Notes from the Electronic Cottage 4/24/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Perhaps we need a new bumper sticker these days that asks “What would the Founders say?” Today’s technology places immense power in the hands of government. Even though they could not specifically foresee today’s technologies – like involuntary DNA collection – the Founders and drafters of our Constitution did their best to establish principles upon which a free society should be based. Some of those principles are under severe strain in today’s political/technologial environment, especially the Fourth Amendment.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 4/10/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Every now and again a listener will say something like: “The world seems to be changing so fast – all this new technology, and globalization, and climate change and all the rest. What kind of world are our kids going to live in – and more important, what kind of skills will they need to survive?”

Good question. Happily, Howard Gardner has stepped forward to offer at least one answer in his book “Five Minds for the Future.” Here are some highlights.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/27/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

RFID is coming – in fact it’s already here in warehouses, hospitals, and other places where tracking goods is important for inventory control. But what is good in the warehouse may not be so good in your house. Here’s a short overview of the promise – and problems – posed by the widespread adoption of RFID technology.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/13/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

It’s Sunshine Week all across the country from March 16-22, and that is not meant to be a week to think about the weather. Instead, it’s a time to think about citizen access to government information, because, as many wise observers have noted throughout our history, government in the open is likely to be better and more responsive government. With Federal and state Freedom of Information laws, we’re on the right road but, like Maine roads in the spring, there are still plenty of bumps in the pavement.

Some websites mentioned today:
– www.maine.gov – the web site of Maine state government

– www.usa.gov – gateway to many federal agencies and information

– public.resource.org – a site which has posted much government information that would otherwise be difficult for citizens to access
– libremap.org – a site that contains much map and geodata information purchased from the government and posted for anyone to use

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/06/08

Producer/host: Jim Campbell

Cell phones are everywhere, and are becoming powerful enough to let people carry their “digital lives” in their pockets. Some are beginning to wonder if that’s such a great idea, especially if a person gets stopped for running a stop sign or not wearing a seat belt and gets arrested. At that point, all your personal information may be the police officer’s as well as your own.
Seems we live in a digital world with laws that were made for a physical world, and the consequences can be unsettling.

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