All articles in Essays

Guest Post: AI says it’s time to return to the office

Let’s come together and seize the opportunity to rebuild, reconnect, and reignite our passion and drive in the office. Let’s make the most of our time and talents by collaborating in person and making a lasting impact on our company and our community.

Minitel (1979-2012): its past and our future

2012 is the year that Europe shuts down its proto-Internets. First, the BBC announced that teletex was getting the axe and today France is shutting down the Minitel x.25 network. These technologies, both started in the late 1970s, were ahead of their times and, in many ways, may still be.

On the revisionist history of British microcomputers

Small errors of history presented in this Guardian article sum up to a government directed, top-down history of diffusion, learning & innovation. In any history of the British adoption of microcomputers, Sinclair should earn top billing for popular influence over the BBC/Acorn.

Comparing Terms of Service for DropBox, Google Drive & Microsoft SkyDrive

A textual comparison between the Terms of Service for DropBox, the Google Drive, and Microsoft SkyDrive, reveals that they are not materially different in the licenses granted, rights claimed or uses permitted.
 

Social Network Structure of Network Neutrality

A qualitative study using Social Network Analysis to investigate the social relations and the political economy of Network Neutrality.

An Iterative Process for Dictionary Construction

Drawing inspiration from General Inquirer (1966) and KWIC, this post proposes an iterative hybrid of available methods in a quest for a more flexible and robust machine-assisted content analysis system.

Catastrophic Frequencies

A longitudinal study of keyword frequencies in New York Times between 2001 and 2008 supported the hypothesized typologies of catastrophic myths. Patterns of occurrence are consistent between natural and man-made disasters.

House Passes 100% Cargo Screening

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 (Full Text PDF) today. While the bill contains many (many!) sections of interest … More House Passes 100% Cargo Screening