Tuesday Sweep: 20 February 2018
Your weekly reminder to back up your data, update software and otherwise pay attention to your digital environment. (Oh, and to go to the CRASH Space meeting…)
Jump in Here
- Welcome. If you haven’t been following along, it’s okay. You’re not behind, you’re just where you are.
- The coach tool at the Crash Override Network has a great step by step break down that makes it really easy to start.
- If that site doesn’t fit your needs or you want more, that’s okay, there are more recommendations under Start Here on the repo.
- Feeling more ambitious? Review the list of OneThing articles and pick one to catch up on.
Sweep
The basics slightly revised and with a printable checklist.
- Updated software recently? Pick a new device to check on today.
- Backups still up and running? When was the last time you made a clean disk image? Here’s a new great article on how to design a backup system.
- App, Password Gardening: Delete a low quality app from your phone or delete an account that you don’t need that doesn’t make you happy. Digital cruft builds up. Delete it. If you’re keeping it, can you move the password to your password manager (delete it from everywhere else) and add two factor authentication?
- Stored WiFi networks can be used to profile your computer and find out places you’ve been. Weed them out.
- Move to offline archive & delete your histories where you can find them.
- Double check privacy settings on your phone, social media accounts. The folks running the companies can change the TOS and add “features” before you notice them.
Learn
Where do you scan for news?
- Digikey has released a 1000-part library for KiCad! Eagle’s great but here’s a big excuse to learn this open source software, including from the Amp Hour‘s Chris Gammell.
- Everything small is cute… including minipower tool kits! (Laughing Squid)
- Appreciate the engineering behind printers before they disappear.
- In honor of Black Panther – you have seen it? go see it – here is a thread on Video Game development in Africa. Be sure to read the whole thing for the reading list at the end.
- “Russia’s Election Interference Is Digital Marketing 101” (Atlantic)
- “Russian election interference is far from over. I asked 9 experts how to stop it.” (Vox)
- “Lawsuits threaten infosec research — just when we need it most” (ZDnet)
- “Why facial recognition software has trouble recognizing people of color” (Marketplace)
- “Humans may not always grasp why AIs act. Don’t panic” (The Economist)
- Knight Foundation Prototype Fund (Deadline March 6th)
- Circuit Board Manhattan (via Design Boom)
Reflect
Feeling dumb or stupid about how not-l33t you are? Angsting over some silly thing you “know better than to do.” Stop. That isn’t useful. Regret is only of use if it prompts an actual change in behavior. Maybe it’s NOT you that sucks. Could be it’s the technology and you could come up with a fix that would help lots of people. Look forward and make a plan.
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
- Show up at CRASH Space tonight!
Relax
Really wonderful short film piece from 1958 which is nominally on Danish glassblowing, but really demonstrates a lesson on audio-visual story telling. via Open Culture
