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Your face is not a bar code: arguments against automatic face recognition (2001)
An abridged version of this article appeared in Whole Earth 106, Winter 2001, pages 74-77.
Topics /
Society, Policy & Culture
The most popular blog posts about society, policy & culture on Hacker News. 1,050 posts.
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Adam Smith and Inequality (2014)
The assumption that Adam Smith accepted inequality as the necessary trade-off for a more prosperous economy is wrong, writes Deborah Boucoyannis. In reality, Smith’s system precluded steep inequalities not out of a normative concern with equality but by virtue of the design that aimed to maximise the wealth of…
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My interview with Steven Levy re. leaking of my Facebook Goodbye post
Bottom Line Up Front: Frances, if you read this, do please tell the DCMS committee up front (and don’t let them distract or dissuade you) that people need the privacy which end-to-end encrypt…
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The California Exception
You know how I linked to that New York Times editorial pleading for regulation of dark patterns? Turns out I missed something in the Times’ convoluted cancellation policies. They give you the choice of speaking with someone over the telephone or speaking with someone using an instant messenger. Both have similar hours…
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Shorting and Indian capital markets
I guess you have read the headlines from the US on how retail traders are causing a “short squeeze” in stocks like GameStop, AMC entertainment, etc. If
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Referees’ home-bias in football disappears without audience: study
We analyzed referees’ performances in 1283 games from the top four Eu
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Google I/O 2021 and Uncomfortable Questions
Android app development books
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Policies that make the poor less poor
We should have policies to make the poor less poor. Unfortunately, policies explicitly aimed at trying to make the poor less poor typica...
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Libreboot – Defend Richard Stallman
Canoeboot – Free, Libre BIOS/UEFI boot firmware
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Facebook is other people
This is what "democratization" looks like
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Tales from Prediction Markets
Prediction markets are fun, at least if you're making money.
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Where does the plastic in oceans come from?
Which countries and rivers emit the most plastic to the ocean? What does this mean for solutions to tackle plastic pollution?
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Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
Scaling the WhatsApp online-status hack from a single contact to 5000 random phone numbers — what the data says about phone usage habits.
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I paid for Spotify playlist placements so you don’t have to
As part of my ongoing mission to throw money into thin air I decided to promote some of Corserine’s songs on Spotify. Objectives: increase monthly streams on my Spotify artist page so I can g…
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How often do people copy and paste from Stack Overflow?
April Fool's may be over, but once we set up a system to react every time someone typed Command+C, we realized there was also an opportunity to learn about how people use our site. Here’s what we found.
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Intent to issue €2.5M fine to Disqus over GDPR breaches
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority has notified Disqus Inc. (Disqus) that we intend to issue an administrative fine of NOK 25 000 000 for not complying with the GDPR rules on accountability, lawfulness, and transparency.
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A Timeline of CIA Atrocities (1993)
A timeline of CIA atrocities.
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Benzene detected in hand sanitizers
Learn how Valisure’s work in pharmaceutical quality and transparency was recognized in the U.S. Senate Aging Committee report, highlighting their collaboration with the Department of Defense and commitment to innovation.
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NP Complete 3rd Grade Math Problems (2018)
Leo’s third grade class got to try a Noyce Foundation math worksheet [1] the other day. They didn’t fare so well, but I gotta tell you, some of the problems are REALLY hard! In fact, on…
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The Paywalled Garden: iOS is Adware (2020)
Over the years, Apple has built up a portfolio of services and add-ons that you pay for. Starting with AppleCare extended warranties and…
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The Patriot Act Has Threatened Freedom for 20 Years
In passing the PATRIOT Act, Congress enacted a “solution” to preventing another 9/11-like debacle without having any evidence that a lack of surveillance powers was what allowed Osama bin Laden’s suicide hijackers to succeed in killing nearly 3,000 Americans.
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Useful Spy Books
Reading a good book is a great joy. And recommending a good book is almost as enjoyable. I’ve long been fascinated by books on espionage, and this contributed in no small part to me eventually joining the Dutch intelligence world, and later, rejoining it in some fashion. If you have favorite books that should be on…
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Buy a coal mine, drive a gas guzzler, and other uses of reverse logic
Readers with long memories may recall the brief, inglorious UK fuel shortage of a few weeks ago, which was mostly caused by the rush to refuel for fear the pumps would run dry. Some petrol stations…
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Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) is a condition in which sexual function does not return to normal after the use of SSRIs and related antidepressants.
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The Sucker Complex
One is killed every minute