Sunlight Foundation: 8 challenges for open government posed by emerging technology – “As 2018 begins, the big tent of open government holds both promise and peril, as nationalism, populism, low trust in institutions, and voter anger and apathy put years of gains at risk. We continue to see meaningful ways for better laws and policies to enable… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2018
EU declares war on plastic waste
The Guardian – “The EU is waging war against plastic waste as part of an urgent plan to clean up Europe’s act and ensure that every piece of packaging on the continent is reusable or recyclable by 2030. Following China’s decision to ban imports of foreign recyclable material, Brussels on Tuesday launched a plastics strategy… Continue Reading
The Potential for Human-Computer Interaction and Behavioral Science
The Potential for Human-Computer Interaction and Behavioral Science By Kweku Opoku-Agyemang “This article is part of our special issue “Connected State of Mind,” which explores the impact of tech use on our behavior and relationships. View the complete issue here.” “A few days ago, one of my best friends texted me a joke. It was funny, so… Continue Reading
AGA-Grant Thornton Survey Shows Government CFOs Navigating Disruption
“A new survey of federal chief financial officers (CFOs) conducted by AGA and Grant Thornton, titled Navigating Disruption, reports that CFOs are finding both challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of the White House executive order for reorganization of the Executive Branch and other management initiatives. The 22nd annual AGA-Grant Thornton CFO survey, released today… Continue Reading
Wired – The Golden Age of Free Speech?
It’s the [Democracy-Poisoning] Golden Age of Free Speech: “..In today’s networked environment, when anyone can broadcast live or post their thoughts to a social network, it would seem that censorship ought to be impossible. This should be the golden age of free speech. And sure, it is a golden age of free speech—if you can… Continue Reading
Gallup – Why We Need Best Friends at Work
“So, why does Gallup ask the best friend question? The simple answer is performance. Our research has repeatedly shown a concrete link between having a best friend at work and the amount of effort employees expend in their job. For example, women who strongly agree they have a best friend at work are more than… Continue Reading
Americans See More News Bias; Most Can’t Name Neutral Source
Gallup News: “Americans’ perceptions of news media bias have increased significantly over the past generation. Thirty-two percent believe the news media are careful to separate fact from opinion, well below the 58% who held this view in 1984. Meanwhile, 66% currently agree that most news media do not do a good job of letting people… Continue Reading
New Book Celebrates the History of the Library of Congress
“A new book from Library of Congress Historian John Y. Cole, “America’s Greatest Library: An Illustrated History of the Library of Congress,” tells the story of the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and how it came to be the world’s largest library. Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden calls the Library “a place where you… Continue Reading
Research Data Management at Harvard
Research Data Management Efforts at Harvard •HMS Data Management Working Group (started 2014) •Research Computing Council – Data group (started at 2016) •Harvard Data Group (started at 2016) •Co-chaired by Ara Tahmassian (OVPR), Mercè Crosas (IQSS) •Connects and includes members of HMS and RCC groups •New Data User Agreement Group Releasing in 2018 •Harvard-wide research… Continue Reading
When 136 Bird Species Show Up at a Feeder, Which One Wins?
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: “There’s something tranquil about watching birds coexist at your backyard feeder, pecking away in their quirky abandon. That is, until the local Blue Jay arrives, flushing all your daintier songbirds out in a raucous flurry. It might seem like just plain bullying, but there’s more going on than meets the… Continue Reading
Two new resources – online dispute resolution
National Center for State Courts – “In case you haven’t seen them already, the Joint Technology Committee (JTC) published two resource bulletins last month on the topic of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). These papers provide excellent insight into how courts are leveraging technology to expand services and provide more timely and cost effective ways for… Continue Reading
NYT – Inside One of America’s Last Pencil Factories
You can whisper the answer if need be (do you still write with pencils?), but I certainly hope you will enjoy this article, which is both an essay accompanied by stunningly beautiful photographs, and a lesson in the art, craft and history of pencil making, by the General Pencil Company of New Jersey. I have… Continue Reading
