CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2012-10-29 18:16:18 (38 comments, 48 reshares, 156 +1s)

Here's a piece that I wrote for Wired:

2012-08-18 21:36:10 (1 comments, 4 reshares, 19 +1s)

2012-08-15 21:02:03 (3 comments, 6 reshares, 25 +1s)

My post on what the anti-trafficking movement can learn from sex workers went live on Blogher: 

2012-04-22 20:35:36 (6 comments, 30 reshares, 60 +1s)

The Guardian just published a long piece by me on social media & fear: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/21/digital-era-society-social-media This is based on my SXSW talk.

2012-02-24 19:39:25 (5 comments, 8 reshares, 33 +1s)

Stop the Cycle of Bullying is a new op-ed that +John Palfrey and I co-authored for the Huffington Post. Enjoy! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danah-boyd/dharun-ravi-jury_b_1298354.html

2012-01-12 18:21:41 (12 comments, 10 reshares, 33 +1s)

Nancy Baym, Kate Crawford, Mary L. Gray to Join Microsoft Research


Many of you have asked me whether or not Microsoft Research was truly intending to invest in social media / internet studies. With this in mind, I have fantastically awesome news to share: Nancy Baym, Kate Crawford, and Mary L. Gray are all joining Microsoft Research. MSR will continue to invest in postdocs, PhD internships, and visitors with the hope of supporting social scientists who are asking critical socio-technical questions about the rise of new technologies.

2012-01-10 18:51:57 (10 comments, 10 reshares, 66 +1s)

::giggle:: I'm delighted to be featured in Fast Company's piece on Generation Flux. Not only was talking with Bob an absolute delight, but we had way way way too much fun at this photoshoot. The funny thing? This is the first time that I wore high heels since high school (where I fell off a stage during a beauty pageant...).

2011-12-11 16:57:33 (28 comments, 41 reshares, 54 +1s)

Q1: What are you doing to resist the corporate stranglehold over scholarly knowledge in order to make your knowledge broadly accessible?

Q2: What are the five things that you think that other scholars should do to help challenge the status quo wrt scholarly publishing?

2011-12-08 19:50:27 (0 comments, 16 reshares, 17 +1s)

Scholars: Here's a list of open calls for research-related opportunities that I'm helping co-direct: http://bit.ly/vhgNa1 (This includes postdocs, internships, summer institute, journal opportunities, grants)

2011-12-07 22:00:23 (18 comments, 13 reshares, 14 +1s)

My collaborators and I built a framework to think about the role of technology in human trafficking. I would love y'all's feedback on this.

2011-12-07 14:32:47 (0 comments, 12 reshares, 22 +1s)

What is the Role of Technology in Human Trafficking?

Networked technologies – including the internet, mobile phones, and social media – alter how information flows and how people communicate. There is little doubt that technology is increasingly playing a role in the practices and processes surrounding human trafficking: the illegal trade of people for commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, and other forms of modern-day slavery. Yet, little is known about costs and benefits of technology's role. We do not know if there are more human trafficking victims as a result of technology, nor do we know if law enforcement can identify perpetrators better as a result of the traces that they leave. One thing that we do know is that technology makes many aspects of human trafficking more visible and more traceable, for better and for worse. Focusing on whether technology is good orbad... more »

2011-12-06 04:48:59 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 14 +1s)

Boston folks: Jon Kleinberg will be giving a public lecture at MSR on December 7 @ 4:30PM: http://bit.ly/ss2cHz

2011-12-06 04:46:07 (16 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

OMG... I'm sooooo excited for vacation. Easter Island + Patagonia. Dreaming, dreaming.

2011-11-21 06:33:50 (12 comments, 44 reshares, 63 +1s)

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal posted excerpts from a debate between me, Stewart Baker, Jeff Jarvis, and Chris Soghoian on privacy: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204190704577024262567105738.html In preparation for the piece, they had us respond to a series of questions. Jeff posted the full text of his responses at http://www.buzzmachine.com/2011/11/15/debate-on-privacy-the-fuller-text/ Now it's my turn. Here are the questions that I was asked and my responses.

Part 1:

Question: How much should people care about privacy? (400 words)

People should - and do - care deeply about privacy. But privacy is not simply the control of information. Rather, privacy is the ability to assert control over a social situation. This requires that people have agency in their environment and that they are able to understand any given social situation... more »

2011-11-02 19:41:36 (11 comments, 32 reshares, 66 +1s)

Excited to be working with Lady Gaga, the MacArthur Foundation, and +John Palfrey on the Born This Way Foundation: http://bit.ly/vPZfw9 Bravery. Acceptance. Love.

2011-11-01 14:55:14 (26 comments, 92 reshares, 85 +1s)

Why Parents Help Children Violate Facebook’s 13+ Rule

Announcing new journal article: “Why Parents Help Their Children Lie to Facebook About Age: Unintended Consequences of the ‘Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act’” by danah boyd, Eszter Hargittai, Jason Schultz, and John Palfrey, First Monday: http://bit.ly/ParentSurveyCOPPA

“At what age should I let my child join Facebook?” This is a question that countless parents have asked my collaborators and me. Often, it’s followed by the following: “I know that 13 is the minimum age to join Facebook, but is it really so bad that my 12-year-old is on the site?”

While parents are struggling to determine what social media sites are appropriate for their children, government tries to help parents by regulating what data internet companies can collect about children without parental permission. Yet, ashas been the case for... more »

2011-09-23 18:35:40 (25 comments, 54 reshares, 64 +1s)

We all know that teen bullying – both online and offline – has devastating consequences. Jamey Rodemeyer’s suicide is a tragedy. He was tormented for being gay. He knew he was being bullied and he regularly talked about the fact that he was being bullied. Online, he even wrote: “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens. What do I have to do so people will listen to me?” The fact that he could admit that he was being tormented coupled with the fact that he asked for help and folks didn’t help him should be a big wake-up call. We have a problem. And that problem is that most of us adults don’t have the foggiest clue how to help youth address bullying.

It doesn’t take a tragedy to know that we need to find a way to combat bullying. Countless regulators and educators are desperate to do something – anything – to put an end to the victimization. But in their desperation tofind a solution, th... more »

2011-09-23 10:41:05 (16 comments, 57 reshares, 69 +1s)

+Alice Marwick and I co-authored an op-ed for the New York Times entitled "Why Cyberbullying Rhetoric Misses the Mark." http://nyti.ms/q1THlf This is based on a new paper that we wrote called "The Drama! Teen Conflict, Gossip, and Bullying in Networked Publics." http://bit.ly/mYrjrw This paper examines why there is a social, emotional, and psychological cost to using the language of bullying. Teens' use of the word "drama" allows them to avoid the perpetrator/victim narratives required by bullying.

...

Bullying as True Drama
by danah boyd and Alice Marwick


THE suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, the 14-year-old boy from western New York who killed himself last Sunday after being tormented by his classmates for being gay, is appalling. His story is a classic case of bullying: he was aggressively and repeatedly victimized. Horrific... more »

2011-09-19 22:24:39 (4 comments, 12 reshares, 18 +1s)

"Human Trafficking Online" is a new report from USC Annenberg that considers tech's relationship to trafficking: http://bit.ly/qE057e Written by +mark latonero

2011-09-19 18:52:46 (13 comments, 32 reshares, 23 +1s)

In January, a group of us started examining the information flows surrounding the Arab Spring (and the 2011 Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings in particular). Out of this project came a co-authored paper for IJOC with +Gilad Lotan, +Erhardt Graeff, +Mike Ananny, +Devin Gaffney, +Ian Pearce and myself. The more geeky amongst us also built a series of visualizations. Both the paper and the visualizations are now available for public consumption. ENJOY!!!!

http://bit.ly/pk0HR7

2011-09-19 10:13:20 (53 comments, 34 reshares, 84 +1s)

Why is Netflix splitting its world based on business models rather than users' mental models? They're being foolish. Where are movie ratings going to go? To the Qwikster website? Will it or won't it affect the streaming recommendations? ::faceplant:: And why the hell change the brand for the DVD delivery when DVD-only users are the least likely to understand what the changes mean? Wow for brand cluelessness. And OMG did the CEO's "apology" make him look even more out of touch:

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/09/explanation-and-some-reflections.html

2011-09-14 19:28:58 (31 comments, 104 reshares, 74 +1s)

The era of "Big Data" has begun. Computer scientists, physicists, economists, mathematicians, political scientists, bio-informaticists, sociologists, and many others are clamoring for access to the massive quantities of information produced by and about people, things, and their interactions. Diverse groups argue about the potential benefits and costs of analyzing information from Twitter, Google, Verizon, 23andMe, Facebook, Wikipedia, and every space where large groups of people leave digital traces and deposit data. Significant questions emerge. Will large-scale analysis of DNA help cure diseases? Or will it usher in a new wave of medical inequality? Will data analytics help make people’s access to information more efficient and effective? Or will it be used to track protesters in the streets of major cities? Will it transform how we study human communication and culture, or narrow the paletteo... more »

2011-09-13 00:29:44 (59 comments, 115 reshares, 93 +1s)

Guilt Through Algorithmic Association


You're a 16-year-old Muslim kid in America. Say your name is Mohammad Abdullah. Your schoolmates are convinced that you're a terrorist. They keep typing in Google queries likes "is Mohammad Abdullah a terrorist?" and "Mohammad Abdullah al Qaeda." Google's search engine learns. All of a sudden, auto-complete starts suggesting terms like "Al Qaeda" as the next term in relation to your name. You know that colleges are looking up your name and you're afraid of the impression that they might get based on that auto-complete. You are already getting hostile comments in your hometown, a decidedly anti-Muslim environment. You know that you have nothing to do with Al Qaeda, but Google gives the impression that you do. And people are drawing that conclusion. You write to Google but nothing comes of it.... more »

2011-09-09 20:44:05 (45 comments, 4 reshares, 104 +1s)

Exciting News: Me @ Microsoft Research + New York University

When I was finishing my PhD and starting to think about post-school plans, I made a list of my favorite university departments. At the top of the list was New York University’s “Media, Culture, and Communication” (MCC) department. I am in awe of their faculty and greatly admire the students who I know who graduated from there. I decided that MCC was my dream department.

When I joined Microsoft Research, I had a bit of a pang of sadness over the fact that I was opting out of the formal academic job market before it opened, in part because I was really hoping that MCC would have a job opening. But I also realized that I’d be a fool not to take the MSR job. Working at Microsoft Research is a complete dream come true. I have enormous freedom, unbelievable support, and the opportunity to really create a community ofresearc... more »

2011-09-06 18:46:27 (12 comments, 53 reshares, 76 +1s)

100 years of fashion in 100 seconds!

2011-08-30 03:20:30 (26 comments, 0 reshares, 38 +1s)

I just made a list of all of the projects I'm working on right now and it's kind of overwhelming. I realized that my goal for the fall is to finish out at least half of them without starting any new ones. What's the likelihood that this will happen? Le sigh. First, I must finish my bloody book. Must. Finish. Must. Finish. Must. Finish.

2011-08-29 13:18:31 (78 comments, 28 reshares, 73 +1s)

Why the hell is someone from Google emailing me to confirm that this account is really me and volunteering to delete my account if it's not really me? What about my participation on G+ implies that this account is a fake account? And what if I hadn't read that email (since it wasn't sent to my primary email account in the first place even though all sorts of people at Google actually know me personally)? As Violet Blue rightfully points out "too much unnecessary drama."

C'mon Google... you don't have to be this naive about identity....

Update: Le sigh. Apparently, they're duplicating Twitter's verification process and trying to verify highly visible people so that they can get a special badge proving that they are who they are. I know lots of folks vie for verification on Twitter, because it's a symbol of status. That's never been my... more »

2011-08-26 18:02:22 (13 comments, 76 reshares, 67 +1s)

When the earthquake hit the east coast, people immediately turned to Twitter to announce that the earth was shaking. Gilad (and his colleagues at SocialFlow) decided to visualize how the quake spread alongside how tweets about it spread. It makes for a fabulous visualization:

http://blog.socialflow.com/post/7120244132/all-shook-up-mapping-earthquake-news-on-twitter-from-virginia-to-maine

As always, xkcd is right... it took about 30 seconds for people to start tweeting earthquake. http://xkcd.com/723/

2011-08-26 18:00:55 (9 comments, 21 reshares, 25 +1s)

When the earthquake hit the east coast, people immediately turned to Twitter to announce that the earth was shaking. Gilad (and his colleagues at SocialFlow) decided to visualize how the quake spread alongside how tweets about it spread. It makes for a fabulous visualization:

http://blog.socialflow.com/post/7120244132/all-shook-up-mapping-earthquake-news-on-twitter-from-virginia-to-maine

As always, xkcd is right... it took about 30 seconds for people to start tweeting earthquake. http://xkcd.com/723/

2011-08-25 22:14:15 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

The weather is getting seriously gloomy out there... Doesn't help that I'm working on a paper about drama and bullying on a break from my human trafficking project.

2011-08-20 02:52:31 (12 comments, 25 reshares, 45 +1s)

Nymwars, a view from the trenches within Google

In another thread I asked for information from inside Google.
Well, I got it, probably more than I bargained for, but relevant and interesting nonetheless. And since Google themselves are not particularly forthcoming with information, I think some of it will be of interest to the public at large, if only to fill in the information gaps Google is leaving behind.

The information I'm presenting was told to me anonymously, but with sufficient detail that I have no reason to believe that it's not coming from someone working at Google. I do not know the Googler's identity, nor do I wish to. I'll disclose as much of the information I deem relevant to the nymwars discussion without jeopardising this person's job. Information is rephrased in my words to avoid recognition by correlation (if one company should... more »

2011-08-08 22:26:11 (94 comments, 35 reshares, 76 +1s)

Recently on the social media collective blog, danah boyd set off a firestorm by suggesting that the imposition of real names on social media sites is an abuse of power…or even authoritarian. The obvious retort is “don’t like it, don’t use it”, or learn how to segement one’s network (i.e. bend to the system, because its your problem). But I’m here to take another angle on this one: real name sites are necessarily inadequate for online audiences. Yes, necessarily inadequate. I once had a dream that people could seamlessly manage their social networks on any site through some combination of visulaization and clever user interfaces. It was based on the visualization of Facebook networks. People who see these networks, as I’ve discovered in many interviews (early work discussed here), readily identify the myriad social contexts in their networks. One cluster is clearly family, another is clearlycoworkers, and ... more »

2011-08-08 04:46:07 (33 comments, 11 reshares, 172 +1s)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when people imply that when I make arguments, I'm speaking on behalf of Microsoft. Anyone who knows me knows that my opinions are my own. (My blog sez that too but no one ever reads that.) What I most appreciate about my employer is that they allow me to speak my mind, even when we disagree. This is what it means to have freedom as a researcher and it's one of the reasons that I love love love Microsoft Research. I never ever speak on behalf of Microsoft but I have zero clue of why people desperately want to perpetuate this myth. This is what makes me want to cry.

What makes me want to laugh is the irony of folks thinking I speak on behalf of Microsoft when I am critiquing an industry-wide practice that is most prominent because of Google's recent implementation. Yes, I work for Microsoft. But I used to work for Google on social products.... more »

2011-08-06 03:46:02 (124 comments, 14 reshares, 92 +1s)

Was sad to get emails today from friends of mine who are too afraid to comment on my posts re: 'nyms out of fear that they'll get noticed by Google employees and have their Plus/Gmail accounts closed. That fear - however (un)warranted - is not a healthy outcome of all of this.

2011-08-05 13:40:56 (159 comments, 79 reshares, 124 +1s)

Designing for Social Norms (or How Not to Create Angry Mobs)

In his seminal book "Code"(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465039146/apophenia-20), Larry Lessig argued that social systems are regulated by four forces: 1) the market; 2) the law; 3) social norms; and 4) architecture or code. In thinking about social media systems, plenty of folks think about monetization. Likewise, as issues like privacy pop up, we regularly see legal regulation become a factor. And, of course, folks are always thinking about what the code enables or not. But it's depressing to me how few people think about the power of social norms. In fact, social norms are usually only thought of as a regulatory process when things go terribly wrong. And then they're out of control and reactionary and confusing to everyone around. We've seen this with privacy issues and we're seeing... more »

2011-08-04 18:50:14 (156 comments, 485 reshares, 390 +1s)

“Real Names” Policies Are an Abuse of Power

Everyone’s abuzz with the “nymwars,” mostly in response to Google Plus’ decision to enforce its “real names” policy. At first, Google Plus went on a deleting spree, killing off accounts that violated its policy. When the community reacted with outrage, Google Plus leaders tried to calm the anger by detailing their “new and improved” mechanism to enforce “real names” (without killing off accounts). This only sparked increased discussion about the value of pseudonymity. Dozens of blog posts have popped up with people expressing their support for pseudonymity and explaining their reasons. One of the posts, by Kirrily “Skud” Robert (http://infotrope.net/2011/07/25/preliminary-results-of-my-survey-of-suspended-google-accounts/) included a list of explanations that came from people she polled, including:

- “I ama high school teacher, privac... more »

2011-08-04 03:40:25 (38 comments, 19 reshares, 48 +1s)

I keep thinking about a point that +Germaine Halegoua made today about customer service representatives' engagement on Twitter (and other social media). She remarked that average people feel like it's OK for outsiders (like customer service reps) to listen in when they're talking, but when those outsiders respond when they're not directly asking for a response, people feel taken aback.

She gave a great example of a customer who complained about the service at a restaurant on Twitter but was bothered when the customer service rep wrote back. Of course, in responding (and retweeting the complaint), the customer service person was functionally shaming the customer even if s/he might think that s/he was just being responsive.

There's a serious power issue at stake here... In speaking back to customers who publicly complain abstractly, customer service reps aren't... more »

2011-07-29 17:25:38 (29 comments, 74 reshares, 134 +1s)

The Unintended Consequences of Obsessing Over Consequences (or why to support youth risk-taking)

Developmental psychologists love to remind us that the frontal lobe isn't fully developed until humans are in their mid-20s. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for our ability to assess the consequences of our decisions, our ability to understand how what we do will play out into the future. This is often used to explain why teens (and, increasingly, college-aged people) lack the cognitive ability to be wise. Following from this logic, there's a belief that we must protect the vulnerable young people from their actions because they don't understand their consequences.

This logic assumes that understanding future consequences is better than not understanding them. I'm not sure that I believe this to be true.

Certainly, when we send young people off... more »

2011-07-28 03:28:00 (90 comments, 4 reshares, 40 +1s)

The content y'all are posting here is far too studious. I need kittens. Who has kittens? Better yet... what's happening on teh internets that'll make me smile and giggle with delight? Comment me your favorite memes of the week. Pretty please with a cherry on top?

2011-07-13 03:39:55 (34 comments, 52 reshares, 54 +1s)

Oh. My. God. Bacon that actually is 100% vegetarian and kosher. Why? Cuz it's BaconAir! (You've gotsta read the description...)

http://baconsalt.3dcartstores.com/BaconAirtm-bacon-flavored-oxygen-inhaler_p_117.html

Tx +Anindita Sempere

2011-07-12 02:56:57 (21 comments, 11 reshares, 37 +1s)

Lesson #1: Folks on Twitter are awesome at recalling (primarily 1980s) pop culture representations of parent-teen blow-ups and representations of bedroom culture.

Lesson #2: Following the links shared is a huge distraction to actually writing about bedroom culture. Given this, I might as well shared some of the awesome gifts given to me, so you too can be distracted.

- Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gona Take It": Twisted Sister - Were Not Gona Take It
- Michael Jackson's "Black or White": Michael Jackson - Black or white ( Full Official Music Video )
- Ferris Bueller's bedroom: http://mattandtimfunny.blogspot.com/2010/06/ferris-buellers-bedroom.html

- Remake of Freaky Friday re: "privacy is a privilege": Arguing with Mom - Freaky Friday (2003)
- Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have... more »

2011-07-08 21:38:55 (40 comments, 83 reshares, 150 +1s)

From a friend about how stupid computer algorithms can result in horrible acts of context collapse. Priceless.

"I originally signed up for GrandCentral so I'd have a throw-away number I could use with guys I go on dates / hook-ups with. Then Google bought them. I always tag a number with a name in the Google Voice address book, in case someone decides to text me out of the blue 8 months later (happens like clockwork). Key point: it's not my real address book. I use my iPhone / OS X address book for 'real'; essentially, GoogleVoice is my little black book that I treat as "write-only / don't read" and have done so for 5 years.

"Fast-forward to today: I sign up for Google Plus.

"Google is now finding and suggesting EVERY SINGLE GODDAM HOOKUP I HAVE EVER BEEN ON as people to add in my circles; meanwhile, none of the people I actually... more »

2011-07-08 14:33:54 (34 comments, 8 reshares, 74 +1s)

I can't tell if I'm entertained or depressed by the slew of "upstanding public citizens" who keep getting caught sexting. Police officers, pastors, teachers, political officials, and now Mr. Chris Hansen of "To Catch a Predator" fame. If we're lucky, folks will start to understand that sexting is fundamentally a sex act and a performance of sexuality. (The fact that most older adults do so while cheating on their spouses is a different matter.) Our public critique of teen "stupidity" is really a critique of teen sexuality. Of course, we don't like to talk about teen sexuality...

2011-07-07 16:54:42 (20 comments, 34 reshares, 63 +1s)

Going on vacation? Take an email sabbatical. Here's how: http://www.danah.org/EmailSabbatical.html

2011-07-07 02:26:36 (8 comments, 43 reshares, 66 +1s)

I have a warm spot for humor that goes meta on stereotypes. Particularly when it involves seeing the world from the eyes of a New Yorker.

http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/the-world-map-of-useless-stereotypes/

2011-07-06 04:03:25 (28 comments, 14 reshares, 40 +1s)

I totally want the treadmill desk that +Omar Wasow built: http://bit.ly/nYc0t8 Anyone else build a fascinating alternative working environment? (Determined to be more physical...)

2011-07-05 14:00:31 (27 comments, 4 reshares, 52 +1s)

I don't know why it entertains me to no end to surf people on a new SNS. Serious 2003 flashbacks happening here...

2011-07-02 00:28:43 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

I'm off to the woods for the holiday. Americans: enjoy the fireworks. Everyone else: have a great weekend.

2011-06-30 01:25:13 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

danah boyd was tagged in danah boyd's album.

2011-06-29 14:44:58 (28 comments, 1 reshares, 44 +1s)

To whom it may concern... Please understand that I'm exploring this service with my close friends first. I love all y'all who work in tech but you're not a representative crew for testing things with. {{hug}}