Monthly Archives: February 2010
Concert Ticketing Fees
Can someone tell me what “ticketing fees” cover? Or “processing fees”? What, precisely, are the costs involved involved in each and every ticket purchased online that warrant them? Why do we pay “convenience fees” at all? It’s not as if you have a choice between that and a less convenient option for many events. Perhaps you can purchase by phone, but there are charges for that, too.
It used to be the case that music stores and other retailers were outlets for concert ticket vendors, but I wouldn’t even know where to find one now. The only place I’m sure you can always buy tickets in person is the actual venue.
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The Coolest Sport in the Winter Olympics?
Have you seen the Google logo on their search page yet? For tiny percentage of the public that doesn’t use Google as a search engine, Google periodically alters its logo to mark holidays or commemorate certain events, etc. There’s a gallery in their site. Today the two instances of the letter “o” are transformed into curling stones. If you don’t know what curling stones are, where have you been? It is only the coolest sport in the Winter Olympics!
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Cybersecurity, Google and the NSA
Yesterday’s broadcast of Fresh Air was an interesting one. The topic was Cyberterrorism. The guest was James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the co-author of the report “Security Cyberspace in the 44th Presidency.” It’s quite a sensationalistic term, cyberterrorism, and I wonder what the difference is between cyber crime and cyberterrorism. For example, China’s attempt to hack GMail, why is that not CyberTerrorism?
Now Google is working with the NSA to investigate those attacks and that is raising concerns. The ACLU is asking people to contact Google to ask them not to do so, citing concerns about the functions of the NSA, privacy and the rights of citizens. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) announced on February 4 that it had
filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the National Security Agency, seeking records regarding the relationship between Google and the NSA….The EPIC FOIA request also seeks NSA communications with Google regarding Google’s failure to encrypt Gmail and cloud computing services. In March 2009, EPIC filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission urging it to investigate the adequacy of Google’s cloud computing privacy and security safeguards. Today EPIC also filed a lawsuit against the National Security Agency and the National Security Council, seeking a key document governing national cybersecurity policy.
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I have to admit that the relationship bothers me as well. But vulnerabilities in services as widely used and as important as Google’s do have implications for national security, and they they are the best at helping Google deal with them, then perhaps they should be consulted. What are the alternatives? What’s the balance between privacy and security?
Clash of the Titans: Google and Facebook infringe on one another's turf
Have you heard about Google Buzz?
An article from Business Insider provides some information on the context into which the service emerges.
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One Faculty Serving All Students
Here’s an interesting article on a new statement issued by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce dealing with the working conditions of faculty at institutions of higher education.
A coalition of academic associations is today issuing a joint statement calling on colleges to recognize that they have “one faculty” and to treat those off the tenure track as professionals, with pay, benefits, professional development and participation in governance.
The joint statement, “One Faculty Serving All Students,” (pdf) calls for colleges to adopt a series of policies that would significantly improve the treatment of adjunct faculty members at many institutions. The statement was organized by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce, and has been signed by 14 disciplinary associations as well as by the American Federation of Teachers. The disciplines involved represent such major fields as anthropology, art, composition, English, foreign languages, philosophy and religion.
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The statement deals with some important questions, but does it provide the correct answers? Did the AAUP make the right decision to hold out?
The Soul of New Orleans
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The Saints Go Marching In / Counting Viewers v. TVs
Team Logo
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Some Twitter Links From Last Week
Here are the tweets containing the most popular links from last week, counting only those that contain links shortened with ow.ly. They are copied here as they were, embarrassing typos and all.
1. Netflix Gets A Huge Influx of Indie and Foreign Films http://ow.ly/12EQc NICE!!!
2. President Obama: ‘I’m a Big Believer in Net Neutrality’ http://ow.ly/13aqs
3. This is interesting! Free Online Courses Don’t Hurt Paid Enrollment, Study Suggests http://ow.ly/13agQ And it’s wise to remember last bit.
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Academic Freedom Media Review
January 30 – February 5, 2010
Compiled by Scholars at Risk
Terror and academic freedom
Rizwaan Sabir, The Guardian, 2/5
China snubs U of C over Dalai Lama, Accreditation lost after honour for spiritual leader
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald, 2/4
Quebec physicians urge Charest to call for end to silence on asbestos
Rhéal Séguin, The Globe and Mail, 2/4
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