In the good old days before the Internet vanquished time and distance, software developer teams were autocratic organizations Continue reading Why Can’t Programmers Be More Like Ants? Or a Lesson in Stigmergy
Why We Don’t Know Know-How
A recent, popular Internet video of Destin Sandlin riding a bike with reverse steering led me to reflect on our tendency to equate knowledge with things that computers do. If we could formulate a “science of learning,” we would be able to design algorithms that help people learn faster and much more reliably. As Destin struggles to understand why he cannot ride the bike, he reveals how our common sense is blind to embodied knowledge. Continue reading Why We Don’t Know Know-How
The Facebook Method of Dealing With Complexity
Computer systems used to be weak, so we had to make their world simple and standardized. They now can handle almost endless complexity—but we still need to understand how to make the world simple, so we don’t risk burdening the majority of users with the needless complexity of the few. Continue reading The Facebook Method of Dealing With Complexity
Government Surveillance Will Fragment the Internet
The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), in the role of protector of U.S. citizens, wants to watch over the Internet and its users through backdoor mechanisms and/or code breaking. This “weak encryption” policy has its “strong encryption” opponents who argue government surveillance of Internet companies, users, and foreign governments violates the fundamental constitutional rights of privacy and liberty. Continue reading Government Surveillance Will Fragment the Internet