3 questions. 3 hints. 3 answers. Every Tuesday.
This week’s common theme: deletion.
1. How can one curb the use of bad language?
Hint: get rid of the dictionary.
Answer: It seems that IBM’s celebrated Watson computer, a research and diagnostic tool, needed an urgent mouth washing with soap. A couple of years ago, to make Watson’s communications “fit in” better with the general populace, it was given access to Urban Dictionary. Learning a whole new set of words and not being able to distinguish slang from profanity, it found itself getting into trouble. The solution? The Urban Dictionary was purged from its memory and a much nicer Watson emerged. Read the story here.
2. Where and when does one have a legal right to delete unfavorable web posts?
Hint:
Answer: focus on “minor” and “Napa”. If you are a kid and living in the state of California you now have the right to erase embarrassing, ill-advised or damaging internet posts. The new state law requires internet companies to clearly explain the wipe-out option to its younger users. Unfortunately, pitfalls remain in that content posted by third parties is not covered and content will likely remain on a web entity’s server indefinitely. Still, this appears to be a good thing. Read the details here.
3. Free speech silenced? Where?
Hint: it’s not a government entity so Constitutional rights don’t apply. Plus, with age comes privilege.
Answer: 141-year-old Popular Science magazine, in the quest for upholding science and discouraging science fiction, elected to shut down its website’s “comments” section. The decision is aptly supported in the following quote by Popular Science’s Online Content Director, that, “If you carry out those results to their logical end — commenters shape public opinion; public opinion shapes public policy; public policy shapes how and whether and what research gets funded. You start to see why we feel compelled to hit the ‘off’ switch.” Read more here.
Visit our website
Recent Posts
New America Cypbersecurity Initiative
MIT Technology Review
io9
Techdirt
Knowledge@Wharton
Bioscience Technology
redOrbit
Technology & Marketing Law Blog
Popular Science Blog
Pew Research Center
Genomics Law Report
Science 2.0
The Guardian Headquarters
Genetic Literacy Project
Disclaimer
Statements posted on this blog represent the views of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Center for Law Science & Innovation (which does not take positions on policy issues) or of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law or Arizona State University.
Tuesday Triple Trivia Tease for October 1, 2013
3 questions. 3 hints. 3 answers. Every Tuesday.
This week’s common theme: deletion.
1. How can one curb the use of bad language?
Hint: get rid of the dictionary.
Answer: It seems that IBM’s celebrated Watson computer, a research and diagnostic tool, needed an urgent mouth washing with soap. A couple of years ago, to make Watson’s communications “fit in” better with the general populace, it was given access to Urban Dictionary. Learning a whole new set of words and not being able to distinguish slang from profanity, it found itself getting into trouble. The solution? The Urban Dictionary was purged from its memory and a much nicer Watson emerged. Read the story here.
2. Where and when does one have a legal right to delete unfavorable web posts?
Hint:
Answer: focus on “minor” and “Napa”. If you are a kid and living in the state of California you now have the right to erase embarrassing, ill-advised or damaging internet posts. The new state law requires internet companies to clearly explain the wipe-out option to its younger users. Unfortunately, pitfalls remain in that content posted by third parties is not covered and content will likely remain on a web entity’s server indefinitely. Still, this appears to be a good thing. Read the details here.
3. Free speech silenced? Where?
Hint: it’s not a government entity so Constitutional rights don’t apply. Plus, with age comes privilege.
Answer: 141-year-old Popular Science magazine, in the quest for upholding science and discouraging science fiction, elected to shut down its website’s “comments” section. The decision is aptly supported in the following quote by Popular Science’s Online Content Director, that, “If you carry out those results to their logical end — commenters shape public opinion; public opinion shapes public policy; public policy shapes how and whether and what research gets funded. You start to see why we feel compelled to hit the ‘off’ switch.” Read more here.