On this episode of Spark: William Gibson, Lumberjack Chic, and The Last IP Address. Click below to listen to the whole show, or download the MP3 (runs 54:00).
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:00 — 24.8MB)
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The Last IP Address
Way back in the early days of the internet, engineers had to come up with a number for how many IP addresses we would need. It was more or less a case of one IP address for every computer, so they picked a number they thought was big enough. Well, that number is about to run out. With so many digital devices these days, any one person could need 3 or 4 or more IP addresses. So they’re disappearing. Fast. So what does that mean for us? Spark producer Dan Misener goes deep into the bowels of the internet to find out. (Runs 9:05)
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Workplace Social Media Guildelines
We’ve been talking a lot lately about who we are online and how that affects who we are at work. Now that most of us have a personal on-line presence, businesses have to manage the legal risks of social media, and that’s why social media guidelines are being adopted by almost every firm, business, organization, and institution there is. As well as keeping a watchful eye on what employees are saying and doing out in the world, many organizations also recognize the value of social media as a tool – for marketing and outreach. In both cases, the result is a set of restrictions for what employees should -and shouldn’t– say on-line. So what does this mean for the individual? Does the idea of “free” speech still exist in a world where our personal and professional on-line selves are more and more combined? Nora speaks with Vanessa Grant is a Business Law Partner at McCarthy Tétrault, one of the leaders in Technology Law in Canada. (Runs 9:18)
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- McCarthy Tétrault
- Your thoughts on workplace social media guidelines
- CBC Sports: NHL turns its attention to social media
- Vancouver Sun: B.C. RCMP officer caught sneaking teen girl into beer garden; photos posted on Facebook
- Wired: AP Issues Strict Facebook, Twitter Guidelines to Staff
Contextual Integrity
At the heart of the issue of social media use and our blurred private and professional selves is one thing: context. You know, how a photo of you drinking at a party could be OK in one context, but not in another. It’s context that poses the challenge of how we are now thinking about privacy. And that’s why Nora spoke with Helen Nissenbaum. She teaches in the department of Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University, and she’s written a book called Privacy in Context. (Runs 5:14)
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Lumberjack Chic
It seems like everywhere we look lately, someone is rocking a trendy retro item from Canada’s past. Have you noticed it too? It’s cool to wear a retro toque, drink beer from a stubby, have a moose-pattern chair, eat a $5 gourmet butter tart. Nostalgia for Canadiana seems to be growing in design and marketing. The aesthetic of wildlife, camping, canoes, and maple leafs can be found on everything from plates to clothing to wallpaper. Some people have even dubbed it “lumberjack chic”. So what’s going on? Nora spoke with design consultant Todd Falkowsky to find out. (Runs 8:57)
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William Gibson on Zero History
He’s credited with coining the term “cyberspace”, and predicting and conceptualizing all kinds of things before they actually came about, including the world wide web, virtual games, virtual sex, and reality television. More than just a science fiction writer, William Gibson is considered an icon and a visionary who elevated science fiction to another level, and whose influence has permeated popular culture. He spoke to Nora about his latest book, Zero History, a story about the underground world of luxury goods. (Runs 10:49)
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Gay Youth Online
In the past several months, we’ve heard a lot about a rash of teen suicides in the U.S brought on by bullying and homophobia. These suicides have really made people snap into action, especially on the web, where campaigns like It Gets Better have taken off. For LGBT youth (that’s Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender), the internet is really the only safe place to get accurate information and support. And for those in rural areas it can be a beacon of hope…that is, if they can get access. Nora spoke with Andrea Chiu about why the internet plays such a crucial role for LGBT youth. (Runs 6:26)
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I found this chilling: "you're always an ambassador for your employer." What a terrifying idea! As long as we're paid to work between 9 and 5 (or thereabouts), I don't think employers get to expect this. If they want to start paying us for 24 hours, well, I guess that's a different thing. I wonder if you could grieve this with a union: am I actually paid to be a stealth marketer in my off hours?
I'd rather see the reverse: I sincerely hope my employer considers how I'm reflected in their policies and statements before they push them out. Before they put out a press release, I hope the question on the table is, "How will what we're doing here reflect on Rochelle?" That's the world I want to see.
Hear hear! If the folks I work for want me to be an "ambassador," they're paying for it. I'm not dissatisfied, but when I leave work, I leave work. My work cell phone is turned off, and I don't check my work email. And I think I tend to like Rochelle's world…
And why can't I post as "Ed" – a two-word name is too short?
ZDNET UK reports: Cerf: UK government should offer IPv6 upgrade tax credit
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2010/11/12…
On the issue of IP addresses, recent Linux distributions are IPv6 ready, including PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu.
So, how can any of us access the IPv6 version of Google, as I have not seen any links to that version?
Check out this page: http://www.google.com/intl/en/ipv6/
The IPv4 address space is not efficiently distributed. Early participants in the internet were given giant address blocks (and are only using small portions of it). Consequently, were it not for the substantive reuse of IP address space enabled by the private IP address blocks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address#IPv4_private_addresses), and NAT, we would have run out long ago.
The implications of Facebook concern me deeply. I think they save all submitted info and pics, even if you have deleted them. The default security settings are lax, putting the onus on the user to tighten them up. My wife left her settings at default, and because my sister had posted wedding pictures of us on her page, and tagged them, anyone in the world could go to my wife's page, and see pictures of our wedding day, That compromised my privacy, without my knowing it.
My biggest problem with Facebook is that I feel you should be able to compartmentalize your friends….. e.g. People you work with, your real friends and family, people you went to school with, people you only met online, etc. I am hesitant to post to my profile, because I don't want people I work with conversing with my cousins. This wou;d also solve the dilemma of teachers friending their students, doctors friending their patients, both of which I am against, as students and patients should not see into the private lives of their teachers and doctors. The only current way around this is a separate profile, or to start a group, but then, as a doctor, would you really want each patient to see what the other patients are posting?
Really enjoyed the show on Wednesday. I am a librarian and I found most of what you discussed was extremely relevant to my career. I just wanted to say that most public libraries in Canada, from what I know of, do not filter Internet access for teens. Perhaps for children in the children's section, but patrons over the age of 13 should be able to use adult computers. New graduates of library school in Canada are taught, at least at my university, that filtering goes against the mandates of public libraries and prevents intellectual freedom. You were discussing this issue in the States as related to the It Gets Better project. I know that LGBTQ information will become more readily available in public libraries as librarians learn more about what to buy for materials and how to provide teens with more access.
Thanks, Beth. It's true that the woman who did research on LGBTQ youth in rural areas was using US research. As a fan of public libraries, good to know the situation in Canada.