I suppose I can be appreciative of Carleton University and the department of Sociology and Anthropology. My experience as a graduate student of the institution and its people certainly helped burn away any veneer of the noble academic and the pursuit of higher education as a path of enlightenment and betterment for societies. I had hoped my research which sought to uncover how hackers who manage and design technologies on which democratic processes rely, engage ...continue
Pandemic as War: A Dangerous Frame
News coverage, twitter comments, and interviews have featured people from all walks of life describing the current pandemic through language we typically with armed conflicts. Covid-19 is our enemy, we must forgo peace time luxuries to support those fighting on the front lines. It’s a compelling and easily understood narrative which has been reinforced by decades of participation in various conflicts around the world. We’ve internalized these scripts, sets, and the roles we’re expected to ...continue
A Case for Privacy
Recognizing privacy as essential for both the well-being of individuals and our communities has only become more urgent as technological innovation continues to erode the distinction between our private and public lives. Unfortunately, the bond between privacy and the individual is often glossed over, framed as an opaque black box which undermines our ability to recognize its importance. It is essential that we understand how privacy enables meaningful human expression granting both individuals and groups the opportunity embrace and cultivate our shared human nature.
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Statelessness, Technology, and the Growing Gap Between Individuals and Reality (Working Excerpt)
Article 1(1) of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons defines statelessness as a person “who is not considered a national by any State under the operation of its law” (United Nations 1954:3). Hannah Arendt describes two significant harms stateless individuals must contend with. The first relates to the legal or political nature of the deprivation where individuals become rightless as a consequence of not belonging to an internationally recognized political ...continue
The Significance of Privacy in Constructing the Person
Photo: HLS Historical and Special Collections The recognition of privacy as essential for both the well-being of individuals and the multiplicity of networks we constitute has only become more urgent as technological innovation continues to erode the distinction between our private and public lives. Unfortunately, the bond between privacy and the individual is often glossed over, framed a black box which undermines the ability and will necessary for its defense. Understanding how the expectation of ...continue
Instantiating Complexity with Simplicity and Heterogeneity as Descriptors
Photo: Cover of Law, John and Annemarie Mol, eds. 2006. Complexities: social studies of knowledge practices. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. How we engage with complexity is shaped by our understanding of its structure which in turn frames our ability to communicate those challenges simply and effectively. Complexity is quick to reveal itself when moving between the simple and the complex, an observation not lost on application security professionals who create policy documents establishing an organization’s ...continue