CNET: FCC kicks off investigation into broadband map accuracy. “The federal government keeps a map that highlights areas that have or don’t have broadband service. Critics say this national broadband map doesn’t accurately reflect the level of access in the US. Now, the Federal Communications Commission is going to act on this.”
internet
TechCrunch: The nation-state of the internet
TechCrunch: The nation-state of the internet. “The internet is a community, but can it be a nation-state? It’s a question that I have been pondering on and off this year, what with the rise of digital nomads and the deeply libertarian ethos baked into parts of the blockchain community. It’s clearly on a lot of other people’s minds as well: when we interviewed Matt Howard of Norwest on Equity a few weeks back, he noted (unprompted) that Uber is one of the few companies that could reach ‘nation-state’ status when it IPOs. Clearly, the internet is home to many, diverse communities of similar-minded people, but how do those communities transmute from disparate bands into a nation-state?”
New York Times: How to Save the Web
New York Times: How to Save the Web. “In recent years, it has become clear that the web is not living up to the high hopes we had for it. Built as an open tool for collaboration and empowerment, the web has been hijacked by crooks and trolls who have used it to manipulate people all over the world. To preserve a web that serves all of humanity, not just the privileged and the powerful, we will have to fight for it. That’s why I’m asking governments, companies and citizens across the globe to commit to a set of core principles for the web.”
MakeUseOf: The 10 Best Chrome Extensions for Avoiding Online Distractions
MakeUseOf: The 10 Best Chrome Extensions for Avoiding Online Distractions . “The presence of an endless stream of content on the internet is a double-edged sword. You’re never bored, but the online distractions can severely affect your productivity without you even realizing it. Therefore, here are some of the best Chrome extensions you should install for combating every kind of online distraction. You will just need some willpower to keep these extensions installed in the browser.”
Wired: The Infinite Lifespan Of Memes
Wired: The Infinite Lifespan Of Memes. “A comic primed for the social media age, Busco (born Brandon Moore) lived a quotidian life that took on prodigious proportions online, regularly broadcasting moments of mundanity and side-splitting farce to his 50,000 Instagram followers. In 2015 Moore struck viral gold.”
The Siver Week: Belarus Introduces Compulsory Identification Of Internet Users
The Siver Week: Belarus Introduces Compulsory Identification Of Internet Users. “The law specifically provides for mandatory identification of users of Internet resources, including commentators, and also on the forums. For authentication, the user will need to enter your mobile phone number when filling out the user agreement.”
Pew: Teens who are constantly online are just as likely to socialize with their friends offline
Pew (PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!): Teens who are constantly online are just as likely to socialize with their friends offline. “Close to half of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 say they are on the internet ‘almost constantly,’ and more than nine-in-ten are social media users. These highly plugged-in youth, however, are just as likely as their less-connected peers to socialize regularly with their friends in person, according to a new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data.”
