Motherboard: The Internet Was Built on the Free Labor of Open Source Developers. Is That Sustainable?. “On the surface, the open source software community has never been better. Companies and governments are adopting open source software at rates that would’ve been unfathomable 20 years ago, and a whole new generation of programmers are cutting their teeth on developing software in plain sight and making it freely available for anyone to use. Go a little deeper, however, and the cracks start to show. The ascendancy of open source has placed a mounting burden on the maintainers of popular software, who now handle more bug reports, feature requests, code reviews, and code commits than ever before. At the same time, open source developers must also deal with an influx of corporate users who are unfamiliar with community norms when it comes to producing and consuming open source software. This leads to developer burnout and a growing feeling of resentment toward the companies that rely on free labor to produce software that is folded into products and sold back to consumers for huge profits.”
business
KWTX: First Texas Black Business Week observance begins
New-to-me, from KWTX: First Texas Black Business Week observance begins. “The first observance of Texas Black Business Week got underway Monday, coinciding with Black History Month, and its creator hopes the event becomes just as widespread by offering minority business owners a chance in the spotlight. ‘This is the beginning of what is to come in the state of Texas,’ says Ronnie Russell. He is the creator of Texas Black Pages, an online database of black-owned businesses.” The Web site is available at http://www.texasblackpages.com/ , and I hope you appreciate me looking it up because now I’m hungry for Ava’s Caribbean Restaurant and it’s two in the morning.
Mashable: Brand Twitter, please stay away from the 2020 election
Mashable: Brand Twitter, please stay away from the 2020 election. “Brands are coming for the 2020 national election, whether you like it or not. Don’t believe me? Take a look at how brand Twitter has evolved in the past few years. We started off 2017 with MoonPie, a graham cracker marshmallow dessert, telling absurd jokes on Twitter. It was slightly annoying to watch a brand co-opt a joke format beloved by millennials, but it was largely benign. By 2018, brand Twitter’s voice had gotten bolder, more sophisticated, and more intimate: The maker of the Honey Bun, for example, was now offering relationship advice. Then, in 2019, all hell broke loose after SunnyD initiated a ‘humorous’ conversation about depression.”
Reuters: U.S. charges hackers, traders with stealing SEC filing
Reuters: U.S. charges hackers, traders with stealing SEC filings. “U.S. authorities on Tuesday charged a suspected Ukrainian computer hacker and several traders with scheming to trade on market-moving corporate earnings news stolen from a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission database.”
ZDNet: Caribou Coffee chain announces card breach impacting 239 stores
ZDNet: Caribou Coffee chain announces card breach impacting 239 stores. “US coffee store chain Caribou Coffee announced a security breach today after it discovered unauthorized access of its point of sale (POS) systems. The company listed 239 stores of its total 603 locations as impacted, which roughly amounts to 40 percent of all its sites.” The breach took place between late August and early December — over three months — and it looks like the breach could have gotten all credit card details.
Hankyoreh: KFTC to launch online database on chaebol
Hankyoreh: KFTC to launch online database on chaebol. “The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has launched a website that contains all the information it has collected on South Korea’s chaebol conglomerates and families.” A chaebol is a large family-owned business concern; Bloomberg has an overview. I tried to connect to the database for a quick look but the connection timed out.
Music Business Worldwide: She Is The Music Launches Global Database For Women Working In Music
Music Business Worldwide: She Is The Music Launches Global Database For Women Working In Music. “Launching in early 2019, the SITM Database will span female songwriters, engineers, producers, studio positions and live / touring professionals, with more roles to come. The platform will serve as an inclusive directory, with profiles vetted and verified for accuracy. Applicant submissions are now open.”
