unknown Strangers in the Classroom Imagine yourself walking into a classroom. At the front of the room, your instructor is seated with six other people. These people have clipboards, stopwatches, and take extensive […]
DT Podcast: Episodes 4, The State of the Internet / The Internet of the State, is now available
In this episode, we look into how the internet has become a place that demonstrates some of humanity’s worst qualities. To understand these issues, we speak with Dr. Taylor Owen, hear the stories of survivors of revenge porn, and look into how the European Union is attempting to regulate the internet to help address […]
DT Podcast: Episodes 3, Social Media and Santa Ono, is now available
The Digital Tattoo Podcast: Episode 3, Social Media and Santa Ono In this episode, we sit down with the President of the University of British Columbia and talk about everything social media. Professor Santa Ono uses Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Youtube, and Facebook to communicate with students, faculty, and staff. We discuss how he came to […]
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