30.1: The Politics of Privacy
This is the third post in a blog series that questions the risks that we’re willing to assume and examines the hazards that are present in the current information technology landscape. Although it’s never a one-size-fits-all situation, British Columbia’s current legal framework has a specific provision that affects everyone in the province. You can read the first post, here, and the second, here. […]
Allow Access to My Location?
Introduction How many times a day do applications on your phone ask to be allowed to access your location. Do you leave your location GPS on all the time? Do you know how to turn it off? If you’re not concerned with how companies like Google having access to your location, consider that with that […]
Taking Control of your Data
In light of my recent exploration of data collection, surveillance, and analysis with UBC’s Learning Management System, Blackboard Connect, I’ve felt empowered to take further control of the data that exists about me online. Below, I’ve identified two of the larger data mining companies, Google and Facebook, and what you can do retrieve, edit, and delete the […]
The Internet’s Most Valuable Product
You’ve likely heard the old adage, “If you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product.” Although the quote’s originator is unknown, it has been around since before the Internet boom of the 1990s. The phrase could have been said when cable television first began broadcasting over the airwaves. It could have been said during the first radio […]
Oh, snap! Here’s six sneaky Snapchat secrets you might not have heard
One of the most interesting narratives that has emerged in the relatively short lifespan of social media has been the rise of Snapchat. The ephemeral social network has come to threaten the stocks of Facebook and Twitter after narrowly escaping the great Zuckerberg’s grasp (okay, maybe ‘narrowly’ is a bit of an exaggeration, but I’d […]
Stay sharp on social media: 10 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’t’s
As the last members of the human race that will be able to remember video stores and landlines, millennials are also the first generation to have their entire adult lives recorded by social media. The Generation Y’ers are finally starting to cultivate their professional careers, and keeping up a positive presence and reputation online is the key to making […]
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