Tuesday Sweep: 19 June 2018
Permission. The average user engages with technology as if it was all set up as opt-in, as if the technology they’ve invited into their homes and their lives will behave by the same unwritten rules as a human house guest. But unwritten rules cause problems. They have a sheen of universality when in actuality each rule has its root in specific cultural assumptions. Assuming other people or things will comply with the “unwritten rules” gets us all in deep deep trouble.
This week three of the month is all about permissions. Consider crafting, actually in writing, your own personal terms of service. This ties back to the Beyoncé Rules thing to do from back in 2016, but then goes further. It’s so much easier to hold the line when you actually have defined the line. If it isn’t written down you may start to forget, try to put on rose colored glasses to get along. The various autocracy rules of survival flag the slow shifting of norms as a threat, meaning to maintain values one has to be able to remember what isn’t normal.
It’s not normal for an entity to come into your life and immediately:
- ask for the contact data of everyone you have ever met
- start tracking you where ever you go
- monitor all your communications and conversations
- hand your secrets over to strangers as a way to earn points with them
- control what you see as a way to manipulate your feelings
- try to sell you things when you’re at your most vulnerable
- stay even after you’ve asked them to leave
This is not normal. You deserve better. Require it.
Jump in Here
- Welcome. If you haven’t been following along, it’s okay. You’re not behind, you’re just where you are.
- Need a instant pick me up? Jump straight to our Easy Wins.
- There are more recommendations under Start Here.
- Feeling more ambitious? Just wait for the Learn section!
Sweep
Weekly Basics
- Check that backup systems are actually running. (more)
- Update main computer(s), phone(s) and tablet(s). (more)
- Clean out and reset wallet/purse/laptop bag/vehicle. (more)
- Spend some time adding passwords to your password manager and updating flagged passwords. (more)
- What neglected inbox will you spend 10 minutes checking today? (more)
This Week’s Focus:
This is Zone 03’s first month in the fragmented file structure with the shorter list of To-Do’s. I’m not thrilled with them all because it’s such a big topic, but we have to keep the list short to not make it overwhelming. Every month better, though. That’s the idea!
- When in doubt, remember to use the website, not the App. (more)
- Spend 10 minutes moving unencrypted data (for example email) older than ~3 months old to offline archive. (more)
- Keep using privacy minded browsers and search engines, Spend 5 minutes clearing cookies and history as needed. (more)
- Check dockets. Call your reps. (more)
- Don’t let apps see your contact book, or spend time moving sensitive contacts into something else. (more)
- (more)
- Review your standards, move closer to them. (more)
- Spend 10 minutes check your location sharing settings and clear out other location leaking data (more)
- Spend 10 minutes changing the default setting on a service you use, social media, navigation, search engines etc. (more)
Learn
News and Updates
Where do you scan for news, include a politics update! This sections gonna be slapdash because the Zone 03 reorg took some time
- If you click through on the Update Defaults ToDo you’ll see these two great links from the post on “What default privacy settings to change now”. Thank you Theron for the reminder to call them out specifically!
- Complexity and security and the battle between them
- What can also be a challenge? Convenience, like thumbnail previews and easy connecting IoT devices. When security procedures can seem like a hassle, there are ways to cultivate buy in, while engineering something better.
- This was a great week on Hackaday. With 3D libraries and KiCad Libraries and Oscilloscope tutorials. Go poke around.
Engage
We are a community. You are a welcome part of it.
- Did you learn something cool in your sweep? Make something? Share it!
- Speak up
- Give
- Like going to conferences? Maybe one is coming up!
- Show up at CRASH Space.
Relax
If you’re thinking about resilience… think about what it take to be a tree in Greenland. Thank you Levi!
Image is from Reddit of the oldest known Arctic Willow (Salix arctica) was found in Greenland and was 236 years old.
