Dear community,
The last weeks many overdue discussions have flamed up. From systemic racism over the gathering of power through big tech to the implications of data tracking. Small groups of activists and at time big groups of affected but ignored minorities have had those discussions, but for a brief moment now. Maybe the world is listening. Or did it already pass? The current conversations in the community featured here are along those lines. Help us to note let this (moment) pass!
But the new corona app launched in Germany is supposed to provide universal coverage and track as many as possible. But is tracking as much as possible a good thing? Where does the data go? While some activists and informed users have critically discussed data tracking and it’s the implication for years going as far as suggesting and living ways to avoid already ubiquitous tracking tools, other have installed fitness, dietary, social media and many more apps that collect and use their data without questioning it. Now, for a brief moment, a wider audience seems(ed) to care. Let’s discuss Should we use data tracking to improve services or are the implications too dangerous? How can we avoid being tracked?” Or did the moment pass already?
Many big tech companies present themselves as saviours in the crisis and are welcomed with open arms and presented as “Benevolent Dictators”. But “What if we would organize the infrastructure development of the Internet in a similar manner to free and open-source software?” and How does this lead to a new e-book model?
How does “The Future of Internet Governance” look like? On of our community members has attended the United Nations’ Secretary-General High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and provides us not only with a summary and schematic but also with critical questions. And What do you think about Apple’s new nutrition labels for the AppStore?
We finally processed and transcribed the webinar on data science and how to get to and make sense of dataset’s and shiny new graphs with (COVID)data together with Delab.
That’s a nice graph you have there, but how dod you get it? See how the audience and experts discussed this and give your comments.
Our webinar on researchers and academics in precarity last week was very well attended and showed that there are many problems to overcome in that sector to generate a more fair and economically sustainable system especially for female and minority researchers. How can we make the academic system fairer and more accessible for “outsiders”?
And finally, I would like to continue to draw your attention to this post by our own @amelia about how to support the movements against police brutality and systemic racism. This is more than overdue.
Thank you very much for being a great community!
If you have any questions on how to orient yourself or how to contribute feel free to ask me (@mariaeuler)