October 2010 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-L] How does Facebook find friends?
by David Boardman 18 Oct '10

18 Oct '10

Hello All, I recall few weeks ago somebody in AIR-L mailing list asking for details on how facebook aggregates personal and social network data in order to suggest friends to be added. Here goes an article that discloses through "reverse engineering" 10 aspects related to the news feed that facebook streams on each user page. Accordingly, there are also some valuable hints on how facebook find friends... http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-10-18/the-facebook-news… Best, David On Sep 26, 2010, at 12:00 AM, air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org wrote: > Send Air-L mailing list submissions to > air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > air-l-owner(a)listserv.aoir.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Air-L digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: How does Facebook find friends? (Marco Toledo Bastos) > 2. Re: How does Facebook find friends? (Stacy Blasiola) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:42:21 -0300 > From: "Marco Toledo Bastos" <herrcafe(a)gmail.com> > To: <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> > Subject: Re: [Air-L] How does Facebook find friends? > Message-ID: <001201cb5c6c$0c899e40$259cdac0$@com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Anders, > > This also got me thinking. It all started a few years ago when my > hairdresser, who I went to once, and who has sent me a few emails, turned up > as a > FB suggestion. We didn't have any friends in common and I most certainly > have NOT allowed FB to go thru my Gmail contacts (or any other account). > This all had happened once before when FB suggested another person with whom > I sure shared no friends whatsoever. > > Since I'm dead sure I haven't given Facebook permission to contact my Gmail > account and FB sure isn't allowed to mine my cache, I was ready to go > paranoid (seemed like Facebook was stealing my Gmail contacts). But after a > few emails to friends and nerds of all stripes, we came up with the > conclusion that it was the hairdresser who allowed FB to collect *her* > contact info. That's how FB knew we had been in contact in a given moment. > > Bottom line: there are only two ways FB could have gotten that info from me. > Either by mining my Chrome cache, and I refuse to consider this possibility, > or breaking into Googles's office in Mountain View, since Gmail was the only > place where I had that info stored. So getting back to your question, the > kid might not know his uncle's e-mail, but my two cent is that the uncle's > contact list sure includes the kid's name and/or his e-mail. > > Either way, this is not good. But it is the future, and the future is here. > > []s > MTB > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:14:11 -0500 (CDT) > From: Stacy Blasiola <blasiol2(a)uwm.edu> > To: Marco Toledo Bastos <herrcafe(a)gmail.com>, air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Subject: Re: [Air-L] How does Facebook find friends? > Message-ID: <t2bfkdsrsoj9l7xcfn4nb4ks.1285395247389(a)email.android.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > I believe this is akin to the way in which gmail scans emails for keywords. I may not use gmail, but if I email a friend who does, then Gmail can scan the email I've written. > > Comparatively, if I don't allow Facebook to access my email list, but I have a friend who does and I'm on theirs, then Facebook will make the connection. > > In both cases, only one user has agreed to the terms. This seems problematic. I believe, particularly in the Facebook example, that it gives other people rights over our information that I'm not so sure they should have. > > -Stacy Blasiola > > UW-Milwaukee > Graduate Student > Media Studies > > > > > Marco Toledo Bastos <herrcafe(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Anders, > > This also got me thinking. It all started a few years ago when my > hairdresser, who I went to once, and who has sent me a few emails, turned up > as a > FB suggestion. We didn't have any friends in common and I most certainly > have NOT allowed FB to go thru my Gmail contacts (or any other account). > This all had happened once before when FB suggested another person with whom > I sure shared no friends whatsoever. > > Since I'm dead sure I haven't given Facebook permission to contact my Gmail > account and FB sure isn't allowed to mine my cache, I was ready to go > paranoid (seemed like Facebook was stealing my Gmail contacts). But after a > few emails to friends and nerds of all stripes, we came up with the > conclusion that it was the hairdresser who allowed FB to collect *her* > contact info. That's how FB knew we had been in contact in a given moment. > > Bottom line: there are only two ways FB could have gotten that info from me. > Either by mining my Chrome cache, and I refuse to consider this possibility, > or breaking into Googles's office in Mountain View, since Gmail was the only > place where I had that info stored. So getting back to your question, the > kid might not know his uncle's e-mail, but my two cent is that the uncle's > contact list sure includes the kid's name and/or his e-mail. > > Either way, this is not good. But it is the future, and the future is here. > > []s > MTB > > _______________________________________________ > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/ > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/ > > End of Air-L Digest, Vol 74, Issue 29 > *************************************

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early early gathering in Gothenburg?
by Annette Markham 18 Oct '10

18 Oct '10

Hi All, If anyone's in Göteborg already and interested, Elizabeth Buchanan and I are meeting tonight at the fabulous bar on the 23rd floor of the Gothia Towers Hotel. Around 8 pm. Join us if you like, Cheers, annette ***************************************************** Annette N. Markham, Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow, Internet Research Ethics Center for Information Policy Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee amarkham(a)gmail.com http://www.cipr.uwm.edu/ http://markham.internetinquiry.org/ Co-Editor, International Journal of Internet Research Ethics http://www.ijire.net

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IRBs and Blogs
by Elizabeth Buchanan 18 Oct '10

18 Oct '10

Hi, all, Sorry to be late to the conversation. According to the strictest US definition from CFR, blogs are not "human persons." and typically are outside the scope of IRB review. I have seen boards ask for anonymization or pseudynomization of names, sites, etc, but this might not be appropriate according to your methodology. Here is a blurb form a forthcoming paper I have: From a research ethics perspective, in the United States, research conducted using a blog as a data source would not be reviewable by an IRB. For instance, if a researcher used only text from a blog, as part of an analysis, and did not interact with the blog author through, e.g., interviews or surveys, no IRB review or approval would be needed, as it is not considered "human subjects" under the federal definition (45cfr46.102f): “Human subject means a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains(1) Data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) Identifiable private information.” “Identifiable private information” is “information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a medical record).” Therefore, if a researcher is getting data from a blog that is public, then it would not meet the criteria for review as set forth in the US regulatory documents. Best, e. Elizabeth Buchanan, Ph.D. Director Center for Information Policy Research School of Information Studies University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 414.229.3973 Principal Investigator, Internet Research Ethics Commons internetresearchethics.org (NSF Project # 0924604) elizabeth(a)internetresearchethics.org On Oct 17, 2010, at 5:00 PM, air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org wrote: > air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org

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IRB and blogs
by André Brock 18 Oct '10

18 Oct '10

Just to complicate the matter even further: The discussions of pseudonomizing [sic] bloggers and commenters has an added piquancy for me, considering that on many of the racial and ethnic blogs i examine, the author's choice of pseudonym often reflects a cultural or personal identity. I came to this conclusion before the rise of the social networks, where many people employ the same username across multiple platforms as populations migrate to keep up with their old friends or to establish a consistent online presence/brand. (or maybe they're like me, where i use the same name across multiple platforms because i'm lazy LOL) Changing their chosen pseudonym, which unlike their given name or patronym is actually a self-made identity, seems kind of arrogant. Is it the case that the mainstream online communities you study don't have any personal connection to their pseudonyms? Are the names just nonsense syllables chosen to satisfy arbitrary registration for membership in a given community? I'm curious; do those of you who change names to protect privacy consider your change to be equally reflective of the OP's discursive identity choice? Sorry for the disjointed logic...i'm still trying to recover from a workout.

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Re: [Air-L] IRB and music blogs
by Margaret Borschke 17 Oct '10

17 Oct '10

I conducted a small qualitative study of mp3 blogs a few years ago as a part of my (nearly finished!) thesis. (I presented some of this work at AoIR 9.0 in Copenhagen.) This study included telephone interviews with the bloggers as well as textual and structural analysis. The terms of my ethics approval allowed me to name the blogs but not the real names of the bloggers. I'm also a journalist, so my initial reaction was concern that it might render my work unverifiable. (Journalists like everyone to speak on the record!) Given the public nature of their blogs, the requirement struck me as a little silly. But as my interest in mp3 blogs is primarily about the use of sound recordings in networks and the poetics of distribution via multiplication, I came to decide that the names of the blogs themselves were not relevant to my analysis and discussion. And there is a big fat ethical elephant in the room when we talk about music bloggers: I argue that sound recordings remain at the heart of mp3 blogs and we know that many bloggers do what they do without permission from copyright holders. Yes, they do this in public. Yes, most will happily remove tracks when asked, and yes, some artists and labels actively send material to blogs for review, but all of this still occurs in an atmosphere of hostility and uncertainty when it comes to media use online. So while music bloggers might be hiding in plain sight, and many use their blogs to make a name for themselves in their music community of interest, I still think academic kid gloves might be warranted. Margie Borschke Journalism and Media Research Centre, UNSW

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Re: [Air-L] IRB and blogs
by Julian Hopkins 17 Oct '10

17 Oct '10

I would agree with what Wendy said, and others, about the need to consider what bloggers expected their audience to be. I faced most or all of the issues discussed above, and these are my solutions. 1. Long term observation of their blog, including archiving their blogposts, etc.: I asked for their permission. 2. Use of direct quotes that are searchable: I asked for permission from the blogger to use direct quotes (one declined, and I need to paraphrase the quotes). 3. Anonymity and pseudonyms: although most of those I interviewed wanted me to use their real name/online pseudonym, I decided to anonymise them (I told them it was standard practice). I did this because of the issue of unintended audience, and also because they may not like what I say about them in the end. Additionally, I found it to be advantageous in interviews sometimes, when the interviewee would pause, and say - 'This is anonymous right? Well, ...' and then proceed to give some juicy details I may not otherwise have obtained. For me, this made anonymising them worth it, although it is quite a headache when it comes to reporting the results (see point 2). I also had a sticky post on my blog announcing that I was researching blogs, and invited bloggers to give their opinion on two research-ethical questions (and two others related to my research): "Will a blogger mind if s/he finds out I've been storing all his/her posts for a month or more, and doing analyses on the topics covered and the way s/he interacts with commenters?" "Should I ask permission to 'observe' a blog in detail? And if the answer is yes, why? I mean, if a blogger wants to keep his/her blog private, why not just password-protect it?" People can see their responses here (http://julianhopkins.net/index.php?/archives/84-Anthroblogology-Monetisatio n-in-the-Malaysian-Blogosphere.html), if interested. Cheers, Julian *** Please note that I am changing my email address. You can now reach me using reach(a)julianhopkins.net *** ++++++++++ Blog: www.julianhopkins.net Twitter: @julianhopkins Skype: julhop -----Original Message----- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:44:34 -0500 From: "Johnson, Thomas J" <tom.johnson(a)austin.utexas.edu> To: "air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org" <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> Subject: [Air-L] IRB and blogs Message-ID: <25C010B6-D82E-4E40-9EFF-9A25F14A0CDB(a)austin.utexas.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" A master's student I am working with was told by the Human Subjects Committee that in doing a textual analysis of indie music blogs that she could not list the name of the blog but had to use pseudonyms. Has any heard of this before? They are public sites after all and their content is easily searchable. If you were coding newspapers you wouldn't need to identify them as newspaper A or B. I think it is crazy, but wanted to hear what you think. ------------------------------

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Re: [Air-L] IRB and Blogs
by Mridula 17 Oct '10

17 Oct '10

Hi, I come from India and the idea of an IRB is still not mainstream here. I find the idea of not 'alienating' the people one is researching irrespective of how search engines would treat the text, quite powerful as given by Bakardjieva and Feenberg (2001) in Ethics and Information Technology. Regards, Mridula -- http://blogs.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/

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IRB and blogs, redux
by Christine Moellenberndt 17 Oct '10

17 Oct '10

i've read through part of this discussion and hopefully can add at least some anecdotal information here. It sounds like my research is very similarly structured to the research being asked about; a combination of blog analysis and personal interviews. i also tossed in an anonymous survey as well. i explained in my narrative that the textual analysis would have names and titles attached, as i am not analyzing any private content (i.e. locked entries available only to a small group of readers), the interviewees would have pseudonyms, and the survey would be completely anonymous. Ironically, they had absolutely no problems where i thought they would, i.e. the textual analysis. i did lay out the case, however, that public online discourse does not need to be protected, and compared it to a newspaper or magazine analysis; it was published in a public arena and therefore is meant to be read by, commented on by, and (i would argue) used by in whatever manner they see fit, the public at large. i also cited Kelty's The Cultural Significance of Free Software as an example of online community analysis without pseudonyming anyone or any site therein. This explanation seemed to suit them fine. Where they did get confused was on my interviews, as they thought i'd be connecting usernames on LiveJournal with the pseudonyms of my interviewees... thus completely rendering the pseudonym useless. I drew them a chart explaining my privacy procedures and told them about the uselessness in so many words. i passed through and was fine. Perhaps a way to handle this in the future is to come up with a list of "previous case laws" and just cite them over and over in IRB proposals of this nature until the IRBs get the point? These can be previous studies, the AoIR ethic guidelines, anything that helps prove the case. i think even just having the one cite i did have made a world of difference to my IRB. Dunno if it helps the discourse, but just wanted to toss something out there into the ring since I've Been There. -christine Master's Candidate SJSU

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position: Director of the School of the Visual Arts Virginia Tech
by jeremy hunsinger 16 Oct '10

16 Oct '10

Distribute as appropriate: Position Announcement: Director of the School of the Visual Arts Virginia Tech, College of Architecture & Urban Studies Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) seeks a capable, energetic visionary leader to be the Director of the School of the Visual Arts (SOVA). The Director will provide effective intellectual, creative and administrative leadership and further develop the prominence of the School. SOVA currently offers an expansive undergraduate education in fine arts, art history, and visual and digital design, embracing contemporary and traditional techniques. Through Studio Art, Visual Communication Design and Art History Programs, SOVA offers an inclusive approach toward educating artists, implementing new and established technologies in analog and virtual realms that are uniquely available at Virginia Tech. The School offers the following undergraduate degrees: BFA in Visual Communication Design; BFA in Studio Art; BA in Art History and a new MFA in Creative Technologies. Building upon strong undergraduate programs, SOVA will begin admitting students into the new MFA program in Creative Technologies in the fall of 2011. A new master's degree in Material Culture and Public Humanities is also being implemented. The goal is to educate talented, imaginative, and diverse artists, designers, and scholars who interface creatively and positively with the society of the 21st Century. A vibrant community of artists, scholars, educators and students, SOVA encourages collaboration, collegiality, and conversation within the context of the arts and the greater community. The School of Visual Arts is one of four schools in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUS), a multi-disciplinary college with highly ranked programs in art and design. SOVA is comprised of 23 faculty, instructors, and staff members serving approximately 275 students in art and design majors in a student body of 30,000 university students. In recent years, an impressive infusion of new faculty talent has been added to a solid foundation of senior faculty. These new faculty bring specialties in Animation, Creative Technologies, Interactive Design, New Media and Visual Culture. The Director will articulate and implement a vision for the future of SOVA and represent the school in several arts-related initiatives including: Virginia Tech's Strategic Initiative in the Arts that includes an $89 million Center for the Arts, currently under construction and The Collaborative for Creative Technologies in the Arts and Design (CCTAD). CCTAD was created in response to the Provost's call for new initiatives in the areas of the biosciences, critical technologies, and the arts, humanities, and social sciences at Virginia Tech and brings together the artistic and technological expertise in the School of Visual Arts and the departments of Communication, Computer Science, and Music. In addition the Director will lead fund raising efforts, provide leadership for interactions with partners within the art community and exercise administrative responsibility for fiscal management, human resources and communications within the school. Candidates should have achieved national distinction in their discipline, administrative experience, and visionary leadership. It is anticipated that the appointment will be at the rank of Professor with tenure. The successful Candidates should be an artist, designer and/or scholar who have significant experience and achievement in his or her field. The candidate should have a terminal degree and an established record of academic achievement. The candidate should be distinguished in leadership within creative arts and have a demonstrated record of working collaboratively with colleagues. Highly desirable attributes include: administrative success, demonstrated experience in leading diverse faculty, research and/or professional programs, fund-raising and work with industry partners. The initial term of appointment for the Director is 5 years with the opportunity for reappointment. Application: All applicants must submit an Electronic Submission (required) to the Online Virginia Tech Job Site at http://www.jobs.vt.edu referencing posting 0100714. Applicants must include: Â· Cover Letter Â· Curriculum Vita/Resume CV Â· Candidate Vision Statement: Addressing the Future of the Creative Disciplines Â· Contact information for at least 5 individuals providing references All Documents are to be attached as PDF or a Word File. Established in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech is a comprehensive research university with more than 29,000 students. Blacksburg is consistently ranked among the country's best places to live. It is a scenic and vibrant community nestled in the New River Valley between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. The town is near national forests, state parks, and other regional attractions of Southwest Virginia, renowned for their history and natural beauty. Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to the principles of diversity, inclusion, and to maintaining a work and learning environment that is free of all forms of discrimination. It is the recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers. Virginia Tech is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. The committee will begin reviewing applications on November 1, 2010. Examples of scholarly work or a portfolio may be requested as the review process proceeds. Applications will be received and evaluated until this position is filled. Inquiries about the position or from individuals desiring accommodations in the application process should be directed to: Dr. Patrick A. Miller, Search Committee Chair (pmiller(a)vt.edu) Assoc. Dean for Grad. Studies and Outreach College of Architecture and Urban Studies 202 Cowgill Hall (0205) Blacksburg, VA 24061 Phone 540-231-0611 Fax 540-231-6332 Jeremy Hunsinger Center for Digital Discourse and Culture Virginia Tech Words are things; and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. --Byron

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Re: [Air-L] Customized Technology for Repressive Regimes
by Iginio Gagliardone 16 Oct '10

16 Oct '10

Eddan, I know the case of Cisco System and Hughes network building a IP based videoconferencing system in Ethiopia allowing the Prime Minister and other cadres in the government to connect with local nodes of the administration and instruct supposedly independent locally elected representatives on how they should run their constituencies. Probably not exactly what you are looking for, but still an example of "surveillance and control" which is internal to the state apparatus. You can find an article I wrote on this system here http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=37556 And if you need any further information, I'll be happy to help ( iginio(a)gmail.com) Iginio ------------------------------ >> >> Message: 5 >> Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:27:02 -0700 >> From: Eddan Katz <eddank(a)aya.yale.edu> >> To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org >> Cc: eddan(a)eff.org >> Subject: [Air-L] Customized Technology for Repressive Regimes >> Message-ID: >> <AANLkTi=-wGamLVaWgdtSNZ-=d7i0sJHuMRCzq8z27E10(a)mail.gmail.com> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >> >> Does anyone know of research and/or evidence regarding the customized sale >> of surveillance and/or censorship technology to repressive regimes? >> >> I've been working on the corporate responsibility issues regarding the >> Nokia >> monitoring centers in Iran (Holding Nokia Responsible for Surveilling >> Dissidents in Iran: >> http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/10/saharkhiz-v-nokia) >> and am looking for further examples (such as in >> http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/01/selling-china-surveillance) I'm >> looking for particular examples of information and communication >> technologies especially. >> >> Any guidance would be much appreciated. >> >> Thanks, >> Eddan >> >> >> Eddan Katz >> Electronic Frontier Foundation, International Affairs Director >> 454 Shotwell St. San Francisco, CA 94110-1914 >> office: +1(415) 436-9333, x.133; mobile: +1(415) 728-5800; skype: >> eddankatz >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: >> http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org >> >> Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >> http://www.aoir.org/ >> >> End of Air-L Digest, Vol 75, Issue 15 >> ************************************* >> > >

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